Anne’s Shore & More #30 – March 7 2012

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WEEK

It’s not the busiest music weekend in the New London area, but even in a quieter week there are some good shows to choose from. On Thursday night, Chris MacKay and the Tone Shifters will be performing at the Olde Mistick Village Art Cinemas (in Mystic, at 27 Coogan Boulevard) at 7:30 pm. I’ve heard it’s a very nice venue with good popcorn, and it’s wonderful to see this series continuing. Tickets are $10 per person and will be available at the Box Office and at Imagine, in advance and also on the night of the show. You’ll even get to hear a preview of the Tone Shifters’ upcoming album Picture On The ‘Fridge. This band plays some excellent honky-tonk music and they also have a really great looking website. Check it out at http://www.toneshifters.com/. The Munsell Brothers will be headlining the show. Call 860-536-4228  for more information.

Also on Thursday night, Westerly’s Village Jammers (http://www.reverbnation.com/villagejammers) play their regular second-Thursday-of the-month gig under the moose at Sneekers Cafe in Groton. According to the band bio on their ReverbNation page, they have been playing together for more than 30 years (!). The Jammers are Curtiss Thompson (whose brother Vince is also an accomplished local musician), Mike Palazzolo (of Rivergods and Hoolios fame), Dan Ravenelle, and Geoff Corkhill. Jim Carpenter plays drums on a few songs on their album ‘Til it Happens to You, but you don’t even notice the lack of drums when you see them live. They write and play really good melodic bluegrass/folk/country songs on guitar, bass, mandolin, dobro, and banjo. The show gets started around 7:00 pm, there’s no cover, and Sneekers has a local reputation for tasty food. If you’re lucky, maybe Vince Thompson will get up and do a few songs with his brother’s band. I’m hoping to catch the end of the show after I get out of work.

On Friday night, John Fries and the Heat (http://johnfriesmusic.com/) will be doing the Blue Collar Happy Hour show at the Side Pocket Cafe in Groton. This band has been working hard and getting a lot of out-of-town gigs lately. I saw part of their last set at the Commoner in New London at the end of January and they sounded great. They also had a keyboard player with them at that show, so that’s a possibility for the Groton show. I can’t remember who it was,  but that was a crazy night, so I’m not surprised. There’s no cover at the Side Pocket and the show will start at 7 pm with opener Roy Dunn MacLean. John Fries & the Heat go on at 8 pm on the big stage. John and his band always look like they could play forever, so hopefully they’ll still have another set or so left by the time I get there after band practice.

On Saturday night, the New London Green Party will be hosting their Great Gatsby Gala, a “roaring” 1920s-themed event, at Lyric Cafe (243 State Street). Musical entertainment will be Dan & Liz, Hugh Birdsall, Geoff Kaufman, and Phred Mileski (accompanied by Kit Johnson on piano). According to the press release, Gatsby-era attire is optional, but welcomed. In addition to the music, there will be a buffet dinner, raffles, and a silent auction. This event will be held from 7:00-10:30 pm, and the suggested donation is $20.

Here’s a live clip of Chris MacKay and the Tone Shifters playing “Picture on the Fridge”:

CONCERT CALENDAR     

Wed 3/7/12     – Hospitality, the Cavemen Go, Winter White at BAR in New Haven 9 pm NO COVER

- Tin Cup Gypsy at Stella Blues in New Haven 9:30 pm NO COVER

Thur 3/8/12    – Village Jammers at Sneekers Cafe in Groton 7 pm

- Chris MacKay and the ToneShifters, the Munsell Brothers at the Olde Mistick Village Arts Cinema in Mystic 7:30 pm

- Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons at the Knickerbocker Cafe in Westerly 8 pm NO COVER

- Dex Romweber Duo, ORBO & the Longshots at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm

- Cheap Girls, the Sidekicks, New Year’s Revelation, Dagwood at Lilly’s Pad (Toad’s Place upstairs) in New Haven 7 pm

- Hooks and Sinkers, 800 Mile Monday, Ben Erickson at Elm Bar in New Haven

Fri 3/9/12        – Blue Collar Happy Hour with John Fries and the Heat at the Side Pocket Cafe in Groton 7 pm NO COVER

- Ben Parent, Nancy Parent, Lisa Martin, Jan Luby at the Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret (Songwriter Sessions) 8 pm

- Drug Shock, Progress, Bloodshot Hooligans at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm (CT Rollergirls Benefit)

- The Kooks at Toad’s Place in New Haven 9 pm

- Vattnet Viskar, Tomb & Thirst, Hetfield & Hetfield at Elm Bar in New Haven

- Daphne Lee Martin & Raise the Rent, Little Ugly at the Arch Street Tavern in Hartford 9 pm

- The Zambonis, the Stents, Dagwood at Two Boots in Bridgeport 9:30 pm

Sat 3/10/12      – Dan & Liz, Hugh Birdsall, Geoff Kaufman, Phred Mileski at Lyric Cafe in New London (243 State Street) 7-10 pm (Green Party fundraiser) $20

- When the Deadbolt Breaks, Anodyne X, Wrist Like This at the Bank Street Cafe in New London 9 pm

- Common Enemy, Damn Broads!, Cry Havoc!, Reanimate, Absum, Dead City Riot at the El ‘n’ Gee in New London 7 pm

- Sue Menhart Band at CC O’Brien’s in Pawcatuck 9:30 pm

- Pat McGee, Jen Lowe at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm

- Sandman and Mike Palazzolo at Perks & Corks in Westerly

- Crunk Witch, Bobbie Peru, Death Prayers at Elm Bar in New Haven

- The Gamma Rays at Dan’s Place in West Greenwich RI 9:30 pm

Sun 3/11/12     – Roots Music Stomp with Craig “Honeyboy” Edwards, Rani Arbo at 33 Golden Street in New London 8 pm

- The Pack A.D., Bedroom Rehab Corporation, Black Cat at the Oasis Pub in New London

- VNV Nation at Toad’s Place in New Haven

- The Butcher Boys at Cafe Nine in New Haven 4 pm

Tues 3/13/12   – Pickpocket, West Rockers, Sadplant at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm

Wed 3/14/12   – Joe Nolan, Kevin Mackenzie, Mike Cooper at Cafe Nine in New Haven (Unpunked Series) 9 pm

Thur 3/15/12  – JC Hatfield at Sneekers Cafe in Groton 7 pm

- The Field Recordings, Sun Dagger at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm

Fri 3/16/12      – We Got Mouths, Street People, Missing Cat at the Bank Street Cafe in New London 9:30 pm

- Sue Menhart at the Riverwalk in Mystic 8 pm

- Gone For Good, the Suicide Dolls, Recur Occurrence at the High Noon Saloon in Norwich 9 pm

- Space Orphans at Elm Bar in New Haven 8 pm

- Wry, the Defcon 5, Penny Winblood at Elm Bar in New Haven

- Tony Jones & the Cretin 3, November Party, Mr. Slugg at Cats at KC’s Tap in Pawtucket 9:30 pm

Sat 3/17/12      – The Black Noise Scam, Powerblessings, the Wailing Ultimates at 33  Golden Street in New London 10 pm

- John Fries & the Heat at Burke’s Tavern in Niantic 9:30 pm

- Manitoba, Dead City, Jacques LeCoque at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9pm

- Nasty Disaster, Cry Havoc, Shamplant at Elm Bar in New Haven

- The Richerds, Moving Company at Two Boots in Bridgeport 10 pm NO COVER

Sun 3/18/12    – Toxic Holocaust, the Casualties at the El ‘n’ Gee in New London 6:30 pm

Anne Castellano is a New London songwriter and musician who has played in several bands over the years (the Uninformed, the Skin Walkers, and the Cavities). She has been performing as a solo artist since 2007 but is currently rehearsing with her new band  Anne Castellano and the Smoke.

In 2010 she released a full-length self-produced CD entitled “What’s Been Going On” on the New London-based Cosmodemonic Telegraph label. She is a 30-year veteran of college radio, and is currently doing the Deranged Radio Show on alternate Tuesday evenings from 6-9pm at WCNI 90.9 FM in New London.

She grew up in New Fairfield, CT in a musical family, with a father who played guitar and listened to country artists such as Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, and a mother who loved Elvis Presley. Involvement in band and chorus in high school led to membership in the UCONN Marching Band and a two-week tour of Europe performing with the band in the early 1980s.

Anne moved to New London in 1987 because of the vibrant local music scene there. In 2005 she began putting together a concert calendar to get the word out about all the local band shows that were taking place in the area. She enjoys books, animals, hiking, and the beach, and sees as much live original music as her “day job” schedule permits.

Subscribe to Anne’s Weekly Concert updates via email by contacting her at morbidprincessmusic@yahoo.com

Listen to her music at http://www.reverbnation.com/annecastellano

Anne on LBR: http://www.localbandreview.com/author/anne-c/