Twitter at @lsgoriginal
5.18.2012

HOT Rewind

Little Ugly

Before I headed out Friday night to check out the final show for Casey Cormier with Little Ugly and The Mallet Brothers at Arch Street Tavern, I took a side trip with my pal, Jen Hill, to see Florence and the Machine at Mohegan Sun.  Is it me or are the guards at Mohegan Sun super uptight?  Wow.  They really throw a wet blanket on what should be a good time for some of us.  Anyway…Florence is a present-day Stevie Nicks, IMHO.  Ethereal with this amazing voice and presence.  I lover her.

We made it to Arch Street around midnight and missed Little Ugly.  They did pack the house, however, and it was a terrific send off for Casey.  We did manage to make it in time to see some of The Mallet Brothers.  What a show they put on!  Very cool band out of Maine making waves nationally.  See them if you can!

Live & Local did it again Thursday night (5/17) with another trio of amazing CT original bands.  This time out, we were hit hard by New London!  The bands were great and it was another great night.  I have more plus some great pictures so I’ll report on that next week!

Are you familiar with a music blog called “Ryan’s Smashing Life”?  You should be.  It follows the best of the best coming out of the Boston area as well as nationally.  I had the opportunity to do a special assignment for RSL last month when I took a trip to Boston to check out and photograph Rodrigo y Gabriela for our N.E. sister blog.  The piece was posted today (5/15)!  I am very proud of it.  Enjoy!  And please take the time to like RSL’s Facebook page and visit the website often.  You are a hop, skip, and a jump from Boston if you live in CT and there is some serious shit going on in Bean Town!!

(http://www.rslblog.com/)

There’s a lot going on this weekend in CT but there are two special events on my mind…the reunion of Black Stool at Cherry Street Station on Friday night (see my interview with surprise vocalist below!) and WCCC’s Big Gig at Comcast Theater on Saturday featuring Godsmack, Staind, Dead Sara, and locals, Jasta, and Dead by Wednesday.  You can be sure that yours truly will be at both events to capture it all (and I’ve got a couple of sweet interviews lined up as well!)  You should get your butts to BOTH this weekend!!

But, if you don’t manage that, get yourselves out to something, anything this weekend and support your local artists and musicians!

Support LOCAL!  And, as always…

Occupy a VENUE!!

“Spot”light on… Chip McCabe and Black Stool

Black Stool

Most of us know him as the creator of the “Live & Local” and “Chip’s Unnamed Band Show” series on WCCT-TV (and all around advocate for local original music), and some of us know his as one of the audiophiles (and music snobs!) behind “Lonesome, On’ry, and Mean”, but I bet many people don’t know the real underbelly of Chip McCabe – screamer for the band, Black Stool!

I got to talk about this lesser known side of Chip with him last week as he prepares to take the stage Friday night with his band mates for the first time since 2008.  This is what he had to say about Black Stool.

lsg:  Before we talk present day, let’s talk about your history with music.  It blows my mind that you’re a singer.  When did that start?

Chip:  Well, first of all, I really wouldn’t call it singing because it’s Grindcore and it’s really just screaming.  We started Black Stool sort of as, almost as a joke kind of band back in college when we were all going to CCSU.  It just kind of took off there for a little bit but we really didn’t have the time to commit to “the road” so to speak or to actually record so we kind of parted ways.  Black Stool has been around in one way or another for…we go back to like 2003 or 2004.  So Black Stool actually precedes a lot of what I’ve done recently with the local music scene.  We’ve been in hiatus since then…well, we did a one-off show in 2008, I believe and that was the last time we’ve performed together.

lsg:  Ok so.  “Black Stool”?  Really???

Chip:  (laughing)  The original name of the band was actually “Kevin Spacey” after the actor.  At the time he had been in all these really dark movies and did awesome roles but then we realized that, for legal purposes, it probably wouldn’t cut it.  So, we were going to come up with a different name and our guitar player had a tummy ache and he was reading the side of a Pepto Bismal bottle and it said “may cause black stool” and it was hilarious so we just kind of went with it.  But, it also kind of speaks to, kind of tongue-in-cheek, our views on the whole pharmaceutical and medical fields and all the crap that we put into our bodies.  There is kind of a message behind it…sort of.

lsg:  It made sense.  When I read “Grindcore”, I thought that sounds like it works.  So, literally, who is Black Stool?  Tell me about your band mates.  Who’s in the band?

Chip:  Sure.  Our guitar player goes by the name of Metal Polce.  He’s not only a phenomenal guitar player but he’s a fantastic sound man.  He worked sound for me for  Live & Local at the Wadsworth show and he’s done sound at multiple venues across the state.  Our drummer is Chris Barry who’s honest to god one of the best drummers I’ve ever been around…and I’ve been involved in the music scene for a long, long time.  He’s also the younger brother of Dan Barry, formerly of The Advocate.  Our bass player is Dennis Morin and he’s been in a bunch of local bands as well; local metal bands and punk and hard core bands.  And then we have two vocalists – myself and Kenny Albert is the other vocalist.  Kenny and I went to CCSU together.  Yeah.  So that’s Black Stool.

lsg:  So, how would you describe the band?

Chip:  We are a grind band.  So if you are a fan of bands like Napalm Death or Brutal Truth or any other grind band, then you’d probably be a fan of Black Stool.  It’s fast.  It’s pissed.  It’s a cross between punk rock and death metal, basically.  That would be grindcore and Black Stool in general.

lsg:  I like that.  What’s a typical, typical, Black Stool show like?

Chip:  (laughing)  Well, originally, a typical Black Stool show was not well-attended!   Because even in the metal scene, grindcore is not really sellable, so-to-speak, because it’s an extreme off-shoot of what some people would consider accessible metal, if there is such a thing.  But, we’ve played with so many different kinds of bands at every single show; we actually played a show with a Ska band once and it was just ridiculous because we scared the living shit out of all the other bands.  It was hilarious.  Like I said, it’s very aggressive and we get up there and do our thing.  Kenny and I are all over the place and in people’s faces.  And that’s kinda how we like it.

lsg:  I sorta feel like I could picture that.  You said the last time you guys performed, was like four years ago.  How did this performance come about?  Why are you guys getting back up on stage again, because god knows you’ve got enough going on?

Chip:  That’s a good question.  The last show we did, it was either 2008 or 2009 – my memory is shot so I apologize for lack of accurate dates.  That last show we did was a benefit show, our original drummer had passed away and we were doing a benefit show for his family and for  a donation to Yale New Haven Hospital cancer research center which is what his family was asking for.  Our guitar player, Metal Polce, decided he needed to rage, I guess, and kinda got in touch with us and said hey do we want to do another benefit show for Yale New Haven Hospital and that’s what we’re doing.

lsg:  Wow.  That’s pretty awesome. And it’s funny that grindcore is going to benefit a hospital

Chip:  In all honesty, there’s a lot of bands that sing about horror movies and serial killers and all that shit, and we have some of that in there.  Grindcore, a lot of the bands, very much like the punk rock scene, there’s a lot of social conscience to it as well. So, we all have our political leanings which we try very hard not to get preachy on stage or in the music but we all feel very passionate about certain things.  Building community and helping others is something that, even though we like to rage on stage, we still like to take part in.

lsg:  The kinder, gentler side of grindcore.  If this performance goes well, do you think you’ll continue to do this and do a few more shows?  How are you guys feeling about that?

Chip:  It’s funny because we’ve kind of talked about that at the handful of practices we’ve had since we’ve been prepping for this show.  We put out a demo originally which, I think we would all agree in the band, sounded like absolute shit.  We recorded it in a radio station’s second studio.  It wasn’t even like a real recording studio.  We slapped it together because we had a bunch of songs.  We talked about taking some of the newer material we had written and some of the old stuff that we still like and still play and actually going into Chris’ new studio and recording a real, passable demo.  And then possibly doing a couple more shows.  Arch Street (Tavern in Hartford) has expressed an interest in getting us in there so we’ll just see how it goes.  We’re all wicked, wicked busy and even getting together to practice for this show has been a little bit of a bear so we are going to probably take it day by day.

lsg:  How do you think it’s going to feel to perform in front of a crowd again?  Are you nervous about it?

Chip:  Not at all!  I am stoked.  I cannot wait.

lsg:  I’m excited to see that too!  OK so my last question is usually one I just throw out there just because, for the fuck of it.  This one is just really simple.  Madonna.  Go!

Chip:  I am actually a fan of the old stuff.  Up to and including Vogue-era Madonna to an extent.  I mean, I can’t listen to it for hours but a couple songs here and there.  But, anything after Vogue is just garbage.

lsg:  She’s one of my idols but only because of the fact that she’s managed to reinvent over and over again.

Chip:  I can appreciate that and I will say she put on the best Super Bowl Half Time performance in the last ten years.

lsg:  Oh yeah.  That was pretty hot.  This last one.

Chip:  Yeah.  It was.

Chip McCabe…Grindcore meets Madonna.  – lsg

Catch Black Stool at Cherry Street Station Friday, May 18 at 8:00 pm!

HOT local video of the week…Ferocious Fucking Teeth

Priming up to check them out in their Live and Local debut tonight (5/17).  New London kicks your ASS…with double drums!!!!!

What’s HOT this week…

Friday May 18

* Black Stool Reunion benefit show, with Stone Titan, SWWL, Vaitarna, Cherry Street Station, Wallingford – 8:00 pm

* BigBar Radio Presents GOING FULL THROTTLE w/ Special Guests Arison Cain & The Halfway Home Orchestra, Corner Pocket, Orange – 7:00 pm

* Johnny Tripps & SideTract, The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport – 8:00 pm

* Michael Cleary Band, Black Eyed Sally’s, Hartford – 9:00 pm

* REDLINE, Illusions, Wolcott – 9:00 pm

* SURF NITE! w/ THE CLAMS + All Systems Go Go, THE GREAN, Two Boots, Bridgeport – 9;30 pm

Saturday May 19

* 106.9 WCCC Big Gig w/ Godsmack, Staind, Dead Sara, Jasta, Dead by Wednesday, Comcast Theater, Hartford – Noon All Day

* Buttonwood Tree presents 3rd Annual FREE Music Festival at Halfinger Farms – A Tribute to Mothers and Bluegrass Music, Higganum – Noon to 6:00 pm

* SHAG FRENZY – THE MAY EDITION, Arch Street Tavern, Hartford – 10:00 pm

* JOHN STREET, Blue Plate, Plainville – 9:00 pm

* GHOST OF CHANCE / NATIVE MODE / THE FOREST ROOM, ELM BAR, New Haven– 9:00 pm

* Joe Beck Band, T’s Cafe & Lounge, Hartford – 9:00 pm

* Song Writer Night, Grady Tavern, Manchester – 10:00 pm

Sunday May 20

* I Love Diane, Riverside Park, New London, CT– 6:00 pm

PLEASE LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE…WORKING HARD FOR CT LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT http://www.facebook.com/lsgoriginal – and follow my antics on Twitter at @lsgoriginal.  Web page forthcoming!

Peace…
lsg

Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez – lsg Original

Lover of music and the visual arts, Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez is the insanity behind lsg original photography. lsg specializes in artist and performer photography. She’s had the honor of photographing national bands such as Weezer, Snoop Dogg, A Simple Plan, Paramore, Whitesnake, Wye Oak, and The Antlers along with countless local bands and performers.

Hailing from Hartford, CT, Lisa is a life- long music connoisseur. Growing up, her mother exposed her to everything from The Stones to Simon and Garfunkel to Earth, Wind, and Fire to Loretta Lynn…and everything in between. No genre was left unexplored in her vinyl collection. She saw her first concert at 14…Rod Stewart at the (then called) Hartford Civic Center. Thirty years later, it’s still her favorite pastime.

Lisa has two kids (grown!) and a day job. Her loves of music and photography have melded into a second career. And her love of CT keeps her promoting and pushing for local artists and performers. Lisa spends the greater part of her free time seeing and shooting live bands, performers, and artists and art work…and purchasing vinyl!

Scene Queen lsg on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scenequeenlsg

lsg Original Photography on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lsgoriginal

Lisa on LBR: http://www.localbandreview.com/author/lsg/

OCCUPY A VENUE!

Bluegrass on the Bogs

Well, I will be kicking off my music festival season this weekend with a trip up to East Wareham, MA for the 7^th Annual Bluegrass on the Bogs (http://www.bluegrassonthebogs.com). I’ve only missed 2 of the 7 years of this festival & it’s always the perfect fest to start my festival season off with. It’s not too big, the lineup is always first rate & the evening pickin’ around the campsite is equally as great as what you see on the stage. The gates open at 4 p.m. on Friday & music starts at 6. You can get the full schedule, plus info on camping on their website if you‘re interested in attending.

Last week was a bit of a ‘lying low’ week for me, except for hosting the Lucky Souls show featuring Kelly Kancyr, Kelly Zullo & Becky Kessler at Twisted Vine on Thursday & then seeing Kelly Zullo again at The Outer Space on Friday. All 3 of these ladies played a great set on Thursday. I’m very happy that Kelly Zullo made her way to CT & hoping for her to get back here soon, though I know she is heading to Europe for the summer so it may be some time before we get her back to the CT area. Here’s a video from her set on Thursday though:

On Sunday there is an event at Orange Ale House (http://www.orange-alehouse.com/) that I’d like you all to be aware of. It’s an evening to support Autism awareness. The Ale House is located at 517 Boston Post Rd, Orange & the event starts at 4 p.m., there is a $30 ticket price which includes food, music by Sean Rainey & Sammy Blanchette & raffles. Try to get there if you can to support this event please!

Okay, lots more happening in CT this weekend, so here’s a few things you may want to check out:

Friday, May 18^th

Sammy Blanchette & Adam Cyr, 8 p.m. at Twisted Vine, 285 Main St, Derby

Sally Barris/Anne Marie Menta, 8:30 p.m. at The Outer Space, 295 Treadwell St, Hamden, $10.00

Allo Darlin’, 9 p.m. at Café Nine, 250 State St, New Haven, $8.00

Johnny Tripps, 9 p.m. at Acoustic Café, 2926 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, $5.00

Saturday, May 19^th

String Band, 11 a.m. at Flanders Nature Center, 5 Church Hill Rd, Woodbury, $5.00

Paul Zunno/Bob Crelin/Harry T, 7 p.m. at The Outer Space, 295 Treadwell St, Hamden, $15.00

Wandering Roots Trio, 7:30 p.m. at Smokin’ with Chris, 59 W Center St, Southington

ETC, 8 p.m. at Acoustic Café, 2926 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, $5.00

Greg Buzzi, 8 p.m. at Molten Java, 213 Greenwood Ave, Bethel

George Baker Experience, 9 p.m. at Café Nine, 250 State St, New Haven, $5.00

Father Time, 10 p.m. at Two Boots, 281 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport

Sons & Heirs, 10 p.m. at The Outer Space, 295 Treadwell St, Hamden, $10.00

Sunday, May 20^th

Tim Palmieri Beatles Brunch, 12 p.m. at Anna Liffey’s, 17 Whitney Ave, New Haven

The Crickstones, 1 p.m. at McLaughlin Vineyard, 14 Alberts Hill Rd, Newtown

Sinan Bakir, 6 p.m. at The Outer Space, 295 Treadwell St, Hamden

Roxy Perry’s Traveling Roadside Jam, 7 p.m. at Café Nine, 250 State St, New Haven

Bright Brown, 8 p.m. at The Outer Space, 295 Treadwell St, Hamden, $5.00

Get out & support the musicians & venues y’all!

Aim D’Amaro – Lucky Souls Productions

By the time she was 12, Amy D’Amaro knew that she wanted a career that would keep her surrounded by music. At 16, she became an intern at WPLR radio in New Haven, CT where she would stay for 5 yrs learning all aspects of music programming at a commercial radio station. In the time that she was at WPLR, she also became friends with many musicians on the local scene & spent much of her time taking in music at venues all over New Haven County.

In 1993, Amy left the radio station to raise her son, but her love of music & the local scene never faded. In 2003 she began what would become a very successful dog walking & pet sitting service, but still spent much of her time checking out the local music scene in both New Haven & Fairfield Counties. In 2009 she began Lucky Souls Productions to help out the local musicians she knew by promoting their music through live video footage. In 2011, Lucky Souls grew & began booking musicians in some of the local venues. When not busy walking dogs or editing videos, Amy still spends much of her time out with friends, supporting the local music scene & venues & attending music festivals.

Website: http://luckysoulsproductions.com/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/luckysoulsproductions

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/LuckySoulsProduction

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WEEK

Rest up, folks, because the shoreline’s music schedule is filling up fast. The warm weather is here and there are plenty of shows, including outdoor events, coming up. First some sad news: Friday night will be the second to last Blue Collar Happy Hour show at the Side Pocket Cafe in Groton. Owner Henry Reed has been talking about closing for awhile now, and he has finally decided to do it. So far there is no word on where (I refuse to say “if”) the BCHH series will continue, but I will pass that information along as soon as I get it. This Friday night, the Hoolios (www.locodare.com) will be playing. If you missed their amazing CD release show at Sneekers on Cinco de Mayo, you have a chance to redeem yourself by going to this one. The new CD (which is mostly a solo project by Jim Carpenter) is called The Dream, and it sounds great.  The show starts at 8:00 and there is no cover. (Bring extra money for a CD, but the club has an ATM just in case you forget.)

There is also a big show at 33 Golden Street in New London on Friday night, with Japanther (http://japanther.com/), Fatal Film (www.fatalfilm.com), the Pine Hill Haints (http://krecs.com/artists/pine-hill-haints/), and We Got Mouths. Japanther, an art rock/punk/dance band from Brooklyn, played here a few years ago to a big crowd at the Oasis Pub, and it has been years since the Pine Hill Haints (from Huntsville, Alabama) last came to town. 33 Golden is a small club and tickets are being sold for $5 in advance, $7 at the door. If you want to be sure to get into the show, purchase a ticket ahead of time during bar hours. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. This show starts at 9 pm.

If you can’t get into the Friday night show, the Pine Hill Haints will also be playing on Saturday night at the El ‘n’ Gee in New London along with the Counter Clockwise (http://www.bebad.us/thecounterclockwise/) and Estrogen and Tonic (http://www.myspace.com/estrogenandtonic). The band will be in town for the wedding of Danny Spurr (Can Kickers, Dan & Liz, and Low Brow Boys) and Liz Larson (Dan & Liz, False Mermaid), and this is the post-wedding show, which is open to the public. If I understand it correctly, the Pine Hill Haints will also be playing with former New Londoner Jana Savanapridi in a supergroup doing Counterclockwise/Thunderfakers/Baker Street Irregulars/Crypt Kickers songs. The show starts at 9 pm and it’s all ages. This is sure to be quite the party. Congratulations, Danny and Liz!

Saturday night is also the night for Sinner’s Circle (http://sinnerscircle.wordpress.com/) Volume 18 at Bean and Leaf in New London featuring Craig Edwards (folk/oldtime musician extraordinaire), Ron Gletherow (Maggie’s Guitar), Craig Johnson (formerly of Degoleg), and Carl Suiter Jr. The show starts at 7:30 pm and runs for about 2 hours (the venue closes at 10 pm). Admission is free, but donations will be collected for local charities. All ages are welcome. This may be one of the last Sinner’s Circle shows at Bean and Leaf as the business is trying to raise funds (http://www.gofundme.com/bean-leaf) to finance a new location at the intersection of Bank and Howard Streets. If they are unable to raise the $25,000 that they need, they will be going out of business at the end of June.

On Sunday, New London’s Riverside Park will be the setting for the Second  Annual Neighbor Day celebration from 10 am – 7 pm (https://www.facebook.com/events/103497746442887/). Riverside Park is located off Adelaide Street. This event is free and open to all, and there will be food and other vendors.

Here is the complete schedule of entertainment:

•                         10:30 – Pat Daddona and Mike Bailey
•                         11:00 – Cambodian Dancer
•                         11:10 – Sue Mead
•                         11:40 – The Meadows Brothers
•                         12:15 – The Centro All Stars
•                         12:30 – Jason W. & Noah L.
•                         12:40 – Kente Percussion Ensemble
•                         1:10 -  Guno Leeflang
•                         1:45 -  The Ohio-Freer Collective; featuring Sara Kraut and Elyssa Ravenelle
•                         2:15 -  Leo Dancer & Elizaldi Hilario
•                         2:30 -  Studio Desmeen
•                         2:50 -  Bruce McDermott
•                         3:35 -  Ben and Nancy Parent
•                         4:10 -  Hugh Birdsall
•                         4:45 -  Vince Tuckwood
•                         5:20 -  Chris Castle
•                         6:00 -  I Love Diane
•                         6:30 -  The Weird Beards

Here are the Pine Hill Haints performing “Tennessee River Rambler”, “Cuckoo Bird”, and “Columbus Stockade Blues”:

CONCERT CALENDAR     
Wed 5/16/12   – The Rivergods at the New London Food Stroll 5:30-8:30 pm (in front of Hygienic Art Park)

- Sandman, Daphne Lee Martin at Perks & Corks in Westerly

- Malcolm Tent, Al Pist, Frank Larson, Jason Prince at Cafe Nine in New Haven (Unpunked series) 9 pm

- Saturday Looks Good to Me, Wild Moccasins, Werewolf Police at BAR in New Haven 9 pm NO COVER

Thur 5/17/12  - JC Hatfield Band at Sneekers Cafe in Groton 7 pm

- The Lost Riots, the Defcon 5 at Cafe Nine in New Haven

- Pandoras Bliss, Forget Paris, Revolutio, I Love You at Elm Bar in New Haven

- The Suicide Dolls, Ferocious Fucking Teeth, Space Orphans at Arch Street Tavern in Hartford 8 pm

Fri 5/18/12      – Sue Menhart at the Bulkeley House in New London 5 pm

- Pat Daddona, Sue Mead at Captain’s Pizza in New London 5-7 pm

- Japanther, Pine Hill Haints, Fatal Film, We Got Mouths at 33 Golden Street in New London

- Blue Collar Happy Hour with the Hoolios at the Side Pocket Cafe in Groton 7 pm NO COVER

- Rising Tribe, Banzai All-Stars, Llama Tsunami at the High Noon Saloon in Norwich 9 pm

- Allo Darlin’, the Wave Pictures, the Wee Bees at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm

- Funzzle, Tragically Said, Malcolm Tent at Elm Bar in New Haven

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

- The Clams, the Grean at Two Boots in Bridgeport 9:30 pm

Sat 5/19/12      – The Pine Hill Haints, the Counter Clockwise, Estrogen & Tonic at the El ‘n’ Gee in New London 9 pm

- Sinner’s Circle Vol. 18 at Bean and Leaf in New London 7:30 pm with Craig Edwards, Ron Gletherow, Craig Johnson, and Carl Suiter Jr.

- The Colt Six at the Bank Street Cafe in New London

- Vince Thompson and friends at Burke’s Tavern in Niantic 8 pm

- Native Mode, Ghost of Chance, the Forest Room at Elm Bar in New Haven

- Father Time, the Mushroom Cloud at Two Boots in Bridgeport

Sun 5/20/12    – Neighbor Day at Riverside Park in New London with Pat Daddona & Mike Bailey, Sue Mead, Meadows Brothers, Guno Leeflang, Ohio-Freer Collective, Bruce McDermott, Ben & Nancy Parent, Hugh Birdsall, Vince Tuckwood, Chris Castle, Weird Beards, I Love Diane, 10 am-7pm

- Chris Castle, Jim Carpenter at Hernando’s Hideaway at the Riverview Playhouse in New London (25 Riverview Ave.) 8:15-11 pm

- Night of the Rabbit, Preacher, the Meterorological Society, Paul Caporino at Willimantic Records in Willimantic 3 pm

Tues 5/22/12   – Madison Violet at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm

Wed 5/23/12   - Chuck Prophet & the Mission Express, the Paul Collins Beat at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm

- Aficionado at BAR in New Haven 9 pm NO COVER

Thur 5/24/12  - Sandman and friends at Sneekers Cafe in Groton 7 pm

- Vince Thompson and friends at Steak Loft in Mystic 7 pm

Fri 5/25/12      – Blue Collar Happy Hour with the JC Hatfield Band at the Side Pocket Cafe in Groton 7 pm NO COVER

- Nails Hide Metal, the Grimm Generation at the Bank Street Cafe in New London

- Daphne Lee Martin & Raise the Rent at the Oasis Pub in New London

- Terence Simian and the Zydeco Experience at the Hygienic Art Park in New London 6 pm

- Amalgamated Muck at the Buttonwood Tree in Middletown

- Francine Reed at Cafe Nine in New Haven 8 pm

- The Hoolios, Dogbite at Cafe Nine in New Haven  9:45 pm  **(show moved from Roots Music Hall in Hartford)**

- Emile Rivera (Italy), Rope at Elm Bar in New Haven

Sat 5/26/12      – Hugh and Carol Birdsall at Fiddleheads in New London 11 am-12 pm

- Steve Elci and friends at the Waterford Public Library Children’s Services 1:30 pm (CD release)

- The Thor Jensen Group at 33 Golden Street in New London

- Riki Rocksteady & the Arraignments, Pickpocket, Mark Leonard, Guno Leeflang at the El ‘n’ Gee in New London

- The Theatre Zombies, the Enemies at the Bank Street Cafe in New London

- Killer Kowalski, She Eats Planets, the Lost Riots at Elm Bar in New Haven

- Death Prayers, Eyes of the Dead, Left in Ruins at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 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/

HOT Rewind

The New Remain's Daryl LaTorra

They say you can’t go home.  But sometimes, you gotta.  Which is exactly what I did last Friday night when I went to check out The New Remains (http://www.purevolume.com/TheNewRemains)  at The Sidewalk Café in the South End of Hartford.  First of all, I hadn’t been at Sidewalk for some time (remember when it was The Oxbow?)  Wow!  Amazing what they’ve done with it!  They gutted a portion of the restaurant area and added a fantastic stage and dj booth along with lighting and even a fog machine.  HA!  They’ve done a great job in turning it into an excellent place for live music as well as dancing.  Anyway, back to The New Remains.  I’ve been following members Alan Piacenta, Daryl LaTorra, and John LaRose literally since I was a teenager when they started out with Sinisgally.  What wild times we had seeing them back then.  I’ve continued to enjoy catching up with them over the years to hear them play classics like “White Room” and “LA Woman”.  After all these years, Alan can still belt out a tune and Daryl can wail on guitar with the best.  Always fun, guys!  I’ll be back again soon!

This coming Saturday (5/12), New London guitarist and singer, John Fries (http://www.johnfriesmusic.com/index.html) is releasing his eagerly anticipated EP, U.S. 50, at O’Neill Rose Barn in Waterford at 8:00 pm.  He brings with him special guests Nancy Parent, Black Marmot & Daphne Lee Martin.  I’ve had the opportunity to check on John on multiple occasions and he never fails to put on a fantastic show.  Rock star guitar with a bluesy voice, I am certain this new release will be a winner.  Look for more on John and his new release coming soon!  In the mean time, check him out Friday night!

Do you have your tickets to WCCC’s Big Gig yet?  If you don’t, what the hell are you waiting for?  This is a huge rock show May 19 at – what are they calling The Meadows this year? – Right.  Comcast Theater.  Dude.  You’ve got Godsmack, practically local Staind, and Dead Sara.  Plus…locals Jasta and Dead by Wednesday.  LBR already has interviews lined up (including an update interview with Dead Sara) and will bring you all the fun in words and pictures…But, you know what?  You should get your tickets, come have a beer with us, and experience the circus for yourself!

Oh hey…Has anyone seen the new commercial for “Ice Breakers”?  Isn’t that CT’s own, Mates of State’s song, “Palomino”???

Support LOCAL!  And, as always…
Occupy a VENUE!!

“Spot”light on… LBR’s Epic American Diabetes Association Fundraiser II

Graylight Campfire

Mina

I’m not sure I can say enough about the amazing bands that played, the incredible folks that showed up to watch, and the overall generosity of our local music scene.

Graylight Campfire kicked the day off with a rocking set to get us started.  Dave and the boys give their all whether it’s to 10 or 1,000.  Thanks to them.  Next we moved to Mina, who I had never seen perform.  Another great set that included a version of “She Bop” that got everyone singing.  I hear rumor that Graylight Campfire will be incorporating that into their set if drummer, Dennis Jackson, has his way!  Unfortunately, Sue Menhart was unable to play due to an

Down Monday's John Ryan

Bill Calabrese of Almost Ancient

injured band member (he’s ok).  Hoping, to have her on the bill next year!  So, Jennifer Hill and drummer husband, Bob Schwecherl, agreed to step in and play a few tunes.  Thanks to Mina for lending their keyboards!!  Nice job, JH&C!  From there, John Ryan stepped up to play a solo set without his Down Monday band mates.  John was feeling a bit under the weather (as was the rest of the band) but still sang some songs from the newly released Down Monday CD with a little help from Mina drummer, Eddie Bast.  More pinch collaboration!

Fret Notz's Bobby Picket

Aren’t our local musicians awesome!  Next up were the Fret Notz led by frenzied electric violinist, Bobby Pickett, who played an amazing The Cure’s Just Like Heaven/Love Song.  Honestly, I had no idea what to expect from the descriptions but Bobby really lived up to the “insanity”.  Almost Ancient played next and I am so glad I went to see them that first time a month or so back.  They are a treat to watch and listen to.  They launched into their set with Make Me Smile/Free/Bodhisattva.  It was awesomeness!  Man have I spent a lot of time with my cuzzos in Crosseyed Cat!  They played yet another fantastic set with each of them delivering a solid performance with guest harp player Don DeStefano from The Bernadettes and ending with their signature version of Zappa’s Muffin Man.  Delightful!

Crosseyed Cat with guest musician Don DeStefano

“Some people… some people like cupcakes exclusively, while myself, I say There is naught nor ought there be nothing so exalted on the face of gods grey  Earth as that prince of foods… the muffin!”

Stark Raving LuLu's Amy

Finally, rounding out the show was the lovely, bawdy badassery of Stark Raving Lulu.  Living up to the disclaimer to folks with children prior to the show, they roared through their set ending in All Hail (to the Sucker Queen) – F-bombs a-flying!  I love those ladies!!
If all that music wasn’t enough, we raffled off tons of prizes plus a 50/50 raffle…and…the bonus…We collected $122.00 to fill Jennifer Hill’s empty box (cardboard) so that she would ride the mechanical bull!   What we won’t do for charity including auctioning our friends!  The lovely Ms Hill allowed me to choose the song she road to.  The stand out in my mind for this ride?  White Snake’s Slow n Easy.  And slow and easy she did ride!  Thanks to Jen (and Bob!) for being good sports!

A full gallery of pictures will be coming soon!!

All totaled, LBR and friends raised $2,000 benefiting the American Diabetes Association!  Not bad for a day of fun and music!  Special thanks to the folks at Illusions who are fantastic hosts!!

Please give some love to our bands…And thanks for coming!

Graylight Campfire (http://davehoganmusic.com/graylight.htm)

Mina  (http://www.minarocks.com/)

The Sue Menhart Band (http://suemenhart.com/fr_home.cfm)

Down Monday (http://www.downmonday.com/)

Fret Notz (http://www.reverbnation.com/thefretnotz)

Almost Ancient (http://almostancient.com/)

Crosseyed Cat (http://www.reverbnation.com/crosseyedcat)

Stark Raving LuLu (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stark-Raving-Lulu/165578520141518)

HOT local video of the week…Dead by Wednesday
Just a taste of some of what you’ll get at WCCC’s Big Gig.  I give you local metal!!  \m/

What’s Playing in “The Flounce”?  Farewood
(Music in my car CD player this week!)

Band:  Farewood
Album: Wings of Gold
Genre:  Alternative
Contact: (http://www.myspace.com/farewood)
Fave Track:  Sable Sky and About the Angel

What’s HOT this week…

Friday May 11

* Casey’s Final Show w/ Little Ugly, Arch Street Tavern, Hartford – 9:00 pm

* Lucky Souls presents Kelly Zullo, The Outer Space, Hamden – 6:30 pm

* Sandy “Sandman” Allen, Hernando’s Hideaway, New London – 8:00 pm

* New Remains, Cook’s Café, Naugatuck – 9:30 pm

* Total Hacks, Ryan’s Driftwood Café, Clinton – 9:30 pm

* Mina, City Sports, Bristol – 10:00 pm

* You ROCK Hartford with Bandwith Kaoroke, Coach’s, Hartford – 10:00 pm

Saturday May 12

* John Fries & The Heat CD Release Show, The Eugene O’Neill Theater, Waterford – 8:00 pm

* 4toGo presents Ice Fest – Music, Comedy, and Hockey, Northford Ice Pavillion, Northford – 5:00

* InterCambio presents KNIFE THROWER: Works by DAN GREENE, InterCambio, Chapel Street, New Haven – 7:00 pm

* A Special Evening with Paul Winter- Benefit Concert for WPKN, Unitarian Church, Westport – 8:00 pm

* Retro Debut, Green Line Café, Wolcott – 9:00 pm

* Marks Bros hosted by Psilly Willy, Austrian Donau Club, New Britain – 9:30 pm

Tuesday May 15

* You Scream I Scream w/ Mercies and Mandrake Mechanism, CAFE 9, New Haven – 8:00 pm

Thursday May 17

* Dave Hogan Acoustic Happy Hour, Two Boots, Bridgeport – 5:30 pm

* Live & Local feat. Ferocious Fucking Teeth, The Suicide Dolls & Space Orphans, Arch Street Tavern, Hartford – 8:00 pm

PLEASE LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE…WORKING HARD FOR CT LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT http://www.facebook.com/lsgoriginal – and follow my antics on Twitter at @lsgoriginal.  Web page forthcoming!

Peace…
lsg

Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez – lsg Original

Lover of music and the visual arts, Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez is the insanity behind lsg original photography. lsg specializes in artist and performer photography. She’s had the honor of photographing national bands such as Weezer, Snoop Dogg, A Simple Plan, Paramore, Whitesnake, Wye Oak, and The Antlers along with countless local bands and performers.

Hailing from Hartford, CT, Lisa is a life- long music connoisseur. Growing up, her mother exposed her to everything from The Stones to Simon and Garfunkel to Earth, Wind, and Fire to Loretta Lynn…and everything in between. No genre was left unexplored in her vinyl collection. She saw her first concert at 14…Rod Stewart at the (then called) Hartford Civic Center. Thirty years later, it’s still her favorite pastime.

Lisa has two kids (grown!) and a day job. Her loves of music and photography have melded into a second career. And her love of CT keeps her promoting and pushing for local artists and performers. Lisa spends the greater part of her free time seeing and shooting live bands, performers, and artists and art work…and purchasing vinyl!

Scene Queen lsg on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scenequeenlsg

lsg Original Photography on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lsgoriginal

Lisa on LBR: http://www.localbandreview.com/author/lsg/

OCCUPY A VENUE!

Noah Galembo

A whirlwind weekend was putting it mildly. Before I get into what great music I saw this weekend I wanted to say how much I was sad I couldn’t be at LBR’s EPIC Fundraiser for the ADA. It really looks like the LBR team, fans and community represented well for a great cause.  I wish I could have been there to support it.

My journey of music started on Saturday afternoon with a project by some Quinnipiac University film students in Hamden, CT. My old buddy Ralphie came along for the ride and it wouldn’t have been the same without him.  Many of us on the local music scene who are videographers learned how to do it on our own. These students are professionally trained and very soon it will be their career.  Noah Galembo was the photography director and the rest of his team included Billy Scully, Hannah Woomer, Dan Callahan, Orrein Creighton, Colleen Ellis, and Peter Courtein.  I’ve seen many films about Toad’s Place over the years but this one concentrated heavily on the history, Yale Univ.’s feelings about the club, Rohn Lawrence and the Grateful Dead cover band’s “Shakedown” scene involvement at Toad’s Place.   I won’t spoil the rest for you, here is the video to check out yourself.

Immediately following the film myself, Ralph, and RobbieJam headed up to Columbia, CT for a family gathering known as A Friendship Picnic Mararitaville. This was more or less a private affair of local friends and family who came to rely on each other to run an event and just a plain old good time. Thanks to Brii and Nate they let me do a little tweener set as soon I arrived. When I pulled up I believe the All Good Feel Good Collective (http://www.facebook.com/AllGoodFeelGood ) was playing.  They sounded great and were really groovy. You should definitely check them out. I played a few quick tunes (Soulshine and my original song Nailpolish, Shoes, and Music (Jamband girl) ) and you can check out some pics from my set here…(http://seanmorsemusic.com/index.php/news/18-friendship-picnic-mararitaville) Mushroom Cloud was next up on stage and those guys were rocking it. I was enjoying their set fully and they really know how to make you feel good inside and feeling free. Check out Mushroom Cloud here……(http://www.facebook.com/themushroomcloud/info )

I wasn’t down by the stage for a while after this and I know there is some Artists I missed out on. If I didn’t include you in this article please post your bands name at the bottom in the comment section.

So the next set I saw was old familiar one. Arclite (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Arclite/153925644661039 ) which I had seen and hung out with at Toad’s for the Cosmic Dust Bunnies show. I love listening to house, and electronic music and these guys did a ton of tweener sets for this event again. Everyone was dancing, the lights were flashing, and people were really having a good time.

The next band I saw was one of my personal favorites. Rhythmic Circus (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rhythmic-Circus/100151369276?sk=app_2405167945) is a jam meets funk, meets reggae band that will surely  get you dancing and having a grand ole time.  I’ve seen them several times open for Shakedown at Toads. I’ve been telling their percussion and vocalist Joe G. that he reminds me of the reggae Artist Matisyahu. This weekend he brought that vibe again. These guys brought about a great vibe and were huge on organizing the event especially Nate Allison. Thank you  Nate for all your hard work this weekend (again lol).

Arclite did another tweener set and then Superballs came on stage. Superballs consisted of Jeff Martinson and Andy Colao of Legion of Jerry, RobbieJam of String Band, and Chelsea Martinson on Vocals for the Jefferson Airplane song “White Rabbit” which you can view on the Live Bands Touring youtube channel here………

Other songs in this set included The RobbieJam/ String Band original “Modern Girl”, Away Time a song written specifically for the festival, and Andy Colao’s “Oh My Creator”. You can view all those songs on the Live Bands Touring youtube channel here (http://www.youtube.com/livebandstouring ). Andy has some really great songs that inspire and lift up your spirits. He is an up and coming Artist and you should definitely check him out as I’m sure he will be going place in the future.

I’m getting to be an old man so I can’t hang out late like I used to.  It was bedtime for me at this point. It should be noted that I was able to listen to Jeff Bujack (http://www.facebook.com/jeffbujak ) from my tent and he played an awesome set. There was also many open jams that went on and again if I missed you please put your info in the comment section below this article.

Friendship Picnic Moon

Sometimes when you put these types of gatherings together you never know how they are going to turn out. The moon was shining the brightest it has been for all of 2012. The energy from the moon and from the people at this mini-family gathering festival were perfectly aligned with the stars and the universe. It couldn’t have gone any better and it’s attributed to all those who attended and helped make it happen.

Sunday morning me and my buddy Ralph packed up our gear and headed over to Waterbury for the Shock and Awe Spring Fling. Shock and Awe is a cigar smoke smoke that sells accessories and such. (http://www.shocknawesmokeshop.com/ )

Kath Bloom is an Artist I had seen at Larry Livolsi’s Farm before.  She is a wonderful Folk singer who reminds me of Bob Dylan with her lyrics. You can check out two of her songs from this day here……

Next up was a band I’ve always loved and you may have heard them on WPKN 89.5 FM before on  David Golden’s show or perhaps Bob D’Aprile’s Connecticut Rocks. The band is called the Jugadelics  (http://jugadelics.com/index.html ) and they are an amazing Jug Band who will really get you dancing and grooving. Here is a link to one of their songs from Sunday (http://youtu.be/rkqcFdjTSVU )

Next up was my personal favorite and good friends String Band. (http://www.facebook.com/TheStringBand/app_2405167945 )

Here is a link to one of their songs from their set……Astro Projecto….(http://youtu.be/GSsZDaL8xHE )

Carbonated Insight

Carbonated Insight went on next but my Video Cameras battery died. But I did manage to sneak a few pictures of them.

They were really great and did an awesome job to close out the festivities for the day and for the weekend for me.  Of course I have to mention I did go home a listen to WESU FM’s Dead Air with Uncle John  ( http://www.deadair881.net ).  I just needed a little more music to finish the weekend.

It was an amazing time, starting out family at QU, beautiful new friends and old at A Friendship Picnic/Mararitville, and finally seeing many great friends at Shock and Awe. Bob Dylan once said “The answers my friend are blowing in the wind” and I found every answer I needed in My Whirlwind Weekend.

Sean Morse - Live Bands Touring

Sean got his start in the Entertainment Business in the summer of 1999 where he served as an Intern at Clear Channel’s KC101 FM and WELI 960 AM in Hamden-New Haven. He left the station to attend Florida State University. Sean returned to Connecticut and in 2003 landed a job at Toad’s Place where he became a key employee. Soon later he would end up working for the world’s largest entertainment company Live Nation Inc. for many years. This position led him to a key industry role as Client Services Rep. at Tickets.com where he worked with various venues around the nation including Mass Concerts (The Webster & The Palladium) Hartman Arena in Kansas, The Wellmont Theater in New Jersey and many others. Sean’s work helped Tickets.com land the prestigious 2009 CIO 100 Technology Award.

In 2007 Sean decided to create Livebandstouring.com as a side project to his regular industry job which offers a youtube channel, event consulting, venue contact info and a variety of other services for bands and other industry professionals.

In 2012 Sean released a book which was converted into a 2 CD Box Set Booklet called Peace, Poetry, and Music which offers original poems, original songs on 1 CD and a bonus CD with cover songs. Sean spends most of his free time doing Yoga, working out at the gym, and enjoying the company of friends and family at local music venues and festivals.

LBT Website – http://www.livebandstouring.com

LBT Youtube- http://www.youtube.com/livebandstouring

LBT Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/livebandstouring

Sean’s Original Music- http://www.seanmorsemusic.com

That title about sums up what my weekend was filled with!

My plan on Friday was to head down to my usual first Friday spot, Twisted Vine in Derby & catch The Nameless Trio, then head down to my usual spot for any day of the week, The Outer Space in Hamden to see The Folkadelics. It didn’t quite work that way, but I certainly can’t complain about my Friday night.

Casey Gorman

The Nameless Trio is the brainchild of a very good friend of mine, Matt Miklus. In addition to the trio, Matt also sings & plays with jamband Hubinger St. When I received a late afternoon text from my other good friend & guitarist of Hubinger St, Casey Gorman that he was going to be sitting in with the trio, I knew it was going to be a great night of music at the Vine. And a great night it was, complete with a couple of Beastie Boys tunes in honor of Adam Yauch. Could not have asked for a better night of music from these boys, whose music careers I have been watching for 20+ yrs. So, it wound up being a long night at the Vine with friends & no visit to The Outer Space for me. I did hear that The Folkadelics put on one heck of a show though.

You can see both Hubinger St & The Folkadelics at this years Soupstock Music & Arts Festival, along with a whole lot more music, including a solo set from Ryan Montbleau(http://www.ryanmontbleauband.com/). I know I have mentioned this fest here before, but this is a great event filled with music, art & soup! It’s taking place on June 9^th in Shelton, CT & it’s really a great day for the whole family. For the entire music lineup & all of the other events happening that day, go to the website,  http://www.soupstockfestival.org/ .

Sean Conlon

Saturday afternoon, I did head on down to The Outer Space for their first flea market of the year. Lots of vendors & music on the new outdoor patio. I was able to catch 2 sets of music, one from Sean Conlon & one from Greg Buzi. Definitely a fun time, lots of things to look through & buy & the music could be heard while wandering from vendor to vendor, plus hot dogs & hamburgers being grilled & the bar was open. I’m certain there will be a few more of these this year, so keep your eyes open for news about them.

Sunday was, of course, LBR’s Epic Fundraiser for ADA. I stopped up at Illusions for a bit & happy that I did. Great job by Mike & LSG putting this together. I didn’t get to stay all day, but I really enjoyed the music I got to hear…Graylight Campfire, Mina, Jennifer Hill, John Ryan from Down Monday & The Fret Notz. I was a bit bummed that I missed out on Almost Ancient, Crosseyed Cat & Stark Raving Lulu. And not that I need an excuse, but not being able to see those bands at the benefit does give me an excuse to get out & catch them at one of their gigs.

Okay, so this week, I’m really excited to be welcoming Kelly Zullo (http://kellyzullomusic.com/) to CT. Kelly is heading to CT from Chicago on her tour & the girl can play a mean guitar! So, if you want to see her while she’s in CT, you’ll have 2 opportunities. Lucky Souls is bringing her into Twisted Vine, 285 Main St, Derby, on Thursday, May 10^th. This show will also feature Kelly Kancyr (http://youtu.be/XcyMAISU6Qo) & Becky Kessler (http://beckykessler.bandcamp.com/). The music takes place downstairs in the lounge, there’s a full menu down there & the food is quite good. So, stop by for dinner & stay for the great music. Music starts at 8 & there is no cover.

On Friday, May 11^th, Kelly Zullo will be playing an hour set at The Outer Space, 295 Treadwell St, Hamden. She’ll start at 6:30, but happy hour starts at 5, so stop by for that. If I haven’t mentioned it, The Outer Space has a great selection of beer(75 choices, 8 on tap) & during happy hour they have $2 drafts. I’m hoping for some nice weather, because then maybe we’ll even be able to enjoy hearing Kelly on the outdoor stage.

Here are a few more things going on this weekend:

Thursday, 5/10

Greg Sherrod at Gilt, 266 College St, New Haven, CT

Shawn Taylor & Chris D’Amato, 6:30 p.m. at Bill’s Seafood, 548 Boston Post Rd, Westbrook, CT

Pimpinella, 9 p.m. at Old Post Tavern, 1418 Post Rd, Fairfield, CT

Seashell Radio, 9 p.m. at Café Nine, 250 State St, New Haven, CT, $6.00

Friday, 5/11

Avi Wisnia, 6 p.m. at GreenWell Organic Tea & Coffee, 44 Crown Street New Haven, CT

Casey Gorman, 8 p.m. at Trestle Tavern, 26 Main St, Seymour, CT

Five In The Chamber, 8 p.m. at The Outer Space, 295 Treadwell St, Hamden, CT, $8.00

Mark Sultan, 9 p.m. at Café Nine, 250 State St, New Haven, CT, $10.00

Saturday, 5/12

Bad Rooster,9 p.m. at Sam the Clam’s,1303 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike,Plantsville, CT

Stella Blues Band, 9 p.m. at Stella Blues, 204 Crown St, New Haven, CT

Unzipped, 10 p.m. at Lanza, 370 E Main St, Ansonia, CT

Get out & support the musicians & venues y’all!

Aim D’Amaro – Lucky Souls Productions

By the time she was 12, Amy D’Amaro knew that she wanted a career that would keep her surrounded by music. At 16, she became an intern at WPLR radio in New Haven, CT where she would stay for 5 yrs learning all aspects of music programming at a commercial radio station. In the time that she was at WPLR, she also became friends with many musicians on the local scene & spent much of her time taking in music at venues all over New Haven County.

In 1993, Amy left the radio station to raise her son, but her love of music & the local scene never faded. In 2003 she began what would become a very successful dog walking & pet sitting service, but still spent much of her time checking out the local music scene in both New Haven & Fairfield Counties. In 2009 she began Lucky Souls Productions to help out the local musicians she knew by promoting their music through live video footage. In 2011, Lucky Souls grew & began booking musicians in some of the local venues. When not busy walking dogs or editing videos, Amy still spends much of her time out with friends, supporting the local music scene & venues & attending music festivals.

Website: http://luckysoulsproductions.com/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/luckysoulsproductions

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/LuckySoulsProduction

Wednesday Jams
Lee-Ann Lovelace
Ep 18. “Better Plan” (original song) with Phil & Jim!

As Jim McKeeman and Phil Beach have a practice with Lee-Ann, working on their upcoming project (details to come!!), they set aside some time to work out arrangements for an original song of Lee-Ann’s, “Better Plan.” The new layers Phil adds & Jim usual masterwork solo performance make the song a truly beautiful piece the trio looks forward to performing for years to come. Bookmark lalovelace.com where hopefully soon more details about this project will be announced.

Lee-Ann Lovelace has been a professional singer and songwriter since late 2004. As soon as she joined her first band, she hit the ground running and has become known as one of the busiest and most in-demand singers/collaborators in Connecticut. Though you can feel the soul and power of her voice on recordings of a wide variety of genres, there is nothing like experiencing the energy and soul she gives when you are in the same room. She has performed throughout New England and on local CT radio with a multitude of bands and musicians, and she has extensive studio experience. She sang with local bands Veloray, FBI (Funk Brokers, Inc), Plastica, The No Cheez Orchestra and the Rubber City Blues Band, almost all of which won local awards such as The Hartford Advocate’s Grand Band Slam for listeners choice. Lee-Ann regularly performs with her CT-based, blues-rock band Bad Rooster, and also various hard-hitting musicians like George Lesiw, Philip Beach, Jim McKeeman and Paul Gabriel for fill-in gigs for a very busy schedule. She has opened for Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, Orleans, and for Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Spector.

Lee-Ann on LBR: http://www.localbandreview.com/category/video/wednesday-jams/

After David C. Lovelace got learning how to walk out of the way, he got to work learning how to play music on a tantalizingly colorful Lowrey organ. From 1974 on, little Dave played radio hits by ear, employing the organ’s “Magic Genie” auto-chords and bossa nova drumbeats. He eventually graduated to his first keyboard in the synth-tastic mid-’80s, and it was only a matter of time until the one keyboard multiplied into a massive pile of digital and analog cacaphony. And when Dave strapped on his first keytar, it may as well have been a straightjacket. Dave has been terrifying family, friends, animal life, and (mostly) his neighbors ever since in a wide variety of bands & independent projects over the years. Much of his music found a global audience through online media including YouTube, including a “1980s Keyboard Solo Medley” which will go down in history as “one of those internet things.” All of Dave’s music, art & animation can otherwise be found online at www.umop.com

Dave on LBR: http://www.localbandreview.com/category/video/wednesday-jams/

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WEEK

I know I say this often, but the weekend is looking extremely busy. I’m also about to start a weeklong vacation, so that means I can take full advantage of the great lineup of shows without that pesky day job getting in the way. On Friday night, Sandy “Sandman” Allen (http://www.sandmanmusic.net/) will be doing a show at Hernando’s Hideaway, a speakeasy located in the Riverview Playhouse at 25 RiverviewAvenue in New London. He says he’ll be playing either solo or with Mike Palazzolo on bass. The show is from is 8-11 pm, and you can BYOB. According to Hernando’s Facebook page, this is “a venue so quiet, that you can hear your heart beat between tunes”. Sandy is a very talented guy, so I’m sure you’ll hear more applause than heartbeats between his tunes.

Also on Friday night, there’s a good 3-band bill at the Bank Street Cafe, which seems to be getting back on the right track by booking more original music shows lately. The lineup is Fatal Film (http://fatalfilm.com), the Lost Riots (https://www.facebook.com/TheLostRiots) , and Bedroom Rehab Corporation (https://www.facebook.com/BedroomRehabCorporation). The Lost Riots are a new garage-punk band from New Haven with Jeffrey Thunders (vocalist with the Black Noise Scam) on vocals and guitar, Sean Beirne (formerly of the Battlecats, Joanie Loves Tchotchkes, and Death to New England) on guitar, Noel Thomas on drums, and Matt Mullarkey (who just joined the band) on bass. The show gets started around 10 pm, and cover is usually $5.

On Saturday night at 8 pm, John Fries and the Heat (www.johnfriesmusic.com) are having a CD Release show at the Rose Barn Theater at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford. Special guests will be Black Marmot, Nancy Parent, and Daphne Lee Martin. The brand new 7-song CD is called U.S. 50. John is a hardworking musician who has played some high profile gigs lately, in addition to an increasing number of out of town shows. The Rose Barn Theater is an excellent room in which to hear a band, with an intimate atmosphere and good acoustics. U.S. 50 is the band’s debut album, with Pat Perry on bass and Ron Lewis on drums. Nancy Parent plays pedal steel and sings backing vocals on the title track, and  Kerry Pulaski, Doug Woolverton & Rich Lataille will also be special guests at the show. I could swear I read somewhere that the suggested donation was $10, but I can’t for the life of me remember where. (Did I mention I have a vacation coming up?…) There may even be free pretzels.

After the John Fries and the Heat show, you’ll have time to dash over to the Oasis Pub in New London to see the Suicide Dolls (https://www.facebook.com/theSuicideDolls), Ghost Box Orchestra, Thick Voltage, and Estrogen & Tonic (http://www.myspace.com/estrogenandtonic). Here is the list of set times (I sooooo wish everyone would do this): Estrogen and Tonic — 9pm, Thick Voltage — 10pm, Ghost Box Orchestra — 11pm, the Suicide Dolls — 12am. The Suicide Dolls have been earning rave reviews for their recently released album Prayers in Parking Lots, and Brian Albano earned even more credibility by doing an amazing job at the recent Sinner’s Circle he played. In addition to playing great music, the band is also known for bringing in a variety of out of town bands to play shows in New London. This is really important, as it’s easy to get wrapped up in your local scene and miss out on all the other great bands that are out there. Ghost Box Orchestra (http://ghostboxorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/spring-tour-2011-tape) is from Boston, where they were nominated by the Boston Phoenix as Boston’s best Psych/Experimental Act of 2012. Thick Voltage (http://thickvoltage.bandcamp.com/ ) are an “electric/dance/punk” band from Brooklyn, NY by way of Northampton, MA.  The other local band on the bill is Estrogen and Tonic, who have been on hiatus for several months following the birth of Anne Marie’s son. This will be their first show since sometime in the fall. Despite having several different frontmen over the years, Estrogen and Tonic is one of the New London bands who has been around the longest, and they have also released several CDs, including their most recent, Project Involvement, which came out in September. You can stream it at http://estrogenandtonic.bandcamp.com/. Cover for the four-band show is a mere $5.

Here are John Fries & the Heat performing “Technicolor You” at the Good Sponge CD release show at the Rose Barn Theater:

CONCERT CALENDAR     
Wed 5/9/12     – Mind Over Master, Super Bad at Cafe Nine in New Haven

Thur 5/10/12  – Village Jammers at Sneekers Cafe in Groton 7 pm

- Seashell Radio, the Grimm Generation at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm

- John Fries & the Heat at Black Eyed Sally’s in Hartford 8 pm

Fri 5/11/12      – Sandman at Hernando’s Hideaway in New London (25 Riverview Ave.) 8-11 pm

- Blue Collar Happy Hour with the Colt Six, Roy Dunn MacLean at the Side Pocket Cafe in Groton 7 pm NO COVER

- The Lost Riots, Fatal Film, Bedroom Rehab Corporation at the Bank Street Cafe in New London 10pm

- Pat Daddona, Mike Bailey at Captain’s Pizza in New London 5-7 pm

- The Mallett Brothers Band, Little Ugly at the Arch Street Tavern in Hartford 9 pm

- Sonic Supercharger 66, the Boardlords, Diztrict Allstars at Elm Bar in New Haven

- Mark Sultan, Jacque LeCoque, Dan Soto and the Duded Kings at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm

Sat 5/12/12      – John Fries & the Heat with guests Nancy Parent, Black Marmot, Daphne Lee Martin, Kerry Pulaski, Doug Woolverton & Rich Lataille at the Rose Barn Theater at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford 8 pm (CD Release Show)

- The Suicide Dolls, Ghost Box Orchestra, Thick Voltage, and Estrogen and Tonic at the Oasis Pub in New London

- Sue Menhart at the Riverwalk in Mystic 8 pm

- The Arkhams, Creepin’ Cadavers, the Evil Streaks, Folk Y’all at the El ‘n’ Gee in New London 7:30 pm

- JC Hatfield Band at New Deal Steak Place in Westbrook 8-11 pm

- The Clams, Nasty Disaster at Elm Bar in New Haven

- Ceschi, Spoken Nerd, Beards at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm

- Riverwalk, Team Genius at Two Boots in Bridgeport

Sun 5/13/12    – Estrogen Highs, Paul Caporino from Masters of the Obvious at Willimantic Records in Willimantic 4 pm

- Sue Menhart Band at the Brooklyn Fairgrounds in Brooklyn, CT 2 pm (Eastern Regional Carnival for the Cure)

- Chris Castle at Perks & Corks in Westerly

Tues 5/15/12   – Channing & Quinn at Elm Bar in New Haven NO COVER

- You Scream I Scream, Mercies, Mandrake Mechanism at Cafe Nine in New Haven 8 pm

Wed 5/16/12   – Saturday Looks Good to Me, Wild Moccasins, Werewolf Police at BAR in New Haven 9 pm NO COVER

Thur 5/17/12  - JC Hatfield Band at Sneekers Cafe in Groton 7 pm

- The Lost Riots, the Defcon 5 at Cafe Nine in New Haven

- Pandora at Elm Bar in New Haven

- The Suicide Dolls, Ferocious Fucking Teeth, Space Orphans at Arch Street Tavern in Hartford 8 pm

Fri 5/18/12      – Sue Menhart at the Bulkeley House in New London 5 pm

- Pat Daddona, Sue Mead at Captain’s Pizza in New London 5-7 pm

- Japanther, Pine Hill Haints, Fatal Film, We Got Mouths at 33 Golden Street in New London

- Blue Collar Happy Hour with the Hoolios at the Side Pocket Cafe in Groton 7 pm NO COVER

- Allo Darlin’, the Wave Pictures, the Wee Bees at Cafe Nine in New Haven 9 pm

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

- The Clams, the Grean at Two Boots in Bridgeport 9:30 pm

Sat 5/19/12      – The Pine Hill Haints, the Counter Clockwise, Estrogen & Tonic at the El ‘n’ Gee in New London 9 pm

- Sinner’s Circle Vol. 18 at Bean and Leaf in New London 7 pm with Craig Edwards, Ron Gletherow, Craig Johnson, and Carl Suiter Jr.

- The Colt Six at the Bank Street Cafe in New London

- Vince Thompson and friends at Burke’s Tavern in Niantic 8 pm

- Native Mode, Ghost of Chance at Elm Bar in New Haven

- Father Time, the Mushroom Cloud at Two Boots in Bridgeport

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/

HOT Rewind
Before I get into the main event of this past week, Daffodil Fest, I just wanna side bar about a couple of other things.I’d never really think about a restaurant like Firebox (http://fireboxrestaurant.com/) in Hartford as a music destination but we find ourselves there frequently to see bands like Heirlooms and String Theorie.  Wednesday  night, we went in for a light meal and to check out Ed Fast and The Conga-Bop.  What a treat!  This Latin Jazz band (honestly orchestra is more like it!) consists of 8 musicians playing multiple horns, piano, stand up base, and multiple percussion instruments.  The big surprise, however, was their guitarist, none other than Atticus Kelly of McLovins fame.  They played Latin Jazz standards with finesse and even brought up the talented, India, for vocals on “Besame Mucho”.  Ed Fast and The Conga-Bop play Firebox every first Wednesday of the month.  Break up your week next month and check it out.  Great food, wonderful atmosphere, and this terrific band…you won’t be disappointed.

Chili Cookoff

On Sunday, I took a side trip to Somers before I went back for day two of the Daffodil Fest.  I went there to shoot photographs of the ICS New England Regional Chili Cook Off.  It was my first time ever attending a chili cook off and what an education I received!  I was lucky enough to find one of my new partners in crime, Becky Mills Block of Radio 104, sitting at their booth among the chili tents.  It just so happened that the 4 booths around her were all occupied by members of her family!  So, I got to go “behind the scenes” and meet the chefs, including her Mom, and watch as multiple styles of chili were being prepared for judging.  Did you know that there is a green chili?  It’s actually green in color.  I didn’t.  It was delish!  I was truly amazed by the event and congratulate event organizer, “Mad” Mike Freedman on the success of the cook off!  I can’t wait to do it again next year as a spectator!  And thanks to photographer, Steve Smith, (http://www.stevephotographysmith.com/) for the opportunity

The main event for me this past weekend, however, was the Meriden Daffodil Festival on Saturday and Sunday.  What can I say?  Robbie DeRosa, entertainment guru for the event, really outdid himself this year with the lineup.  It was just two outstanding days of music.  Of the 22 bands on Saturday, I managed to listen to and photograph 19.  Because of my side trip Sunday, sadly I only managed to see 6 of the 15 bands.  Some stand-out performances for me from bands I

Mike, lsg, Rob DeRosa at WESU

hadn’t seen before:  LBR’s own, Anne Castellano and the Smoke – taking the stage for the very first time as a band; Farewood – who released their new CD, “Wings of Gold” at the festival; The Guru – I just can’t rave enough about their performance; The Rivergods – who rocked out New London style; and The Pedro Valentin Orchestra – who had the Food Tent rocking with their huge ensemble band playing a little bit of Latino music.  And of course, there were some of my usual favorites who put on fine performances as expected:  Frank Critelli, Jennifer Hill & Company, Mark Mirando, Bop Tweedie and the Days, Crosseyed Cat, The Manchurians, and M.T. Bearington.  Headliner, Mates of State were fantastic as well.  There wasn’t a band that I saw that didn’t put on a fine show and there are many that I have on my list now to catch so I can see a full set (I saw a song or two on average from each band!)  Another element of fantastic?  The show of support from local bands who weren’t even playing Daffodil!  I spotted members of Little Ugly, Stark Raving LuLu, The Peacock Flounders, and Heirlooms there supporting the scene.  And let us not forget the terrific guys who did a wonderful job as MC’s for the 3 stages:  Frank Critelli, Gary Gone, and Bob D’Aprile.  Great job, guys!  Special note to Robbie DeRosa:  THANKS a million times for what you do and for another amazing Daffodil Fest!  You put on one hell of a show!  Now, about that golf cart for LBR next year…

Here is the photo gallery (Day Two is forthcoming)… http://www.localbandreview.com/2012/04/lsg-original-daffodil-festival-2012-in-pictures/

Well…It’s upon us.  Boy, did it come up quickly!  Local Band Review’s Epic American Diabetes Association Fundraiser II IS THIS SUNDAY beginning at noon at Illusions in Wolcott.  For Ten Dollars, you can check out…Graylight Campfire, Mina, The Sue Menhart Band, Down Monday, Fret Knotz, Almost Ancient, Crosseyed Cat, and Stark Raving Lulu!  There are also rumors of some “volunteers” from some local bands who will ride the bull!!  Check out our FB Event for more details, including how you can get your tickets AND a download card of music from past and present participating bands!   (http://www.facebook.com/events/122823054513269/)  And check out our participating bands respective Websites and Face Book pages!  I EXPECT TO SEE ALL OF YOU THERE!!!!

Support LOCAL!  And, as always…

Occupy a VENUE!!

“Spot”light on… Graylight Campfire, Mina, The Sue Menhart Band, Down Monday, Fret Knotz, Almost Ancient, Crosseyed Cat, and Stark Raving Lulu

Graylight Campfire
(http://davehoganmusic.com/graylight.htm)

Mina
(http://www.minarocks.com/)

The Sue Menhart Band
(http://suemenhart.com/fr_home.cfm)

Down Monday
(http://www.downmonday.com/)

Fret Knotz
(http://www.reverbnation.com/thefretnotz)

Almost Ancient
(http://almostancient.com/)

Crosseyed Cat
(http://www.reverbnation.com/crosseyedcat)

Stark Raving LuLu
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stark-Raving-Lulu/165578520141518)

HOT local video of the week…Beastie Boys

As news spreads of the untimely passing of Adam “MCA” Yauch, I thought I’d change up this week and post one of my favorite Beastie songs.  I, like many who have already expressed sadness over his passing, keep some of my fondest memories of my life with a Beastie Boys soundtrack.  RIP, MCA…

What’s Playing in “The Flounce”?…
(Music in my car CD player this week!)

Band:  Fret Knotz, Bad Rooster, Jennifer Hill & Company, Fight the Fear, Down Monday, Sue Menhart, Ellen Sackman, Crosseyed Cat, Graylight Campfire, Anne Castellano, Stark Raving LuLu

Album: Local Band Review EPIC II Benefit CD

Genre:  Just plain kick ass music

Contact: (http://www.facebook.com/events/122823054513269/) Pick it up at the event or from Mike Lawson or I as you see us out and about for only $8.00.  All proceeds go to ADA

Fave Track:  All of them!  Check it out!

What’s HOT this week…

Friday May 4
* RECKLESS ABANDON, CENTER STATION, Berlin – 6:00 pm

* Manic Productions presents Quilt w/ Higgins (mem of Vetiver), Cheerleader, Cafe Nine, New Haven – 9:00 pm

* InterCambio Presents: Ben Von Wildenhaus and Dr. Caterwauls, Gilt Lounge, New Haven – 9:00  pm

* New Remains, Sidewalk Café, Hartford – 9:00 pm

* BIG BANG BOX, BEAR AND GRILL, ORANGE – 9:30 pm

* DIRK QUINN BAND, Two Boots, Bridgeport – 9:30 pm

* Star Wars Day of Rock Bandwith Kaoroke, Coach’s, Hartford – 10:00 pm

Saturday May 5 – CINCO DE MAYO – ARRIBA!!

* FREEDOMS REIGN and ENEMY REMAINS, The Webster Theatre, Hartford – 8:00

* From Dusk Til Dawn: CD Release/ BBoy Battle, Freight Street Gallery, Waterbury – 5:00 pm

* Daphne Lee Martin & Sam Perduta, Green Well, New Haven – 6:00 pm

* The Exquisite Gypsy, Never Ending Books, New Haven – 8:00 pm

* Farewood Record Release Party w/ Clearlight Industries and Killer Kowalsk, Chas’ Place, Meriden – 9:00 pm

* The Tattered Tramps, The Brickhouse Bar & Grill, Newington – 9:00 pm

Sunday May 6th

PLEASE LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE…WORKING HARD FOR CT LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT http://www.facebook.com/lsgoriginal – and follow my antics on Twitter at @lsgoriginal.  Web page forthcoming!

Peace…

lsg

Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez – lsg Original

Lover of music and the visual arts, Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez is the insanity behind lsg original photography. lsg specializes in artist and performer photography. She’s had the honor of photographing national bands such as Weezer, Snoop Dogg, A Simple Plan, Paramore, Whitesnake, Wye Oak, and The Antlers along with countless local bands and performers.

Hailing from Hartford, CT, Lisa is a life- long music connoisseur. Growing up, her mother exposed her to everything from The Stones to Simon and Garfunkel to Earth, Wind, and Fire to Loretta Lynn…and everything in between. No genre was left unexplored in her vinyl collection. She saw her first concert at 14…Rod Stewart at the (then called) Hartford Civic Center. Thirty years later, it’s still her favorite pastime.

Lisa has two kids (grown!) and a day job. Her loves of music and photography have melded into a second career. And her love of CT keeps her promoting and pushing for local artists and performers. Lisa spends the greater part of her free time seeing and shooting live bands, performers, and artists and art work…and purchasing vinyl!

Scene Queen lsg on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scenequeenlsg

lsg Original Photography on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lsgoriginal

Lisa on LBR: http://www.localbandreview.com/author/lsg/

OCCUPY A VENUE!