boston @ nite

There’s a new band in town… kinda a Rock City Mafia supergroup. Tim Catz of Roadsaw put together a 70’s inspired rock outfit called Antler. Fronting the band with his incredible pipes is none other than Craig Riggs (also of Roadsaw). On keyboards in punk n’ roll’s finest, Dave Unger (Random Road Mother), Tim (sporting a groovy leisure suit) plays guitar as does Pete Valli of Quintane Ameicana. On bass and drums… the boys from Dragstrip Courage. I had the chance to check out these guys live… and if you get a chance you should too!

Rock City Crimewave has signed to Pig Pile Records and is recording a new CD this month. December 19^th, RCCW will headline at Pig Pile Records’ 2^nd annual Pile Up at the Paradise.

Quitter is in the studio right now working on their debut full-length CD. Jon Lammi is producing. They've been recording at the Outpost and at Mad Oak Studios. (Speaking of Mad Oak… it’s Craig Riggs’ new studio.) Jon Lammi has also joined Quitter as their new bassist. Bob Maloney has left the group, but not the rock scene… he’ll be back with something groovy for sure. Quitter’s record is scheduled for a late

spring release through Tortuga Recordings.

Scissorfight’s new EP "Potential New Agent For Unconventional Warfare" came out November 26^th. The band just destroyed the UK and Europe on their first European tour. The guys are out on the road right now with Clutch. Their record release party takes place at the Middle East Downstairs, Saturday December 20^th.

January 18th, the Humanoids will be releasing the long awaited "Dirty Moves" enhanced CD with bonus video. The boys have hooked up with a southern record label that has been out of existence for over 50 years, Imperial Phonographic Recordings (huh?). This will be the label's silver disc venture, as 'Imperial' is known for it's heavy 78 rpm acetate record albums. Buford T. Dipweller (Buford?), a spokesperson for the board of directors of Imperial Phonographic Recordings says, "Look here, we're investing a lot into these Yankee boys, but we have faith. This 'compact disc' is gonna make headlines, or my name isn't Buford T. Dipweller." The Humanoids play with Cracktorch on January 18^th at the Middle East Upstairs to celebrate.

Jonah Jenkins of the now disbanded Milligram has started a record label with some other cats in town called Traktor 7. You can find new releases by Lamont and Crash and Burn on the spankin’ new label… as well as the last Milligram release.

Default Outfit recently released their first full-length CD "Casual City". Visit their website and give the title track a listen, its got a sweet laidback vibe going on.

In synthpop news… Freezepop are working hard on their new album, which will (hopefully) be out early next year.

Some upcoming show dates from the folks at Twisted Rico…

So, I had my hair dyed this groovy black/hot pink look… but the upkeep was horrendous… so, I had my hairdresser strip the color, cut off all the gross ends and now it’s a semi-permanent golden brown for a few months, until it heals. Oh woe is me… but, hey change is good, right?!

Has anyone been watching Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network? If not, ya gotta watch Home Movies, it’s the best! Definitely, my fave show these days. It’s on Sunday nights at 10 PM (EST). Check out the website to see clips… www.adultswim.com/shows/homemovies/index.html. Coach McGuirk rules!

July 6, 2002

Okay, it's been a couple of months since my last update. I took over as web mistress for Sleazegrinder.com recently, and it has been taking up most of my free time… but it has been worth it! You can check it out at www.sleazegrinder.com. If you dig the rock, you'll dig the site. There is still some work to do, but it's getting there! I have also been busy with the redesign of my own webzine Candy for Bad Children (still in the works). Meanwhile, I’m sweatin’ out the heatwave and prayin’ for some cooler weather… Now let’s get to the rock!

Hmmm… There was the WBCN Rock and Roll Rumble… the winners were The Gentlemen. Not exactly a surprise, but should a band that is made up of 2 bands (The Gravel Pit and The Figgs) that are signed to major labels even be eligible to be in the Rumble? To further explain… the Rumble is kind of a battle of the bands type deal. You get the picture. Anyway, Quitter made it to the finals along with Mr. Airplane Man (photo courtesy of Charles Pickett www.bostonrockproject.com). It would have been cool to see one of those bands win… sigh.

Then there was the Cracktorch, Bad Wizard, Brought Low show. Talk about a night of rock! I had never seen The Brought Low before. They are a real rock n' roll band… unfortunately, I think their set was a bit too long, I found myself hoping it would be over soon. Bad Wizard and there 70's inspired rock are always a good time! So, good that Frontman, Curtis, even bought some cheap champagne to share with those in front of the stage… Super groovy!

Word on the street is that The Decals have split up. I always dug the band; it's a shame to see them break-up. But, fear not… bass player Michelle Paulhaus and Chilly Kurtz of Caged Heat are starting up a new band… stay tuned. Rock photographer, Catherine Carter has been hard at work putting together a website showcasing her work… check out www.catherinecarter.com to see some amazing rock photography. Sinners and Saints is a

band to check out… I recently heard their new CD and it rocks! Check them out at www.sinnersandsaints.net.

The Humanoids recently shot a video for "Dirty Moves", the title track on their soon to be released CD.

Rock City Crimewave has a new member… Brother Gahdna K. (from parts unknown). He has taken his place among their elite fighting squad and will be debuting on July 12^th, Upstairs the Middle East (the show also will feature Fast Actin' Fuses and Shake Dog Shake). Lunasound Recording’s European release of Cracktorch’s "Cracktorch... is not the problem" is due out in July. A possible European tour may follow.

Milligram’s "This is Class War" will be released in the USA on Smallstone in September, in Europe on Overcome (France, BeNeLux, Spain) and on Exile on Mainstream (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). They even have a new 7" (400 copies, 4 different colors of thick vinyl) out on Superfi Records, in the UK… And to top it off they’ve got a Cactus cover coming out soon on Smallstone's "Sucking the 70's" comp. For updates check out http://milligram.info.

April 19, 2002

Well, I haven’t been out much in recent weeks, so I thought I’d fill you in on some rockin’ news in this short update…

News from Rock City…

The word on the street is that pop-rockers, Noelle, have been signed to Capitol Records and changed their name to Damone. Is a conversation with Carson on "TRL" in their future? Roadsaw recently returned from a successful tour of Europe, where Hari and his cohort terrorized unsuspecting locals (okay, so as usual I’m exaggerating a bit, but it sounds good, doesn’t it?). My favorite synthpopsters, Freezepop, are currently in the midst of their European tour. Check their website for tour dates www.freezepop.net. Lamont just finished recording their latest cd… visit www.lamontband.com for details.

And Elsewhere…

Check out the brand spankin’ new websites of LA’s pop-punksters, The Dollyrots www.dollyrots.com, Seattle rockers, Cookie, www.cookiefactory.com and Nashville pop-rockers, Audra and The Antidote (who are now an all-girl band with the addition of drummer Kelly Bamberger) www.theantidote.net. All the sites look fantastic!

There once was a Girl…

At the time the fashion was to have a hairstyle with bangs, but her mother wouldn’t allow it. So, this girl decided she would wear her bangs a little long so they could be easily brushed to the side, fooling her mother. But, while at school, she could wear them brushed forward, so she would be in fashion. This girl was my grandmother. She was the kindest, most amazing person I have ever known. She passed away on the morning of Friday, April 5th. I will miss her, but she will always be with me in my thoughts and in my heart.
Peace,
Stacey

Roadsaw photo courtesy of Roadsaw, The Dollyrots photo courtesy of The Dollyrots, Audra and The Antidote photo courtesy of Audra and The Antidote

February was a pretty rockin’ month… I made it out to a few shows, launched a new website and worked some super-crazy hours… and now I get to tell you all about it, so let’s get to it!

Rock n’ Roll Breaks Out at the Fistfight Show…

Okay, so maybe the guys had a little too much too drink that night; they weren’t their usual ultra-cool selves brushing off the random psycho heckler in the crowd (if you don’t like the music just leave… really, aren’t we all adults here?) …

After a rockin’ set by Crash and Burn, Quitter took the Mid East stage. They rocked the room with style until some ridiculous clod that decided he didn’t dig the scene interrupted them. Well, that didn’t sit too well with the guys… Frontman, Hari Hassin, first attempted to stare the guy down with his evil-eyed glare (which is very out of character for Hari). When that didn’t work, mayhem erupted, mic stands became almost airborne and guitars were hurled back and forth (okay, maybe I’m exaggerating just a wee bit, but it was pretty crazy). Eventually, the Mid East "red shirts" were brought in and the fool was tossed out. After a few moments the cool vibe returned and all was right with the night… until after the show… and that my friends is a whole other story (which you won’t read about here).

"I don’t give a shit who you came with tonight… you’re leaving with the Crimewave!" said frontman, EEE Adams, mid-show at the 608 Club. And so it was… A night full of catchy motorpunk, guaranteed to stick in your head for three days straight. Anyone in town who has yet to venture out and catch a Crimewave show is missing out… Not only do they rock, they entertain… Drummer Barry Smith got all dressed-up for the holiday in his red tank, shorts and hat… he was kinda like the rock n’ roll cupid (or something). I wish I had a picture of that…

Frontman, Craig Riggs, chastised the crowd at O’Brien’s for being out on a weeknight to catch Roadsaw’s show, but it was well worth it! The bar was packed with local rockers who came out to see the band before leaving on there European tour with Orange Goblin and Grand Magnus.

With bassist, Tim Catz, living in LA, the band hadn’t played together since the Scissorfight record release show in October… but they can still pull it together in a flash. Highlights of the night included some girl running up on stage to make out with Tim, Tim’s ignored tale of a cab ride gone awry and the brief excitement of another scuffle… that didn’t actually happen.

Fans of the Toadies and Reverend Horton Heat will be interested in hearing the Burden Brothers. With the Toadies disbanding after twelve years, Todd Lewis (Toadies) has partnered up with Taz Bentley (Rev. Horton Heat). In a joint deal with Last Beat Records, they’re recording songs and releasing them in packages (with a t-shirt or as a 7", etc.). Their first two songs "Your Fault" and "Hang Your Head" definitely remind me of the Toadies’ unique sound, so if you’re a fan go over to http://www.burdenbrothersmusic.com and check them out!

I had been toying with the idea of starting a little webzine of my own and finally decided to get off my butt and do something about. I recruited some savvy writers and now we’re on our way. The official launch was March 1^st. Starting off with a small idea, getting larger by the minute, plans for redesign of the site are already in motion… But even though it’s small at the moment… if you dig music, film and all things cool, you should definitely check it out… http://www.candyforbadchildren.com.

January 11^th at The Middle East:
Boston’s coolest free newspaper The Weekly Dig sponsored a "night of rock" upstairs at The Middle

East. I admit that I missed 5ive’s set and left before Quintane took the stage, but what I did see… was some serious rock. Bad Wizard was supposed to play their set after 5ive, but was delayed because their van broke down, so when Ken and I arrived, Crash and Burn had just started their set. The band used to play the punk shows in town and they’re now one of Boston’s hardest rocking bands. I was quite surprised when they played a cover of Cat Steven’s "Wild World"… it was very cool. Bad Wizard took the stage next… it was like some kind of crazy rock n’ roll revival or something. First of all… frontman, Curtis Brown, looks like he stepped out of a time machine, sporting an afro and seventies duds… then they had all kinds of people up on stage… and it’s a pretty small stage. Their vibe is definitely free-spirited rock n’ roll. The set got interesting, or should I say dangerous, when Curtis decided to throw his tambourine into the crowd like it was a frisbee. It almost sideswiped Pete’s (from Lamont) head, but he had quick reflexes. Unfortunately, Ben from 5ive wasn’t so quick and the tambourine smacked him in his forehead (ouch!). Ben was not very happy and apparently a little disoriented as he made his way up to the stage and accused Curtis of hitting him with a bottle… to which Curtis responded "It wasn’t a bottle, man. It was a tambourine, the circle of love." Yeh well, some advice Curtis… the "circle of love" still smarts when it smacks you in the head.

Crash and Burn just finished recording their new full-length CD, engineered and co-produced by Coke Dealer. The disk will be out Curve of the Earth late this winter. Check out the band’s site for updates at www.crashandburn1.com. The Humanoids are just finishing up recording with Coke Dealer at New Alliance… those Coke Dealer boys really get around. Visit The Humanoids at www.thehumanoids.com. My favorite Boston rockers, Quitter, are featured in the British magazine Rock Sound and have a song on the mag’s CD sampler along with Boston bands Isis, Tree and 5ive. Check out Quitter’s tunes at http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/311/quitter.html. Oh, before I forget, all you single grrrls... Pete Knifling, Lamont’s frontman is now a single man, visit him and the boys at www.lamontband.com.

Seattle rockers, Honey Tongue, are looking forward to playing in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, if you’re lucky enough to be there, check them out on Sunday, February 10^th at The Hi-Ho Lounge. The band will also perform on the slopes of Steven’s Pass in WA State at the Snowboard For Breast Cancer Benefit on March 9^th. You can find more info on the benefit at www.mamafest.org. Check the band’s schedule for more dates at www.honeytongue.net.

Nashville band, Hangman’s Daughter has plenty to be happy about. Their latest release "Whips and Daisy Chains" has been in the Top 5 sales for local artists at Tower Records for some time now and drummer, Matt Isola, recently became a dad (Congratulations Matt!). Visit Matt and the band at www.hangmansdaughter.com. Frenglish girly, pop-punksters, Curlee Wurlee, just finished recording eleven new songs for two new EPs. Listen to the band’s new music at www.curleewurlee.de.

Photo of Crash and Burn courtesy of Crash and Burn, Photo of Pete Knifling by Catherine Carter, Photo of Honey Tongue courtesy of Honey Tongue

I hope everyone had a fun holiday season! My holiday season was pretty rockin’. It was great to have some time off. I had a chance to spend time with my family and received some cool gifts. Unfortunately, I had to use two of my gift cards towards a new television instead of something cool (that I actually wanted to buy), like a new turntable. My television recently bit the dust and it pretty much sucks to be without one. Ken and his sister’s boyfriend were not amused when they had to carry the TV up three flights of stairs to the apartment. The four of us squished into his sister’s car along with the television was very funny. I literally fell onto the sidewalk when we opened the car door. Sadly, now it’s back to reality for me, no time off from the day job for a while. But, now that I’m going on five years there, I get 18 days vacation in 2002… Woo Hoo! Well, as usual there’s lots of rock to be had in this update… so let’s get to it!

Noelle is fronted by a 15-year-old, pop-rocker grrrl named Noelle (surprise!). The band was pretty cool… well-crafted pop songs written by another local musician (who grew-up in the same neighborhood as the band) won over the young crowd. There’s a big buzz in town about these cool kids, so check out their mp3’s at http://www.noelletheband.com.

Opening band Fast Actin’ Fuses warmed up the small crowd with their punk-edged rock n’ roll. Frontman, Lovely Kevin Darling, threw himself around the stage, did jumping jacks and deliberately knocked himself in the head with his microphone… talk about getting your money’s worth! Check out the guys at http://www.liquid2k.com/fuses/home.htm.

Jill "Chilly" Kurtz’s, Caged Heat took the stage shortly after the Fast Actin’ Fuses. It was the first time I’d seen the band play. I thoroughly enjoyed the band’s eclectic, bluesy, soulful rock n’ roll. Chilly plays a mean harmonica, adding to the band’s already unique sound. Caged Heat are a band to keep your eyes on in 2002, they plan to release a new CD this Spring. Be sure to check out Chilly and the boys at http://www.twistedrico.com/pages/cagedheat.htm.

Nicky Kuland, drummer for the stylin’ pop-edged rockers The David James Motorcycle, recently told me that the band is finishing up a 7" which features 3 tunes. The fine piece of vinyl should be out in February. Stay in the loop by visiting the band at http://djmotorcycle.tripod.com/davidjamesmotorcycle. Chris Jackson, guitarist for Cracktorch, gave me the lowdown on the band’s plans for 2002, thus far. The band will be recording a new EP in March with well-known local producer and engineer, Paul Kolderie. Cracktorch is scheduled to play a show with Scissorfight on February 23^rd in Worcester, MA (Location TBA). Nicole Johnson of the girl-powered punk/pop band, The Decals, informed me that the band is still supporting their latest effort "Drive by Kiss Off" (Fork in Hand) and that the CD is doing well on the college radio circuit. The band is planning to play in Chicago, Cleveland and Buffalo in April, although no dates have been confirmed at this time. Stay in touch with the band at http://www.thedecals.com. Lamont venture into the studio to record a new CD in January. Lamont’s sound is pure, heavy guitar-driven rock n’ roll. Check out the trio’s site at http://www.lamontband.com. Soulful rockers, Quitter, are playing a show at Bill’s Bar on January 10^th with C60. The band’s bassist, Bob Maloney, recently told me that the band is planning to do some more demo recording in 2002 and has hopes of touring in the Spring. You can keep up with the band at http://www.quittermusic.com. On January 8^th, synthpopsters,

Freezepop, will release a super-bonus-EP entitled "Fashion Impression Function" (Archenemy). The disk is a follow-up to their full-length CD "Freezepop Forever". The EP contains 4 new songs, 5 remixes and includes some videos as well. You can learn more about the band and check out their music at http://www.freezepop.net. January’s issue of Womanrock.com features an interview by yours truly with Boston rocker grrrl, Kay Hanley. Find out the scoop on Kay’s current project at http://www.womanrock.com.

Juliette Tworsey, frontwoman for LA’s Fire Bug recently told me that the band has a new female bassist, Miiko, who ROCKS! Their new CD "Fragile" (Buddha Belt) has been getting lots of attention lately. Check out the band and their

music at http://www.firebugmusic.com. Florida’s pop-punksters, The Dollyrots, have packed up and relocated to another sunny spot… Orange County, California. I wish them the very best! Visit the band at http://www.dollyrots.com.

London popsters, Dollshouse, plan to be in NYC in March for a few gigs. Learn more about the band at http://www.dollshouseband.com. Tokyo’s noisy punksters, Melt Banana are planning to do some gigs this April in Germany. They also plan to take part in the UK’s All Tomorrow's Party 2002. You can check out the ATP at http://www.wayahead.com/atp/shellac2002.htm. In May the band plan to take a part in the Victoriaville Festival in Canada. It's been a long time since the band has been to Canada and they’re looking forward to going there again. The band is thinking about touring in the US during that time as well. Detailed information about Victoriaville Festival is available at http://www.fimav.qc.ca/. The band’s website is currently under construction, but you can still check there for updates. Visit Melt Banana at http://www.parkcity.ne.jp/~mltbanan/.

I’m always interested in checking out new music…so, if you think I’ll dig what your band is doing, contact me by email and I’ll check it out.

Photo of Caged Heat by Steev Riccardo, Photo of Nicole Johnson by Eric Johanson, Photo of Freezepop courtesy of Freezepop, Photo of The Dollyrots courtesy of The Dollyrots

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is almost done with their holiday shopping. I’ve been swamped at work and can’t wait to have a few days off from the daily grind. New England weather is whacked as usual; it was over 60 degrees on December 1st and now they’re predicting a snowstorm… go figure. Okay, enough small talk, let’s get to the rock…

Excuse me for the outburst, must be left over from the 5^th Annual Redneck Festival which took place Nov.

7-10, at different venues across the city. How did the Redneck Fest get started, you ask? You didn’t? Well, I’m going to tell you anyway… the way I heard it, local rockers, Quintane Americana, decided they wanted to put together a big rock show… and it grew and grew, into what it is today. Sorry, it’s not much of a story after the build-up (ha, ha). It is now the great undertaking of Marc Schleicher (bass player for Quintane, frontman for Cracktorch as well as Coke Dealer and guitarist for Liquor Tricks… whew!).

I have to confess that I missed the first two nights of the Fest. It’s tough when I have to be at my day job at 8 am… sigh. Anyway, the nights I missed were quite rockin’, at least that’s what I heard… Wednesday night at the Abbey Lounge featured The Humanoids, Destruct-a-thon, Three Day Threshold and Random Road Mother. Thursday’s bill, upstairs at The Middle East, was Liquor Tricks, Quitter, Lamont, Ghetto Thunder, Placer and Caged Heat. Friday night’s show began with Kill Everyone Now, Beef and The Confidence Men. Ken and I arrived at The Middle East in time to catch the obviously Guns n’ Roses influenced, Shake Dog Shake (the frontman even sported a Guns n’ Roses t-shirt) and the always rockin’ Rock City Crimewave. We ventured out to The Linwood on Saturday night, only to spend 20 minutes waiting in line, which is a rare thing (the place was so packed, it was filled to capacity.). We could hear Cracktorch playing from outside. Cash Monies and the Jetsetter and the band Give played earlier that night. We were finally let in when The Humanoids emerged from the club (they weren’t playing that night, just hanging out), making room for us. Unfortunately, we completely missed Cracktorch’s set, but made it in to catch Scissorfight and Quintane Americana. Both bands played truly rockin’ sets.

What do you get when you meld two of Boston’s finest rock bands, Roadsaw and Milligram? You get the return of the "total rock star".

Upstairs at The Middle East was packed as psychedelic swirling colors filled the stage wall. The sound of soulful, sleazy rock, laced with a 70’s vibe, enveloped the room when Quitter took the stage. The audience moved to the music. It was an awesome set. Quitter is my new favorite local rock band. The band is the baby of guitarist extraordinaire, Ian Ross, with Hari Hassin on vocals, Bob Maloney on bass and Craig Riggs on drums, Quitter are Boston’s new rock stars. They’ve got the talent, the style and the vibe. The songs speak for themselves, due to the combined efforts of Ian and Hari. You can hear the band’s signature single "Black Box" and check out their untitled CDEp at www.tortugarecordings.com.

David James Motorcycle are recording their first 7-inch. If you dig bands like Oasis and Hurricane #1, you should definitely check out them out. You can find more information about the band at djmotorcycle.tripod.com/davidjamesmotorcycle. Also in the studio, default Outfit, are working on their first full-length CD. If you like Better Than Ezra and Semisonic, chances are you’ll dig these guys too. Learn more about the band at www.defaultoutfit.com. Girl-powered, punk/pop band, The Decals recently released their first full-length CD entitled "Drive-by Kiss Off" (Fork In Hand). Check out the band and their music at http://www.thedecals.com. EEE Adams of Rock City Crimewave recently told me that the band has a Japanese fan site and the band is also getting some airplay in Japan. How cool is that? Now, if I could just locate the site. Interested in hearing some of the local bands I write about on this page? You can download mp3’s at www.curveoftheearthrecords.com. Bands you’ll find on the site include Rock City Crimewave, Cracktorch, Quintane Americana, Lamont and Medea Connection.

Florida’s pop-punksters, The Dollyrots, are working on a new disk. You can listen to some of their songs (my faves are "Boom Boom" and "Motorcycle Boy") on their website http://www.dollyrots.com. Seattle’s Cookie is working on a new full-length disk. Cookie’s sound is pure rock n’ roll with a dash of country thrown into the mix. The band describes frontwoman Sabrina RockArena as sounding like the illegitimate love child of Joey Ramone and Patsy Cline. You can visit Cookie at http://www.cookiefactory.com. Karen Neal of Detroit’s Queen Bee informed me that they’ve added Broadzilla’s Rachel May on guitar,

contributing to the band’s already killer sound. You can check out Karen’s band at http://www.QueenBee.ismad.com. Martin Brett of London’s Dollshouse recently told me the band is planning to do a few gigs in NYC and possibly Boston this coming Spring. Martin was a founding member of the now disbanded Voice of the Beehive. You can learn more about the band at http://www.dollshouseband.com.

Redneck Fest photo by Catherine Carter, Quitter group photo by J Bennett, The Decals photo by Johnny Anguish, Cookie photo, courtesy of Cookie, Karen Neal photo by Jacalyn Lee

Being the new grrrl on the block, I’ll begin my first update by giving you a little bit of background on me. So, without boring you with my entire life story… here are the groovy highlights…

I was born and raised south of the rockin’ city of Boston. I fled for Philadelphia shortly after high school; went to college and ran amuck in the city of sisterly love for several years. I returned to the Boston area to work for a madman at a cheesy, syndicated talk radio network as a producer (also doing commercial voice-overs as well as sports and weather reports). That job provided me with lots of great stories to tell and I actually enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it didn’t provide me with the funds I needed to get out on my own.

I currently live in the Metro-Boston area. I live just a short subway ride from Downtown Boston. My partner in crime is sleazy rock journalist extraordinaire, Sleazegrinder (aka Ken McIntyre). I work a "regular" day job as an executive assistant/office manager. When I’m not there, I’m a freelance writer, most of my writing focuses on music. So, with that said, you can expect to see lots of music related stuff on my page (local, national and international). You can also check out my interview with Liz Enthusiasm of the Boston-based synthpop band, Freezepop, in this month’s issue of Womanrock.com.

I have an extremely eclectic collection of music. I’m pretty much a music junkie. In college, I was banned from playing music trivia at the bar that was the weekend hangout for my friends and me. Eventually, my friends got banned too, since we would end up winning all the free drink tickets!

Some other stuff I dig includes… cartoons, funky t-shirts, cooking (when I actually have time) and reading cool pop fiction.

There’s lots of cool stuff going on in the city of Boston, let’s get to it!

Autumn in Boston… brightly colored foliage (it is New England after all), book readings and of course rock n’ roll!

I went to my very first book reading in early September, at the urging of one of Boston’s coolest grrrls Kay Hanley, who I recently had the pleasure of interviewing. Kay, was not only the frontwoman for the band Letters to Cleo (which has disbanded), but also provided the voice of Molly for the animated cartoon "Generation O" as well as the singing voice of Josie for the "Josie and the Pussycats" film. But, back to the book reading… While in the midst of the interview, Kay mentioned she was going to be one of many, reading excerpts from author TJ LeRoy’s work, including his story compilation "The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things" at the Market Theater in Harvard Square. She urged me to go check it out, so I did.

The funny thing about TJ LeRoy’s book readings is that he never shows up (or he shows up incognito). He is apparently very shy and reclusive. He enlists the help of others to read from his book. At this particular
reading, Kay was joined by Julianna Hatfield (Blake Babies), Jake Burns (Stiff Little Fingers) and several local authors and actors. LeRoy wrote hilarious introductions for each reader (that he faxed to the theater). The introductions were read before each person read their selection from his book. I ended up enjoying myself. It was a very cool night!

Speaking of books… This summer, rocker/author Tim Catz released his second book "Hangover Palaces"(Gato Loco Books). This book of fictional (fictional? hmmm…) short stories is a great read. Tim’s tales of the trials and tribulations of hipster rock n’ roll lifestyle are not to be

missed. Tim recently moved from the Boston area to Los Angeles. He was a fixture in the Boston rock scene for many years, playing in bands that include, Strip Mind, Roadsaw, Honeyglazed and Bloodshot. Tim recently returned to Boston for a week to reunite with Roadsaw (more on that in a bit).

What a show! Crack Torch held their record release party for Crack Torch… "Is Not The Problem" (Curve of the Earth) on Saturday, September 29th, upstairs at The Middle East. Flesh-eating zombies from outer space, The Humanoids, opened the show followed by Placer and Lost City Angels. We arrived in time to catch The Damn Personals, who played a set of rockin’ pop music that made me want to dance (but you don’t dance at the rock show…well, I don’t anyway.) Crack Torch took the stage at midnight and ripped it up, as usual. Frontman, Marc Schleicher, walked on the ceiling (really!) and surfed the crowd as only Marc can… he also proved that he could kick really high! With Chris Jackson on guitar, Staci Fick on bass and Nick Zampiello on drums, Crack Torch is definitely successful in the pursuit of pure, powerful, real-deal rock n’ roll.

Okay, I promised you more on the Roadsaw reunion… On October 12th, Roadsaw reunited downstairs at The Middle East for Scissorfight’s record release party. It my very first Roadsaw show. Ken couldn’t wait for me to check them out. I was totally impressed, especially since they hadn’t played together in quite some time. It was great to see Tim Catz back in town. It was also very cool to see Craig Riggs up front; he now plays drums for Quitter and Random Roadmother. What makes that interesting is that Hari Hassin, Roadsaw’s drummer, is the frontman for Quitter. Roadsaw is even planning a six-week tour of Europe for February. Scissorfight was as loud and rockin’ as ever. Frontman Iron Lung preached the gospel of rock n’ roll debauchery to the already fired-up crowd, moshing ensued and the rest of the night belonged to Scissorfight.

On October 27th, Ken and I were back at The Middle East (We seem to spend a lot of time there!) to see Quitter and Harlow (of VH1 Bands on the Run fame). I really dig Quitter. Frontman, Hari Hassin; guitarist, Ian Ross; bassist, Bob Maloney and drummer Craig Riggs make some

seriously, soulful stoner rock. After following their television tour, it was fun to see Harlow play live. I spoke briefly with Amanda and Rayshelle; they both seemed pretty cool.

Halloween Eve was spent with The Humanoids at The Linwood. Black Helicopter opened the show dressed as characters from the The Wizard of Oz. What was totally wild was that they had the actual film playing behind them, as they played their heavy hitting rock n’ roll. Some friends of the band even came dressed as flying monkeys and gathered around the front of the stage as they played. Black Helicopter was followed zombie surf band Gein and the GraveRobbers. I like surf music, but after an hour, I had my fill and was ready to rock with The Humanoids. The flesh-eaters were in rare form as Frontman, Clay Nferno lost pieces of his face (he was made up as a werewolf) and split his leather pants down the middle (neither on purpose).

Well, that’s the update from Rock City… In my next update, tales from this month’s, 5th Annual Redneck Festival. Four nights of no-holds-barred rock n’ roll mayhem.

One last thing, I want to thank Cindy and Regina for helping me get the perfect header pic for my page… they rock! You can check out Regina’s website at http://www.reginafees.com

During this tumultuous time in the world, be good to each other.

Peace, Love and Coolness,
Stacey Dawn

Crack Torch pic courtesy of Curve of the Earth Records, Humanoids artwork by Mister Reusch