Archive of Past Views
Dec. 20, 2001Just a quick notice - my Best-Of 2001 show will air this Wednesday, December 26. Until then, Happy holidays!
Dec. 6, 2001
Sue's mea culpa:
First of all, I want to apologize for being lame & not updating this website every week. And now, back to your regularly scheduled comments:
Thanksgiving. I like Thanksgiving. Maybe it's because my family doesn't get together on thanksgiving. Well, we do actually have a pre-holiday get together, which leaves me free to have friends over for the actual day . Maybe it's because stores have nothing to push at you to purchase for the celebration except food. I still can't believe that Christmas advertising starts up right after Halloween. I mean, I was in Osco Drug the first week of November & they had the tinsel up already. The amount of crass commercialization that has happened to Christmas is just incredible. I swear the push didn't used to start until after Thanksgiving. By the second week of December I'm so sick of Christmas muzak that going to the store to buy anything is akin to torture. I'm so glad that the walkman was developed.
There's a bunch of shows coming up in the next few weeks where I like the opening acts more than the headliners. I don't know what that says about my musical tastes. would be This starts with Friday the 7th , where Miniwatt are opening for the Flying Luttenbachers. I'm not saying I won't stay for the Luttenbachers, but I'm much more interested in seeing Miniwatt. Then next week the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are opening the show for Rainier Maria. Again, this is not to say I dislike Rainier Maria, but I really love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs who put on a great show at the Abbey the first time they played up here. And lastly, Radio 4 are opening for Luna. Ditto above comments.
THANK YOU to everyone who pledged during our WMBR Fundraiser a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to all of you we exceeded our goal. Don't forget to send in those checks. (WMBR, Dept. 2001 3 Ames St. Cambridge, Ma 02142).
I'll be doing my "Best Of 2001" show on Wednesday December 26th.
Finally - Cheese Patrol, an annual WMBR event will be broadcasting on Saturday December 29th - starting at 12:00 noon & going for as long as the cheese crew (myself, Lisa, Nancy, Keith, Shawn, Eric &a supporting cast) can stand it. If you not familiar with what Cheese Patrol is -check out the cheese page on WMBR's website.
Nov. 12, 2001
I went to see Oxbow last night, a show one could only call an experience. I really knew very little about the band before I went, except for a write up in the Phoenix last week, and some friends telling me that I HAD to see them. Very intense, dark, disturbing, and noisy all at once. Of course I was warned there would be nudity, and there was some. Enough to scare a few people out of the room. I didn't realize rockers were such prudes.
Last weekend (November 3 & 4) I spent in New York attending the final Cavestomp garage rock show. This was a yearly event for the last 5 years, but this was the first one I was able to attend. It was held in Brooklyn in a club called "Warsaw", which is actually the Polish- American Home. It is beautiful space with a large bar attached. There was Polish food (Pirogi & Blintzes) and Polish beers I'd never heard of. Each year Cavestomp has featured a reuinion by some popular 60's garage acts, and this year we were treated to Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere & the Raiders), Electric Prunes, Downliner's Sect and the Creation. Of course, none of the bands had all their original members, but it really didn't matter. We also saw the Waistcoats from Sweden, The Buff Medways (Billy Childish's new band), Los Straightjackets, the Kaisers, and some of a band from Rochester NY called the Priests. Unfortunately the Priests opened the whole show off by having the drummer break a drum stick after the 4th song. Incredibly he didn't bring any extra drumsticks. There was a long wait while other bands looked for drumsticks, and musicians in the audience who lived near by ran home to get some sticks. By the time sticks were found, their set time was over. What a start! The organizers all looked like they were going to have heart attacks.
Tomorrow starts our yearly 1 week of Fundraising at WMBR, and I hope that those of you who are dedicated listeners will find it in your hearts ( & wallets) to donate this year. Your donations help us make better radio. Thank you.
Oct. 30, 2001
I went to see Thalia Zadek at TT's on Sunday, and was once again mesmerized by her set. Her new material is quieter in some ways than Come, but very intense, and, together with her current backing band (Chris Brokaw, Dan,? from the Knoxville Girls, and ? on Violin) created a very memorable show. The next day I was talking to a friend who was at the show & he remarked - "It's amazing that all of the bands Thalia's been involved with have been truly incredible - Dangerous Birds, Uzi, Live skull, Come, and now her own project. Someday people are going to look at us in amazement when we say - 'Oh yeah, I saw Thalia play at TT's infront of 65 people'". He's right.
On a separate note: I saw what I consider to be the most ridiculous comment yet in the Boston Globe today about the Anthrax scare. Granted there is a good reason for some people to be alarmed, and a good deal to make most people at least uneasy. BUT can we please exercise something that resembles common sense. Here's the comment from an aritcle in today's (10/30) Boston Globe - City & Region section page B1 "Tricky Question" (quote on page B4)
"On the distribution side, people should take care to hand out appropriate treats" said Newton Police Lieutenant Paul Anastasia. "For example, the powder filled Pixie Sticks might not be a good treat to hand out because someone might mistake it for anthrax." (read the whole article here) Sheesh!
Oct. 18, 2001 - A Special Message from the Webmaster!
I know that by now, you're all asking yourselves, "what's it like in the glamorous world of community radio show web hosting?" Well, there are the star-studded champagne-filled Jacuzzi weekends with industry movers and shakers, of course, as well as recent 10-figure buyout offers for the domain, on top of the weekly playlist-update parties at Radius... What?? This isn't 1999 anymore?! Oh yeah, I forgot, macaroni and cheese on a paper plate again tonight...
So, in addition to being the webmaster, I'm also Sue's personal typist. For your amusement, I thought I'd show you a picture of the source material I get to work with every week. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.
- Eric
Oct. 12, 2001
You've probably heard the story about the "banned song list" that Clear Channel Communications (owners of just about a third of the commercial radio stations in the country) circulated immediately after the Sept. 11th attacks. It contained songs that the powers that be felt were insensitive, or contained words like "Burning" (such as the Talking Heads' Burning Down the House) that might upset listeners. There was immediately a great hue & cry about the list, causing Clear Channel to publicly back pedal & claim it was only a list of SUGGESTIONS. You can read more about this on the Snopes urban legends website.
Now, along comes our President, and his National Security Advisor, to put the pressure on major networks. Just 2 days ago, the network news agencies were asked to not broadcast in full any videotapes from Osama Bin Laden, as the tapes might contain inflammatory propaganda (!) and possible coded messages to terrorists. The executives at most of the agencies agreed to only run excerpts, and carefully screen any missives from Bin Laden. Now the administration is making the same request of our print media. I'm sure the call is out to major radio networks also. It's a concern when the vehicles through which most people get their news these days is in danger of being censored by the government. Lets think about other countries where the government tells the media what is OK & NOT OK to print, or broadcast. I've always thought freedom of the press was one of our unassailable essential rights. When those very outlets are even willing to consider a form of censorship, it sets a very dark precedent. Of course they've all said they intend to work on a case by case basis, and all operate under the principle that the public has a right to know, but I find this frightening. It's right up there with the newly created "Office of Homeland Security" - doesn't that just conjure up an image of jackbooted thugs! Next on the list-the Thought Police. I've already heard from friends who say they don't feel comfortable expressing their viewpoints at work or social gatherings, especially when their view is for a more peaceful solution, and re-examination of US foreign policy. Fortunately there is alternative radio, ( where we can usually disclaim "the views & opinions stated are wholly mine & do not represent....") and the internet. We've discovered just how hard it is to censor websites. For those of us who think hearing all of what Bin Lauden has to say or seeing & expressing alternative viewpoints is important, it's out there. There are also alternative broadcast news sources-we have some of them on WMBR. (check the news at 6:00pm Monday -Friday). Here's a short list of sites to look at.
Oct. 5, 2001
I just had to comment on the fun time (seemingly) had by all at the Trans Am, Fucking Champs, Pines of Nowhere show at the Garment District's "Dollar a Pound" space last Saturday Night (Sept. 29th).
First off I love going to shows in alternative spaces. Sure it often means a less than stellar sound system, and no beer, & no smoking, but it also means everyone is there to revel in the music, and not to lean on the bar & schmooze. 500 people were there last week to rock with the Pines of Nowhere's hard edged post -punk, the Fucking Champs' over the top interpretations of the heavy metal guitar rifts to which you played air guitar as a youth, and Trans Am's new New Wave, Prog Rock, slightly Industrial synth/guitar dance rock. Unfortunately, due to early curfew, and a late start, all the bands played slightly truncated sets, although after being told they had to stop, Trams Am were ushered back on stage to play a few more. The evening ended with small stuffed animals (from a nearby table) sailing through the air. Lets hope that a bit of tossing the merchandise around doesn't dissuade the Garment District & the Middle East from collaborating again.
BTW, if you've never shopped at the Garment District, you might want to check it out - lots of good stuff cheap. I know I never leave the place without finding something.
Sept. 28, 2001
Over the last week I've attended a number of shows featuring both local & touring bands. None of the shows I went to were very well attended. Maybe I have chosen to attend the more esoteric shows, but these were all bands that generate requests & queries during my show, and are also being played a lot on most of the other WMBR rock shows. Are people just not so interested in seeing live music these days? Is it the cocooning effect? I know the nation is for the most part in a national funk, but getting out, seeing musicians give it their all on stage, and mingling with other people (strangers or not) has been for me a very positive experience over the last couple of weeks.
