Interview with Stuart D'Rozario on 12/19/06

By: Andrea Myers
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Though I've never been very fond of making year-end lists and tallying up favorites, there are a handful of records that I put into my CD player this year and which I knew, almost instantly, would stay there, spinning on repeat long after most of the other promos have been reviewed and filed away.  Most of the local albums that stood out to me also rang true with other local journalists, and we will see their names printed again and again as critics make their picks and confess their love f...

Dance Band with Scream Club at Big Vs on 12/16/06

By: David de Young
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Dance Band at Big V's - Photo by David de Young It’s my hope that HowWasTheShow’s reviews remind you of what you can miss on when the part of your brain arguing for a good night’s sleep wins out over the part telling you to go to a show.  This was definitely the case Saturday when I went to Big V’s to complete my Dance Band photo duties which had been cut short by an accident at their ...

Dance Band with So It Goes and The TV Sound at 7th Street Entry on 12/15/06

By: Pat O'Brien
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Dance Band at the Entry - Photo by David de Young This isn’t at all the story I wanted to write about Friday night (or any night, for that matter). Like this review, Friday ended unexpectedly and in a way that made me uneasy. Sometimes cold, hard facts get in the way of what you want to happen or the way you look back and decide how the night seemed or felt; if you really had fun or if it just seemed like fu...

Sean Lennon with Robert Skoro at First Avenue on 12/11/06

By: Charlie Vaughan
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The black winter night wraps completely around my three-season porch. The only light is a pale stare from an idle monitor. It’s late and things are going poorly. And it’s very cold, too cold to bear for any real length of time. This is the fourth season, and the little porch cannot hold it back. The only protection is from the wind; otherwise it’s the same as sitting outside on the concrete steps—including the thick coat and stocking cap. It’s not an ideal setting ...

The Ashtray Hearts with Cory Branan and High on Stress at Nomad World Pub on 12/10/06

By: Bob Longmore
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Maybe I’m a victim of my age, but Sunday shows are hard for me. I always wonder why bands can’t start these shows earlier so us working stiffs can get to bed at a reasonable hour to rest for the start of another week of corporate drudgery. When the schedule for Sunday night at the Nomad said music at 7:00, I dismissed it instantly. Sure that the bands wouldn’t start before 9:00, I showed up at 8:00 just for insurance and dammit wouldn’t you know… I walked into se...

Low with Fog at First Avenue on 12/9/06

By: Ryan Ruff Smith
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My dad is a Christmas music obsessive.  I think he has nearly as many Christmas CDs as secular CDs, and he picks up a few more every December. So, of course, he recently pulled out his box of seasonal discs to fill the house with holiday cheer... to mixed results.  But that's just the nature of the beast; holiday music is nothing if not a mixed bag .  On the one hand, I would be hard pressed to think of a melody more beautiful than "The Holly and the Ivy" or more classic...

Joanna Newsom with Bill Callahan at 400 Bar on 12/8/06

By: Billy Graves
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In the days before indie-bands could ride the wave of internet hype to fame, Joanna Newsom was not a household name. Her first album, The Milk-Eyed Mender went almost entirely under the radar. Two years later, Newsom’s second album, Ys, has wooed music reviewers (see Metacritic’s list of accolades for the album), indie fans (who will undoubtedly shortlist the album in their year-end top-ten lists) and even the London Symphony Orchestra (who will play with her for five sold-out ...

Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood at First Avenue on 12/7/06

By: Ilya Ratner
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You’d think adding a prolific guitar stud to an all-pro band would be smart.  You’d think the music would flourish and you’d be amazed.  But you’d be wrong.  The addition of Scofield into Medeski, Martin, and Wood appeared to be brilliant, but when they came together on stage, it was a travesty.  It was as if a Mexican doctor had attached a superfluous limb, and it dangled there awkwardly, getting in the way. MMW has been on my A-list since high ...

The Northern Drift at Cabooze on 12/6/06

By: Andrea Myers
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When I first hear the term "jam band" mentioned in connection with a show I am about to see, I have to admit that I tense up a little.  Panicked thoughts of marching psychedelic teddy bears, never-ending aimless solos and songs that stretch on for 20 minutes at a time dance through my head, and I feel a little dizzy.  It's not that I don't like grooving to a stretched out jam -- some of my favorite concert moments are when the musicians let loose and unravel into a little unb...

Alpha Consumer CD Release Show at The Turf Club on 12/2/06

By: Bob Longmore
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Maybe it was just me, but the incredibly tight and powerful Story of the Sea played with confidence and style that I don’t remember seeing before. I reviewed them back in March and I thought they had great depth for a three-piece; this time their songs sounded even more powerful playing to a full Turf Club on a Saturday night. Drummer Ian Prince always impresses me with his bombastic style, but on this night, I noticed bassist John McEwen’s intricate yet not overbearing playing. ...