New Years Wormeve

If you can get by the 4-7" of snow and then cold the weather people are forecasting, there are some great shows going on. No, I don't mean "First Night" crap. Save for Huck and The Bees Knees , there isn't too much worth seeing there. Unless you want to chance their "Teen Showcase" which they describe as, Worcester teens rock at their own venue! The First Night Youth Council has been working year-round to make sure that an awesome line-up will showcase emerging talented high school groups from stompers to hip-hoppers. OH BOY!!!

Over at The Sahara on Highland St, Jubilee Gardens are playing. A very large and eclectic group, you will be amazed by their rhythms.

Down at Nicks on Millbury St, The New Years Eve Party starts at 6:00! Live Jazz, Niki Luparelli, Buffet. Definitely the Hottest performer of the night. Wowee!!

And over at The Lucky Dog , It's all cover bands all night long. Surprise, surprise.

And at Ralphs' It's Huck fresh from there gig at "Last Night", where they probably got paid real good.

Happy New Year Wormtown!! The 30th anniversary ends tonight!!

Wormtown Weekend

All the wrapping paper is in the trash, all the Christmas Dinners have been digested. Now it's back to business as usual. Tonight at Ralph's you get the punk rock ,or as it's labeled "Xmas ball hangover afterparty" with Hoodrat, Can't Kill Katie, Slitstich, The Pity Whores and more! Wear the new clothes you got for Christmas and be careful not to get beer spat on you.

Merry Christmas

To all of Wormtown
Hope you get what you want!

Christmas TV

A great site I visit often Classic Television Showbiz, is running TV Shows of Christmas Past. Spend hours hiding from your relatives or watching with them. There are some real nuggets here.

Wormtown Weekend

Between the Ice Storm of last week, and the snow storm coming on Friday, you are going to need to get out and let your punk flag fly. No better place to do that than The Hotel Vernon on Saturday night. Great show on tap, and I'm especially excited to see The McGunks from Boston on the bill. I haven't seen these guy in years. Along with some of Wormtowns' finest, this will be the show to warm the cockles of your heart. No Cover and 1 dollar Gansetts. And it's suppose to be shitty again on Sunday, so this is your chance. Last show before Christmas! See you there!

Pathetic, Ain't It...

Last Saturday, when it was 45 degrees in the house,we decided to take refuge in the bars of Wormtown. The Pathetics were hosting their Christmas Party at The Greyhound Pub in Kelly Sq., and the heat was on. The beers are numerous,the host was gracious. Here's their rendition of "Non Addictive Marijuana"

Had Enuff ??!!?

Well, the power is almost back to the frozen masses, and that sure did seem like some scene out of a sci-fi movie. The Wormstead took a massive hit. Took 3 hours to cut our way out of the driveway. 90% of the trees are damaged. Three days with no juice, cooking on the camp stove. The destruction across Wormtown County is something the old timers were comparing to the tornado of the 50's. I uploaded a video of the trees crashing down, the sound was unbelievable, and constant all night and day. Not much too watch, but listen. Trees that were 60' tall broke like matchsticks. Hats off to WTAG for stepping up , abandoning all regular programing to give info and let people call in, and text reports from the home front on where to go and what to do in this natural disaster.
Forecast for Wednesday, snow and sleet.
Friday, snow.
Welcome to winter.

Wormtown Weekend

Counting the days until Christmas? Well count on this show ! The Pathetics host a Christmas Party at The Greyhound Pub in Kelly Square this Saturday night. You can buy a copy of their brand new Holiday song, "Mistletoe Belt Buckle", destined to join songs like "White Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" as an all time classic. If you've been naughty or nice, it doesn't matter. They probably would prefer you to be naughty, so come on down and celebrate the season. You can preview the song on their page.

Joe Sent Me

Last Friday, December 5th, marked the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition. That happy time in the land of the free when booze was illegal. In the basement of The Hotel Vernon is what remains of the "Speakeasy" that served as a oasis, in an otherwise dry city. There were probably many more hidden away in the cellars of other buildings around the city, but as I was told this one was never raided or shut down back then. Giving the fact the the owner at the time's brother was a state trooper, it was somehow overlooked. The entrance used to be through the ladies room upstairs, but no ladies were allowed in. The pictures show the old stairway, front room , bar and the "piss trough" that the tour guide said was used on occasion by none other than baseball legend Babe Ruth, as he was known to frequent the bar. A great glimpse of the past of Worcester, and if you're ever in The Vernon, ask for your own tour.

The Numbskulls

Live last Saturday in The Ship Room at The Hotel Vernon. What a great night it was. Good crowd, cheap Gansetts, and all night Rock n Roll. And, I finally got a tour of the old speakeasy downstairs. I'll post those pictures soon.

Wormtown Weekend

Finally! Punk rock is back in Wormtown this weekend. Friday Dec. 5, The Pathetics will be playing their new Christmas song at The Lucky Dog. Now you know that means fun. The Bees Knees are headlining, so you get a diverse evening of music for sure.
Earlier this week I mentioned WCUW is looking for cash,and over at Ralph's on Friday, The Blues Dept is holding a benefit for the station featuring Ms Marci and the Lovesick Hounds.I had the opportunity to interview her years ago on WDOA and she was one of the founding members of the Worcester rock n roll scene in the 60's. There was even the rumor that when Jimi Hendrix played Clark University back then, she disappeared with him for few days after the show. And she's also shared the stage with Pinetop Perkins and Muddy Waters, so you see, she's the real deal.
Then on Saturday at The Hotel Vernon , yes it's an honest to good all punk bands- all night long show. With all the bands I have been calling lazy young punks for the past month playing together. Can't Kill Katie, Hoodrat, Slitstich, (found a bass player?)
The Numbskulls, and The Pity Whores. That ought to fill your tank with high octane real rock to keep you going through the holidays.

WCUW Member Drive

I was surprised today to put on WCUW 91.3 and hear they are now conducting a "Membership Drive". They just ended their "Fundraising Drive" two weeks ago, and that went for 4-6 weeks. Now, I know the economy sucks, and running that station has always been a challenge, but constantly begging for money will only piss off your audiance, not grow your base. When they raised the basic membership from $25 to $50, what did they expect. Sure, we'll pay more money. And if you join now, it's only $35. I bet that will piss off anyone who paid $50 a few weeks ago. I don't blame them for trying, with all the upgrades they made over the past year, but they could have waited until the new year for a new drive. I just put on the Astro Radio and ignored them.

A Few Minutes

With Angry Johnny and the Killbillies.
Last night show in Easthampton was great. Angry and the boys were in true form and as the night progressed, it only got more mental. There will be more from this show on wurn.org in the future.

Wormtown Weekend

There a a couple of shows to note in Wormtown this weekend,but still no real down and dirty punk rock. Over at Ralph's on Friday, The Steamy Bohemians present their monthly show of mayhem. And at The Lucky Dog , it's the return of Chillum.
However, the pick show of the the week is another out-of-Wormtown experience. Angry Johnny and the Killbillies return from their retirement, and Angrys' surgical adventures to play their annual "Thanks for Nuthin' show at The Brass Cat in Easthampton MA. That's right after disbanding in December of 2007, and Angrys' bout with his appendix, the band have regrouped and will be hitting the clubs again starting with this show on Saturday, Nov 29. If you've seen them before, you know this will be an evening to remember. If you haven't seen them, take a ride out to western Mass for all the fun.

Happy Thanksgiving Wormtown!

While you wait for the turkey, Watch Arlo Guthrie perform Alice's Restaurant live at The Guthrie Center in 2005 On Youtube ,It's church in the story that is now home to many performances and gatherings. And look at some picture I took there on a visit in 2006.

Wormtown Mid-Week

Ah, the night before Thanksgiving. Traditionally, the biggest bar night of the year. Yes, even surpassing New Years Eve. Maybe it's because everyone is home to see the family. Maybe it's because you don't have to work the next day. Maybe it's because people use any excuse to tie one on. Pick a bar, it'll be packed by 9 pm. My suggestions? Ralph's has The Guns Of Navarone, Radio America and Castine. The Lucky Dog has The Curtain Society and Huck. Take your pick. Remember to take it easy and watch out for The Man. They know it's a big drinkin' night too.

Come back here on Thursday for a special Thanksgiving treat!
And come back on Friday for any cool stuff happening this weekend.

Siriusly,You're Kidding Me...

Thanks to the generosity of my wife, Honey Worm, I can now receive my radio cosmicly. I have been wanting to bite at this for a long time, but as an old school radio DJ from the days when cd's weren't even invented,I resisted the jump into interstellar radio. But if it's a gift,all the better. Now as with any new technology at The Wormstead, there is a learning curve. My old Jeep came with a cd player , no cassette. Who needed those in 1995. Set up the receiving antenna, set up the broadcast antenna. Pick a frequency that the astro radio can broadcast to the car radio. No one seems to be using 89.3 anymore. Works great! Now, be careful not to close the rear hatch on the wire....D'OH!
Well, as I mentioned, old school radio type guy, I'll just solder that back together in no time. Wait . WTF is this futuristic miny coax cable thingy? I'm not that good. So I try, and fail at reattaching those wires. Great. I'll plunk down 30 bucks for a new one. But wait. What can fix anything that's broke. That's right. Duct Tape. Fixed it. Ready to blast off to Tomorrow and Beyond!!!!!!!!!

Wormtown Weekend

AGAIN, no punk shows in town this week. WTF!!! Oh sure, there's stuff to do at Ralph's, and The Lucky Dog, but where are all the bands who regularly keep us going? The Core Four, out the door? No Public Uproar? C'mon kids, get off your asses and book some shows!! I guess I'll just be forced to talk about other things....

Raise the gas tax 11 cents to pay for the Big Dig? FUCK YOU! Let those bastards inside route 128 pay for it. They're the ones who use it!

About every two weeks when I stop to pick up the T&G on my way to work, the store I stop at on Main St in Worcester doesn't have any due to poor planing on the papers fault. No wonder sales are down.

WCRN is a joke. Ever listen? I do. Peter Blute is a moron who won't even let people talk , he just spews his views and interrupts anyone he has a a guest or calling in. And Hank, I bet you're sorry you left WTAG, because all the talk on the Radio Message Boards is the station has no money and will soon be forced to go away. No matter how many diet pills you hawk or prostrate medicine you shill.

Speaking of WTAG, ever since Obama won the election, Rush Limbaugh has been on a tear. He said he's waging war against the new President and strengthening the conservative right to help him out.

Now don't you wish there was some rock shows for me to write about???

The Latest from The Worm Bros

Now on wurn.org. More rock n Roll from Wormtown and beyond including a truly manic set from Bottlefight live at Ralph's. It was recorded during Steve the Soundmans' 10th anniversary party. Grab yourself a cold 'gansett and strap in for a wild ride.

Wormtown Weekend

Another slow week for punk rock in Wormtown. Are all the young punks in hibernation?
At least there is one show at Ralph's on Friday,unfortunately, I'm not really familiar with any of the bands on the bill . So go to Trickstah Promos' page for all the info.
Also on Friday night at Vincents, Jason James and the Baystate Houserockers will be doing just that. Rockin the house.
I know, I have been really lazy lately when it comes to posting things here, but with the long, dark nights of winter approaching fast, maybe that will change.

Wormtown Weekend

I don't see any punk rock show happening this weekend. But shows from the old guard abound. And when I say old, I mean old. The band we held up as example of everything that was wrong with rock n roll in Worcester 30 years ago is reuniting for one night only Saturday at The Handover Your Money Theatre. That's right, it's Zonkaraz. They use to pack every club they played in back then , and all the young punks couldn't understand why. Now to be honest, I never really listened to them , so I couldn't tell you what they sounded like. And in the years since, I have got to know one member, Walter Crockett, and can say he's a pretty nice guy. So maybe we were wrong all those years ago, but it sure seemed like the right thing to do.
Friday Night, The Curtain Society is at The Lucky Dog, with a bunch of other bands. Over at Vincents, The Stumbleweeds from Boston are playing their brand of Rockabilly / Country / Americana , and are highly recommended.
And on Saturday the BIG show is Hucks' cd release party at Ralphs. I think this marks their 6th recording and if you go, you get a FREE copy of the release.
Maybe next week, we'll all punk rock again.

Bye Sarah!

Wave buh-bye. See ya later. You betcha!

VOTE!!!

Wormtown Weekend

Halloween falls on Friday this year, so it's an extra special SPOOKY weekend. Zombie Ralph has risen!!! Friday at Ralph's The Steamy Bohemians host Jerkus Circus with Comedians, Burlesque and The Chicken Slacks Soul Revue,featuring Big D on vocals, formally of Worcesters own Rhythm Rockers. Over at The Lucky Dog , The Deadites play their annual Halloween show. Get there early , it's always packed to the roof when they perform.
Saturday,a couple of daytime happenings worth noting. WCUW is having an open house/record and cd sale at the station , 910 main St. from 9 am to 3pm. Go buy some stuff and support them.
The cAnalFest, postponed from earlier this fall, will be held on Franklin St in front of the Garage Mahal, in case it rains, you'll be able to go in the storefronts located there and Union Station. Come celebrate what was once Worcester's largest open sewer.
Later that evening, Flag down Bob from The Hotel Vernon, and hitch a ride on his Wagon to go see Can't Kill Katie and a bunch of other bands in the Ship Room.
Or go to The Lucky Dog for the reunion of Seven Hill Psychos, one of Wormtowns' all time great hardcore bands.
That ought to be enough rock and roll to wake The Dead.
UPDATE!!! Forgot a couple, Jason James is at Hotel Vernon tonight and at Tammany Hall tomorrow with The Guns Of Navarone.

Halloween Spooktacular

New show by The Worm Bros. We play lots of spooky music, DMZ live from Church last week and Numbskulls live at Ralph's earlier this month. Speaking of Ralph's, what a great party last Saturday for Steve's 10th anniversary . Numbskulls started it all off, Huck were warming up for their CD release party Nov 8th, Bottlefight destroyed the place, and The Pathetics were in fine form, and The Classic Ruins came all the way from Boston to help with the vibe. Look at the pictures, watch the videos. Also included one from DMZ. It was a rockin weekend, to say the least.
See More Videos by Mike Malone here.