Wormtown Weekend

Friday will be a special night for fans of The Crybabies. Yes Wormtown's own hit makers are back with a new line up and are playing their first gig. Unfortunately, it's not in Wormtown. What a fuckin' shame. You'll have to head out to The Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain to witness this monumental occasion. I really hope some local club will give them a date soon. They are, after all, world renowned now with their debut cd receiving much airplay over the past couple of years on Little Steven's Sirius Station.
Friday at Ralph's Dielectrics, from Cape Fear, NC, who kinda sound like Bottlefight, VulGarrity,an interesting two piece from Providence, Singuya,the pride of Hudson, MA, and Necktie Party, representing our home town.
Saturday there is a garage rock heaven show in Boston at Church, featuring Coffin Lids, Lyres, Muck and the Mires, and Triple Thick. Sox are out of town so there is free parking.
Why cant we get shows like...oh never mind!

Mid Week Rambling

Over at WCUW, Valerie's show featuring local bands talking about what makes them tick, "Under The Influence" is looking for guests...or someone to take over as host. Talk about commitment. Take my show, please.




I heard from a friend I was "Blog Logged" in Wo-mag-a-zine last week with my Apollo 11 post. I was surprised. Last time, they contacted me for permission. I guess it's a free for all now.




Attn cool people. You know who you are. Want to be the cream of the crop in Worcester?
Start here.

When Ivan Meets GI Joe

Growing up the late 60's early 70's everyone had a GI Joe Doll. Well, boys anyway.
I had one like this which also came with Diving Tanks and Flippers. I guess it was because my Father was a "Skin Diver" and with my Uncles and their friends. They started an organization called The Worcester Frogmen. They were the one who got the call when someone would fall through he ice on a city pond, a car went into the water, or crime evidence was dumped in Lake Quinsigamond. But that's a tale for another time.




In the 80's my son had this version, a smaller more toy-ish model.




Now in the new millennium Joe's got another total makeover. A bad ass, take no prisoners, futuristic fighting machine.



Oh, and a smokin' body too.
America, Fuck Yeah!

Gatesgate

You know the story.
Cambridge Police, suspect, Harvard Prof., President, Stupid, Beer.
White House invitation accepted.
My suggestion?
Narragansett of course!

Boston Rock 1988

Here is a documentary produced by WBZ-TV chronicling the scene in Boston. The music scene there was an inspiration to Wormtown in many ways.
Charles Laquidara is your host.









Thanks to johnny don't do it

Wormtown Weekend

Tonight at The Sahara on Highland St, it's a reunion of Little Red and the Riders.
They are a jump/swing band that played the area a few years back and get back together whenever their lead singer, Ann Sousa returns to the area from her new home in Texas. I used to see them play Vincents on Thursdays and were always a treat.
Saturday, punk rock at The Raven on Pleasant St with Masque,Critical Condition,Pretty Pollution. I know nothing about these bands, but check out their Myspace pages and you'll see why you should go.

Three Chords And The Truth

Looks like the drought is over.
Thursday Night at Ralph's Trickstah presents For What It's Worth, The Sentence, The Pity Whores, The McGunks and Sadplant in the first punk show in months!
And as if that wasn't enough, take a long ride up RT 68 and catch Bottlefight playing at The Red Onion, in Otter River, which is sorta part of Templeton.
Take Friday off.

40 Years Ago Today

Man walked on the Moon.
I was 11 years old and this was the biggest deal to me.
I remember sitting in front of the TV waiting.
Staying up all night to watch it live.
It was sci-fi that came true.
One small step...

Ted Did It !

40 years ago tonight.



Thanks to Beware of the Blog / WFMU

I Just Wanna Have Something To Do

You can listen to the New Worm Bros
Psychedelic Hot Rod Show.



Or Get out of Wormtown and go to Providence for Indie Arts Fest 09

Free Show with 3 stages for music and a Beer Garden featuring Narragansett Beer.
Why can't Worcester put on a show like this?



Or get way the hell out of Wormtown and go to NYC to see Deadbolt, the scariest band in the world. First east coast appearance in 10 years!

Wormtown Weekend

Here is an actual photo of the Punk Rock scene in Wormtown.
Yeah, another weekend with no punk in any club in Worcester.
I think from now on, I'll list action when it takes place.
Instead of wasting space on the interweb telling you what is not happening.
If you are getting restless, go to Ralph's on Friday night and see The Chicken Slacks.
They are a great funk and soul review out of Boston and put on great show.
Until then, watch the moon. There is more action there than here.

The Rock Of Boston Crumbles

Yesterday it was announced as of August 13th, 2009 WBCN 104.1fm will cease operations. Although over the past 10 years or so the station has been a shell of it's former self, it's still like losing an old friend. You know, the guy you use to hang around with who turned into a dickhead. You may not visit him anymore, but it was always nice to know he was still around in case you wanted to. Well, CBS, the owner of WBCN, has decided to move MIX 98.5 to the 104.1 frequency and replace the old MIX signal with an all sports station WBZ-FM.
Beginning with a format change from classical to rock in 1968, WBCN began a run that would make it the most important station for underground music and news in the 60's and early 70's, a rock n roll giant in the 70's and one of the only commercial stations in the country that would play the new punk rock in the late 70's and 80's. Alternative rock would carry it on through the 90's when the format began to go out the window. They added Howard Stern and then NE Patriots football and that was beginning of their slow decline into a market driven repetitive format outlet.
But, during it's heyday it could not be touched. DJ's like Charles Laquidara, Mark Parenteau, Oedipus, and many others kept the station on the forefront of music and entertainment that the local listeners had come to expect.
There will always be a space in my radio heart for what was once the only station that mattered, The Rock of Boston, WBCN.

Hot Rod Riot

I should have posted this last week in the WW, but I forgot all about it until the Wife came in and said "We're leaving in a half hour to go..."
Shows like this are the reason I don't go to Green Hill Park on the 4th. Bring your own cooler, listen to some great music, this year featuring Wormtown's own SPF-4 and Preston Wayne 4. The show was laid out in an aging industrial park of sorts that's still functioning with a host of different businesses.
So, here are a bunch of pictures and videos of the Hot Rod Riot #4 put on by Murdercycles Saturday in Manchester CT.




















More at Worm Bros Youtube

Drive-In Time

Let's see what was playing in 1982......



We here in Wormtown County are lucky to still have an operating Drive-In in Leicester.
Pack the car up and go!!

Narragansett Rally

Here are some pictures from the rally on Thursday.
Crossing Kelley Square during the five o'clock rush hour.
I didn't go on the ride or to Brew City, but the real party was after the rally at The Hotel Vernon where Narragansett Beer provided complimentary beverages and pizza.
And, I met the man who brought Gansett back, President of Narragansett Beer, Mark Hellendrung. My Hero.
You really should have been there.

Wormtown Weekend

Another week with nothing to do in Wormtown.
This is getting pathetic.
Speaking of them, Go to Southbridge tonight to see The Pathetics, The McGunks, For What It's Worth, and Slitstich at Mill Street Brews.
Why couldn't this show be in our city?
Oh, none of the bands are a tribute act.
Seems that is all there is in town this week.
What ever happened to original rock n roll?
Do people really prefer bands who play other peoples music?
I don't.

Hi Neighbor, Have a Gansett

Don't forget the Rally today at Union Station, 5pm, and then march to Brew City.

Bobb Trimble and the Flying Spiders

You may remember The Wormtown 30th Anniversary last year at Ralph's featured The Prefab Messiahs with Bobb Trimble. Well, seems that gig convinced Bobb that he should take his music to the people once again and along with Kris Thompson of the Messiahs formed The Flying Spiders and last week they traveled to New York to perform and also appear on WFMU in New Jersey. You can hear the set and an interview now on WFMU's Beware of the Blog, where he talks about the early days in Wormtown and what's in the future for him and the band.
They will also be performing at Church in Boston on July 17th for HOMEGROWN: A Psych Fest.

Drink Your Part

Narragansett Beer has been traveling throughout the area rallying support to help them build a brewery in Rhode Island. This week they will be at Union Station on Thursday afternoon at 5pm to drum up support in Wormtown. After the rally they will march to Brew City on Shrewsbury St. where you can sample what all the fuss is about. This is a cause we all can get behind, Gansett. The official beer of Wormtown.

Wormtown Fireworks

As seen from Ralph's

Happy 4th of July

Learn all about this great country right here.

Yankee Doodle Bugs

Ironically the only place I could find this online was in Bulgaria.

Wormtown Weekend

Yeah. A little dry for real rock and roll this week. Huck is playing Vincent's on Friday, and if you want to travel to New London CT there's an all day punk show featuring Sadplant and The Pity Whores on the fourth at a club called El N Gee.
Other than that, I don't see much. You can always join the masses and watch the Fireworks tonight at East Pahk, but you're better off watching them from Ralph's parking lot where the ice cold Gansett's are only a few feet away.
Speaking of Narragansett Beer, they will be in Wormtown next week with their "Rally to Build A Brewery" at Union Station on Thursday. More on that next week.