Numbskull New Years Eve

Tonight at The Hotel Vernon.
Ring in the new year with a bunch of Numbskulls!
In honor of that and their Band of the Decade status, let's look back to circa 2003 when they visited Green Street Pizza.
All photos by Carrie Jo

Wormtown Yearend

Here we are, ready to welcome 2010.
There are a bunch of shows on tap all over town.
Where should you be?
Over at Ralph's, Huck is leading the way.
Beatniks on Park Ave. has Guns of Navarone.
But, THE place to be at is The Hotel Vernon's Ship Room for Mack the Knife and Wormtowns' band of the Decade, The Numbskulls!
Go on down to see what makes them so special. Even though they claim they're not.
Free to get in, $1 Narragansetts.
What better way to end a year of unemployment than a cheap show with cheap beer.
Whatever you decide to do, have fun and Happy New Year!!!!!

The Future Is Now

What do you think was the best invention/product of the past decade?
Most agree it was the ipod. It revolutionized the way music was bought, heard and distributed.
Anyone remember Napster? That sure changed the entire playing field.
How about dial up internet connections?
High speed DSL, wifi, Fiber Optics, there's just no going back.
It's only going to get better. Information is moving at light speed to your devices.
You can now get anything, anytime with your smart phone.
Record your favorite band at Ralph's and instantly load it to Facebook for the world to see.
If it wasn't for these amazing technological advances, there be no WURN.org.
The internet, along with Satellite Radio, took away much of the market for broadcast outlets, even leading to the death of WBCN after 40 years.
There use to be a line of DJ's waiting to get shows at WCUW or WICN, but the interest in that has faded.
Except for a few hours on a Sunday night, you cannot find local rock or punk on any radio stations.
I plan to keep spreading the gospel of Wormtown throughout 2010.
Through this blog, WURN.org, and any other way the future allows.

End of the Year

And according to most websites, the end of the decade.
I thought it was 1-10. I didn't know 0 counts as a year.
I always thought 0 was zero. Nothing. Nada.
Anyway, everyone is compiling best of lists. Rolling Stone has one. So does Pitchfork.
Take at look at them and there's one thing you'll notice. The decade really didn't have any groundbreaking, all encompassing popular act that took the world by storm.
It's actually a pretty sad statement of popular music that in times like these, where music is available in many new ways, that all you get is the same old shit from the powers that be. They continue to refuse catch on to what's new and produce what they know will sell when they tell you to buy it.
There are bands out there who have broken the mold and done fine original music, and they are popular through social networking sites and are self producing themselves avoiding the mainstream outlets.
As far as our little scene goes, it's been pretty steady throughout the past 9 years , with new bands up and coming and a few who have become staples of the area.
I won't make any list but I'll give you my 2 picks.
Best international band, Carbon Silicon for reasons of recording great new music, and giving it way for free.
Best local band, The Numbskulls, who've spent the past 10 years or so as the one band in town who are constantly improving and recording new stuff.
But there are so many fine acts in this town to follow, we all win.
Support the ones you love.
Into the future!!!!

Wormtown Weekend

Christmastime!
Party with your friends and family.
Or stay home and play with your toys.
Don't put your eye out!
Merry Christmas Wormtown!

Prehistoric Wormtown

Thanks to Louie's post over on Worcesterite for this.
Beep Beep and the Roadrunners 45s!!!!
Way before Wormtown there was Worcester rock n roll!
YEE YEE as they say.
Garage Hangover

Father Christmas

Give me your money!
Slow week here, waiting for the Big Man to arrive.
Must try to shop at some point.
I remember when Downtown Wormtown would be all hustle and bustle this week.
One year, I worked at Jordan Marsh as a stock boy, and it was packed all week.
Closing early on Christmas Eve the mall was still full of people looking for that last minute gift.
The lights on Main St. use to have these huge lighted snowflakes hanging on them as I made my way to either The Red Baron or Tammany Hall for some spirits.
I have not been downtown at Christmastime for years, but I would imagine it's not the same.

Wormtown Weekend

Cold,cold,cold.
Want to stay warm this weekend?
On Friday at The Raven, Mack the Knife will be playing Skaristmas sounds.
I saw them last month for the first time and was impressed.
Go check them out.
On Saturday,for more Skariffic music, Guns of Navarone are playing a fundraiser for The Artist Collective at Firehouse on Eastern Ave.
Also Saturday, put on your Mistletoe Belt Buckle and head to Mill Street Brews in Southbridge for The Pathetics and friends celebrating the season as only they can.
Expect booze soaked music from these fruitcakes.
There's only one week until the fat man comes to town, so you better be good.

Performers vs Commandos

A couple of weeks ago, an internet war broke out over on Facebook.
Doug Geer of The Performers stated it was time to show The Commandos "how it is done".
It's already been dubbed "The Battle of the Basement".
We'll have to see what happens next year.
Meanwhile, brush up on you Performers history with this old article from Dave Mawson, formally of the T&G.

Worm Bros Christmas Show

Up Now at WURN.org
Listen and enjoy! Hours of entertainment!
Have a Gansett and a Merry Christmas!

Wormtown Weekend

I could find only one show this week that you should brave the arctic air to witness.
Guns of Navarone are playing 55 Pearl on Friday. You know, that new restaurant downtown at 55 Pearl St. I have never been there, and did not even know they had live music. I thought it was the kind of place where only the rich people go. Who Knew?
OH, it's a private party for the Worcester Rugby Club. Go crash it.

What I'm Listening To

Worcester Telegram

THANKS to Telegram and Victor. Let the comments commence.......

What you’re listening to: LB Worm


By Victor D. Infante TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
Add a comment

LB Worm Blogger, “Wormtown Punk Punk”
What LB Worm is listening to:

1. “202,” Angry Johnny and the Killbillies 2. “I Don’t Want To Be Left Behind,” by the Time Beings 3. “Bitch,” by the Plastiscines 4. “Good Old Days,” by the Numbskulls 5. “Psycho Boyfriend,” by Slitstich 6. “In Me Shed,” by Punks Not Dads 7. “Cape Cod Girls,” by Sharks Come Cruisin’ 8. “The Ballad of McNasty,” by the Pity Whores 9. “Monkey Man,” by Guns Of Navarone 10. “What’s Up Doc?” by Carbon Silicon LB Worm, blogger and WURN.org radio host, likes his music local and he likes his music loud. What else would you expect from someone behind the popular music blog, “Wormtown Punk”? The Time Beings, the Numbskulls, Slitstitch — Worm offers a veritable who’s who of the Worcester scene’s flat-out, straight-ahead rock, and he’s not ashamed to show his love.

For example, of the Time Beings’ “I Don’t Want To Be Left Behind,” he says, “This is Worcester’s own guitar god Preston Wayne’s garage band. Raw wild rock music played at high volume that will make the birds fly away from house.” And he says, of the Numbskulls track, “A song about friends and family in the rock ’n’ roll scene in Wormtown. One of the best punk bands to ever come out of Worcester.”

Which is high praise, from someone who’s relentless in promoting the music scene, and whose knowledge of the music extends beyond the city’s borders, and includes such unique bands as Sharks Come Cruisin’.

“SCC,” he says, “is a band out of Providence that plays traditional sea shanties and sailor songs with a modern twist. This, the opening track, is about women from the Cape, and how they live their lives and raise families.”

Other bands on his playlist come from as far away as Europe, such as the UK’s Punks Not Dads, which he describes as, “Old punks from the UK who prove that punks don’t fade away, instead they make loud music to annoy their kids and neighbors. A great song about the glory of your backyard shed, where you can get away from it all and relax.”

And of course, a few punk legends make their way onto the list, most notably on Carbon Silicon’s “What’s Up Doc?”

“This is former Clash guitarist Mick Jones and Generation X bassist Tony James’ new group,” says Worm, “who would rather give away their music than charge people for it. You can download this CD from their Web site. The song is faster and harder than most of the stuff Jones has played in the past.”

But in the final analysis, Worm’s someone who reserves the better part of his love for local acts such as Slitstitch.

“More punk noise from Wormtown,” he says. “This one starts slow then builds into a fast paced rave-up, ending in total destruction of your ears.”

And from where Worm’s sitting, that sounds about perfect.

Guilty pleasure: “No songs on my MP3 player to be embarrassed by,” says Worm, who played all the songs on his list on his radio show. “I don’t listen to bad music, and the only things on my MP3 player are old radio episodes of ‘The Jack Benny Program.’ ”

Bye Bye, Wormtown

That's the heading of this editorial that ran in The Telegram after The Centrum opened in 1982.
How did that work out for you?

Wormtown High Reunion

That's what it seemed like last Friday at Ralph's where dozens of old school Wormtown fans came out of the woodwork to witness the show of th year. Here's some pics and a video from Mike Malone.

Musclecah



Commandos



Crybabies



Time Beings

Wormtown Weekend

I forgot, it's Thursday!
So, you already know, Friday at Ralph's it's the best Wormtown show of the year. The Crybabies, The Time Beings, The Commandos, Musclecah, and special guests The Darlings out of Boston. That's Billy Loosigian from The Boom Boom Band's other outfit. They play country rock, and are quite good. Talk about mixing it up.
Then on Saturday, Punk Rock mayhem over at London Billiards on James St with The Pathetics, The Pity Whores, pick up their new CD, "Quarter Life Crisis".Sadplant, will be releasing their new CD "The Kids Are Alright" that night too. Also on the bill are The Thickness, Social Suicide, Citizen, and CTA.
Now that's a fun filled weekend.

The Time Beings

They're also on the bill for the Big Wormtown Rock show on Friday at Ralph's.
I found some old press on them too in the archives.

The Return Of Artie

This Friday at Ralph's, Artie Sneiderman returns to Wormtown with his latest line up of The Crybabies. I first met him when he was a doorman at Xit, Worcesters' one and only Punk Rock Club. He then sang for The Slumlords, The Chain Reactions, The Actions, The Belmondos, and The Crybabies throughout his long career. I decide to go through the archives and dig up some print articles that have appeared over the years, so you can read first hand of all the bands and great people he has played with over the years.