Freelance writer and journalist
October 31, 2013 Leave a comment
For those who may have missed the news (and prefer sleeping under rocks), the Boston Red Sox are the 2013 World Series champs!
Watch the Dropkick Murphys perform the National Anthem and “Shipping Up to Boston” prior to World Series game six here:
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October 27, 2013 Leave a comment
Known to Western Mass music fans as a popular live act, the local Afro-beat group Shokazoba (check out a 2012 Valley Advocate cover story this writer wrote on the band here) received an unpleasant surprise at Hampshire College Friday.
Prior to the band’s performance at the school’s Hampshire Halloween celebration the members of Shokazoba were informed that their appearance was being cancelled due to student complaints.
“Does anyone want to know what happened to our set at Hampshire Halloween tonight?” read one of several posts on Shokazoba’s Facebook page Friday after the band was informed of the change in plans. “Ask the Hampshire College HYPE Committee and Dean Pam Tinto. 30 students complained that we were too white to play Afro-beat, so we were canceled.”
Though the exact nature of the student complaints that resulted in Shokazoba’s removal from the event’s lineup have yet to be revealed, the college’s HYPE Committee did respond to numerous “negative comments” on the Hampshire Halloween event page by eventually removing the page altogether. And online debate regarding Shokazoba and the school’s action has yet to cool.
“Today, we were discriminated against by people who had never even met us or heard one note of our music,” Shokazoba also posted online Friday. “We’re ready to talk when they are.”
Sounds like it’s time to join the conversation.
For a quick rundown of exchanges between Hampshire students, members of Shokazoba and more, visit the following links: https://hampedia.org/wiki/Hype_Committee, https://www.facebook.com/HampshireHypeCommittee, http://onlyintherepublicofamherst.blogspot.com/, and https://www.facebook.com/shokazoba.
For more information on Shokazoba and to see future show dates please visit www.shokazoba.com.
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October 21, 2013 Leave a comment
Taking a break from his ongoing tour with the indie rock band Sebadoh, former Westfield resident Lou Barlow (also of Dinosaur Jr, The Folk Implosion) stopped by Amoeba Music in Hollywood recently to film a segment for the store’s popular “What’s In My Bag?” video series.
While Barlow’s choices included trendier vinyl selections by the likes of new indie rock favorite Ty Segall as well as the Unknown Mortal Orchestra, he also took time to pick up albums that feature in the framework of his own musical history.
One such record, Frontline, was actually recorded by the new wave group The Elevators, who used to play in and around the Pioneer Valley as well as Boston in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Barlow himself remembers the album as being one he sold from his collection in 1981 to get money for hardcore records, but commercially the release didn’t make much noise.
Another album Barlow picked up for a personal reason was the debut from his one of his former bands, The Folk Implosion. Labeled as an “employee pick,” by the Amoeba staff, the album can now be viewed as a piece of history, since Barlow no longer has a close relationship with fellow Implosion member John Davis, and the likelihood of another release by the duo is slim.
See Lou Barlow’s full appearance and check out the rest of his picks via Amoeba Music’s “What’s In My Bag?” here:
For more information on Lou Barlow and Amoeba Music please visit www.loobiecore.com and www.amoeba.com.
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October 14, 2013 Leave a comment
Sure, there was any number of other notable events I could have blogged about today – the celebration of Columbus/ Native American Day, last night’s season premiere of The Walking Dead, maybe even some NFL game (How about that Tom Brady eh? That kid’s going places).
But let’s face it, when it’s October in New England and the Red Sox are in the playoffs, many people focus on little else. And after the finish of last night’s game against the Detroit Tigers, there are quite a few images that will be left burned into fan’s minds for some time to come.
Exhibit A)
One of Boston’s finest proudly displays his fandom in an immortal GIF (courtesy of @BuzzFeedSports)
Exhibit B)
ESPN reporter Erin Andrews shares a Gatorade bath with Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia
(AP Photo/ Matt Slocum)
And…
Exhibit C)
Big Papi starts the madness with a clutch grand slam
Who’s ready for game three?
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Michael Cimaomo 