Consumed Summer

Well, Labor Day is in the rear view mirror, football season has started and the hot coffee to iced coffee ratio is starting to go up. Even though Autumn doesn’t officially start until next week, it sure has felt like it for a while now. I’m sure that has more to do with the terrible weather we have had since August — I think last Saturday was the first day I had the top down on the Jeep since early-to-mid August — than the rapid fall from the playoff chase of the Sox, but I have been anxious for the Fall as it is my favorite season of the year. However, before I go on about that, I thought it would be nice to do a wrap-up of Summer consumables like music, movies, sports and whatever else that sticks out. For the sake of most things, I am going to go with the unofficial dates of Summer and say it starts Memorial Day weekend and ends Labor Day weekend (when it comes to movies, the studios want you to believe Summer starts May 1st). Anyway, between that time I consumed 29 discs and half of them stand out in my mind for different reasons. Five for being incredibly kick ass, five for being really good and five or sucking ass or being plain disappointing. The album... Continue reading »

‘Til Tuesday

I was having a hard time with a title for this post, so I went with ‘Til Tuesday because I can’t wait for Tuesday. A few things are going happen on Tuesday. It’s the start of August and I’ll be going to the Sox game with Joe, but most importantly, I am going to have me some coffee.

Yup, I’m done with my coffee *boycott* and will be back on the wagon after a five week layoff. I am going to celebrate with a large iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts in the afternoon. I think I am going to continue to not drink it in the morning though. I don’t know why either. What do you think?

So, you all remember ‘Til Tuesday right? A band out of Boston that hit in the late 80’s with “Voices Carry” and fronted by the beautiful and talented Aimee Mann? Well, my Uncle Chris likes to recount the tale that I once held the back door open for her and the band at the In-Square Men’s Bar which used to be in Cambridge. I was most likely in the back playing Star Wars (vector graphics one, remember?) and/or Zaxxon when they arrived to set-up for a show. I was most likely 12 at the time.

Anyway, I was going to post about the pas... Continue reading »

Another Gammons Update

Peter Gammons was released from the hospital today and will be going to a rehab center to continue his recovery. There are multiple outlets for the story, but today we’ll go with the one on his employer’s site.

Funny enough, the story isn’t correctly updated as it states (at the time of this writing) that his CD, Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old, is scheduled for release next week when it actually came out two weeks ago. I finally picked it up yesterday and I am on my second spin as I write this. It is pretty good. Mostly covers and very rock-a-billy or blues sounding and Peter is sporting a good singing voice. His voice reminds me a lot of someone else, but since I am a real amatuer in this genre, I don’t know whom.

A lot of guest appearances — most notably (for me at least) Juliana Hatfield and Kay Hanley — and an excellent backing band featuring Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom. Many current and former Red Sox lend backing vocals and even guitar along with NESN broadcaster Don Orsillo and Sox GM Theo Epstein.

The disc supports the Epstein brothers’ A Foundation to be Named Later which is also a part of the Hot Stove, Coo... Continue reading »

Generic Radio

There was a time when I thought this might be my first post. Around the time I was building Ed’s blog, I was digging thru some old stuff and found an old Memorex tape.

I don’t remember what I was looking for now, but I am glad I found this tape. I must have taken ownership of it at some point over the years from my Uncle Chris. It is labeled “Generic Radio 12-23-87″ and it is probably the only recording in existence of a radio show I did in high school with my friend Johnny B.

John and I had a show on Rockland’s community/high school station WRPS 88.3 FM on Wednesday from 5-7pm. So, it was very small-time and definitely not like a Saved By the Bell thing either. I am shocked there was enough juice for my uncle to get that tuned in as far away as Milton MA. The iPod car transmitters probably have more juice these days.

Christmas time in 87 would have been my Junior year in high school and I think by that point we had been doing the show for almost two months. I ended up doing it for about a year and a half, or about the time I stopped wanting to play amateur DJ in favor of making more cash spinning pizza (or just got bored with it).Continue reading »