My View of Life on the Dock
This has been a bad week for me. Â First I leave my card in the ATM (see this post). Â Then I Â get Gordon Bok’s Old Sloop Concert day wrong: It’s FRIDAY not SATURDAY (see corrected post).
On Saturday, Old Sloop presents Grammy-winning Debbie & Friends for a special children’s show at 10:30 AM (better check the poster below to see if I’m right).
A whole lotta music today and tonight (it’s already started). Â Check the lineup here.
This will be a one-of-a-kind experience. Â Get tickets here.
Tonight it tough.  Excellent music all over Cape Ann.  Too many good shows overlapping, so you will just have to choose. Here’s some help with that. Usually we take John with us, and tonight there are plenty of good shows starting early enough to take the kids.  But we’re going to stay out late and party, so we’ll be kid-less tonight.  For us it’s Chelsea Berry at Shalin Liu.  Even though it had previously sold out, right now there seem to be about 6 tickets left on-line from people who couldn’t swap their Feb 9 tickets.  You can try to get them here or you call 978.546.7391.
Then we’ll try to get to Minglewood in time to catch the Toasters’ last set. Â Carlos says they should be rockin’ the house until about 12:30.
Take a minute to feel a smidge of sympathy for those unlucky music lovers who couldn’t swap their tickets to Chelsea Berry’s sold out show at Shalin Liu from Saturday 2/9 to this Saturday.
OK, that’s enough.  Now go and get those tickets for yourself (they were just made available on-line today click here) and feel bad no more.  There aren’t very many of these gems left, so don’t think you can wait until the last minute to snatch ’em up.
If you’ve already got plans for Saturday (maybe you’re going to see the Toasters at Minglewood) or you don’t act quickly enough to get Saturday tickets, there are also a few left for tomorrow (FRIDAYÂ get them here). Â What ever day you go, you don’t want to miss what could be one of your last chances to see Chelsea with her new band in an intimate venue close to home for a reasonable price. Â Next time tickets could cost a hundred bucks for seats farther away from the stage than the last row of Shalin Liu, plus expensive parking, a long drive and big lines. Â If you’re not sure why, check out the video below (more Chelsea Berry Videos here).
Now, to get yourself psyched for a great weekend of music, check out tonight’s lineup here. (Dave Sag hosts Evan Goodreau @ Rhumb Line, which promises to be a great show.)
For all of you who missed recent TV & Radio premieres and shows, here’s how you can catch up:
Henley Douglas premiered on Meg Griffin’s Sirius Radio show last Friday (see details in this post). Â Catch it again tomorrow (Sat) at 9pm. Â Then again Sun, Mar 3 @ 5pm and Mon, Mar 25 @ 4pm.
Charlie Farren premiered on Local Music Seen with Allen Estes on Wednesday (see details in this post) Â Catch him again on Sunday 2/24 @ 6pm. Â Then again on Wed 2/27 @6:30pm, Fri 3/1 @ 1:30pm and Sun 3/3 @ 6pm.
Chelsea Berry’s shows at Shalin Liu, originally scheduled for February 8 & 9 have been rescheduled to next weekend (Fri 3/1 and Sat 3/2). Â Saturday is sold out, but you can still get seats to Friday 3/1 here.
The Henri Smith / Charles Nevile benefit for Y Teens Rebuild New Orleans originally scheduled for Feb 8 has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 6. Â You can still get tickets and VIP Packages here.
Last, but certainly not least, this weekend you can choose from 2 dozen live shows all over Cape Ann — and plenty of them with start times early enough to bring the kids. Â See the complete weekend live music schedule here.
Check out all the action at Shalin Liu Performance Center (sent by Karen Herlitz)
March Brings A Variety of Concerts at Rockport Music
Rockport Music presents the highest quality of concerts and presentations year-round at the stunning, seaside Shalin Liu Performance Center. This March provides a variety of musical opportunities for people to enjoy—from classical to jazz to folk.
Classical Concerts
On Friday, March 15, at 8 pm, the East Coast Chamber Orchestra performs in its debut at the Shalin Liu Performance center with:
HOLST: St. Paul’s Suite :: PURCELL: Fantasias in 4 Parts :: STRAVINSKY: Concerto in D “Basle”
MOZART: Divertimento for strings in F major, K.138 :: BartĂłk: Divertimento for string orchestra, Sz.113
The East Coast Chamber Orchestra features soloist performers, principals in major American orchestras, and award-winning chamber musicians in a democratically organized, self-conducted chamber orchestra that thrives on the energy and camaraderie of classical music.  Their fresh interpretations of new and old works have been received by standing ovations and critical acclaim from The New York Times hailing that, “The sound of the ensemble mixed the transparency and coherence of a string quartet with an orchestra’s warmth and heft.” To The Washington Post, “How did ECCO get such a huge sound from 17 instruments? These youthful players are helping form classical music’s future. Long may they ECCO.” The Washington Post  Tickets: $39-$58
Classical guitarist Benjamin Verdery performs Sunday, March 17 at 5 pm. Described as “iconoclastic” and “inventive” by The New York Times and “one of the classical guitar world’s most foremost personalities,” by Classical Guitar Magazine, Benjamin Verdery is an internationally performing, prolific classical guitar composer with over fifteen albums since 1980. Chair of the guitar department at Yale University, he still tours internationally as well as records. Curator of New York’s 92nd St Y’s guitar series, he is a master of the serious art music of Bach, Janacek, and Strauss, but also blurs boundaries with his own solo acoustic interpretations of Jimi Hendrix. Tickets: $19-$34
Jazz, Folk, Pop, and World Music
On Sunday, March 3 at 5 pm, the Bill & Bo Winiker Sextet, a Boston musical institution, will perform at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. Bo and Bill Winiker were taught how to play music, and specifically jazz, by their father at a very young age. Now, over 50 years later, they have moved on to record with Billy Joel and perform with Aretha Franklin at President Clinton’s inaugural ball. With a repertoire of over 15,000 songs they cover for special occasions, they are also true jazz musicians. Fred Taylor, founder of Sculler’s Jazz Club, says Bill and Bo Winiker are, “…really underappreciated for their great jazz knowledge and performance.” Tickets: $15-$28
On Friday, March 8, at 8 pm, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the world-renowned Celtic ensemble Cherish the Ladies, the most sought-after Irish American group in the country. For nearly 25 years, the six-member, all-female group has been collecting awards and accolades from fans and critics worldwide, including the BBC’s Best Musical Group and Top North American Celtic Group at the Irish Music Awards. They have shared the stage with celebrated entertainers like James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, and The Chieftains. On their latest release, Country Crossroads, they teamed up with stars Vince Gill and Nanci Griffith; and their recording with the Boston Pops, The Celtic Album, led to a 1999 Grammy nomination. “The band brilliantly…exudes a tremendous joie de vivre and deep nostalgia.” (The Irish Times-Dublin) Tickets: $27-$49
Dubbed a “folk-rock goddess” by The New Yorker, singer-songwriter Catie Curtis performs on Saturday, March 9, at 8 pm at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. A Lilith Fair alum and former tour mate of Mary Chapin Carpenter, this urban-folk powerhouse is one of the best singer-songwriters recording today. Many of her recordings have been featured on episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, Dawson’s Creek and other TV series. “With a clear, deceptively gentle voice, she can turn on a dime and thrill the listener with unforeseen power and emotion.” rollingstone.com Tickets: $18-$32
HD Broadcasts
On Saturday, March 2, at 12 pm, Metropolitan Opera Live in HD broadcast of Wagner’s masterpiece Parsifal is aired live with interviews and behind-the-scenes insight. Jonas Kaufmann makes his role debut as the title character in Parsifal, conducted by Daniele Gatti and directed by film and opera director François Girard in his Met debut. Tickets: $20-$32
On Saturday, March 16, at 12 pm, the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD broadcast of Zandonai’s early 20th-century melodrama Francesca da Rimini returns to the Met for its first revival in more than 25 years, in Piero Faggioni’s production. Marco Armiliato conducts Eva-Maria Westbroek in the title role of a noblewoman who is tricked into marrying the brutal Gianciotto, sung by Mark Delavan, instead of her true love Paolo, sung by Marcello Giordani. Tickets: $20-$32
National Theatre of London presents People in a HD broadcast on Thursday, March 21, at 7 pm.
In this hilarious new play, celebrated playwright Alan Bennett (Madness of King George, The History of Boys) takes a stab at modern society by examining the consequences of a self-serving government that turns a once-dignified nation into a “captive market,” with its people “rebranded as customers… available for easier exploitation.”   Through satirical social commentary, People offers up “classic Bennett comedy with a Downtown tinge” (Daily Express). Tickets: $22 Adult, $15 Senior
For ticket information and details on these and other 2012-13 Season offerings, please visit our website at www.rockportmusic.org. Tickets are also available through the Box Office at 978-546-7391 or visiting 35 Main Street, Rockport, MA. The Box Office is open Monday-Friday, 10am-4 pm.
Joey’s astute observation about our increasing overuse of euphemisms deserves more than a mere comment in support of his legitimate question. Â My favorite answer to this issue (and the funniest, too) was given by George Carlin some years ago. Â Check it out:
Now that the issue is settled, we can move on to the tremendous amount of fun we can all have this weekend. Â Given two dozen terrific live music choices — with plenty of them early enough to bring the kids (or little people, if you prefer) you’d think we were in the height of Summer! Â Check out the complete weekend live music schedule here. Â (I’ll be sitting in on drums tonight at the Walker Creek Band 30th Anniversary Celebration).
Rhumb Line is open. Â Fred says they’re packed and serving food. Â Stay tuned about entertainment there, tonight.
Poseidon is open
Espresso’s says they’ll try to stay open as long as they can.
Gloucester House closing at 4pm.
Jalapenos closing at 3pm.
Cape Ann Brewing Closing 3pm
Franklin Closed
Giuseppe’s Closed
Alchemy Closed
Latitude 43 Closed
Minglewood Closed
Cafe Shalom Concert tomorrow is cancelled.
No answer at Dog Bar. Â Still waiting on an update from them.
We’ll continue to post here on GMG whenever there’s a breaking open vs. closed story. Â For music, we’ll continually update gimmesound. Â Don’t be one of those people who misses out on a good time because you checked an hour ago and nothing was scheduled. Â This weekend’s entertainment info will be in constant flux, so stay connected!
Rockport Music Announcement
 Rockport Music Concert Cancelled Due to Weather
 Due to the impeding inclement weather, Rockport Music announces that the free Community Concert scheduled for Sunday, February 10, at 3 PM with Lev Mamuya, cello and Christopher Staknys, piano has been cancelled.
 Please note: The Box Office will be closed on Friday, due to the weather.  Please check our homepage for additional updates.  The Box Office phone number is 978-546-7391.
This just in from Chris Langathianos (Chelsea Berry’s manager)
Regrettably, the coming storm has made it necessary to cancel both the Friday and Saturday Chelsea Berry concerts at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. Â The shows have been rescheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 1st and 2nd and tickets will be honored for those performances. If you are unable to attend those shows, Rockport Music will issue refunds on previously purchased tickets.
And this from Shalin Liu’s Karen Herlitz, Director of Marketing at Rockport Music:
Rockport Music Announcement
Rockport Music Concerts Re-Scheduled Due to Weather
 Due to the impeding inclement weather, Rockport Music announces that both concerts this weekend (Friday, February 8 & Saturday, February 9) with singer-songwriter Chelsea Berry are re-scheduled for Friday, March 1st and Saturday, March 2nd.
Ticketholders will be contacted via email by the Rockport Music Box Office next week to exchange tickets. Please note: The Box Office will be closed on Friday, due to the weather. Please check our homepage for updates on other concerts this weekend.
Box Office phone number is 978-546-7391.
Here’s what they didn’t say: There were still tickets left to the Chelsea’s Friday show, so that probably means you could still get tickets to one of these shows in March. Â If you don’t have tickets yet, I say call up and get them now before everybody else figures this out (remember, you heard it on GMG FIRST!)
If you’re not sure about whether or not you want to go, watch this video from her new CD:
It’s always a treat to hear a virtuoso live.  Get tickets for this show now.
The Old Sloop Coffeehouse is one of those gems run by people who know and appreciate good music.  You can trust that every performance will be top notch even if you’ve never heard of the musician before.
Tonight will be a perfect party night ahead of the big storm, with plenty of live music to choose from. Â See the full live music lineup here.
The queen of breakup songs nails it with this inspiring, honest, uplifting love song that celebrates a true, working relationship.  My Heart is only one of 10 excellent songs on Chelsea’s stellar new album Devil and the Deep Blue Sea  (get it here), officially released last night at a packed, upbeat party at Shea’s Riverside in Essex.  Aren’t you glad you have tickets to see her at Shalin Liu this weekend?  (More Chelsea Berry Videos here.)
Now get out there tonight and enjoy all the great live music before the storm hits.  See the complete live music schedule here.
(For those of you who have just tuned in, “LOL” stands for Law of Life. Â Click here to see the first 11.)
Everybody’s looking for somebody to blame — especially for last night. Â First there’s the power outage. Â Even though the official line still makes vague reference to an “abnormality”, you can bet people are scrambling to nail somebody’s ass — or “hold them accountable” to use the latest PC term.
Then there’s BeyoncĂ©.  Joey may have liked her lip-synched dance numbers, but Vickie and I have to agree with venerable music curmudgeon, Bob Lefsetz, who said, “I wasn’t sure what to do after Beyonce’s appearance, join a gym or masturbate.” (We know Joey’s done the former.  What about the latter, Joey?)
Lefsetz tries to blame Madonna, CDs, Hip Hop (read his full tirade here) and he lauds  Prince, Adele, Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers.  (Joey likes The Lumineers too.  See this post.  Their show tonight at House of Blues — yup, across the bridge — is sold out.)
Singers love to lay blame.  Usually they blame somebody else, like when BeyoncĂ©Â admonishes “you should have put a ring on it.”  Once in a while somebody writes a great song blaming himself.  Of those, my favorite is Guilty by Randy Newman, sung here perfectly by Bonnie Raitt.
You’ll be blaming yourself big time if you don’t get VIP tickets to see Henri Smith featuring Charles Neville this Friday. Â It’s the best dinner / show / Mardi Gras party deal around. Â Best of all, you can avoid feeling guilty because you’ll be helping to send local YMCA Teens on their service-learning trip to New Orleans in April. Â Oh, and Henri won’t be lip-synching.
The older I get the more I realize that casting blame feels good, but doesn’t accomplish much — sort of like masturbating.
Blame is best left to songs.  Chelsea Berry knows how to write a great song that lays blame.  And you can bet she won’t lip-synch when she sings it at her  Shalin Liu concerts.
That’s right folks. Â The good people at Northshore 104.9 make their podcasts available for download, so all you sleepyheads who didn’t get up on Sunday can listen at your leisure. Just click here.
Notice how the show starts with one song on Chelsea’s new CD and ends with another one. Rock on Chelsea!
Did you get your tickets for Chelsea Berry’s concert on Feb 8th yet?  Good seats are still left, but you know this will sell out just like the one on Feb 9, so don’t procrastinate.  Click here and get those tickets now.
Even though this is a blog — and a blog is supposed to be an immediate YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST medium — people have been telling us we should talk more about what’s happening the day after our post because they often read the posts the next day. Â We get it. Â Not everybody sits at a computer all day — and even some of you who do have bosses that want you to get some work done, not surf the web all day. Â So here we go:
IT’S A BIG FRIDAY NIGHT on Cape Ann with music for every taste.  If you play your cards right, you can get to at least 2 live shows.  Start out with Linda Amero Menage a Trio at the Franklin  or Mia Chung, Elisabeth Ann Larson and Soo Bae performing all three of Brahms Piano Trios at Shalin Liu in Rockport.  Then finish up with Ned & The Big Babies @ Rhumb Line.  Plus there’s plenty more for nearly every other musical taste.  See the full lineup here.
Here’s a video for all you piano, violin and cello players of Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 where you can follow along with the score:
And here’s one of my favorite clips (if a bit wobbly) of Ned & the Big Babies. Â Don’t you just love that groove! Â Ned is always right there with you and he’s one of those great bass players who plays bass like he LOVES it, not like he’d rather be playing lead guitar.
This simply doesn’t happen very often.  All three Brahms Piano Trios performed by three world-class artists, acclaimed for their “technical brilliance,” “breathtaking virtuosity” and “smooth and stylish” in one evening at an acoustically perfect concert hall built especially for this kind of music — and it’s right in your own backyard.  Oh, and did I mention it helps support the the students of the Northeast Massachusetts Youth Orchestras?  Watch (and listen to) the video to see why Shalin Liu is THE place to be on Friday if you love Brahms or chamber music or student music programs or music in general! GET TICKETS NOW!
Lots of Cape Ann favorites perform in Gloucester tonight and tomorrow. Â Check out the full live music listing here.
As we reported last night (in this post), Allen Estes joined Jon Butcher and Charlie Farren on Jon’s song Coleman Mine that he wrote for the HBO series Deadwood. Â Jon and Charlie performed with James Montgomery and David Hull to a sold out house at Shalin Liu. Â If you missed it, here’s the song from Allen’s show Local Music Seen.
You can catch the full show tomorrow (Sunday) at 6pm on Cape Ann TV Channel 12.
Great music tonight and tomorrow starting at 11am. Â See the full live music schedule here.
This just in from Karen Herlitz @ Rockport Music:
New Concerts Announced at Rockport Music
Rockport Music announces some new additions to our 2012-13 Season. Enjoy the highest quality of concerts and presentations year-round at the stunning, seaside Shalin Liu Performance Center. Additions to the 2012-13 Season include:
Since local favorite singer/songwriter Chelsea Berry sold-out her concert on Saturday, February 9, at 8 pm, Rockport Music has added a second night on Friday, February 8, at 8 pm. Back by popular demand, singer/songwriter Chelsea Berry performs with a tremendous edge, power and finesse. Chelsea’s presence has been described by listeners as “compelling… she draws the entire house into her world like moths to a flame.” Combined with her acoustical guitar skills, Berry will charm audiences with popular hits as well as original songs, including pieces from her CD “I Wonder.” Chelsea has opened for such artists as Livingston Taylor, Roger McGuinn, and Chris Isaak. The Dejas open the concert. Tickets:  $19-$34 [Editor’s note: We posted about this on Wednesday here]
Known as the pioneer guitarist merging jazz, rock, free-form improvisations, and Eastern influences, Larry Coryell brings his eclectic style back to the Shalin Liu Performance Center on Friday, March 22, at 8 pm. Described by critic Whitney Balliett as “the most innovative and original guitarist since Charlie Christian,” Coryell’s career spans four decades, over 60 albums (dozens more as a sideman), and performances with some of music’s heavy-weights like Eric Clapton, John Scofield, Elvin Jones, and Chick Corea, to name a few. Also a consummate composer, he tells Rockport Music, “I write music because I can’t help it. I think perhaps I want to complement all the great compositions already out there…Wayne Shorter and Sonny Rollins come to mind, and of course, Monk!” Tickets: $19-$34
Performing on Saturday, May 11, at 8 pm, award-winning jazz pianist and composer Tamir Hendelman has performed and recorded with such notable artists as Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole, and John Pizzarelli. With awards from ASCAP and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, his latest album Destinations hit number one on the JazzWeek Jazz Charts. Hendelman’s trio explores standards, Brazilian music, blues, and Hendelman’s own Israeli roots. The LA Jazz Scene proclaims that, “Hendelman played with a fullness of content and intensity, bringing new presentations of tunes. Not a fixed position player, Hendelman wears off the ivory over the entire keyboard.”  Tickets:$18- $32
For ticket information and details on the 2012-13 Season offerings, please visit our website at www.rockportmusic.org. Tickets are also available through the Box Office at 978-546-7391 or visiting 35 Main Street, Rockport, MA. The Box Office is open Monday-Friday, 10am-4 pm.
A couple of weeks ago we warned you (in this post) about waiting until the last minute to get tickets to Chelsea Berry’s triumphant return to Shalin Liu with her new band, performing songs from her new CD.
Well, Chelsea decided to give all you procrastinators a second chance by offering a second show on Friday, February 8 at 8pm (the Saturday, Feb 9 show is sold out) and remember, you heard it here on GMG first! Â The Dejas will open this show with their 4 piece band just like the Saturday show.
Now, don’t screw this up and think you can just sit there and procrastinate some more.  This show was just announced so there are still good seats left (clicks on this link to get some).  But they won’t last long.
Just in case you missed Chelsea opening for Chris Isaak at North Shore Music Theatre with her band last June, here’s a taste of what you can expect next month in a much more intimate setting:
Don’t let today’s snow (which is now melting) dampen your entertainment for the evening. Â There are excellent live music choices tonight. Â See the complete lineup here.
Ever notice how kids are always thinking and talking about the future? Â That’s because their heads are pointed that way (toward the future, that is). Â Makes sense, since most of their life is ahead of them. Â Having their heads all pointed toward the future shapes their view of life — and the way they put 2 and 2 together.
Here’s just one example:
It’s 1985 and my oldest is 3.  Being exceedingly proud of herself for having just learned our phone number, she wants show off by calling Mom from a play-date.  Great idea.  She asks to use the neighbor’s phone and calls home, excited to dial the number herself and thrilled when Mom answers.  A few days later, we’re at home and she has a question for Mom.  “Well she’s out doing errands now, so we’ll have to wait until she gets home,” I explain.  “Why don’t I just call her?” she replies as she picks up the phone and dials our number, which gives her a busy signal. “What’s wrong with the phone?  Why doesn’t Mom answer?”
At three years old, she’s predicting the future we’ve grown accustomed to today, where kids can call their moms any time they want regardless of where Mom is. Â Whether or not this is a good thing is highly debatable, but that’s for another post.
While kids are unwittingly predicting the future, many of their grandparents’ heads seem to be pointed toward the past. “When I was your age …”
It happens to all of us as we age. Â Once we get to the point where the bulk of our life feels like it’s in the past, we’re tempted to look back more often than we look forward — and that shapes our view of life.
Here are three examples of Gloucester people with heads pointed toward the future.  The Wilkins Noise takes over hosting Open Jamm at the Rhumb Line tonight and J.B. Amero takes Dan King’s seat tomorrow, joining Dave Brown, Dave Mattacks & Wolf Ginandes at Jalapenos.  Live music in Gloucester continues (see schedule here) even though we will all miss our friend Dan King, who flies out to make his mark on L.A. tomorrow, head squarely pointed toward his future.  Bon Voyage, Dan.  Come back soon!
Here’s a video of one of Dan’s songs we’ve all come to know and love
Now just because we have a peek at the past, doesn’t mean we have to keep our heads pointed in that direction . . .
Zip Line Kid shows a clear appreciation for the power and spectacle of what can be accomplished using big equipment.
Another kid-friendly night of music starts at 6pm in all 4 Cape Ann towns. Â Excellent live music continues into the wee hours. Â See complete live music schedule here. Â Why would we ever want to live anywhere else?
Good Morning Gloucester 