All you guitar players out there, answer me this: What’s missing from this video of Savoy Brown @ the Bull Run last Saturday night (12/1)?
Answer: Pedals. Kim Simmonds and his excellent band rocked the place for over 2 hours and he never once stepped on a pedal. In these days of more and more gadgets (all of which have to be carted around to each gig, unpacked, hooked up, tested … well you get the idea) I found it refreshing to hear a tremendous variety of sound coming from a virtuoso who lets himself go and just plays like he’s loving every single note.
BTW: His rhythm section, Pat DeSalvo on bass and Garnet Grimm on drums were every bit as good as he was, so perfectly musically tuned to each other you’d think it was a single guy playing both instruments at the same time.
Yes, folk. Once in a while it’s worth crossing the bridge for excellent music — and it broadens your horizons too. Plus, as soon as you return to Gloucester, you realize what an unusually rich music scene we’ve got, right here in our own back yard.
Do you really think there was anything else happening anywhere near Shirley MA last Saturday? Nope. Bull Run was it.
Want proof? Google “Live music in Shirley MA” and see what you get.
Then google “Live music in Gloucester MA”.
As Joey would say, #Boom!
If you don’t feel like googling, just go here and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
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Last Monday we introduced the mathematical concept of inverse proportions, as part of our new series Peter & Vickie’s Laws of Life (LOL). This week’s LOL is an example of another mathematical concept, the one-to-one-correspondence, A.K.A. bijection, and could be stated thus: There is a 0ne-to-one correspondence between the change in direction of health advice and the change in direction of the U.S. Treasury Bond Interest Rate.
Here are some examples that support this LOL (refer to the graph above):
LETTUCE
One of the best teachers I had was Mr. Ford, a bulky, real-man-football-coach, who didn’t eat salad but always found fun, engaging ways to teach. For a few weeks of 8th grade biology, he would begin nearly every lesson with, “When you eat a ham sandwich with lettuce …” and proceed to explain how you digest carbs, protein, etc., but the lettuce was pure cellulose, provided no nutritional value and went “right on through.” This became a class favorite. He’d say his line and excited hands would instantly thrust into the air as our little buts bounced off the seats. We just couldn’t wait to finish the rant against lettuce. In fact, the final question on that year’s final exam (worth 20 points) was an essay: “What happens when you eat a ham sandwich with lettuce?” My buddy Austin Shelton (who played guitar in my band back then) got 25 points because, in addition to the correct answer, he added a diagram of the complete “lettuce path”, showing it coming out the ass. The year was 1968 and interest rates were on the rise.
Then, in 1982 Frances Moore Lappé published Diet for a Small Planet, in which she, among other things, promoted the nutritional value of lettuce and interest rates made their steepest reversal of the 20th century!
Need more proof than this? OK, here goes:
FATS
In 1941 people begin using Margarine (a trans-fat) instead of butter and the war against saturated fats in our diets begins in earnest. Interest rates reverse course. In 2006, saturated fats are good again, trans-fats are bad, trans-fat labeling becomes mandatory and NYC bans trans-fats in restaurants. Once again interest rates reverse course.
SMOKING
In 1900, doctors actually prescribed smoking to calm nerves, etc. Smoking was thought to be good for you. Interest rates were on the rise. But scientists were beginning to connect smoking to health problems and in 1921 several states banned smoking. Interest rates began to drop. In 1940 doctors began promoting smoking again and, believe it or not, cigarette companies advertised in the JAMA. Interest rates began to rise. In 1960 Smokey the Bear said (in an anti-smoking campaign) “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Interest rates began to fall.
What’s next? Guess we’ll have to wait until interest rates rise again to see the newest health fad. Until then, I’ll follow the advice I heard from Julia Child defending her “rich French foods”, saying that her mother always advised “Moderation in all things and a little bit of everything.” — and I’ll enjoy a little bit (or a lot) of everything at our great local restaurants — especially the ones with live music (see here).
In these days when TV chefs are more popular than rock stars, here’s a tribute (with music) to the greatest TV chef of all time.
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Cape Ann TV’s annual Santa Party is Tuesday 12/4 from 3-7pm. The event is FREE and all children are welcome. Check out this video:
As this is the season of giving, Cape Ann TV is a Project Uplift children’s toy and teen present collection site for families in need. Although it is not necessary to bring a gift, you may drop off a new unwrapped toy or new clothes for a child, or gift card for teens up to age 14. More Info: 978-281-2443 or see the website, here.
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You like watching the real estate market? Want to know how much the "current" owner paid?? Kenny’ll show you how to find out AND tour 5 properties this week. Riveting stuff.
Call Kenny at (978) 758-0983 for your real estate questions He is knowledgeable and honest.
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Tonight’s ALL AGES SHOW is at Latitude 43. Doors open at 6:30. Come for a great dinner and stay for the show. Kids: bring your parents and prove to them that this generation is producing great music!
Get $10 tickets online here (until 3:30pm) or @ Gloucester Music or Liquor Locker until 5pm. Tickets are $15 at the door — cash only at the door, please.
There are simply too many excellent live music choices tonight. That’s the bad news. The good news is that shows start at 5pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. That means, if you work it out just right you can get to 4 or 5 excellent shows. They’re all free and all within walking distance.
And then there’s TV — cable, that is. Local Music Seen with Allen Estes is airing a special show that premiered in the summer featuring 3 generations of the Estes Family all on stage at the same time. It’s kind of like a peek into the family living room. Catch it at 6:30pm tonight on Cape Ann TV Channel 12 — or if you’re out, you can tape it and watch it when you get back. Here’s a sneak peek:
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And you’ll be helping send a Gloucester student to Berklee, too! Don’t forget this is an ALL AGES SHOW. Kids: bring your parents and prove to them that this generation is producing great music! Get tickets here or @ Latitude 43, Gloucester Music or Liquor Locker. The next time you can see these guys, you could be paying a lot more for a big venue far away . . .
Just in case you’re not convinced, watch the video to see how hot these guys are:
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The fourth year of the GMG Downtown Gloucester Holiday Gift Video Series where we walk up and down Main Street and try to capture as many retailers as we can and highlight their best gift ideas one a day every day leading up to Christmas.
Kids Unlimited and Christine Orlando
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Gloucester Downtown Holiday Events Calendar From The Chamber of Commerce
Friday, November 23 to Thursday, December 20
December 6
The 38th Annual Ladies Night – Stores will be open late. Many offering
refreshments and special offers. With every item purchased receive a free
entry to the $1,500 Shopping Spree.
December 8
The Middle Street Walk – 10AM to 3PM – FREE – During the day there will be concerts and special events at: Cape Ann Museum, Sawyer Free Library, Trinity Church, Universal Unitarian Church, Sargent House Museum, and more!
Full list of events on The Middle Street Walk’s Facebook page.
The Annual lighting of the Lobster Trap Tree at 4:45PM.
December 10
Bank Gloucester’s Tree Lighting 5 – 6PM. A reception to follow in the Bank Lobby, to benefit Hospice of the North Shore.
December 13
The 38th Annual Men’s Night – Stores open late. Many offering refreshments and special offers. With every item purchased receive a free entry to the $1,500 Shopping Spree (REMINDER: last day to enter is December 19).
December 20
The 1st Annual Family and Friends Night. Stores open late! Restaurants will offer free desert or appetizers! Carolers strolling Main Street! Gather your friends and family and join us and enjoy the evening.
Santa will draw the Winning Ticket at 9 pm, to the $1,500. Shopping Spree.
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Today I’ll be kicking off the fourth year of the GMG Downtown Gloucester Holiday Gift Video Series where we walk up and down Main Street and try to capture as many retailers as we can and highlight their best gift ideas one a day every day leading up to Christmas.
We start out at Pleasant Street Tea and Coffee Co-
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I brought a surprise for my father to Thanksgiving dinner — and it made him happy. Back in 1962 & ’63 our family lived in Céligny Switzerland, not far from Geneva, an experience that broadened all of our horizons more than we could ever have imagined. Among many other things, my father and I discovered the wonder and delight of European cheeses — hundreds of them. One of his favorites was Bel Paese, a semi-soft Italian cheese (originally made to compete with soft French cheeses) that we would get at a local cheese shop.
So when The Cave opened on Main St., I asked Laura, the owner, if she had any Bel Paese. She didn’t but was happy to order it for me. She also ordered Appenzeller, a Swiss cheese I fell in love with at 7 years old. Here’s a video of Vickie tasting the cheeses and wine we got on our first trip to The Cave.
(Since then, we’ve learned how to pronounce the name of the wine. It sounds like Sarah Harris and that’s how I remember it — my first girlfriend was named Sarah.)
OK, back to the story: we brought a chunk of Bel Paese to Thanksgiving dinner this year and you should have seen the expression on my father’s face. Soft, buttery, with a unique aromatic flavor, this simple taste transported him back to that wonderful cheese shop in Switzerland and we began reliving adventures from 50 years ago.
That’s why I shop locally. A personal connection with the owner of a local shop is priceless.
Last year, I wrote a letter to the Gloucester Daily Times entitled Occupy Main St., with another story about shopping locally and I was surprised at comments from people who would only by locally made goods. That, to me, is going too far.
I don’t expect that everything I buy is going to be made locally. Honestly, that’s impractical and undesirable. I like European cheeses and wines. And I love chocolate and coffee, neither of which grows around here. More importantly, I’m certainly not going to wait until late next spring to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
Trade with the rest of the world has been a major economic driver of our country and our city since the beginning. If nobody outside of Gloucester ate the fish landed here, our economy would have been dead in the water hundreds of years ago. And the Boston Tea Party was a protest against taxing a staple that comes from thousands of miles away.
I love being able to go downtown and find exotic items with the magic that brings another time to life for my father and me. The fact that supporting local shops helps keep them in business and drives our local economy makes me feel even better about it.
Do you feel this good after having stood in line at the mall? Probably not. So let’s support our local merchants and then go out and party at local venues who support local musicians. There’s tons to do this weekend. Check out the local live music schedule here.
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The Atlantics (circa 1980) Fred Pineau, B. Wilkinson, Tom Hauck, Paul Caruso, Bobby Marron.
Yesterday, Joey published this Men at Work 4x fast video with music by Gloucester musician Tom Hauck (founder of the Atlantics). So, how did he find that music? Did he go to iTunes and listen to all 8 million songs? Did he remember seeing the Atlantics open for the Ramones in 1976 at The Club in Cambridge and say, Hey Tom’s music would be perfect for this video? Did he ask Kim Smith (Tom’s wife)? Nope.
Joey found Tom’s music on gimmesound.com. Truth be told, he called me first to ask if I had any ideas for up-tempo songs by Gloucester musicians that would fit the spirit of his 4x video. I sent him some ideas, and after listening to a bunch of tunes on gimmesound he chose Tom’s song Stand Up. Of course, he asked Tom for permission first.
If you need music by Gloucester area artists, you can easily get a list of them here. But remember, before you use any music BE SURE TO GET THE ARTIST’S PERMISSION! It’s easy. There’s a CONTACT ARTIST button on every gimmesound Artist Profile (right next to the music player controls). Just click it and type a brief message — be sure to include a way to contact you. Your request will automatically be sent to the artist.
And to all you artists out there, if you want Joey to use your music, just let him know.
Now for the other tidbits about yesterday’s 4x movie. You’ve probably heard of Alfred Hitchcock, right? Besides being one of Hollywood’s greatest directors, Hitch is known for a cameo appearance in all his films beginning with The Lady Vanishes in 1938. Now, if you look at Joey’s movie carefully, you’ll see a cameo by Homie starting at 2:01 for 3 seconds. Hitchcock Homie lands atop the trailer and then flies away.
You’ll also notice that Joey does almost all the work — and you might conclude that’s why he’s fit and trim. But you’d be wrong. The real reason is that nobody he works with is trying to lose weight. See my Monday LOL post for a more complete explanation.
For all you college kids home for the weekend and looking for a good time in advance of your annual Tryptophan fix, check out the HUGE PARTY SCENE in town tonight!
Here’s a video for all you Tryptophan junkies featuring another Joey you might find fun — especially if you were at that Romones show in Cambridge:
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Felicia Ciaramitaro Mohan serves this butternut squash and leek soup to her guests every Thanksgiving. It is very popular, delicious and you can learn to make it very quickly. After peeling and cutting up the squash you should cut and clean the leeks. Unfortunately the growing method for leeks causes them to build up dirt inside and requires that you cut and clean them carefully. To clean them you first trim off the root end, leaving about 1/4 inch of the base, which is the white portion. Next you should take off any of the rough outer leaves and throw them away. Then trim each of the darker parts of the leaves down to the light green portion (this is the more tender portion) and leave only an inch or two of green. You may want to reserve the darker green leaves you cut off for other uses.
From Fast Company- Pictures from Siemens Manufacturing mold of a 250 single piece fiberglass construction turbine blade. Click the pic for the slide show and details at Fast Company.com-
Thanks Craig Kimberley for forwarding the link-
Also Video-
What’s inside a wind turbine?
An overview of the layout of utility-class wind turbine generators – where are the major components, what do they do, and what differences can be found between models and size ranges. Click for video-
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Featuring Teacher Ann Grassetti , Joshua Lane, Angela Marino Nick Lucido and Alex Lucido
Julie DeFrancesco is the student teacher performing the taste test. Get to Stop and Shop Today (Sunday) to purchase yours and receive the free coupon book inside filled with over a thousand dollars in savings to local businesses!
Click below for video-
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Good Morning Gloucester 