PLAYGROUND BOSTON

Check out the brand new official video for “Used to Be” by PGB Favorites Have Nots, filmed by master videographer Mike Gill of Circumvision! The Boston-based ska-punk band has released another excellent video featuring poignant and thought-provoking themes set to a fast-paced, fast-sung aggressive anthem. “Used to Be” is about growing up, getting old, and making changes over the course of your life – I’m sure there’s plenty of people reading this right now at their office job who can relate to things not quite turning out the way they envisioned! The video was shot by Mike Gill, who is responsible for some amazing videos from bands like Televandals, Confront, State Radio, Damone, and Wheat among others. This is the second video shot by Gill off of Have Nots’ debut album Serf City USA, PGB has featured the video for “One In Four” in the past. Watch this video here, and check out the full library over at the Circumvision website.

OH YEAH! You can also download the entire debut album from Have Nots, Serf City USA, for FREE! This is easily one of the best local releases of 2009 of ANY genre, let alone just punk rock – a PGB favorite all the way!

Have Nots will be playing this Saturday, Sepetember 4th, at the Middle East Downstairs as part of the CD Release Party for veteran Boston punks Far From Finished. FFF and Have Nots will be joined by PGB Track of The Week honorees Burning Streets and Lenny Lashley of Darkbuster (2000 WBCN Rumble winners). This is a jam-packed lineup of some of Boston punk rock’s best helping to kick off an unbelievable MONTH of music in the city – get your weekends clear now, because you won’t want to miss this or any of the shows we have coming up in town!

Saturday, September 24th – Middle East Downstairs
18+ / Doors at 8
$10 advance / $12 door

Far From Finished (CD Release)

Have Nots

Burning Streets

Lenny Lashley (Darkbuster)

Circumvision

Punk Island is this Sunday! Grab your Fung Wah tickets, hop in the band van, do whatever you can, just head on down to New York City on Sunday! It’s that time of year again – dozens of punk bands descend upon Governor’s Island in NYC to whip up a maelstrom of angry distortion and furious screams. The entire island will be littered with 18 different stages, featuring bands from all over the country, and even a few from Europe! And holy shit, is that DOA and NEGATIVE APPROACH on the bill?? STAR FUCKING HIPSTERS and BLANKS 77 too?? There are so many incredible bands playing across all of the different stages! Want to hear the best part? IT’S ALL FREE! That’s right, free ferries over to the island, free admission to the festival – you’ll have plenty of money leftover to pick up some merch and help support your favorite bands! The event runs from 10am – 5pm on Sunday, meaning you’ll still have plenty of time to make it back up here after the show before work calls on Monday. All the important travel information can be found over at Punkisland.com.

Boston is well-represented at Punk Island this year. There’s an entire stage devoted to Boston bands, plus a few acts spilled over onto other stages as well. We’ve taken the entire festival schedule from Punkisland.com, doctored it up a bit to make it easier to read, and highlighted all the Boston bands in RED. Every single one of the Boston bands playing this festival is a must-see act, so kill about 10 birds with one stone and go check them all out on the Island!

Stage 1 – Rotten Apple Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
No Redeeming Social Value	New York, NY
Hub City Stompers	New Brunswick, NJ
Last Call Brawl	Long Island, NY
Hooliganism	Hudson County, NJ
Oxblood	New York, NY
Feet First	Port Chester, NY

Stage 2 – Foo Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
Destroy Everything	Chicago, IL
She Likes Todd	Chicago, IL
Dude Man Bro	Chicago, IL
The Corporation	CANADA
Dirty South Revolutionaries	Charlotte, NC
Freak Tent	Charleston, WV
Shred Scare	Kansas City, MO
Wifebeater	Pittsburgh, PA
Live Not On Evil	Philadelphia, PA
DEMO	Trenton, NJ

Stage 3 – Seizure Crypt Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
Seizure Crypt	Queens, NY
Straphangers	New York, NY
Caught in a Trap	New York, NY
Olde York	New York, NY
Bloodbeat	New York, NY
Endagered Feces	Queens, NY
Trauma Team 666	New York, NY
Yo! Scunt	Queens, NY
Dealin’ With It	New York, NY
Iconicide	New York, NY

Stage 4 – Cadaver Concepts Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
The Blame	New York, NY
Blackout Shoppers	New York, NY
Sexual Suicide	New York, NY
Skum City	New York, NY

Stage 5 – Calamity Productions

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
Fools on Sunday	New York, NY
S.M.U.T.	New York, NY
Sewage	New York, NY
On Point	New York, NY
Murdock’s Thrashbag	New York, NY
First Strike	Philadelphia, PA
Wheezing Stumblers	New York, NY
Mental Abuse	Souless, NJ

Stage 6 – Team ShredHer Stage
presented by Weird Skull Records

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
Bad Luck 13	Philadelphia, PA
Call the Paramedics	Atlantic City, NJ
Nassau Chainsaw	Brooklyn, NY
Proles Blood	Clementon, NJ
Dead Fucks	Pennslyvania
Captain We’re Sinking	Philadelphia, PA
Jerk Reaction	Poconos, PA
Blood Oranges	Queens, NY
Greek Favourites	Kresgeville, PA
Transmission, Transmission
The Holy Mess	Philadelphia, PA
Ark Royal	Poconos, PA
Plus: MCs Shitty Ben & Punk Rock Steve, and crazy bike Punk demos

Stage 7 – Connecticut Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
JRS	CT
Beantown Boozehounds	Boston, MA
Furiosity	Allston, MA
Drawback	Stamford, CT
Long Drop	Middletown, CT
Theatre Zombies	Darien, CT
Bust It!	Central, CT
The Havenotz	New Haven, CT

Stage 8 – Shakes Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
The Arkhams	Queens, NY
The Afterbirth	New York City, NY
Captain Ronzo & The Thirsty Pirates	Brooklyn, NY
Nancy and 2 Meteors	Roanoke, VA
The Rayguns	Bloomfield, NJ
Poison Control	San Francisco, CA
Burning Heads	Orleans, France
Murder Majesty	Las Vegas, NV
Jonee Earthquake Band	New England
The Snails	Philadelphia, PA

Stage 9 – Molten Metal Maniacs Mayhem Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
Lethal Aggression	Asbury Park, NJ
Midnight	Cleveland, OH
Fatal	St. Petersburg, FL
Abserdo	Philadelphia, PA
Hessian	Philadelphia, PA
Jenkem	Philadelphia, PA
Simplistic Genocide	Waterford, CT
Crisifist	NY

Stage 10 – Alternative Tenticles Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
Star Fucking Hipsters	New York, NY
Disaster Strikes	Boston, MA
Rentokill	AUSTRIA
Ashers	Boston, MA
Common Enemy	Reading, PA
The Rebel Spell	Vancouver, BC
Morning Glory	New York, NY
Zero Content	New York, NY

Stage 11
– Wigga Joe’s Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
Capitalist Crisis	Chesapeake, VA
To Be Hated	Miami, FL
Angry Youth	Roanoke, VA
Bloody Muffs	Brooklyn, NY
Pissant	Roanoke, VA
Y69	Burlington, VT
UFO VCR	Boonton, NJ
Mung Choke	Roanoke, VA
Short Fuse	Wading River, NY

Stage 12 – Boston Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
Psycho	Boston, MA
Razors in the Night	Boston, MA
Have Nots	Boston, MA
Tijuana Sweetheart	Boston, MA
Burning Streets	Boston, MA
Revilers	Boston, MA
Cutthroat Society	Boston, MA
Mercy Case (x-26BEERS)	Allston, MA

Stage 13 – DBeat Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
Broken	New Haven, CT
Death Mold	New York City, NY
Population Zero	PA
State of Decline	Brooklyn, NY
Buerger Wuerger	GERMANY
Angry & Broke	Baltimore, MD
Betty Sue Aside	Baltimore, MD
Point Blank	Fairfax, VA

Stage 14 – Antisocial Promotions

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
All Rise	Charlotte, NC
The Percs	Philadelphia, PA
Combat Crisis	Philadelphia, PA
The Unpatriotics	Philadelphia, PA
The Underclassed / Common Alliance	Philadelphia, PA
Factor X	Suicidal, NJ
The Quareteens
Refuse Resist	Boston, MA
Rats in the City Premieres– Made by punks for punks. John Wolfe.

Stage 15 – Andrea’s Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
Stewart	Brooklyn, NY
D60	New York, NY
The Alienz	New York, NY
Dog That Bites Everyone	New York, NY
Team Spider	New York, NY
Wombat in Combat	New York, NY
Jesus Knevil	Washington, DC

Stage 16 – Main Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
D.O.A.	Vancouver, BC
Negative Approach	Detroit, MI
Blanks 77	Hillside, NJ
Bucket Flush	Philadelphia, PA
Assrash	Minneapolis, MN
Copyright Chaos	Newhaven, CT
Yankee Doodle Blitzkrieg	New York, NY
With special performances by Hellcat Girls Burlesque, PFDS, and Art by Maria

Stage 17 – Slackjaw Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
Slackjaw	Oregon
(A)TRUTH	New York, NY
Shelter Shock	Baltimore, MD
Crash Fist Fight	Bradenton, FL
SpEd	New York, NY
Hudson Falcons
Tough Luck	New Haven, CT

Stage 18 – Slackjaw Stage

Band	Location	Myspace	Facebook
No Abuse	North Jersey, NJ
All Torn Up
The Choices	New Brunswick, NJ
The Misanthropes
The Pogo	Lynchburg, VA
Dead Aces	Troy, NY

Photo by Nicole Tammaro

You can find more videos of Have Nots and other great local punk rock bands at fakenameJD’s Youtube Channel. Thanks, JD!

Have Nots

[View with PicLens]

Thanks to John A Macy for the photos – see more of his work here!

Bim Skala Bim

Have Nots

Morgan Knockers

Brunt Of It

New Years Eve in Boston is always a great night for music, and this year is certainly no exception! Problem is – how the hell do you decide between so many great shows? Well, we can’t tell you where you should end up, but we can try to narrow down the list a little bit and give you our top 6 picks for the best NYE 2009 has to offer. Why top 6? Well, to be honest, I couldn’t narrow this down to a top 5. I had enough trouble getting to 6 from 10, give me a break here! Just check out the list and try to get out to any one of these shows – you will not be disappointed! Best part is, every one of these events will leave enough left in your wallet to ensure you’ll have plenty to spend at the bar and forget about all those nasty things 2009 did to you! Happy New Year everyone, we’re looking forward to plenty more PGB madness in the new decade!

The Upper Crust, The Gentlemen, The Motion Sick – Church, 69 Kilmarnock St. Boston

The Upper Crust blew our collective minds at the P-Town Festival earlier this year. Powdered wig and breeches wearing fops rocking your face off with aggressive rock riffs and clever Victorian-era lyrics? Yes please! These guys simply have to be experienced – no amount of writing will give their shows full justice. They don’t play out so much anymore either, so this is definitely a treat that they’ve put this show together – especially considering what a great lineup they’ll be accompanied by! The Gentlemen, who celebrated their 10th Anniversary in 2009, will also be bringing their nonstop jam-packed set to the crowd at Church. Here’s another example of a band that doesn’t play around here too often, as all of the members seem to be knee-deep in side projects and rarely have the time to come together as the original band. Rounding out the bill is The Motion Sick – Boston indie-pop at its finest. These guys have had an incredibly successful 2009 – music videos, Dance Dance Revolution notoriety, The Phoenix’s Best Local Rock Band award, mentions by every conceivable Boston press outlet – you name it! They’re currently hard at work in the studio but are taking time off from recording to rock out for the New Year!

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 day of show. Get tickets here!

Forgetful Jones & Three Day Threshold – Olivers @ The Cask n Flagon, 62 Brookline Ave. Boston

Team Shred’s doing it up right for the New Year. The local super-promotions team is taking over Olivers in Kenmore Square for an incredible night of rock. Forgetful Jones has a clear funky reggae imprint on their hard rock style, whereas Three Day Threshold has more of a roots influence. These genres may seem like a bit of a clash at first, but rest assured the two bands work great together and will combine to give your ears everything they could have asked for this holiday season. (Well yeah, they asked for Q-Tips too, but your mom got you those for Christmas.) FJ has been a PGB favorite long before this website even existed, and 3DT’s New Years shows have been the stuff of legend in this town for years!

Feeling a little greedy this New Years Eve? A killer band lineup just won’t cut it for you? Well then, the party at Olivers will also feature a free champagne toast at midnight, a free buffet from 8-9:30, and drink specials all night. STILL not enough? How about some free hockey ticket giveaways going on all night? They’ve got tix for the Winter Classic at Fenway Park, the Legends Game, and the big BC-BU game coming up as well!

Tickets are $25 at the door. Tickets are no longer available online in advance, however there will be plenty of tix at the door if you want to just show up.

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Too many record releases, too little time. OK well three record releases and one video release. And its actually only two different shows. But hey, I haven’t figured out how to be two places at once yet, if you have any groundbreaking research about this feel free to let me know. Anyway, these two shows are way too good to choose between, so we figured we’d tell you about both and you can decide for yourself based on your musical taste. No matter which you pick, you’re gonna have a hell of a good time this Friday.

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Photo by Nicole Tammaro - www.nicoletammaro.com

[View with PicLens]

All Photos by Nicole Tammaro – www.nicoletammaro.com

The ProblemAddicts - Photo by Katherine Taylor

So many shows, so little time. This weekend is absolutely chock-full of great local music. We’ve already featured a few in separate posts – BBC’s “What’s your Major” Series, Hempfest, etc. – but there are so many more we think you should know about! Here’s a little rundown of what’s going on this weekend in Boston Rock.

Friday, September 18th

Boston Band Crush “What’s your Major” Day 1 – Church –  check out the preview here

MassCann Boston Freedom Rally Preparty & Awards Show – Middle East Upstairs – featuring performances by Casey Desmond, Keep Me Conscious, Final Hour, and the ProblemAddicts. Band4MassCann will also be giving out awards for the best Boston music acts of the year.

Boston Music Spotlight Battle of the Bands – Oliver’s / Cask & Flagon – featuring PGB favorites Silent Century, as well as In Like Lions, Polyethylene, Shadwell, and Taste. Grand prize is worth over $5k, come out and support your favorite band!

Lauren Flaherty Acoustic set – Middle East Corner – Lauren will be performing two separate sets with her band at the Corner on Friday night. The first set will start at 10:30 and will feature a more traditional singer/songwriter style, while set #2 at 11:30 will get a little crazier and more upbeat. Lauren’s one of the nicest people I’ve come across in the entire local music scene, and a talented musician to boot!

The Wrecking Coast Debut show and EP Release – Copperfields – The Wrecking Coast will be joined by a great lineup featuring This Blue Heaven, Birds Make Birds, and Cola War Vets. They’ll be giving away free music all night too! Presented by Hear Now Live!

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Back in July we covered a Have Nots show during which they shot footage for their first music video. Now, a month and a half later, the video for “One in Four” has been officially released! Produced by Mike Gill (Circumvision), this video features professional quality live shots while still capturing the energy and insanity of the band’s set that night. They also incorporate the song’s socio-political message into the video – One in Four is the number of homeless people in America who are veterans. The back-and-forth between fierce live action and somber themes of injustice suffered by war heroes makes for a powerful and memorable video.

Photo by Nicole Tammaro

Have Nots are currently in the middle of a US Tour in support of their latest album Serf City USA. Their homecoming show is a can’t-miss event though, featuring one of the better local punk rock lineups this city will see all year. Catch Have Nots on Sunday, September 20th at Harpers Ferry with the Ducky Boys, Confront, Burning Streets, and Everybody Out!

Have Nots

Circumvision

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