Drunken Lullabies

Flogging Molly is playing The Armory tomorrow night. This girl will be hoisting Guinness and carrying on, will you be in attendance?

Here's Your Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day, punks.

Saturday night in the ROC

What do you get when you add one part Hot Rod Circuit, one part Taking Back Sunday, one part Coheed and Cambria and a heaping spoonful of some fantastic, dance-along ska/punk? A solid night at Water Street.

Saturday night in the ROC, we welcome ska all stars Streetlight Manifesto on their Ship of Fools Tour featuring opener and pop-rock conglomerate Terrible Things to the stage at Water Street. I saw Streetlight back in 2009 on Warped Tour, and they were a personal favorite with their horn section and enthusiastic beats. Anyone who can get hundreds of exhausted, sweaty Warped Tour-goers to smile in the middle of the day and dance along earns a special spot in my heart.

It's guaranteed to be a night of fantastic music, ranging from punk to pop. Doors at 6:30, tickets are $20 at the door.

Art For Our Sake

There comes a time in every musician's tenure where they are faced with the harsh reality that the outside world pushes against them. Most of the local bands that I've chatted with over the course of the 1.5 years I've been writing this blog have shared an experience or two.

Usually, this experience manifests as a hesitance to tour widely or press a ton of records before testing the waters of what their audience will support. But, I wanted to share a post from my boy Chris of Sakes Alive!! and his take on creating music for the sake of the art form and his thoughts on taking the life risk to keep playing, despite the odds.

"I don’t know if this is all that relate-able for you, but I never received any type of support from my family for pursuing music as my lot in life.

I mean, it makes a ton of sense. Could you ever imagine telling your kid “hell yeah! School? Fuck that! You should scream and yell and make shit tons of noise all for the love of it instead of attending college, which would cement a salary that’ll cover your ass when the going gets tough. Music is what FUELS the soul”?

So (un)surprisingly enough, they made every effort to shake me of the siren song that was calling my name towards the hazardous rocks of ruin.

They couldn’t break me from the spell though. And ever since, I’ve been chasing my white whale with no consideration for life, limb, finance, or relationship since. It’s been a long road of extreme highs and lows. Some of the most euphoric moments I’ve ever experienced in my life. And then immediately crushed by the most cruel lows I think anyone could ever endure.

It’s hard living an art-centered lifestyle. The biggest reason honestly because you seem to be fighting off the army of cynicism and criticism from every angle. Being surrounded on all sides, a lone ship that’s been hopping from island to island for a quick reprieve from the advancing fleet. A drink from the oasis, a visit to the merchant for supplies, and off again. Fighting to taste the bittersweet freedom that hangs in the air and your nostrils, teasing you like a carrot on a stick.

Maybe not for all, but I’ve dealt with a large share of criticism. None of it I would say unreasonable from the opposing point of view. But ultimately makes for a shoddy support system. More or less you have to rely on your self-confidence and squash your self-doubt to keep moving ahead."

Read the rest of the post here