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I thought it would be a good opportunity to touch on some things that have been piling up on the local music scene, many good and a few not so . . . First the good: THE SET OF RED THINGS celebrates the release of their debut album on Saturday (the 11th) at AS220. Led by the blazing Senia Barragan, the quartet comes at its noise from a powerful art-punk angle and Who Touches Pitch Defiles Herself promises to be a scorching mission statement (I haven’t heard it yet). MADE IN MEXICO, HIGH PLAINS THUNDER, MIDNIGHT 1,2,3, and SHALLOW WATERS crash the party. Call 401.831.9327.
On Monday (the 13th), Deville’s Entertainment presents L Word faves Betty at Lupo’s. But that’s not the whole story. Opening for Betty will be what can only be called Providence’s own version of the Runaways — that is, an all-star girl band assembled expressly for this one-night-only show. The lineup consists of MARY DAY and her band, HEATHER ROSE on bass, MARCY LANG on guitar, and MARY ANN ROSSONI, also on guitar. The project is spearheaded by Day, but the girls will be playing a variety of material and a few covers. And be at the after-party, which takes place at Club Gallery on Point Street.
Congratulations to SOUND SESSION ’07. The final count has not been tabulated but Donald King and the folks at Providence Black Repertory Company figure that 50,000 people were able to partake in one part or another of the downtown festival, which certainly establishes the fest as a major event on Rhode Island’s musical calendar. Incidentally, every Wednesday at PBRC it’s salsa lessons with Sydonee Harris and a night of Latin, jazz and salsa with CARLOS DE LEON and DJ PAPO CAMPBELL. Call 401.351.0353.
Speaking of tens of thousands, it’s rumored that all eyes will be on MASTAMINDZ this weekend at the Juggalo Gathering in Illinois. As they prepare to release their second disc, the band was offered a coveted slot on the main stage at the loon-crazy national underground rap, rock, and metal festival, playing in front of more then 30,000 heads. The fest runs through Sunday and will feature insane posses like ICP, Twiztid, Blaze, and Wolfpac, among scores of others. Go to juggalogathering.com for a complete list. The band anticipates madness, and with some luck, massive national exposure, which could be a great boost for the new album, due out 9/11.
ILLUSTRIOUS DAY provided the soundtrack of a film that will be screening a rough cut at the Rhode Island International Film Fest on Saturday. Hidden In the Leaves is a documentary by Mary Jamiel about the work of URI scientist Tom Mather and his research on preventing Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses. Writes the band’s Jackie O’Brien, “We came up with some great textured sounds and melody . . . Interesting how music can take something a little dry and give it a jolt.” Jackie and Illustrious Day also scored last year’s Holy-Water Gate, which will be shown again at the RIIFF. Go towww.film-festival.orgf or more details.
We were sorry to hear that GRANDEVOLUTION lost all of its gear in the Uxbridge, Massachusetts mill fire on July 23. More than 300 firefighters were needed to contain the eight-alarm blaze that engulfed and destroyed Bernat Mill. The fire damaged or destroyed 65 businesses in the complex, left about 500 people out of work, and jeopardized the town’s environmental health. But the band — Sarah Kollett, Mike Gendron, and Scott Kenyon — are lucky to be intact and soldiering on. Kollett writes on the band’s MySpace site: “It’s just a really sad situation for everyone involved. We will do whatever we can to help raise money for those affected.” Next weekend, they hit Jacques Cabaret in Boston, and in early September it’s the Phoenix Festival. Catch up on the band at www.grandevolution.com or go to www.helpuxbridge.com to show your generosity.
Newport punk princes BIG WORLD report that its fearless bass player Steve Lepper, aka Iggy Talls, has retired from the band after six years. His presence will most certainly be missed, and finding a replacement difficult. The band is looking for someone to capture Talls’s bass magic. Any suggestions? Volunteers? Get in touch with them at www.myspace.com/bigworld.
