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Home , Aesop Rock, Cage (rapper), Cymbals Eat Guitars, Dean Fertita, Dean Ween, Emotional Mugger

Aesop Rock Comes to The Met

Photo Credit: Chrissy Piper

You can find the best hip-hop coming up from the underground. Through his unique vocal delivery and pristine skills, has been on a higher plane since his start in in the late ‘90s. He’s strikingly original and is continuously pushing the boundaries of an endlessly creative genre. His live performances back it up, and he has gotten a loyal following because of it. In support of his latest , The Impossible Kid, Aesop Rock will be coming to The Met in Pawtucket on January 24.

Ahead of the festivities, I had a chat with Aesop about the numerous collaborative projects he’s started during this decade, being a part of the -based Rhymesayers label, his lyrical style, the growing and changing of music, and what the rest of the year has in store.

Rob Duguay: You’ve started a few groups since The Weathermen ended in 2010. You began Hail Mary Mallon with frequent collaborator , The Uncluded with singer- and Two of Every Animal with fellow Weathermen member . How did each of these projects comes together and are there any other artists that you’ve been thinking of making music with?

Aesop Rock: Two Of Every Animal was more of an idea that never got a chance to materialize. Rob and I have toured together for a lot of years and eventually just started making songs we could perform together on tour. He has been a close musical ally for a very long time, and our sensibilities align well in the group dynamic. Kimya is a good friend whose songwriting I have admired since her days in . I love what she does and we have a lot in common, so writing that material has been therapeutic for both of us.

My other main collaborator lately has been , who I find to be an awesome force in the world of writing and rapping. We’ve become close over the last few years and I find his music to be a great source of inspiration. As for others, I have a project in the works entirely produced by one person, which feels more like a collaboration even though I’m the only one rapping. I don’t want to say too much until we’re done, but yeah. I like doing full projects with these people as opposed to trying to get the most out of a single feature.

RD: Your seventh studio album, The Impossible Kid, came out in April of last year and you worked with from and Siddiq on the album. What was it like working with the both of them and how has it been being part of Rhymesayers since the start of the decade? AR: Slug and Siddiq are owners of the label, but don’t really have much to do with the making of the record. Either is down to give a listen and opinion when I seek it out, but for the most part they just kind of let me do my thing. Toward the end I get neurotic about my vocal takes and I start annoying Siddiq to listen to every take over and over. Beyond that, they basically just try to provide a stable home base that I can reach out to if I need, while staying out of the songwriting process.

RD: One thing that has been noted in your lyrical style is your extensive vocabulary and your complex and abstract use of words. Do you do a lot of reading? What do you consider to be the most influential books when it comes to your style and deliver?

AR: I read science journals and articles mostly. I’m not really a novel guy. I just take in information for a lot of the day. I bounce around between political articles, science stuff and visual arts a lot. That’s the stuff that works its way into my stuff.

RD: What’s your opinion on the state of hip-hop in 2017? A lot of purists have been critical of the “mumble rap” that the likes of Lil’ Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert are putting out while the underground and independent realm has been going strong.

AR: Yeah, I mean, it’s all out there. I don’t really get too bummed if what’s popping doesn’t line up with my sensibilities, because it’s all out there anyway. Also to be clear, I’m not that familiar with the music you mentioned, so I have nothing bad to say. But the point is, if you want it, it’s out there. Also, sometimes I do enjoy a lot of what’s going on in the mainstream, and then other times I don’t enjoy it as much. All this stuff goes in phases. Sometimes one will move you, sometimes one will miss you. I don’t usually get too upset about the state of things because it’s just music growing and changing and becoming something else. It’s all a big blob and there’s room for everyone.

RD: The year is still very young, but what can fans expect from you for the rest of 2017 after the show at The Met on January 24?

AR: I have a handful of projects started that will hopefully be seen in 2017, as well as a couple movies I scored coming out soon. I guess I don’t really have an official Aesop solo record started, but I have plenty of rapping coming out — production, too. I have been busy and hope to continue releasing stuff as often as I can.

Buy tickets to see Aesop Rock @ The Met on January 24 here: etix.com/ticket/p/8907265/aesop-rock-- with-rob-sonic-and-dj-zone-pawtucket-the-met?cobrand=themetri; Aesop Rock’s Website: aesoprock.com/

The Dean Group Rocks The Met On January 18 Photo Credit: Sandlin Gaither

During ’s heyday during the late ‘80s and ‘90s, Ween was getting weird and pushing their own artistic abilities while their contemporaries were competing with each other to see who could be the loudest. Ranging from psychedelia, lo-fi and all things experimental, Gene and (also known as Aaron Freedman and Mickey Melchiondo) were never afraid to stray from the norm. In 2012, Gene had to quit Ween due to dealing with some personal issues, but a few years later the band got back together in 2015. Both of them also have their own side projects and one of those will be making its presence at The Met.

The Dean Ween Group will be taking the stage on January 18 with opening things up. Ahead of the show, I had a chat with Deaner about the artistic differences between this project and others, having his own studio, the downer of a year that was 2016, making adjustments and what his plans are for the rest of the year.

Rob Duguay: With The Dean Ween Group what are the artistic differences this project has versus what you’ve done with and Ween? Did you have a specific vision when The Dean Ween Group was starting out or was it purely creative and improvisational?

Dean Ween: It’s evolving constantly. Both bands are very free, we do whatever the hell we want musically. Most people expect the unexpected from what I’m involved with and as a matter of fact they want that. When Ween was making a country record it wasn’t that big of a deal because people liked it and then we followed that up with . It’s very liberating and it’s very free. With The Dean Ween group, we mix up the setlist every night and it’s really about us and the crowd coming along for the ride.

It’s a little bit more loose in that I write every single day and the other guys are local so I could cut a song one night and we’ll be playing it later that same evening if we have a gig. It might disappear for a while and then I might remember it and then we’ll come back to it another night. It’s a massive amount of material that’s very, very, very musical, I will say that. With Aaron {Freeman} and I, it’s very much the two of us writing the songs and recording them together and usually with nobody else in the room. Then we’ll give it to the band to adapt it for the stage.

The Dean Ween Group is more meant for an ensemble, the concept of it is that it’s an ever-changing lineup from show to show and from session to session. It’s a collective of about 25 guys and they’re all amazing. Everyone from Kidd Funkadelic from P-Funk, Curt Kirkwood from the Meat Puppets have been involved. I play to the strengths of who is on stage that night. If I have Kidd Funkadelic with me then I’ll make it a lot more groove oriented to get the most out of the music. Ween has thousands of songs in our catalog and there are a couple hundred that we’ve played live, at least a couple hundred. We’ve played them but they might have been recorded by Aaron and I with a drum machine or a Casio keyboard in 1986 and now we’re playing It as a five piece rock band. With The Dean Ween Group, that’s the biggest difference. It’s ensemble music for sure, even the songs. I’m not talking about jammin’, I’m talking about the songs.

RD: There’s a lot of variety that The Deaner Album has that came out in October of last year. It’s very heavy with this ‘70s classic rock vibe mixed with a bit of quirkiness.

DW: I don’t really have a musical template that I’m trying to work from. I was very surprised to find out that people felt that my role in Ween was as a guitar player and not a songwriter. Ween is as much of a songwriting combo as any band ever was, probably more than Simon & Garfunkel even. We write everything together. Are there a lot of songs Aaron wrote by himself? Yes. Are there a lot of songs that I wrote by myself? Yes, but Aaron might sing those songs that I wrote.

When I put out The Deaner Album, there was a part of me that felt that it should be a guitar featured thing. I found that people love the songs the most. It’s about 50/50 between instrumentals and songs with choruses and bridges. There was a little bit of a learning curve and I’ve been doing this for 35 years. If I modeled my band on anything it would be a combination of Miles Davis’ lineup from ’67 to ’73 and The Beatles or something (laughs). There’s a lot of singing and there’s a lot of playing with top of the top caliber .

RD: You summed it up in a unique and interesting way. Did you make the album in the studio that you built or did you make it somewhere else?

DW: I started it in one studio about four years ago, this is how I ended up with two or three records finished. I started it in this studio that was an antique store about four or five years ago and I got in there to do my Dean Ween record. I also wanted to do a Moistboyz record there so we were doing both at the same time and it wasn’t working, I didn’t know how to focus on two things at once. When I make a record I become a shut-in, a recluse and a studio rat. I made the decision that the Moistboyz record needed to be done there so we just put our best foot forward and we made an amazing record and we went on tour for it.

In the meantime, I moved out of that studio and I started to build this one from scratch. Then I came in there and I finished The Deaner Album after we got it sounding amazing and put all the equipment where we wanted in the studio. From that point our momentum was coming toward the apex and we didn’t stop. We kept going and we’re still going. I drew a line in the sand when we finished that album around 9 months ago so we’ve been writing every single day and every single night since.

My next record is going to have to be four at least or I’m going to have to keep putting them out. You have to tour in support of that and there’s Ween also so it’s the greatest problem to have while sitting on a goldmine of great material. I think its heads above the first album, I love that one but the second album coming up is going to serve notice to everybody because it’s got all that in there. It’s so fearless and there’s stuff on there that sounds like Miles Davis; Earth, Wind & Fire; and The Beatles and everything I love in music. There’s so much jamming and there’s so many great songs and there’s no sign of it ending.

This studio oozes inspiration and we built the ultimate comfortable workspace for musicians. People that play walk in here for the first time and they’re like, “Oh my god, you nailed it.” Everywhere you look there’s something that you want to play or play through. I’m looking at the keyboard set up right now and it’s a rack of the five greatest keyboards ever made. A Fender rhodes, a Hohner clavinet, a MOOG , an ARP soloist and a Wurlitzer . For a keyboard player, it’s a wet dream.

Looking around at the old Fender twin reverbs, the Marshall stacks and there’s a full PA in here that’s huge. There’s a ’59 Ludwig drum set and they’re all mic’d up. You can walk in, turn the shit on and hit record. I spent….I don’t even want to tell you how much I spent. I bought an API console, which is one of the top mixing consoles you could get. I took all the Ween money I made rather than pay off my debt and I got the nicest console in the business (laughs).

It’s really nice, it’s not covered in empties and loaded ashtrays. We take good care of it, it’s clean. It’s not a party hang. We work long hours here, into the mornings a lot of the time, but we still coil up all the cables and hang them up and throw away all the trash. It’s really somethin’, I’m enjoying one of the best periods of my life personally, professionally and creatively right now.

RD: That’s awesome.

DW: I don’t mind saying it. 2016 was an awful year in any other way but my life is good and I don’t know why, I must have survivor’s guilt.

RD: I had a good year as well, but the whole world is going to shit.

DW: I have a friend who went through the worst marriage, it went all wrong and he ended up a mess with the divorce and his kid. He ended up meeting the nicest, most beautiful woman in 2016. I’m glad some good things are happening because the rest of 2016 can suck my ass.

RD: I hear that.

DW: Everybody died! Everybody that I loved died, some of my friends and all my heroes too. We lost Carrie Fisher and George Michael right before the year ended. What the hell is going on? Who’s next? I don’t even want to put anybody on the list. I don’t even want to say names.

RD: You don’t have to. Going back to you being really prolific and going by a learning curve, do you feel that they’re mutually one in the same? Do you always have a drive to learn new chords and sounds on your guitar or even on different instruments and that’s the reason why you’ve written so many songs?

DW: I’m always learning. Having the studio set up here is so beneficial. We’ve been renting since 1990 with Ween. I can say around two dozen places at least with houses and apartments. We would force equipment in there and we wouldn’t really be able to get set up the way we wanted because the people we were renting from didn’t know that they were getting a problem (laughs). There was never really time to get dug in before the noise became a problem during the late hours.

With this place, my friend’s father has a lot of property in the woods that’s really close to my house and there’s nobody around and we built it from a plot of land. Everything I’ve ever owned is finally here. Those keyboards I talked about earlier, I never moved them into any of those rentals. It’s like going into a hotel room and moving in when you have to leave the next morning. With this studio, I have the benefit of keeping all my stuff in one spot. It’s made my drumming way better, I’ve played drums on all the Ween records. I started as a drummer but now my drumming is as good as anybody else’s. My son will come into the studio and now he’s playing all the time. Keyboards, drums, bass and we jammed. It’s just made everybody better. Anybody who wants to record that’s a friend of mine can come in and make a studio quality recording. It’s benefiting everybody and it’s really, really great.

It’s really fucking awesome and if they want to stay here for the night then no problem. They can stay the week. It’s all labeled on the mixing board and all you have to do is come in and play. There’s a tons of stuff to work with here.

RD: I can totally imagine and it’s great that you’re so excited about having your own studio.

DW: The possibilities are endless. We’ve been doing some webcasts recently too that have been posted on Facebook. It’s all in HD going through the mixing console.

RD: You talked about putting out another Deaner album this year, but what other plans do you have for 2017 after this current tour?

DW: A lot of road work and studio work. Ween doesn’t have any plans to release any new material at the moment but Ween has a bunch of gigs happening this year, same with The Dean Ween Group. I’ll be on the road a lot but I will take time to finish the next Deaner record. I’m looking to have the next one out in the fall like the last one and by the time that’s released I probably will have written twice as many songs as I have. I’m loving being on the road right now, being home is cool too, but when I’m home I’m working in the studio so it’s just music, music, music.

Buy tickets to The Dean Ween Group @ The Met on January 18 here: etix.com/ticket/p/3049186/dean- ween-group-winter-tour-2017-pawtucket-the-met?cobrand=themetri; The Dean Ween Group’s Website: thedeanweengroup.com

Album Of The Week: ’ There are bands that do unique and weird things, and then there’s The Flaming Lips. Things have changed a lot since the band started out as “the punks on acid” in the early ‘80s and then gradually became an enigmatic and psychedelic act of wonder. The core members of , and always manage to delve into different territory and push the artistic envelope with each release. Their latest, Oczy Mlody, takes the senses to a totally different place. Soothing tones and hypnotic vibes are abundant from start to finish.

It’s The Flaming Lips’ first album without longtime drummer Kliph Spurlock who left after the making of the band’s previous album, The Terror, in 2014. There are orchestral dimensions and extravagant structures that make up parts of each track. Coyne’s vocals seem like they’re traveling over the rhythms and beats as if on a voyage. It seems like the band has gone further toward the electronic realm while retaining their psychedelic roots.

The album goes along with the space aesthetics that have always been a part of The Flaming Lips’ sound. A dream pop presence is noticeable while the wide-ranging arrangements keep the album from becoming redundant and boring. For a band as limitless as The Flaming Lips, there’s not a lot that can be predicted when a new release is put out. Oczy Mlody is a great example of how Coyne and company can progress their art and present new things more than 30 years later. For a closer look, let’s check out my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week:

“How???” abides by the space aesthetic. The track has Coyne singing about diversity and dividing and how people won’t listen or pay attention to what’s happening in our society. With a little bit of a surf vibe, “The Galaxy I Sink” is a tad atmospheric and abstract. There’s also that orchestral dimension coming in near the end. Featuring , “We A Famly” has a mesmerizing guitar tone and when the bass hits, the song changes instantly.

On March 3, The Flaming Lips will take over the House Of Blues in Boston for what should be a one-of- a-kind experience. If you haven’t seen them live yet, you absolutely should. They’re one of the best live bands on the planet and it’ll be a memorable thing to witness. In the meantime, pick up a copy of Oczy Mlody. It’s an album that’ll open the mind and make you explore it.

Give “We A Famly” a listen via Youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=PPyEjQLS85s; The Flaming Lips’ Website: flaminglips.warnerbrosrecords.com Phantogram Rains Down The Beat At Lupo’s

PHOTO CREDIT: Seth Shapiro

Electro rock act Phantogram rose to prominence in 2016 in upstate New York. The duo of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter released their stellar follow-up to their 2014 gem Voices with Three this past October and it reached high on numerous charts. Their incredible sound has a dedicated fan base, and it’s easy to understand why once you witness them live. In front of an amped audience at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel on January 12, Phantogram brought their A game.

Opening up the show were the Los Angeles based indie-pop quartet Foreign Air. I didn’t really know much about them ahead of their set, but the band brought an atmospheric, chill vibe with a smooth beat. Reminiscent of the British act Alt-J, Foreign Air had vocal melodies that would vary between being robust and high-pitched. It seemed as if they were trying to get people to dance with the rhythmic tones they were conveying; not everyone was getting down with it at first, but the sensation began to take hold with a group of ladies near one of the bars. The band’s dance moves were kind of weird and the whispering after one of the songs was a bit off-putting, but overall it wasn’t a bad performance.

Lupo’s filled up and people were getting excited. A beam of light came from the stage and Phantogram proceeded to take things over with a sonically induced beginning as they played “Funeral Pyre.” Joined by guitarist and synth player Nick Shelestak and drummer Chris Carhart, Carter lit up a cigarette and Barthel proceed to captivate the crowd with her stunning vocals on “Black Out Days.” The riffs from the got amped up during “Turning Into Stone” and then the band followed it up with the stunning “Don’t Move.” Both Carter and Barthel were dynamic as they alternated and harmonized on vocals during “You’re Mine” while they fed off the audience’s energy.

One of the numerous instances of simultaneous clapping between the band and people in attendance started off “Same Old Blues” while “Mouthful Of Diamonds” walked the line between being mellow and emphatic. The crowd erupted with cheers when the loop for “When I’m Small” kicked in; people grooved from start to finish and it was a fantastic finale to the initial set. Everyone wanted more. Phantogram delivered as Carter walked out and dedicated “Barking Dog” to Barthel’s sister Becky who committed suicide last year. It was an emotional beginning to an amazing encore that nobody at Lupo’s wanted to end. Barthel walked out on to the stage and gave Carter a hug. Then they went right into “Cruel World” and the ante was upped to the highest it had been at during the entire show. “Fall In Love” and “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” closed out Phantogram’s memorable performance. It was a show that was worth the buzz and it served as the perfect spark for what promises to be an amazing year for live music in Providence. Barthel, Carter and company commanded the crowd’s attention from start to finish.

Stream Three via Phantogram’s Soundcloud here: soundcloud.com/phantogram/sets/three-out- october-7th; Phantogram’s Website: phantogram.com

Album Of The Week: Hard Proof’s Stinger

Vibrant music is more than just an assortment of sounds abiding by rhythm and structure. It’s an antidote for life’s redundancy; it makes the knees buckle and the hips gyrate. The sensation transforms a floor into an artistic canvas where the feet are the paintbrushes creating a contagious vision. Austin, Texas afrobeat funk act Hard Proof brings that and more with their album Stinger that’s due out on January 13.

The band isn’t a stranger to being in some rad acts around Austin. Derek Phelps on trumpet, Jason Frey on tenor sax and Joseph Woullard on baritone sax and flute all perform as part of bluesman Black Joe Lewis’ backing band The Honeybears. Guitarist Aaron Sleator, bassist Joe Sokolik, drummer Stephen Bidwell, conga player Thomas Tony Cruz, percussionist Tommy Spampinato and guitarists and keyboardists Gerardo Larios and John Branch have played in a variety of bands around the “Live Music Capital Of The World,” as well. With all of these immense talents in one band, it’s not difficult to imagine how good Hard Proof really is. The collective combines stellar horns with shredding riffs and pristine beats to create amazing music. How did Hard Proof get their artistic identity? A band with 10 members often means that there are 10 different ideas. Turns out the band studied the legendary afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti extensively, along with a bunch of African funk and jazz. It’s very evident with how they deliver a groovy sound that also consists of a variety of musical dimensions. There’s nothing boring about Stinger at all. For a closer look, let’s dive into my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week:

“Men Of Trouble” has a spooky beginning that’s anchored by Woullard on flute. It seems like it should be part of the soundtrack for a spy film. The horns shine in “Trickle Down;” this track hits a groove that never leaves and Phelps, Frey and Woullard slay from start to finish. I can definitely tell that this song has to tear the house down when Hard Proof plays it live. A heavy dose of ‘70s funk is present In “Soul Thing,” and it’s smooth as silk.

Hard Proof will be ringing in the release of Stinger at Antone’s in Austin on the same date as the album’s official release with psych-soul act Los Coast opening things up. A portion of ticket proceeds and Hard Proof’s merch sales will be going to benefit American Gateways, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and Equality Texas and most likely a few other organizations. Hopefully they come through New England later this year and stop by Providence. Until they come through your friendly neighborhood music venue, grab a copy of Hard Proof’s excellent album Stinger when it’s released. It’s a stunning record that’ll knock you off your feet.

Listen to “Soul Thing” via Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/hardproof/soul-thing; Hard Proof’s Website: hardproofmusic.com

Motif Interviews

The influence of ex- guitarist Lee Ranaldo knows no bounds. Countless noise, punk and avant-garde musicians hail his unique style of playing an electric six-string. As a solo artist, he’s currently extending his craft as a songwriter and showing fans a side of himself that they never got to see while he was with the noise punk quintet. As part of his tour with singer-songwriter Steve Gunn, Ranaldo will be taking the stage at the Columbus Theatre in Providence’s West End on January 11 with Meg Baird starting off the evening.

Ahead of the show I had a talk with Ranaldo about the unlikely shared musical influences he has with Gunn, starting his career with the legendary Glenn Branca, writing his own songs with a backing band, Sonic Youth’s disbandment and what 2017 has in store.

Rob Duguay: You’ve been doing a few shows with Steve Gunn so far on this tour, and it’s interesting because you come from a noise and background while Steve has a background of folk and Americana. What made the two of you want to start hitting the road together?

Lee Ranaldo: Well, I don’t think that our backgrounds need to be portrayed as far apart as you make it. We share a lot of similar musical interests, we’ve put records out on the same label at Matador and I think over the five or six years I’ve been listening to a bunch of his music and I know that he’s listened to stuff I’ve done and stuff I’ve done with Sonic Youth. I just think that we both found that we shared a mutual interest in what each other was doing and with mutual enthusiasm. All of those genres aren’t mutually exclusive by any means; my tastes in music are certainly all over the place and the kind of stuff that Steve is putting out is right up my alley or right up one of my alleys, I guess you could say.

RD: Before you were in Sonic Youth you were in this electric guitar orchestra that was run by avant- garde composer Glenn Branca. How much of an influence did Glenn have on you as a guitar player when you were starting out in the early ‘80s?

LR: He had quite a bit of influence in a lot of different ways. I had already been experimenting with a lot of different tunings, which I still use today, and he was also playing around with. What I mainly learned playing with Glenn was that you could make art music making rock ‘n’ roll materials, which was something that a lot of people were discovering at that point in time. There were younger people who had grown up on rock ‘n’ roll, but they were also trying to become serious artists in one form or another. All of the sudden they realized that rock ‘n’ roll could be a medium for that like any other medium you could choose.

That was kind of a big breakthrough and Glenn definitely was one of those people who realized and made use of that. He was trying to do this thing that later became serious compositions. He always wrote serious compositions with traditional instruments, but later he started pushing rock ‘n’ roll in a different direction. Glenn’s background was theater and one of the things I mainly learned from him most of all was the drama of a performance and the fact that when you’re on stage, there’s always a theatrical element to deliver. Whether you’re trying to be a dude in flannel singing heartfelt songs or whatever it is, there’s always a formative dramatic element of it and that was a pretty big revelation in a way in terms of the way my performance is at this point.

RD: When Sonic Youth broke up in 2011, did it blindside you or did you see it coming?

LR: It wasn’t a shock when it happened. I had seen it coming for a while, we on the inside knew that something was going to happen at a certain point. It coincidentally happened at the same time that I had been preparing my first solo record, Between the Times and the Tides, that I had been putting together in downtime from Sonic Youth when we had a few months off and I had these songs. When it all came down that we were going to stop, I had this other record that I just finished mastering and I was about to go out and do some performances in support of that, too. It kind of flowed reasonably naturally from one to the next and it was maybe in a lot of ways a good time for all of us to be able to explore music more intensively in our solo work.

In a way, it’s really something that Thurston [Moore] and I at least had been enthusiastic about that we can go off and do other things now. The band was together for 30 years so there was plenty of time for people to appreciate it in its time and hopefully people will appreciate it going forward, as well. As someone who has been working in music for a long time, even though Sonic Youth was the main thing for a long time, we were all doing lots of other things so we just picked up more time to do some of the other things that we were involved in. I’m not trying to deny what an amazing experience it was and the amazing things that we were able to do together, there’s no doubt about that.

When we started the band we never thought that we’d be together for five years let alone 30 years, and because of our vast archive that we still maintain, we’re still releasing stuff. The experience of Sonic Youth is not really over because of business things that go on almost monthly that we have to deal with, and we’re still combing through archival recordings. It’s still very much an alive presence in our lives.

RD: Sonic Youth have been releasing a lot of B sides and unreleased studio material over the past few years, can fans expect that to keep happening on a continual basis in the future?

LR: That’s a given.

RD: That’s very awesome to hear. Within the past 10 years, one thing that has been notable in music is that all these reunions have been happening. The Police did a reunion tour a few years back, Dinosaur Jr. have been back together for a while and 2016 alone has seen The Stone Roses reunite and A Tribe Called Quest release their first album in 18 years. Do you think at any time in the future that there’s any shot of Sonic Youth getting back together or do you think that it’s final and the band will probably never take the stage again?

LR: I have no way of predicting the answer to that question. My attitude toward it is never say never and why should we bother saying that it’s never going to happen at this moment? We’re all still here and healthy. I know it’s not going to happen anytime soon because none of us are remotely interested or thinking about it, but you never know. I’m not going to be the one to say that it’s never going to happen.

RD: Your current solo project has had two backing bands, The Dust and your current backing band El Rayo. The Dust also featured ex-Sonic Youth member Steve Shelley. You’ve mentioned before how you saw the opportunity after Sonic Youth ended to focus on other things musically that you’ve always wanted to try. What was your vision behind working with both bands initially? Was there something specific you were trying to capture or was it improvised, going with the flow and going on the fly?

LR: It wasn’t improvised at all. There are always improvised elements to , but the work with The Dust was really about finding a band that could play my songs that I was writing at that point, while Sonic Youth was a collaborative endeavor where we wrote our material together. We all claimed songwriting on all of our music because we worked on everything together. This was much more of solo project where I’m directing it and it’s my music and that was the idea of it and the object of it from the beginning. It was pretty different on that level, El Rayo, the current band, is different people, although the guys in The Dust all play on my new record, which consists of the music that I’m presenting on this current tour with Steve Gunn.

Those guys are on the record, but they’re not in my band anymore for one reason or another. One of them is having serious health issues. Actually Alan Licht, the guitar player, is still playing live shows with me as well as playing on the records. Steve Shelley has been doing other stuff; he’s on the upcoming record, but he hasn’t been playing live with me at the moment. I got a new situation with this new record that I just finished called Electric Trim that’s hopefully coming out in May. I’ve worked very closely with this guy from Barcelona who’s a producer from there named Raul Fernandez who actually recorded a record for the Dust in 2013, which is the last one that we did together that was called Acoustic Dust. It was acoustic versions of my songs along with a few covers; it was recorded in Barcelona.

We spent a year working on this new record of mine and we’re finalizing it for release right now. It’s lead to this whole new situation; the music has taken a change in a few ways and it may be the most realized solo stuff that I’ve done to date since I started it back in 2011 with Between the Times and the Tides. It’s a pretty exciting place and I’m pretty happy with where things are right now.

RD: What else do you have in store for the rest of 2017?

LR: The main plan is to wait for the record to come out and then do a bunch of touring behind that, especially as I got a band that I’m really enthusiastic about that I’m playing with right now. I’m doing a bunch of other things, I’ve got an art show coming up in the fall at a gallery in Belgium that I’ve been working at for a few years, so I’m going to be working on a bunch of paintings and things like that. There’s always one project after another and I’m starting to think about new songs and work on new songs. I’m getting ready to work on some new stuff so I’ll be going to Barcelona to work with Raul again in March for a couple weeks while working on developing some new songs.

Buy tickets for Steve Gunn, Lee Renaldo and Meg Baird @ the Columbus Theatre on January 11 here: ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1383087?utm_source=fbTfly&utm_medium=ampOfficialEvent; Le e Renaldo’s Website: leeranaldo.com

Album Of The Week: Heat’s Overnight

What makes music “cool”? Is it a catchy chorus? Is it a badass guitar riff? Maybe it’s the swagger. Maybe it’s one of these factors or maybe it’s none of them; there’s no measuring stick when it comes to the “coolness” of an artist’s or band’s sound. One thing that can make music “cool” is brilliance with little effort. Montreal post-punk trio Heat have that and a whole lot more with their album Overnight that’s going to be released on January 20 via Topshelf Records. The album has a consistently sonic tone while Susil Sharma’s laid-back vocal delivery strikes a chord. Heat makes the senses travel through time to post-punk’s heyday in the late ‘70s while keeping things original.

Sharma is backed on Overnight by the powerful rhythms supplied by Matthew Fiorentino on synth and bassist Raphael Bussieres. His guitar skills meld perfectly with the raw and dark vibes due to his knack for spine-tingling progressions. Each track on the album offers something different; some are long- ranged while others are straight to the point. A few tracks are catchy and there are ones that will take your mind on a trip. Sharma, Fiorentino and Bussieres bring a lot of variety to the table, and it makes for a wonderful listening experience.

The year is still in its infancy, but what can fans expect from 2017’s music? There are a few releases that’ll be met with a boatload of anticipation, and there will be a couple of big tours during the summer. There’s bound to be a band that sneaks up on people and obtains success, too. Will Heat be one of those bands? There’s no way to tell for sure, but let’s check out my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week and make a few predictions.

With a drum machine making its presence felt, “Lush” has a lot of guitar technique going along with a steady groove. It’s a track that can either make people dance or just have them sit back and relax. “Cold Hard Morning Light” is the catchiest song on the album and it also rocks the hardest. The chorus will stick in your head and Sharma croons in stunning fashion. Another track that touches upon a similar groove is “Long Time Coming,” and there’s a stellar guitar solo right in the middle.

Starting in February, Heat embark on a tour of Canada and the United States starting with a hometown show at the Bar Le Ritz PDB on February 2. For us in New England, the only show Heat will play in the region will be at Bar in New Haven, Connecticut, on March 8. Knowing Bar the way I do, the show will probably be free so if you’re willing to make the trip, you won’t be hassled at the door. Whether they roll through your neighborhood music venue or not, grab a copy of Heat’s full-length album Overnight when it comes out in a couple of weeks. It’s a ripper of a record that you’ll want to blast through your speakers.

Stream “Lush” via Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/topshelfrecords/heat-lush; Heat’s Website: heat- band.com

Top 20 Albums Of 2016 (Because 10 Wasn’t Enough)

Let’s face it, 2016 was a hard year to be a music fan with so many of our heroes passing on. David Bowie, Sir George Martin, Phife Dawg, Merle Haggard, Prince, Bernie Worrell, Leonard Cohen, Sharon Jones and George Michael along with many others passed away and left their immense legacies behind. It was almost as if we were seeing the pillars of popular music crumble before our eyes. This year has been a heartbreaking one indeed.

There has also been a lot of positivity happening in music in 2016, however, believe it or not. We’ve seen reunions that we thought would never happen, acts putting out their first albums in decades and a bunch of new faces releasing brilliant material. If you look around, you might discover the next Bowie or Cohen or Haggard. The unpredictability of the future is a scary thing, but this year proves that no matter what, we will still have the music for our personal soundtrack. With all of this being said, here are my Top 20 Albums of 2016 because 10 wasn’t enough.

20.) The Lesser-Known Tristan Omand (Raised In A Barn)

Manchester, New Hampshire, singer-songwriter Tristan Omand put out a stellar stripped-down album with his fourth full-length release, The Lesser-Known Tristan Omand, which came out in April. The rawness and the clear production quality of the album is captivating. Omand also impresses with his poignant lyrics and the variety he brings with his songwriting. There’s no backing band, just a guy strumming an acoustic six-string and singing his heart out. A few prime tracks to check out are “Welcome To Lonely Lanes,” “Devil Don’t Want Me Blues” and “Old Straight Six.”

19.) Tall Teenagers (75orLess) Sounding like a mix of the Pixies, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Queen Of The Stone Age, Tall Teenagers gave the Providence music scene a breath of fresh air in 2016. When their self-titled debut came out in April, local music fans were immediately hooked and with good reason. Dark tones and borderline macabre lyrics are the anchor for an album that’s simply electrifying. It’s going to be exciting to see what Chelsea Paulhus, Shaun Chevalier and Damian & Shannon Puerini have in store for the follow up. “Anniversary,” “Feel Us Out” and “I Get Awake” shine through a consistently great record.

18.) Worshipper – Shadow Hymns (Tee Pee)

When old school metalheads Worshipper won the legendary Rock & Roll Rumble in Boston in April, they turned the music scene there on its head. In a competition that’s usually filled with alt-rock, and punk acts, this quartet roared through to win it and had everyone in The Hub talking about them. In fact, many of them still do and the band’s debut LP, Shadow Hymns, proves that with riffs that echo the greatness of ’70s acts Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy. Dive into heavy and glorious amplification while giving tracks like “Step Behind,” “Place Beyond the Light” and “Black Corridor” a listen.

17.) Journalism – Faces (Dead Stare) I’m not going to lie, when I got hold of Journalism’s Faces in March I chuckled at the irony. A journalist checking out a band that shares the same name as his profession is a tad funny, don’t you think? Then I gave it a listen and my mind was blown, I’ve been cranking this album all year. This band from Brooklyn has a unique take on indie rock that’s rhythmic and emphatic. “Faces I,” “Denim Jesus” and “Naked” are excellent examples of the shredding that takes place.

16.) Megafauna – Welcome Home (Danimal Kingdom)

Megafauna prove that when it comes to how many innovations and advances have been made within the rock genre, there’s still a band that can musically whoop the genre’s ass. The Austin, Texas, act fuses psychedelic and together with that early ‘90s era alt-rock edge for a spellbinding sound. Their fourth album, Welcome Home, which was released in May, shows how versatile this band is. The talents exhibited within the album seem limitless. To dive into the diverse and pristine skills of this band, let “Desire,” “Panspsychist” and “Gaia” invade your eardrums.

15.) Seratones – Get Gone (Fat Possum) One reason to get amped about the future of music has to do with the Shreveport, Louisiana, garage soul act Seratones and their debut Get Gone, which was released in May. AJ Haynes is the frontwoman of the future with a booming voice that would have Aretha Franklin rejoicing. The rest of the band, with guitarist Connor Davis, bassist Adam Davis and drummer Jesse Gabriel, provide a groovy rock ‘n’ roll vibe that melds with Haynes’ vibrato perfectly. The power and vigor behind this album really makes it stand out. Get alive and electrified with “Sun,” “Chandelier” and “Choking On Your Spit.”

14.) The Silks – Turn Me On (Self-Released)

After the success of their 2013 debut, Last American Band, a lot of people in both Providence and Boston were craving the next album from The Silks like an addict looking for a fix. Back in July, Tyler-James Kelly, Jonas Parmalee and Sam Jodrey delivered with the follow-up Turn Me On. There’s a tiny amount of polish with the album versus the band’s debut, but there’s still that groove that’ll make people move. The Silks have been making their presence felt in New England for quite a while now. Songs like “Let It Ride,” “Get Up and Get Free” and “All Day” are a few reasons why.

13.) The Avalanches – Wildflower (Modular/Astralwerks/XL/EMI) The album took 16 years to make and The Avalanches came back with their brilliance with Wildflower when it was released in July. The duo of Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi used a crap ton of samples with a handful of songs having a disco vibe while others dabbled in the music of numerous ethnic cultures. A diverse cast of collaborators joined in with ’s , Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Danny Brown, Biz Markie, MF Doom and Father John Misty being just a few artists who contributed to the album. Wildflower has this constant flow that makes it one entire listening experience. If you’re looking to break things up, “Because I’m Me,” “Subways” and “Harmony” are a few you should start off with.

12.) – (Loma Vista)

When you have punk icon Iggy Pop teaming up with ’s on an album, it’s bound to be amazing. When Post Pop Depression was released in March it lived up to the billing by tapping into Pop’s ‘70s era and also paying tribute to the late Bowie’s Berlin years. Joined by Dean Fertita and drummer , Pop and Homme formed a creative nucleus that fed off of Pop’s artistic charisma. The album shows that despite pushing 70, Iggy Pop can still bring it better than musicians who are a third of his age. “Gardenia,” “In The Lobby” and “Vulture” are three tracks that’ll get the blood running. 11.) Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool (XL)

You never know what you’re going to get these days with Radiohead. They’ve come a long way from being the guitar-driven alternative rock darlings of Britain during the mid-90s. The band has dabbled in psychedelia, electronica and art rock over the past two decades. Their latest, A Moon Shaped Pool, which came out in May, touches upon a bit of baroque pop while also remaining in both the art rock and electronica realms. There’s a plethora of dimensions introduced, and “Burn The Witch,” “Decks Dark” and “Identikit” exemplify that notion.

10.) Night Idea – Breathing Cold (Gigantic Noise/ Hand To Mouth / JuJu)

Coming out of a burgeoning music scene in Richmond, Virginia, prog rock act Night Idea put out a stunning album with Breathing Cold in March. There are times when the band’s sound is rigid and raw, while at other times it’s jazzy and pleasant. They also have an eclectic structure that keeps the ears in tune to what’s going on. They aren’t the only act from The River City on this year, and I’m personally very much looking forward to seeing what Carter Burton, Ethan Johnstone, Reid LaPierre and Joey Anderson do next. While you’re dealing with the anticipation, check out “At The Wheel,” “Silver Understanding” and “Easy To Lie.” 9.) Arc Iris – Moon Saloon (ANTI-)

Starting from an orchestral pop aesthetic, Providence’s Arc Iris got a little glam with Moon Saloon, the follow-up to their 2014 self-titled debut. There’s still the presence of string instruments, but this album can take you to another place with each track. They make their music into a pure artform that comes full circle in both presentation and sound. Jocie Adams, Zachary Tenorio Miller and Ray Belli take things to new heights and that’s why it’s the best album to come out of The Creative Capital this year. “Kaleidoscope,” “Paint With The Sun” and “Johnny” highlight the album in spectacular ways.

8.) David Bowie – Blackstar (ISO/RCA/Columbia/Sony)

It was bittersweet and it happened a lot sooner than any of his fans expected. Two days before David Bowie passed away from cancer on January 10, his 25th and final album, Blackstar, was his parting gift to the world. The swan song deals with Bowie coping with his inevitable death, and musically, there’s a mix of art rock and jazz. At this point in his career Bowie could have done anything he wanted, but he did what he’d always done. He grew artistically and Blackstar is excellent because of it. Listen to “Lazarus,” “Dollar Days” and “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)” and hear the proof. 7.) Julie Rhodes – Bound To Meet The Devil (Self-Released)

When it comes to New England music in 2016, Julie Rhodes takes the crown. Her debut, Bound To Meet The Devil, lit up the regional music scene like wildfire back in February and no one has bothered to put out the flames since. Can you blame them? Rhodes has a magnificently soulful and bluesy voice, and the record has her band, consisting of guitarists Jonah Tolchin and Danny Roaman, drummer Michael Bosco and bassist Matt Murphy, resonating genuine blues. It’s also pretty cool that harmonica legend ‘Sonny Jim’ Clifford is one of the many special guests on the album. If “In Your Garden,” “Hurricane” and “Grinnin’ In Your Face” don’t amaze you, then nothing will.

6.) Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker (Columbia)

Another swan song and another heartbreak came with Leonard Cohen’s 14th and final album, You Want It Darker, which was released only a couple weeks before his death on November 7. Much like Bowie, Cohen knew that his time was coming up due to his battle with cancer and he wanted to leave one more album. There are somber tones to go with a gospel- laden sound that walks the fine line between Cohen’s folk roots and his landmark 1988 synthpop album I’m Your Man. It’s an honest work showing a man facing his own mortality head-on. For further examination, I suggest “On The Level,” “Treaty” and “It Seemed The Better Way.”

5.) Lucy Dacus – No Burden (Matador)

One of the sensations of 2016 has to be Richmond, Virginia, artist Lucy Dacus and her debut album No Burden, which came out in February. This girl in her early 20s brings her particular brand of rock that runs a straight line through numerous styles. At some points, it’s and then she’ll become this bluesy soul badass in an instant. Her honest lyrics bring everything down to Earth and keep things honest as well. The future looks bright for Dacus, and with songs like “I Don’t Want To Be Funny Anymore,” “Troublemaker Doppleganger” and “Strange Torpedo” it’s easy to understand why.

4.) Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 3 (Mass Appeal/RED)

There has been a pattern in the past few years where an act will drop an album right before the end of the year and it rearranges everyone’s best-of list. This year, El-P and Killer Mike decided to change the game in 2016 a bit and release Run The Jewels 3 on Christmas. It could very well be their best release yet with a bunch of intensity, sick samples and righteous beats. There are also some cool collaborations with TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adembimpe and jazz artist Kamasi Washington on the album. Adembimpe is on “Thieves! (Screamed The Ghost)” and Washington is on “Thursday In The Danger Room” while “Talk To Me” is one of the top tracks off of the album.

3.) – Emotional Mugger ()

For future reference, you can probably expect at least one album from Ty Segall to be on my end-of-the-year list in the years to come until he stops putting out music. He’s so prolific and so brilliant that I can’t help but hold his brand garage rock in high regard. His last solo release, Emotional Mugger, which came out in January, could be his weirdest release yet; it’s a mix Frank Zappa and that’s insanely great. Segall pushes the artistic envelope in a variety of ways in the album. Tracks like “Squealer,” “Diversion” and “Candy Sam” expand the musical imagination.

2.) Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide To Earth (Atlantic)

Think of ’s Dark Side Of The Moon; now think of it being made in a similar vein but as a country record. Now think about it being written by a guy who has written country songs about aliens. Okay, that seems a bit far-fetched, but Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailor Guide To Earth is an incredible album that puts a positive spin on a genre that gets a bad rap in certain circles. Simpson has a horn section, a few rock riffs and this Motown big band vibe going on. “Welcome To Earth (Pollywog)” is the best opening track on an album so far this decade, and “Brace For Impact (Live A Little)” and “Keep It Between The Lines” are absolutely stellar.

1.) A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service (Epic/SME)

With all the turmoil happening in 2016 due to police brutality, growing economic inequality and an orange turd who became the President-elect, just to name a few, we needed a group to come out and put out an album relevant to the struggle of many. Thankfully, A Tribe Called Quest put out their first album in 18 years with the release of We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service in November. Along with it being a musical tribute to the late Phife Dawg who passed away in March, the album examines the xenophobia and dividing of American society with tracks “The Space Program,” “We The People…” and “Dis Generation.” It’s an album that’s making us look at ourselves as a people and seeing what exactly we’re doing to ourselves. That’s why it’s the best album of 2016.

Rob’s Top 10 Providence Shows of 2016 Thee Oh Sees Photo Credit: Mark Montalto

The Providence music scene evolved a whole lot in 2016 and experienced immense growth. A couple new venues opened and a few spots started having original live music with both local and touring acts making their presence felt. There also were plenty of new faces making waves while established artists continually progressed and honed their craft. In a year filled with bleakness, the future for the music coming out of Providence looks very bright.

Live music has become a staple of the city’s culture and it’s becoming fully embraced by people looking for a fun night out. A lot of heavy hitters are getting more involved while the many wonderful venues in Providence are thriving. There are nights where there is so much going on that people wish they could have an out-of-body experience to catch everything. While I wasn’t able to go to every show, there are a bunch that stuck out in my mind. Here are my Top 10 shows that I saw in Providence this year.

10.) Cosmonauts @ Dusk, 10/14

The people behind The Providence Garage Fest put on something a little different than last year’s bash at AS220 this past October. Instead of having a full-blown festival, they had a stacked bill headlined by the Los Angeles psych-rock act Cosmonauts. Joined by local shredders Gymshorts, Atlantic Thrills and Eric & The Nothing along with Boston fuzz masters Future Spa, there was a constant flow of musical brilliance that never let up. After the show ended, Soul Power hosted by the best DJ in Providence, Ty Jesso, kept the good vibes going until the wee hours of the morning. This was definitely a highlight of the year with so much talent in one place.

9.) Lovesick EP Release Show @ AS220, 3/19

Providence punks Lovesick definitely made their mark in 2016 and their apex came at the release show for their self titled EP back in March. The energy was abundant with a bill featuring garage punk up-and-comers Food Court, Attleboro, , surf punk pizza junkies Neutrinos and rhythmic post-punk act Way Out. AS220’s performance space was packed to the gills and at a few instances the show went beyond capacity. The excitement was contagious and the music was brilliant. It was a show where people got to see the future of Providence’s music scene first hand.

8.) @ Columbus Theatre, 4/3

When people look back on the shows that happened in Providence in 2016, there’s a chance some of them might overlook the night The Mountain Goats played to a sold-out crowd on the main stage of the Columbus Theatre back in April, and what a shame because this night was so much fun. Instrumental folk artist William Tyler brought a jazzy array of tunes to open things up and when The Mountain Goats came up, people went insane. There were folks dancing up in front and jumping for joy in the aisles while everyone was singing along. The atmosphere was joyful and incredible to witness.

7.) The Heavy @ Alex and Ani City Center, 6/3

This evening back in June was a special one for Providence. The second edition of PVDFest was kicking off with thousands of people roaming through the city along with the annual Summer Concert Series officially getting underway. As a guy who’s always down to see an artistically diverse lineup, British soul rock rabble-rousers The Heavy headlining a free show with indie-pop act Ra Ra Riot and local synth loop multi-instrumentalists VulGarrity hit the spot. It was a packed crowd at the Alex and Ani City Center right in the heart of downtown, and everyone was grooving. People were amped from start to finish while the sounds coming from the stage took over the senses.

6.) @ The Parlour, 9/17

The feeling you get when one of your favorite bands is playing your neighborhood bar can’t be properly described, no matter how hard you try. When Staten Island indie rock act Cymbals Eat Guitars played The Parlour back in September, something special happened. It also was fantastic that Philadelphia act Field Mouse and local emo punks Darklands rounded out the bill. To see one of the best bands in independent music play in such an intimate place was wonderful. That night at The Parlour will truly be one I’ll never forget.

5.) Slim Cessna’s Auto Club @ The Met, 11/29

During the end of November, there was a bit of a homecoming for Slim Cessna. The former Cranston resident brought his Auto Club to The Met and it was a wild experience. Starting things off was The Huntress and Holder Of Hands lead by ex-Brown Bird member MorganEve Swain and New York City Americana act O’Death. When Slim and the gang took the stage, the energy raised numerous levels. The band was dancing and moving around while the crowd fed off it. Slim Cessna’s Auto Club has a knack for bringing a unique live performance that’ll leave you in awe, and they did just that on a brisk Tuesday night.

4.) Julie Rhodes Bound To Meet The Devil Album Release Show @ Columbus Theatre, 3/5

Out of all the acts in New England, no one made a bigger impact in 2016 than Boston blues artist Julie Rhodes. If there had to be a coronation for her success, it had to be at the release show for her debut album Bound To Meet The Devil at the upstairs stage of the Columbus Theatre in March. Smith & Weeden and The Silks were stellar, but when Rhodes and her band started playing, they commanded everyone’s attention. She brought her talents with authority and her band did as well. The show finished with everyone giving a standing ovation and rightfully so.

3.) Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage @ Providence Performing Arts Center, 2/14

This show was purely astounding. In celebration of Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary, an orchestra lead by Justin Freer transformed the Providence Performing Arts Center into a totally different world. Performing music from each incarnation of the Star Trek franchise to go with visual scenes, the experience was inexplicable. I was wowed by everything I saw and was left stunned when it ended. It was a one-of-a-kind concert that had the audience captivated. 2.) Shellac @ The Met, 10/21

Once in a while, a legendary band will come to one of the clubs in the Providence area and play one of the best shows the city has seen in years. That’s what happened when Chicago pioneers Shellac came through The Met and blew the roof off the place. Minibeast, lead by Mission Of Burma drummer Peter Prescott, kicked things off in emphatic fashion while Shannon Wright brought a boatload of intensity. Seeing Shellac perform was extraordinary; the vigor and energy they conveyed was unrivaled. It was definitely a night that had my jaw dropping.

1.) Thee Oh Sees @ Aurora 11/15

So how do you top an amazingly noisy and vibrant show? You do just that while adding doses of insanity. That’s what happened when the San Francisco garage punk phenoms Thee Oh Sees brought the ruckus to Aurora in November. They headlined a bill that consisted of Aussie punks Straight Arrows, El Paso, Texas, psychedelic act Holy Wave and local punks Gymshorts. There was nonstop moshing and crowdsurfing while unbridled amplification came from the stage. It was total rock ‘n’ roll bedlam and that’s why I think it’s the best show that happened in Providence in 2016.

Madcap Presents: “What Madders Most” at Firehouse 13 on December 22

While most of us are full of cheer and good tidings during the holiday season, the less fortunate often are left behind. It’s a time of year where the ones in need could use the most help, whether it’s a home-cooked meal or even a new winter coat to assist in braving the elements. On Thursday, December 22, at Firehouse 13 on 41 Central Street in Providence, the people behind the venue’s weekly Madcap Monday will put on a holiday celebration and a clothing drive they’re calling “What Madders Most.” It’s a perfect opportunity to help the less fortunate while ringing in the holidays with great vibes and a stellar atmosphere. There’s a stacked bill of music that’ll be taking the stage as well.

“From its inception, Madcap has endeavored to give back to the community that birthed it by providing an open forum for unbridled creative expression for all to use freely,” says host Nate Cozzolino. “All things must move forward and the time has come for us to do more in the way of tangible philanthropy. As the bitter cold grips the city, we don’t have to look very far to find a pressing need crying for our attention. Partnering with Food Not Bombs, we will be using our holiday celebration, featuring performances by a dazzling array of local talent, as an opportunity to collect as much winter clothing as humanly possible, which Food Not Bombs will then distribute to those most lacking. Please join us in true holiday cheer as we come together as an extended family to provide for our less fortunate brothers and sisters and ensure that their winter is as warm and comfortable as possible.”

The price of admission is discounted if you bring a donation of winter clothing. Among the talented musicians taking the stage are The Stupid Robots, Anthony Contillo from Hot From The Shack, Mike Baker from Sgt. Baker & The Clones, Tammy LaForest, the blue collar samurai Josh Willis, David Begin and Cozzolino himself. For what your ear drums will be getting alone, it’s worth the price of admission. It doesn’t hurt to know that it’s all happening for a great cause. This Thursday, come on down to Firehouse 13 for an experience where the gifted will have their spirits lifted.

Event page for “What Madders Most” @ Firehouse 13 on December 22: facebook.com/events/1849368331998469; Like Madcap on Facebook: facebook.com/madcapmonday