CD Review: Torn Shorts’ Through the Mill

Josh Grabert tears through competition

It looks like the good folks with the WBRU Rock Hunt got it right again this year. They usually do (not counting 1993 when a band intimately related to the author of this article lost out to Angry Salad…but I digress). And as with acts like The Schemers in 1982, and Sasquatch & The Sick-A-Billys in 2005, Providence’s own Torn Shorts has taken top honors in 2013’s edition of the prestigious competition.

Technically, Torn Shorts is the collective name for the creative efforts of the multitalented musician/songwriter Josh Grabert. Though Grabert has gained a great deal of notoriety performing live shows throughout New England as a one-man-band under the Torn Shorts banner, Grabert has enlisted the help of Zach Zarcone on bass, Nick Molak on guitar and drummer Brendan Tompkins to record Through The Mill.

With the album’s opening track “Brow St,” Grabert demonstrates an ability to engage the listener with radio-friendly, hook-laden rock & roll. Delivered with a voice reminiscent of Albert Hammond combined with a bit of a “New Morning”era Bob Dylan, he establishes himself as a virile songwriter. This fact is underscored all the more by his creative use of space within the verses, an underused yet potent technique, not only with writers, but soloists as well. “’Drink that scotch’ she says before the bad news – that’s why I keep crying The Nice Guy Blues – I was never ready for the big show – the older I get the less I grow.”

“Dying Houses” is a dark requiem for urban decay and those who endure the daily fight for survival. More than just a lament or a first-person decrying of their own dreadful situation, Torn Shorts presents an indictment on all of society for a broad sense of apathy toward their strife. “All these dying houses on these dying streets, in the deadest part of town – Don’t offer up any redemption, just cry your tears while we drown.”

As lofty as much of the lyrical content is throughout Through The Mill, great musicianship is at the forefront of the album. The groove-drenched instrumental “Bob’s House” and the hypnotic “Whiskey Song” are standout examples of that tuneful proficiency. Quite cleverly, the latter employs a very cool technique of using what I presume was a mono demo as a looped backing track, and then overdubbing vocals and band on top of it.

From what I understand, Josh Grabert and his Torn Shorts put on a wildly frenetic and energized live show, somewhat contrastive to the overall vibe of Through The Mill. Admittedly, I’ve yet to see them in action. But judging them solely on the album, I’m quite confident that WBRU got it right once again in 2013.

Puzzling Pieces

This weekend saw the opening of a very puzzling art exhibit at the Machines with Magnets studio in Pawtucket. Part bar, part performance space, part gallery and part recording studio, Machines with Magnets could be a called a puzzling environment on its own. In the gallery section of the space, you can now view recent work by Umberto Crenca. Crenca, the founder of Providence-based arts organization AS220, is known in the community as a champion of the arts and an advocate for unjuried art exhibitions. In his own work, he’s known for his use of art as social commentary. This show displays a recent part of his puzzle piece series, a decades-long endeavor that encompasses about 135 pieces created by Crenca. Not literally puzzle pieces – although those make some appearances – this series is really an exploration, in two dimensions, of social and political topics that intrigue, frustrate, or simply puzzle the artist.

“Some of them are saying something pretty clear,” says Crenca, “and if others seem ambiguous, well, they might be. Some of them certainly approach issues I’m a little confused about, and that probably comes across – I hope it does.”

The show is titled “Puzzled: Ode (Owed) to Channing?” and includes a large blow-up of Crenca’s first review, decades ago, by Providence Journal critic Channing Gray. Crenca credits the sometimes scathing review with inciting the creation of AS220 and a deeper dedication by Crenca to his own work. (see a TED talk on the subject here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD-T4LIddtE )

Compositionally, some of the work is striking, some deliberately off-balance or disturbing. All of it is visually and mentally intense – the sort of work you want to get up close to, to examine the details and numerous levels of meta-reference.

“That’s Gaddafi’s severed head. The Black liquid is oil, the red is blood. I think that one’s pretty straightforward,” says Crenca, contrasting two of the pieces. “This one, though, takes a lot of explaining. I’m sure there are things in here that only mean something to me,” he says, rattling off a list of authors whose thoughts are represented in various abstract ways. Oh, and the numbers of the Fibonacci sequence are carefully scattered about that canvas as well.

Some pieces feature tiny thought bubbles, on others you’ll find referential figures tucked in the corners. One piece includes a lot of glitter. Figuring out each theme can feel like assembling a puzzle in your mind.

While the puzzle analogy has numerous applications to this collection of work – from pun to metaphor – it also seems like the artist may be hoping that someday, the collection as a whole will fit together like the pieces of a puzzle, granting insight into the conceptual and emotional makeup of the artist, complete with contradiction, confusion and clarity.

A series of pieces and one very large work are on display from now until April 27th at Machines with Magnets, 400 Main St. Pawtucket, RI – www.machineswithmagnets.com

Alt-Nation: Deer Tick Talks Negativity

McCauley talks to Clarkin about Negativity album

Deer Tick has been high rolling big time these past few months, buoyed by the positive reviews of their lasted release, Negativity (Partisan Records). In the past few months the boys have had another appearance on national television on “The Conan O’Brian Show,” recently completed a successful European tour, and singer/guitarist John McCauley somehow found time to get married by Stevie Nicks to singer/songwriter Vanessa Carlton. As the saying goes, there is no rest for the wicked, and Deer Tick is poised to take their wicked live show back on the road for another US run including a stint supporting The Hold Steady. Before starting the tour with The Hold Steady, Deer Tick will do a hometown show on the big stage in town at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel on March 14. I caught up with John McCauley over the phone a while back to talk about Negativity and the ongoing rock ‘n’ roll circus that is Deer Tick.

Marc Clarkin: Your last record, Divine Providence (Partisan Records), was your rock ’n’ roll debauchery party record. Personally, I loved it, but I hear it wasn’t popular with some fans?

John McCauley: That’s not exactly true. I think there were a lot of fans who wanted a folkier record and it threw a number of them off. As far as hatred for the record, I don’t think anyone really hated it. People kind of forget that the second half of the record is pretty chill, you know. It really starts with a such a bang that it sets the tone in a way that makes the more Deer Ticky songs like “Miss K” sound louder and more abrasive than they really are.

MC: With Negativity, was there a conscious move to go in another direction from Divine Providence?

JM: No, it’s just the songs that came out. If they happen to sound like Divine Providence or be more in that vein, we would have done it again. I don’t know. I don’t really go for anything with my writing process. I don’t come up with a goal of what type of song I want to write. It’s kind of just whatever happens, happens, you know?

MC: When you are writing songs, do you start on guitar or piano, or do you just have a lyric?

JM: Lately I’ve been writing a lot on piano. I wrote a lot of the songs on Negativity starting with piano. Typically it starts with a couple of lines or a melody. I don’t know because they all start differently. I don’t really have a formula or a method.

MC: On the piano parts, a lot of the middle parts of Negativity remind me of Warren Zevon, who I know you love, or a Jackson Browne/late ’70s singer/songwriter type of stuff. Were you listening to more of that stuff when you were writing this record?

JM: I think on the piano, I’m kind of a rhythmic piano player. I’m a guitar player piano player. The chords I know and the way I find myself around the piano kind of just lends itself to that style of music better than something else more jazzy, classic rock ‘n’ roll or whatever.

MC: Now Negativity… I don’t know how you ever came up with that title with a collection of songs about broken engagements, drugs and your dad’s incarceration. You even got poor Ian (O’Neil) depressed with his song being titled “The Dream’s in The Ditch.”

JM: I definitely came up with the title of the record way before all the songs were written. I just thought it was a funny tongue-in-cheek title. I thought it sounded very ’90s. I guess it was kind of a joke and then literally kind of matches up with the album that we made. So we just decided to go for it. We didn’t want people to get the idea that we were making this total bummer of a record. That is why we did the artwork for the record that we did. We wanted to make it look like a bright blue sky with an airplane towing a banner that says Negativity across a clear blue sky. It looks great! Then with some of the production we knew we wanted it to be a little poppier. We wanted hooks to be important parts of the songs and use some cheerful sounding tones. We had two years between Divine Providence and this one. It was nice to give Deer Tick a little break.

MC: That’s noticeable with some of the piano parts and on “The Dream’s in The Ditch” if you take out the words. JM: Yeah, it sounds like a pretty popular song.

MC: Also you hear that with horns kicking in on “The Rock.” It brightens the entire vibe of the song.

JM: And that trick is not new. You know, like Nirvana’s Nevermind is a pop album.

MC: You had Steve Berlin from Los Lobos produce it. I know you are in a band with him so it’s probably not weird, but Los Lobos was the first concert you ever went to. Is it kind of weird working with him after covering “La Bamba” for, like, 20 years?

JM: I definitely felt a little weird around him at first. I just idolized him and the band that he’s in for so long. I was definitely awkward around him when we first started hanging out and did the Diamond Rugs record, but now I feel like his friend. Well, we are friends now (laughter) and peers. So it all seems pretty normal to me. But at first I was pretty giddy just to be around him.

MC: Was he the one you did mushrooms with at the Park Theatre a couple of years ago?

JM: I gave mushrooms to David (Hidalgo) in Los Lobos, but he didn’t take them. He said he was gonna take them the next day or something. I can’t confirm whether he took them, threw them out or gave them to somebody else. We were at McCormicks & Schmick’s and I asked the busboy to rinse out an oyster shell. I filled the oyster shell with mushrooms and slid it down the bar at David and yelled, “Have you tried the oysters here?” That was a funny state of mind to be in when I first met Steve, but he kind of asked to join Diamond Rugs because he had heard of Deer Tick and really liked the Middle Brother record. We happened to be playing with Diamond Rugs in the same studio he was at and he was also a Black Lips fan, so all those things together and resulted in him just asking, “Can I come? Can I be in the band?”

MC: I heard you completed a second Diamond Rugs record? That must be the hardest band to coordinate with something like five other bands to work around.

JM: It’s definitely a band that wants to be active. It’s really difficult to balance. Everyone else plays in a busy band and has a life so it’s tricky. We were all able to get together for one week in Nashville. It’s like the same thing getting together after finishing the Deer Tick record, just two years later for me.

MC: On Negativity, the one song that sounds optimistic is called “Trash.” With the chorus about hitting the open road, it has a redemption quality after going through all the turmoil.

JM: There is definitely a yearning to it. I guess that song is about leaving the mess behind and establishing roots somewhere else to start over. I was pretty sure I was ripping something off, but I couldn’t figure it out so I just went with it. I still haven’t figured it out.

MC: “Pot of Gold” has got kind of a Nirvana In Utero type of feel to it.

JM: That one came out of a jam session I did with Scott Lucas from Local H. We recorded a pretty rough demo version of it that is about eight minutes long. Maybe that will see the light of day sometime. We were just jamming on that riff and before we got too into it, I just scribbled out some lyrics. Then we took that riff and cut it down to be a more manageable version for the record.

MC: Of all the places you’ve been, do you have a favorite place or experience on the road? JM: My favorite clubs that I’ve played at are probably the 9:30 in DC, the Higher Grounds in Burlington, Vermont, and Paradiso in Amsterdam. Guns ‘N’ Roses played their first European show there. Probably one of my favorite times in my travels was eating acid in the Kalahari Desert in the country Namibia, which is in Africa. I’m not going to forget that anytime soon. I did some horseback riding at a ranch in Tucson and baked like a lizard in the sun. A lot of my great stories are pretty foggy. I’m just lucky to be able to do what I do. I’m definitely not losing any momentum.

Deer Tick, You Won’t, and King Sickabilly and His Full Moon Boys will rock Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel on March 14.

Ants in the Cellar – Fork In The Road EP

It may seem like only yesterday, but Ants in the Cellar were formed nearly 20 years ago. In that time there have been extended hiatuses and lineup changes, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the band’s ability to crush it with a combination of straight ahead barroom rock ‘n’ roll. Ants are set to release their second EP since re-forming in recent years titled, Fork InThe Road. The six-song EP mines alternative rock, blues and straight ahead barroom jams. “Awakening” reminds me of something out of ’80s college radio with a funky kind of verse and a big chorus. “Sleep” has an early REM feel on the verse with a breakdown style chorus. “Look in The Mirror” rides the wave on the verse, but I just want the chorus to take me somewhere else. Maybe it’s too simplistic, but the tune is kind of infectious with the bridge. Ants in the Cellar live have the vibes of early REM with better harmonies. Nothing too heavy, nothing too soft, just enjoyable music for people who like straight ahead rock ’n’ roll.

Ants in the Cellar celebrate the release of Fork In The Road with Viking Jesus, Resistor, and The Nymphidels at Dusk on March 7. The doors are 8pm and the show starts at 9pm. All for the bargain basement low price of $5!

TEAZER

The Gods of ’80s metal revival movement, TEAZER, return to drop the rapture on the masses. TEAZER had one of the most successful debuts this town has ever seen late last year. TEAZER takes their cue from the likes of Motley Crue and W.A.S.P. with an aim to kill all the Americana bullshit and set it ablaze with debauchery. The teenage punk rock version of me never thought the day would come when I found hair metal so refreshing. Party Pigs are a two piece, fuzz stompin’, straight-out-of-the-garage good time. Get there early to see Jezebel because they share a name with my cat so they must be good!

TEAZER, Party Pigs, and Jezebel bring the thunder to Dusk on March 8.

The Viennagram

The Viennagram headline what promises to be an eclectic bill spanning a few genres of rock ‘n’ roll. As always, bet The Viennagram has some surprises cooked up to go along with their cabaret take on Tom Waits. The event will also celebrate the launching of Eric Baylies’s (Baylies Band and Bad Motherfucker) book, Heroin’s Rainbow, which is being put out by 75orLess Records. Bands from Japan, a super group with members of Mission of Burma and Alec K. Redfearn, The Viennagram… I don’t know what more fans of pushing the envelope in rock ‘n’ roll could want out of a Saturday night!

The Viennagram, Minibeast (members of Mission of Burma,6 Finger Satellite, and Alec K. Redfearn of The Eyesores), Baylies Band, Gezan (from Japan), and Cave Bears will rock The Parlour on March 8. The event will celebrate the launch of Eric Baylies new novel, Heroin’s Rainbow on 75orLess Records.

Rough Francis

Hailing from Burlington, Vermont, Rough Francis are literally the sons of Death. The band, that is. Rough Francis more than live up to the family legacy on their new record called Maximum Soul Power. Rough Francis take their cues from late ’60s/early ’70s Motor City rock ‘n’ roll. Think MC5, The Stooges, and of course Death. Rough Francis channels all that raw power without sounding like a throwback. Rough Francis was my favorite new band to discover at a show in 2013. Cuts off Maximum Soul Party like “Ruffians,” I-90 East,” and “Not A Nice Guy” harness the aggression of punk with a combination of psychedelic soul. Get there early for one of my favorite local bands, Ravi Shavi!

Rough Francis and Ravi Shavi will rock the Columbus Theatre on March 22.

Email music news to [email protected].

Ask the Artist: Sarah Daigle Dale J Rappaneau speaks with Sarah Daigle about Kickstarter

On January 8, local musician Sarah Daigle successfully funded a Kickstarter campaign to create her first full-length album. A total of 109 backers came together to contribute $6,080 toward Daigle’s goal. To help others do the same, she answered the following questions about Kickstarter, producing music and finding an audience.

Dale J Rappaneau, Jr: So the obvious first question is, How pumped are you about having a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign? What do you think this will do for your musical career?

Sarah Daigle: Of course, I am super excited! I am grateful for all the support that I have received throughout this whole project. With this money I can produce an album that is good enough to send out to record labels and play more gigs while on tour.

DJR: Before the super sweet success of Kickstarter, what were your plans for producing an album? Slave away at a job while saving?

SD: I have always been the type of person to just get things done myself and not ask for any help. So yes, I have been continually ‘slaving’ away so I can make my dreams happen. Before the Kickstarter was made, I was in the studio for a good two months recording and taking money out of my own pocket to start this project. I wanted people to see that I was dedicated to it. I have to say, though, it is much better having the community support this project than for me to do this all by myself. The beauty of allowing people to be a part of your process is just magical!

DJR: Do you have any tips for other artists or musicians looking to win at Kickstarter?

SD: Know your community, reach out to friends and family, be committed to getting it done nonetheless, and most importantly, don’t hold high expectations and don’t give up!

DJR: Even with the advent of digital distribution, you still included a CD among your Kickstarter Backer rewards. What is it about a CD that still makes it so attractive as an artistic vehicle?

SD: Having something in your hands, holding your completed project is really special. Not everyone is all caught up on the digital age. I still play records and purchase CDs. It’s just a part of the musical process. You can go online any day and get any album you want in just one single click. But what’s the fun of that?

DJR: Lastly, what is your best piece of advice for today’s generation of up-and-coming musicians?

SD: Be authentic. Feel your music. Don’t try to follow trends and styles. Just play what feels right to you, because that is what’s going to get you a lot further in the long run. It’s easy to play cover songs, but it’s not so easy to open your soul and play your own creations. Realize you’re not going to ever think you have the perfect song, but if you’re playing from your soul you will have ears that hear it perfectly.

Alt-Nation: Swan Point

“A more groove orientated T. Rex kind of Electric Warrior feel.” –Swan Point’s upcoming album Salt

Whelp, the polar vortex has metamorphosed into a balmy-January-by-New-England-standards vortex. So let’s continue with a heat wave and talk about a new band that’s ready to catch some waves in Swan Point. I caught Swan Point a number of months ago at the Celtic Pub in Pawtucket, which just goes to show one you should never overlook any place that has live music. One never knows where one is going to find their next favorite band. Swan Point is getting ready to release their debut seven-song CD, Salt, and I’ve come into possession of a rough version of it. I like it. I’ll save a full review for when it is actually ready for release in a month or two. The CD features tracks like “Ruined,” which kicks off with a Stones “Live with Me” groove before veering into a more funky direction with the chorus. “Love in The Ghetto” has a definite T. Rex flavor. “The Pin” reminds me a little of the band Spoon. So on the cusp of Swan Point’s debut inside Providence city limits, I posed some questions to guitarist/bassist Dino Paolantonio (ex-Shed and Mustang Cobra) on what Swan Point is up to and what to expect this Friday.

Marc Clarkin: How and when did Swan Point come together?

Dino Paolantonio: Swan Point has been together for roughly a year. Our drummer, John Reddington, who I’ve played shows with for over 20 years back when I was in Shed and he was in Freakshow, asked me if I wanted to come play guitar with his childhood friend Pat Baron who had recently moved back to RI after living in LA, Detroit and Austin, TX. I knew of Pat just by name from stories John would tell me throughout the years, and also knew of his songwriting talent. So after one session, we already had four or five skeletons of songs that were ready for work. I would switch off between guitar and bass. We wrote enough songs to start recording a record. That’s when we realized we needed a true bass player. And who better to ask than the big guy Paul (Zeus) Souza. The record is called Salt and should be available for a record release in early March

MC: Listening to the new CD, I hear a more groove orientated T. Rex kind of Electric Warrior feel. What are some of the influences for you guys?

DP: Personally, the only way I can answer this is with the word “music.” I listen to all genres of music and am influenced by all of it. If I feel any emotion from a song, I am influenced. The T. Rex comparison is a compliment. I’m sure that there are some artists who are stronger influences on John, Pat and Zeus that I don’t feel as strongly about, and vice versa, but each member brings their own unique style that we add to the nucleus of the song. We ended up with something special that we are all proud of. For 20 years Johnny and I have been introducing new bands, or often old bands, to each other. For instance Ween, Phish, Grandaddy and Cake are a few that we are fans of. But again, when it comes to music, genre doesn’t matter. Good is good.

MC: You’ve been involved in the local music scene for a long time between your time with Shed and Mustang Cobra. How has it changed?

DP: You know, going back 20 years, the local music scene was at its best in my opinion. No matter who was performing, all the bands came out and supported. That was the scene. It was one big scene. Now I feel it’s a bunch of little scenes. With technology evolving and the social media boom, most bands can build a personal page or create a Facebook event and that’s it. The show is promoted. Back then we would go to the shows and meet people and hand out flyers to promote upcoming shows. I feel the connection from actual interaction with the folks is needed to make/build a scene. We have the venues to do it. There are pros and cons with social media. It’s a great way to keep people informed, but you also have local artists whining that no one came to your show or people are even bad mouthing other local artists. Those types of actions end up hurting the process of building a scene. Local artists need to support each other. The cliques and negativity only divide it. If four people show up to our show, we’ll do our best to make four fans.

MC: Having played in hardcore and metal bands, has it been a tough adjustment adapting your style for Swan Point’s music?

DP: It hasn’t been tough at all. When I was playing in Shed, it was loud, fast and aggressive or what have you. But at the time it wasn’t the only type of music I was listening to. I’ve always been a fan of music. I remember getting my balls busted unmercifully for going to Phish, Medeski Martin & Wood, and Billy Joel Shows cause, “That’s not metal.” I just never understood that if you play metal that’s all you’re supposed to listen to. And playing with Swan Point, it’s a totally different process when it comes to writing in comparison to Shed or Mustang Cobra. After Pat or John will bring a piece to a rehearsal, as a group we work out structure and dynamics. Then it might be a week or two before I’m fully comfortable with a lead for the song. I like to let the song develop an identity, and then proceed to work on what the song calls for to make it whole. I feel lucky and honored to be playing with these guys. We got a couple of great songwriters with Pat and his way of bringing his life experiences into song, and our drummer Johnny, who’s been on fire lately writing songs on guitar and piano. So that along with playing with my best friends, putting out a record I couldn’t be more proud of, and fully enjoying it, it would be ridiculous to describe it as “tough.”

MC: What should we expect this Friday at Dusk, and who is playing?

DP: We are happy that we were asked to play with our good friends Hope Anchor & Dog Day Afternoon. We will be going on first; my guess is 9:30/10:00. We will showcase the songs on our upcoming release, Salt. This will be our little warm-up for the record release. There are going to be three great bands with a $6 cover charge. Hope to see you there. You as well, Freddy!

Swan Point, Hope Anchor, and Dog Day Afternoon will all rock Dusk on January 17.

Email music news to [email protected]

Tribes: Kill the Wabbit

“Despite all of the multi-layered wit, much of the play depends upon non-verbal communication by the cast.” — Epic Theatre’s Tribes at Theatre 82

The challenge of a play about tribal affiliation is that literally any arbitrary characteristic can be yanked out of thin air and turned into a criterion in order to draw a circle around some people and not others, defining who is in the tribe and who is not. This begins, for Tribes, in the opening announcement before the play even starts that masquerades as an innocuously conventional warning to the audience that there will be a pistol shot in the final act: it immediately creates an in-group who realizes, when that pistol shot finally comes, that it is a playful homage by playwright Nina Raine to her obvious influence Anton Chekhov and the theatrical trope known as “Chekhov’s gun,” first explained by him in a letter: “One must never place a loaded rifle on the stage if it isn’t going to go off. It’s wrong to make promises you don’t mean to keep.” Such meta-witticism might be appreciated by academics and theater critics, but – and this is my point – excludes those not of that particular tribe unless, luckily, a theater critic explains the joke in a review.

Billy (Joseph Ausanio) is born deaf into a hearing family. His parents, Christopher (Geoff White) and Beth (Carol Schlink), are a retired academic frustrated by his inability to do anything useful and an aspiring novelist frustrated by her inability to publish. His siblings temporarily reduced to living at home, Ruth (Blanche Case) and Daniel (C.T. Larsen), are an opera singer frustrated by her inability to get gigs of more than a few people in a small room and an aspiring academic frustrated by his inability to complete his thesis.

No one listens to anyone else, regardless of their ability to hear. Christopher is trying to learn Chinese wearing earphones that isolate him from what is going on in the room around him. Ruth is trying to learn to sing opera in French, a language she does not understand; the work in question is, ironically, Saint-Saëns’ “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix,” which literally means “My heart opens itself to your voice.” (I warned you about meta-witticisms.) Daniel, among other serious problems, is writing a thesis about communication that is so fluffed-up with over-the-top academic jargon that it is incoherent. The family members interact via argument, profanity, name-calling, ridicule and constant interruption – all except Billy who, due to his deafness, is unable to follow these heated exchanges and then is told, when he asks what happened after each storm blows over, that it was nothing.

Billy meets Sylvia (Stephanie Traversa), who works as an event coordinator for a deaf charity and is herself going deaf. She introduces him to sign language, which his family strongly resisted because the “bloody deaf community,” as Christopher puts it, with its own language is a rival tribe to that of the family. As Billy and Sylvia become romantically involved, they form something of a tribe of their own, him distancing himself from his family and her distancing herself from what she sees as the limited and parochial community of deaf people.

Eventually these people are forced to start listening to each other, or at least making the attempt to the best of their ability, and that changes a lot. Although the dialogue is often clever and funny, it carries tinges of viciousness that are hard to ignore and are not meant to be ignored. Daniel at one point attacks opera, and therefore implicitly Ruth, by ridiculing the work of Richard Wagner, the ultimate expositor of regressive and ignorant tribal primitivism in music; Beth cuts him off: “Of course it’s silly, it’s Wagner.”

Despite all of the multi-layered wit, much of the play depends upon non-verbal communication by the cast. C.T. Larsen as Daniel especially stands out, a character going quite mad from his own inner demons, at one point unknowingly re-enacting a legendary story with himself as Androcles and his mother Beth as the lion. Geoff White as Christopher rises to the demands of an unlikable character, the sort of man who believes that blunt impoliteness accompanied by abusive profanity can be mislabeled as “honesty” and thereby become a positive thing. Joseph Ausanio as Billy has an exceptionally difficult role, conveying the perspective of a deaf character to a hearing audience. As with any good play in the Chekhovian style, what is not said, and the significance of how it is not said, is generally more important than what is said, making deafness a particularly effective metaphor amongst a veritable sea of symbolism and allusion. Director T.J. Curran understands that and employs his cast accordingly.

Even Chekhov, in his last play The Cherry Orchard, was not above making a joke at his own expense: he has a character brandish a gun that never does get fired.

Tribes, Epic Theatre’s Theatre 82, 82 Rolfe Sq, Cranston, RI. http://www.epictheatreri.org In association with the Rhode Island School for the Deaf.

Fri, Sat (1/17, 1/18, 1/24, 1/25) 8:00pm. About 2 hours including intermission. Includes mature content, including subject matter and language, not appropriate for anyone under 17.

Tickets: Artists Exchange, 401-490-9475 or at http://www.artists-exchange.org

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/224941627678555/

Arsenic and Old Lace Is High-Spirited Fun Murderous Aunts and a delusional nephew make for a wacky family dynamic in Aresenic and Old Lace

The Community Players are having a bloody good time bringing the classic farce Arsenic and Old Lace to life on the stage of the Jenks Auditorium in Pawtucket. The show runs until January 19.

Written in 1941 by Joseph Kesselring, the story is about the two Brewster sisters Abby (Cathy Fox) and Martha (Lynn Price), who live in a house in Brooklyn with their nephews Mortimer (Tom Coughlin) and Teddy (Rick Braun). Mortimer, a theater critic, is engaged to Elaine Harper (Kathleen Seagriff), the daughter of Reverend Harper (Lee Hakeem).

Mortimer is mortified to find a dead body in the window seat of the house and discovers his two aunts have murdered a dozen men by giving them elderberry wine spiked with arsenic, strychnine and cyanide.

“How did the poison get in the wine?” Mortimer asks.

“Oh, we put it in the wine cause it’s less noticeable,” Martha replies. “When it’s in tea, it has a distinct odor.”

That exchange is typical of the dry wit of Kesselring’s dialogue. There is much more of it in a story that gets even more madcap as it proceeds.

The Brewsters are a truly odd bunch of characters. Besides his murderous aunts, Mortimer has to deal with Teddy’s belief he is President Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy’s favorite pasttime is running up the stairs and yelling, “Charge!” as if he is going up San Juan Hill. He also is digging the Panama Canal – in the basement.

Mortimer’s long lost brother Jonathan (Eric Barbato) soon arrives with his friend Dr. Einstein (Lawrence Calabro) in tow. Jonathan is a bad man who resembles Boris Karloff after some botched plastic surgery. The two unwanted house guests are determined to stir up even more trouble for everyone in the house.

The large ensemble cast succeeds brilliantly in bringing these wacky characters to life. Fox makes Abby into a cheerful eccentric, and she meshes well with her counterpart Price. These two actresses manage the difficult feat of being charming and likable even though they are also mass murderers.

Coughlin is a solid presence as Mortimer. He has exquisite comic timing and serves as the dependable voice of reason in a sea of insanity. One funny moment is when he chases a potential victim of his two aunts around the living room in an effort to save his life.

Barbato brings the right amount of menace to Jonathan, who poses a real threat to Mortimer in the play’s third act. Braun and Calabro deliver very fine comic performances and complement the other actors perfectly in every scene, and the direction by Peggy Pires is crisp and fast paced.

Victor Turenne’s set design convincingly recreates a Brooklyn home in the 1940s, complete with vintage furniture and antiques.

Arsenic and Old Lace holds up pretty well for a play more than 70 years old. This production is a well- staged, entertaining way to spend a few hours.

For reservations, go to thecommunityplayers.org. Or call 401-726-6860.

Dysfunctional Family Makes for Dark Comedy in The Lyons

” This is a show that deals with life, death and everything in between–” The Lyons at 2nd Story

The lives of a dysfunctional family take center stage in the black comedy The Lyons, which opened in previews January 10 and is running through February 9 at Warren’s 2nd Story Theatre.

The Lyons was written by Nicky Silver and debuted on Broadway at the Cort Theatre in April 2012. This is a show that deals with life, death and everything in between.

Paula Faber, a veteran member of the theater’s acting company, gives a tour de force performance as Rita, the overbearing wife of Ben Lyons (Vince Petronio), who is dying from cancer. Rita, stuck in a 40- year loveless marriage, now thinks of the future without Ben and plans to re-decorate their home. Ben lays in his hospital bed and speaks in a flurry of profanities. He is constantly annoyed by Rita and despises her.

Their grown children Curtis (Kevin Broccoli) and Lisa (Lara Hakeem) also come to his hospital room to pay a visit.

Lisa has left an abusive marriage and is a recovering alcoholic. Curtis, who is gay, has had little to do with his father, who is homophobic.

Throughout the play, all the resentments between the Lyons bubble up to the surface.

Rita is a fundamentally selfish woman who will not spare anyone’s feelings. However, she is not a one dimensional caricature either. Late in Act One, while her husband sleeps under dimmed lights, Rita realizes how empty her life will be once Ben is gone. The man she has spent so many years with has occupied a major part of her time and energy. Faber masterfully manages to gain the audience’s sympathy in a short monologue.

Broccoli dominates most of Act Two, when Curtis has a fateful encounter with a wily real estate agent (Jeff Church) who is not who he appears to be.

Broccoli gives a note perfect performance as Curtis, a troubled man who writes short stories for a living and has a non-existent love life.

Petronio has a lot of funny moments as he quarrels with Rita about her plan to redecorate their living room after he is gone. There is also a touching and bittersweet moment when he reveals that despite all the hostility he expresses toward Rita, deep down he really loves her.

The dialogue is witty and sometimes poetic. One exchange goes like this:

Ben: “Rita, I’m dying!”

Rita: “Just try to be positive.”

Lucia Gill Case plays Ben’s nurse, who has some tart repartee late in the play with Curtis.

Mark Peckham directed the production, which moves at a brisk pace. The downstage theater provides an intimate setting for a show like The Lyons.

The four lead actors convincingly portray a family at odds with each other. The Lyons all seek happiness in their own way, and by the end, you are pulling for them to find it.

2nd Story Theatre DownStage, 28 Market Street, Warren, RI 02885, Box Office:401-247-4200, Web:2ndstorytheatre.com, Email: [email protected]

Mark Cutler Dreams, Junior Varsity Arson Burns It Up

The best in local albums of 2013 and the best in January 2014 concerts

2013 was a strong year for local releases. People like these “Best of 2013” lists, but I question if anyone ever goes out and buys a record because of it. I guess the local New England releases that come to mind in no apparent order would have to include releases by White Dynomite, The Silks, Deer Tick, Six Star General, Malyssa & The Liberators, Reverend Bastien, Throwing Muses, Ravi Shavi, Brown Bird and Northern Lands. Maybe I’ll go into more depth in an online column, but who has time for that right now? In fact, 2013 was such a busy year that there are two new releases that came in at the end of the year that I haven’t gotten a chance to review. So let’s get to that, stat!

Mark Cutler – Dreamland (75orLess Records) After recently quitting his day job to be a fulltime musician, Mark Cutler hunkered down to record Dreamland, a decidedly more quiet and intimate album compared to his recent releases Sweet Pain and Red (both on 75orLess Records). Cutler tells me he recorded the album in his house and mostly by himself with cameos from his always formidable Men of Great Courage band. One doesn’t have to wait long to see the new direction: the first tune, “Doing Things That We Like To Do” has a lazy, peaceful strumming guitar around a campfire kind of feel. “Tankful of Gas” has a decidedly acoustic blues meets folk feel, with buzzing slide guitars. “Circle To a Square” reminds me of the 60’s folk of early Donovan, before he started singing about important stuff… you know, like the hurdy-gurdy man and witching season. The title track is my favorite on the record with a great melody that I can hum all day. “Too Much Fun” is a more upbeat rocker, while retaining the stripped down feel of the rest of the rest of Dreamland. “We Don’t Do That Stuff No More” has the feel of Tom Petty blues ballad. The theme of nostalgia runs through much of Dreamland, but probably never more than on the closing, “I’ll Play For You,” where Cutler weaves his tale of days past over a simple beat. It works. Dreamland may not be your typical get ready to rage on a Saturday night record, but it sure sounds great on a Sunday afternoon!

Junior Varsity Arson – Self Titled EP (75orLess Records) Every now and again I get a new biscuit and look at it and say what the hell is this? Case in point, when something called Junior Varsity Arson came in. So I checked out their one sheet that describes the band as “Lonely Guy Rock.” They go on to describe themselves as a soundtrack for men who are banned from certain establishments, with endless theories and endless amounts of time to explain those theories. Okay, maybe I’ll actually like this. Truth is, Junior Varsity Arson is a local super group of sorts, composed of Guy Benoit (Thee Hydrogen Terrors), Don Sanders (Medicine Ball, The Masons), Dave Narcizo (Throwing Muses), and Kraig Jordan (The Masons). Junior Varsity Arson is a little twisted in a fun indie rock way. The EP kicks off with “Her Parents Love Me,” chock full of lyrical gems like, “Her parents love me, I’m such a big improvement over the white supremacist.” Indie rock is a genre chock full of people that take themselves too seriously. That’s why it’s refreshing to come across something like Junior Varsity Arson, that’s lighthearted and still rocks. “Brown Jacket and Purple Keds” reminds me a little of the Dead Milkman as it chronicles the lonely man that Junior Varsity Arson proclaims to be the soundtrack for. “Hippy Dippy Milk Man” has an anthem, ‘60s spy feel with the keyboards. “Skull Collection” has an ‘80s alternative rock feel, while the song chronicles getting broken into and having one’s skull collection stolen. “I’m Hooked” is Junior Varsity Arson’s alternative dance number, that has a little bit of a psychedelic feel. What I like about Junior Varsity Arson most is they have personality both lyrically and musically, that makes each song memorable. Shows to look forward to:

Hellbound Glory Nothing like some old fashioned country music to warm you up from the winter’s freeze and that is exactly what you’ll get when Hellbound Glory invade Olneyville (aka Nashville North.) Hellbound Glory doesn’t bother pretending to do anything but straight, old school country, which I respect, when done well. It’s when people try to modernize it or meld it into Americana or pop that the whole thing goes to shit. Get there early to catch the local openers, Jay Berndt & The Orphans and Dog Day Afternoon – I’m as excited to see them as the headliner! Hellbound Glory, Jay Berndt & The Orphans, and Dog Day Afternoon will be at Fete on January 9.

The Creepshow The Creepshow are a female-fronted punk psychobilly band from the hot bed of horror that is Toronto. Truth is, I know nothing about Toronto’s music scene, but they do elect crack heads mayor. That’s a hint to expect something very disturbingly wrong with those people, right? Beside the headliner, this bill is stacked locally with the roots ‘n’ roll of The Throttles, the female fronted surf garage of The Evil Streaks, and the punk-a-billy of Tony Jones & The Cretin 3. I’d go out just to catch any one of the bands on this show by themselves. The Creepshow, The Throttles, The Evil Streaks, and Tony Jones and The Cretin 3 bring the rock to Fete on January 22.

Marshall Crenshaw and The Bottle Rockets I actually saw this tour the last time these two acts toured together, and stopped at The Narrows. Marshall Crenshaw enjoyed quite a bit of success in the 1980s, as kind of an offbeat power pop solo artist with hits like “Someday, Someway.” Crenshaw has been plugging along ever since and will have The Bottle Rockets as his backing band for the night. Don’t miss The Bottle Rockets’ opening set as they completely blew me away last time through town. Check out their first two records (The Bottle Rockets and The Brooklyn Side), which were recently re-released with bonus cuts on Bloodshot Records. Standout cuts include “Lonely Cowboy,” which comes across as a redneck version of Warren Zevon, “Gravity Falls,” which is my favorite of their tunes, and “Stuck in a Rut,” which reminds me of Crazy Horse era Neil Young. The Bottle Rockets are like a country version of The Hold Steady. Part country twang, part rock ’n’ roll, The Bottle Rockets are just an all-around great band. Even the bonus cuts on the two CD set are killers, with standouts like “This is What It Sounds like When You’re Listening to Lindsey Buckingham,” and the punkish Radar Gun (1989 Chicken Truck Version) among the assorted gems. The Bottle Rockets reissues were among 2013’s best! Marshall Crenshaw and The Bottle Rockets come to The Narrows come to The Narrows Center For The Arts in Fall River on January 23rd.

Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires There are a lot of shows to be excited about in a season – hell, in any given week there a couple. That said, if you only leave the house to go to one show this winter, this is by far the one. Charles Bradley is just your average former James Brown impersonator, who decided, at the young age of 62, to release his debut, after hooking up with the folks at Daptone Records who brought you Sharon Jones. Dubbed the “Screaming Eagle of Soul,” Bradley more than lives up to the name and still busts out all his patented James Brown dance moves, often while wearing a jumpsuit. I first caught Bradley at the Newport Folk Fest in 2012, and I was about to check out someone else, but his hype man (yes, the man has his own hype man) convinced me to stick around. I wasn’t disappointed. Bradley mixes the soul of Al Green and Otis Redding with the energy of James Brown. His sophomore album, Victim of Love was one of last year’s best. As a performer Bradley has an amazing ability to connect with the audience and share the joys and pains of life. Even if you’re having an awful day, you should go because Bradley ends all his performances by going out in the crowd and hugging as many people as he can before his manager drags him away. Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires come to the Columbus Theatre in Providence on February 6. Odds & Sods

SexCoffee, Spider Rockets, Nymphidels, Paryah are at Dusk on January 11. The Can’t Nots, Torn Shorts, and Brainfruit are at AS220 on January 11. The monthly Alt-Nation listening Party returns to E & O Tap in Providence on January 16. I’ll be selecting the music that always includes a mix of locals, hits, and obscurities from all genres of rock ‘n’ roll. Mother Falcon and The Kids are at The Columbus Theatre on January 17. Vudu Sister, Dr. Jones and The Shiners, Paddy Saul, and Dan Blakeslee are at AS220 on January 23. Deleted Arrows, Tinsel Teeth, and Phantom Glue will rock AS220 on January 31. Yellowcard and What’s Eating Gilbert (featuring Chad from New Found Glory) will be at Lupo’s on February 1. A couple of weekly nights to check out include The Funky Autocrats every Wednesday at The Parlour, and Dropout Night is back with a new home at The Spot every Monday. Congratulations to Deer Tick’s John McCauley, who married Vanessa Carlton right before the New Year in a ceremony officiated by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. Best wishes to the both you.

Email music news to [email protected] Mike D’s Top 5 — Can’t Miss Shows of November

Top November Alt Shows in the greater RI area

1. Friday, November 8: Tim Kasher (of Cursive/The Good Life), Laura Stevenson, Littlefoot. $12 advance / $14 day of. 8 pm doors / 9 pm show. All ages. The Met, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket, RI. Tim Kasher is one of my favorite songwriters. His songwriting themes of love, loss, substance abuse and the pursuit of whatever happiness is while having an amazing amount of self awareness makes him a modern day Bukowski. After splitting his time over the last decade-plus as lead man of Cursive and Good Life, in 2010 he released his first solo record, The Game Of Monogamy, focusing on the nuances of relationships. His new album, Adult Film, is out now. Laura Stevenson and one of my favorite new local bands, Littlefoot, round out the bill. 2. Sunday, November 17: Johnny Gates & The Invite. $10 advance / $12 day of. 6 pm doors / 7 pm show. All ages. The Met, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket, RI. What a journey for Johnny Gates & The Invite. Having formed in Rhode Island in 2005 right out of being high school classmates, the band was one of the hardest working bands in the Providence indie / emo music scene, constantly playing The Living Room and Lupo’s. After flirting with major labels and grinding to get on national tours, the band moved to Nashville in 2008 and retooled. The game changing moment for them was meeting with producer Nathan Chapman (who is known for his production work with Taylor Swift) who took the band under his wing and found them a major label and major booking agency. Having left the pop element, the band now is a bit more in the vein of The Wallflowers. It was a bit of a learning curve for the band, to go from songwriting in their basement to the Nashville big business way of going in a room with a popular songwriter they have never met and collaborating. The show at The Met will be their first New England show in five years since their departure for the south. Look for their major label debut in 2014 on Warner Records. 3. Thursday, November 21: Boo City, Ravi Shavi, Ian O’Neil (of Deer Tick). $8. 8 pm doors / 9 pm show. All ages. The Met, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket, RI. Here is a co-bill of two of Providence’s funnest and best live acts. Boo City is self described “Black Country Soul Rock Steady,” in other words an all-the- fuck-over-the-place party band. While the band’s songs sound great on record (Google Boo City and Bandcamp), vocalists Tai Awolaju and Andrew “Moon” Bain’s songs really come out live. The show will also be Boo City’s world premier of their video “Nobody Knows.” Ravi Shavi, Providence’s premier upstart garage rock band, are unstoppable when they are on their A-game. And Ian O’Neil, who is currently jetsetting around the world behind his band and Rhode Island’s own Deer Tick’s 5th record Negativity, opens what should be a great night of Providence music in Pawtucket. 4. Saturday, November 23: Bad Swimmers (Record Release Party), Little Big League, Bloodpheasant, Steve Layman, Darklands. $5. 9 pm. All ages. AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence, RI. Sean Murphy (of Rhode Island hardcore vets Verse) new project sounds like a bit more lo-fi and punk Superchunk, and that’s more than fine with me. This show celebrates the release of See You, a new 10″ record coming out on Atomic Action. Philly’s Little Big League remind me a lot of a more mellow Pretty Girls Make Graves. Providence’s Bloodpheasant are on the top of my Providence bands I haven’t seen, but want to, describing themselves aptly as doom folk. Steve Layman and one of Rhode Island’s several bands called Darklands round out the bill. 5. Saturday November 23: Blowfly, Tinsel Teeth, DJ Dave Public, The New Lewiss and his BIG BANG. $10. 9 pm. All ages. Machine With Magnets, 400 Main St., Pawtucket, RI. Where does one start when describing what Blowfly is about? My introduction was laughing at this dude’s outrageous album covers before I knew who he was. Blowfly (born Clarence Reid) was originally a writer and producer having worked with Sam & Dave, Bobby Byrd, and KC and the Sunshine Band. He would rewrite popular hits with new, not-so-subtle sexual innuendo. What started as a spoof and side project became an underground phenomenon and was definitely an influence on future rappers such as Kool Keith and 2 Live Crew. Worth going to just to see what costume he’s wearing. Providence’s entertaining noise mongers Tinsel Teeth open.