Mission of Burma at Somerville Theater on January 24th
January 19, 2009
Have you ever wondered why it’s so cool to be from Boston? Well, Mission of Burma is a huge contributing factor. In their first five years of existence, Mission of Burma’s Boston-based span of influence was far-reaching and powerful. Thirty years later, nothing has changed. On record, they are well thought out, graceful in their transitions and take seamlessly sharp turns. But live, they are unpredictable – changing drastically from night to night, song to song, minute to minute. It’s not unheard of to get an off night with them, but even at their worst, they are more entertaining than most bands at their best.
Mission of Burma Video: “This Is Not a Photograph”
Here’s a video from Mission of Burma’s early days at a performance at the Paradise Rock Club in 1980.
Going strong into their 7th year of a well-received reunion, Mission of Burma is kicking off the New Year after an eventful and rewarding 2008. Recently they worked closely with Moveon.org to help the Obama campaign and now they’re back home for another good cause, donating their time to help benefit the Center for Arts at the Armory in Somerville. This non-profit organization is working to transform the historic armory into a community art center featuring visual art, dance, theatre and after school and summer programs.
Get Out!
Mission of Burma is playing a benefit show for the Center for Arts at the Armory on January 24th at the Somerville Theater with The Neighborhood and Faces on Film.
The Somerville Theatre is located at 55 Davis Square in Somerville next to the Davis Square Red Line stop. The show starts at 8pm (7pm doors) and it’s an all ages show. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online through Ticketmaster.
The Murder Mile at TT The Bear’s on January 16th
January 9, 2009
It’s not surprising when a band from around Boston has anglophile leanings, or Irish folk rhythms. They’ve got the skinny suspenders, Fred Perry sponsorships, dulcimers … you understand. But for the rollicking Anglo-punk Boston quartet The Murder Mile, there’s a big difference — they’re bringing it when it comes to the music. It’s perfectly evident on their song “No Solutions.”
Video: “No Solutions”
It begins with a lone acoustic decree: “This heart beats black and blue.” And from there it quickly gets serious. Distorted, Johnny B. Goode guitar bends shred over pounding drums. The song builds, drops out, and finishes with a punch. Maybe most impressive of all, the vocals channel Danzig-like tone and phrasing during the chorus. Elvis Costello once wrote of 1970s Belfast: “But it’s no laughing party/When you’ve been on the murder mile“. For 00’s Boston, The Murder Mile is party music.
Get Out!
Check out The Murder Mile at T.T. the Bear’s (10 Brookline Ave, Cambridge) on January 16th. They go on at Midnight. The night starts off with The Acre, Emergency Music, and the Televandals. The show is 18+ and tickets are $8. To get to TT’s, take the Red Line to Central Square and walk a couple blocks down Mass Ave towards Boston and take a right on Brookline Ave. If you’re driving, there’s cheap parking around the corner at the Green Street Garage (corner of Pearl Street and Green Street).
