Providence is a haven for weirdness and weirdos.

This is what makes the town so great.

Where else can your day start with a phone call from a Cheyenne “hobo,” checked in to the RI Hospital for a suicide attempt, and end with synth rock played in a downtown “gay” bar full of rockers, trannies, bears, and at least one WASPY dude.

J.W. was beat to hell from a mugging — no joke, he has the scars to prove it — and called from the psych ward, which he said, under his breath, as he assessed the likelihood that I would actually follow through on my promise of sending him back to Billings, where his tribe could take care of him, was partly to get him out of the cold, apparently related to the failure of the sober house to keep him so.

J.W. is big.

And real.

He gave me a dream catcher when I loaded him with provisions, with a medicine stone, that he said he made for me, as soon as he got my email telling me I’d buy his ticket home.

Having grown up with a master prevaricator alcoholic brother, I have a strange yin/yang revulsion/predilection for the grand deception. I’m not sure what to do with the gift made by a man whose own medicine is made of stuff concocted by white men to keep us all under control in a world.

Not in control.

Did it work for him?

more »

Sunday, November 2, 8pm
Club Hell
73 Richmond st
Providence, RI

The half of ZOX (plus Chase) known as COWGIRL, will be dishing out their intense style of prog-inspired, mind bending music along with the half of GRUVIS MALT (sometimes plus Chase) known as EBU GOGO, who will be playing THEIR version of intense, mind-bending, music.

What a perfect ending for your Halloween weekend!!!!!!

Cowgirl is Spencer Swain, Dan Edinberg, and Chase Leonard.

check it out:
http://www. myspace. com/cowgirltheband
http://www. myspace. com/ebugogoband

This is not an event to miss!

ALSO: Check out Spencer as FENDER’s featured electric violinist on www. Fender. com/artists

The Obama team stunned us all with their decision to move his nomination acceptance speech from the 19,000–seat Pepsi Center to the 76,000–seat Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos. Today, the Dems’ Convention Committee announced another exciting twist, in the form of three special performances: Kanye West, Wyclef Jean, and N.E.R.D.

Rolling Stone reports:

This year’s Democratic National Convention Committee revealed that a trio of hip-hop artists — Kanye West, Wyclef Jean and N.E.R.D. — will perform when the party gets together in Denver. A native of Barack Obama’s Chicago, West was likely included to keep all those politicians’ egos in check. Let’s just hope Obama’s speech doesn’t run long, otherwise Democrats might be in for a long night. Wyclef is becoming as well known for his humanitarian work with Haiti as his music, so his appearance at the convention makes sense. The most left-field pick is N.E.R.D., though the Democrats obviously view the band’s single “Everybody Nose” — with its chorus of “All the girls standing in the line for the bathroom” — as a shocking indictment of the current administration’s futile War on Drugs.

Other celebrities slated for attendance include Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, but let’s pray that Scarlett isn’t performing.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86jKcCYQ2JM]

Micah already hit up the Dose with the schedje for this weekend’s Providence Sound Session events, but I couldn’t resist posting one of my fave hits by tonights PPAC headliner 112.

If you missed the great shows at The Blackstone, Tazza, Firehouse 13 and Black Rep last night, it is not too late to start partying. Bachanal has only just begun!

Tonight’s official Sound Session lineup at Black Rep includes local Reggae selectors Red Beard, Mardon Famous and Paul Michael along with Boston-based emcee (DJ if you’re savvy) Mighty Mystic and Brooklyn-based genre-smasher 77Klash. This party will be wild so if you like Dancehall at all, or just like to shake your butt, come on down to Black Rep. ($15)

AS220 presents several left-of-center folk artists who will surprise you with their uncommon cultural referents and non-standard instrumentation. It starts at 10pm: The Blue Hit, Christopher Moon and Michelle Lewis. ($6)

The Blackstone hits it again with Mike Tanaka and Friends (FREE)

Firehouse 13 is presenting an assortment of talented poets from near and far. The night is hosted by Chris Johnson and Prismatic Dreams and features far too many artists to name here, so check this link for the full deets. ($7)

Tazza hosts a bevy of Blues and Rock artists including Sit Down Baby, Tim Taylor Blues Band, Lovewhip, and Metropolis. ($3 - $5)

Okay everybody, so there is a lot going on tonight that discerning listeners will want to take part in.

Of course there is the official SS’08 fare at Black Rep. Soul/R&B/House/Funk singer and songwriter Eric Roberson headlines a night of the Funky (local artists Grow), the sparse and political (multifaceted NYC poet Oveous Maximus) and the Boom Bap (DJ Therion on the ones and twos). Chachi hosts in his weekly stomping ground with a beefed up lineup ($15)

Members of AUREA Ensemble headline tonight at Firehouse 13. AUREA’s concerts combine poetry, drama, epistles, classical and folk music, puppetry, and movement into performances that sweep from intimate chamber settings to major theatrical venues. ($10 at 8pm)

The Blackstone is featuring a night of sweet underground and independent Rock with Buffalo NY’s  Cacahouette local fave Roz Raskin and The Rice Cakes and Troop of Echoes . (FREE)

 At Tazza The Basement Bros will be playing live Jazzy, organic House and Tevallus will be playing something shimmery and sitar-based. ($3)

Local 121 is featuring Soul Psychedelicide in the speakeasy. Its the live project of genius Monday resident, and Prince aficionado, Abstract Soul. (FREE)

SIMULBLOGGED AT RIPEYAMS.COM
Jazz is one of those idioms that doesn’t come easily to everyone. I’m not a Jazz head by any means, but I’ve certainly come around to a little bit of equanimity in my appreciation for Jazz. Where once the ambling solos, indirect melodic focus, rambling uneven tonal patterns and blue note syncopation, drove me up the wall, I’ve found a certain satisfaction with the music through learning its vocabulary and history. One of the things that can be said unequivocally for Jazz vocalists is that she must have an unflinching command of her instrument; its timbre, its range and its pitch must be mastered. Otherwise audiences are unable to transcend the lyrics. When I pump Ella, Sarah Vaughan or Jon Hendricks on my stereo, I try and train myself to hear the voice as if it were just another horn stepping out from the big band. This could be why José James is such a joy for me to listen to - he plays his voice like a horn. New York City, and the history of Jazz born there, shape James’ first release for world-acclaimed DJ Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label. The Dreamer is the title track and easily my favorite. Another standout from James’ album is Spirits Up Above, reworked here by Simbad. José James performs for FREE at 5PM on Tuesday, July 8th at The Providence Black Repertory Company as part of Sound Session 08. Tickets for all performances on sale now at Arttixri.com

Just a reminder.

You can peep the schedule for New England’s 2nd largest pride celebration in full here. As Matthew noted previously, the Saturday headliner is 80’s teen pop sensation and current mid-lifer Tiffany. Woot woot!

There is something burbling up in Brooklyn. Its one part straight island Rasta, one part BK brand Nubia and one part UK hoody culture. On Brooklyn Anthem, Team Shadetek managed to harness some of the Burrough’s most cantankerous beas and vocals for an explosive celebration of hybrid Black music. Featured on the tune is none other than Gize Burrows, aka 77Klash. Most famous for penning the unstoppable Skallawa riddim - Turbulence’s “Notorious” was the nearly ubiquitous hit of a couple summer’s ago that made the infectious, bass heavy backing track famous - 77Klash (pronounced Double-Seven Klash) is known for his unwillingness to play by Dancehall’s genre conventions. On Brooklyn Anthem, Klash and Noble Society’s Jahdan tear through a heavy, badman riddim replete with squelchy acid bass and spooky synthetic strings. 77Klash performs with Mighty Mystic, Paul Michael, Mardon Famous and Redbeard at Black Rep on Tuesday, July 8th as part of Providence Sound Session 2008. For ticketing and more information go to Arttixri.com or providencesoundsession.com

Butter Days will play one of their final shows of the year at the Living Room tonight. The friend rockers will make great things happen with glockenspiel and strength in numbers.

Also, Boston bands This Is How Rumors Get Started and Devil and a Penny will make their Providence debut.

The show starts at 8pm.

Metropolis, aka Providence’s singular “Psycho-Electro-Acoustic-Islamo-Judaic-Hindu-Afro-Dance-Surf-FreeJazz-Metal-Groove Music” superstars, are playing their final performance EVER tonight at Tazza on Westminster St. Some of the band will be departing for the summer so if the concept lives on, it will at least have to be constituted from a different lineup. This is can’t miss shit.

A ‘lil birdie told me:

The Narrows show with Surprise Me Mr. Davis is tomorrow (the 22nd). Surprise Me Mr. Davis is The Slip in collaboration with songwriter Nathan Moore. It’ll be the last and best OFFICIAL show of the tour.

The Low Anthem (opening)
Surprise Me Mr. Davis

April 22 - 8pm
The Narrows
16 Anawan St.
Fall River, MA
(15 mins out of Providence)
http://www.ncfta.org

The Low Anthem AND The Slip? In FALL RIVER?! Awesome. Top secret post-tour show info after the jump. more »

Spring Weekend Cometh.

The first ever 2008 Spring Weekend Battle of the Bands (also, the kick-off concert event) held Thursday April 10 from approx. 8-10:30 inside Sayles Hall. With performances by:
-The Bruce Band
-Jose Hernandez
-Mister Tamel
-IQ Ballers
-The Trolleys
-Metropolis
-Potential Pillows
-and To The Sun ft. The Poler Bears

LIVE / WHIRLED – Perishable Theatre, Rhode Island’s Research & Development theatre, is pleased to announce the final concert in this year’s Live/Whirled Series.

“Girl-Whirled” on Sunday March 9 @ 3:00 PM.

Featured performers are two fabulous singers with very personal styles, Ellen Santaniello and Michelle Cruz. more »

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-Cf37Lc43c]

Jambase got dat.

[Diplo on MySpace]