New England Comedians have always been nationally known for their willingness to be there for those in need, and the horrible tragedy in Haiti is no exception. So on Thursday Feb 4th at The Old Court Irish Pub and Restaurant in Downtown Lowell some of the funniest and best known comics performing in the area, are coming together to help the unfortunate victims of the earthquake in HAITI.

COMEDIANS FOR HAITIAN RELIEF BENEFIT SHOW
100% of Proceeds goes to THE ESTER LAFONTANT CHARITABLE FOUNDATION....(ELCF) for Haitian Relief

The comedians scheduled to appear that night are a collection of both local/national headliners and the event is hosted by none other than "The Godfather of Boston Comedy" himself, Mr. Dick Doherty.

The line up for the show includes appearances by "Last Comic Standing" and Winner of the Boston Comedy Fest; Dave Russo. Boston Comedy Legend and National headliner; Mike MacDonald, along with television and film star Frank Santorelli; Best known for the role of Georgie" from "The Soprano's". it is guaranteed to be a great night for a great cause.

Tickets for the event are available at the door and are $25 w/ Golden Circle tickets available at $50, Showtime is 8pm @ Dick's Beantown Comedy Escape inside The Old Court Restaurant , 29 Central Street, Lowell Mass

For reservations visit beantowncomedy.com or call 1-800-401-2221

When it comes to local bands and unsigned artists using the web as a marketing tool to sell their music, promote their gigs, exchange info w/ other artists, find potential venues, and listen to/upload their tunes for all to hear, it is usually a bands website I seek first, all I need is the name of the act and I can most certainly find everything I need to know about the artist, and more with just a few simple clicks.

ourstage.com and sonicbids online press kits are great, facebook is a major social network, myspace is still the preferred vehicle for bands of all genre's to get their music out there to the masses, and even twitter has its value. But there is one website that predates them all and encompasses all of the above. The website is called lowellroclks.com.

The brain child of Rob Breton, Rick "Web Guy" Breslin, and Randy "Big Daddy" Breton. Their idea for a local website created years ago which was originally designed to promote their own musical endeavors has become not only a first option for many Merrimack Valley acts it is also a members driven resource for local musician to have any and all questions answered with regard to the local music scene.

The website came to my attention about a year ago and at that time I clicked on and took the virtual tour, I listened to a handful of songs uploaded by local musicians, I read a few threads from the "classified" and "general discussion" message boards, and I looked at some of the venue rankings best to worse all over the city, and I did all this without creating a member account.

But as the buzz continued, and I became more and more aware of its value from the musicians who use it, I not only decided this might be "Floss" worthy I also choose to create a username (joeg) and a password (xxxxxxxxx) and attempted to become a contributing member of the Lowell rocks glitterati.

My first order of business was to simply establish myself as the new guy, so a brief introduction of sorts took place with a couple of members warmly replying to my greeting with welcoming words. I toured the site again, took a harder look at pages and links, listened to more bands, and even started to post my own messages to the boards.

And then it started... For the next few weeks, every Monday I would aggressively introduce a new subject for discussion by offering up any scenario I could think of revolving around the day to day struggles and issues local bands deal with, booking gigs, working with sound engineers, dealing with club owners, and whatever i could think of that best puts into perspective the daily grind of a local act. by conjuring up examples that I thought would best get everyone's attention while also making sure my stories would relate to the local music scene in an attempt to draw out as many members of Lowellrocks as possible, and gather as much feed back as I could. Let's not call my subjects on the message board "lies", instead let's call them good ole' fashion journalism, undercover work, research.

I played the aggressor and I played the victim, I would criticize club owners and make jokes at the expense of the cover band while I celebrated the original artist. i commented about greedy middle men (booking agents/promoters), and i questioned the exchange of who should be paid and who should stay home on gig night. I was labeled "naive" and "ingenuous" i was thought to be a "mole" an "impostor", i even criticized the lowellrocks website and received angry replies and challenging comments from both the sites creator and it's webmaster when i called them "apathetic" in the upkeep of the sites ranking system (something that has since been updated). but i didn't let up there, on one occasion i was even threatened by another member. at one point the subject of conversation was titled "Is Joeg a Musician" and after a number of reply and comments truth be told, "yes! I am in fact a Musician" but up or down, good or bad, they were all talking about the new guy.

one of my first messages posted to Lowell rocks and the one that pushed me to the point of no return was titled; "Lowell (doesn't really) Rock" and the first words from the first reply had let me know that I got their attention "why sir, where I come from them are fightin words" ........,

what followed on that thread was 51 different members of Lowell rocks all chiming in and commenting back and forth for the next 8 days totaling 178 replies, i even received emails and telephone calls from people wanting me to explain it even deeper, they all offered their opinion, critique, thoughts on the matter, and their witticism both praising and complaining about JoeG (aka the new guy).....it was at that moment when I realized I was onto something. i had not only found a gold mine of local music and musicians to talk to but also stumbled into and became part the lowellrocks.com sub-culture

(more to come)

The heavy metal music genre has never been a popular subject of mine. That group sound created when combining such aggressive power cords, major bass lines, and the constant pounding of a multi-piece-mega drum kit just never appealed to my musical senses. In fact I have often been guilty of calling heavy metal music nothing more than "noise" or an acquired taste.

But over the years my opinion has changed a bit with a certain level of exposure to it and to a degree I feel that I may have even acquired said taste. And one of the things I have come to discover and recognize with this recent acquisition is the shear level of talent heavy metal musicians possess. And this level of talent I speak of is clearly present in guitarist Marc Rizzo. While listening to Marc's music over the last few weeks I am convinced that he is not only in total command of the instrument he holds whenever and wherever performing but is also a perfect example of the point I'm trying to make. The heavy metal music scene may not be your bag and the sound may not be to your liking, but there is no denying the major talent at play. Marc Rizzo is proof positive and just may be one of the most under rated guitar players performing today.

While most fans view Marc as a heavy metal guitarist much of his solo work demonstrates not only a total departure from the genre' but also establishes him as a multi faceted guitar player. And it is during those solo performances where Marc appears to be at his best. Delivering a wide range of musical styling from the classical to modern day rock n' roll as well as flamenco and jazz coupled with an energetic stage presence making him an act definitely worth seeing and hearing.

In 2007 a solo tour saw Marc headlining sold out venues nationwide and while playing lead for bands over the years such as SoulFly, Ill Nino, and Cavalera Conspiracy Marc is currently on tour as a solo act again and on Saturday Night, January 30th, the tour takes him to Gemstones Night Club in the heart of Downtown Lowell. Tickets for the show are just $10 at the door and the lineup for the evening not only has Marc Rizzo listed as your headline act but also features some of the best heavy metal acts in the area. This is certainly an event worth checking out. Doors open at 7:30pm

The Lowell music scene appears to have a home away from home when it comes to a place to play these days....and in the last month, not only have two Mill City acts hit the stage at this new found home (Leo Blais and Trick Bag) but two others from area have literally settled into the clubs rotation becoming constant performers at this 62 seat venue wedged into Porter Square in Cambridge Massachusetts. The club is called TOAD!

And while a handful of other Lowell acts including Reverend JJ and The Casual Sinners continue to knock on the door waiting for their shot at the coveted TOAD gig. Every Monday Night at 10pm Jen Kearney and The Lost Onion not only fill the stage but also fill the room with a sound like nothing you've ever heard before. And in the last few weeks JKLO truly seems to be finding its "groove" since locking up the weekly residency last October. To no one's surprise, they have been packing them in.

Every other Thursday from 7pm to 9pm one can also drop into TOAD to check out another of Lowell's most original acts; Melvern Taylor and His Fabulous Meltones. along with the rest of his band mates Melvern and the boys appear to be producing the same results with its incredibly unique sound and very stylized neo-classic presence, making MTFM' s rotation on the TOAD schedule another must see act.

While the days of the house band, the regulars, and the residency may be fleeting a bit, at TOAD not only have they never left, they appear to be here to stay. Constantly ranked in many of the Boston area music mags as "one of the area's best live music venues" TOAD does it simply with the caliber of the acts it books. It's not the size of the place, the price of the food and drink, or the location of the club that is the attraction...it is simply the talent being booked that draws the crowds and the ever present attention of those keeping one eye on the music scene who are taking notice.

One can also assume that TOAD certainly knows where to look when they need to fill the room, and the answer to that question is; Right here in Lowell, Massachusetts!

This Saturday night, January 16th at 8pm inside The Old Court Irish Restaurant and Pub in the heart of downtown Lowell, Dick Doherty's Beantown Comedy Escape returns with Comedian(s) John David. A veteran of the Boston comedy scene, David's comedy has taken him all over the country. He has performed with many of the top comics in the world and now headlines clubs all around New England. His act is nonstop action and high energy fun that crowds of all ages embrace and enjoy! John has been heard on all the radio shows around Boston, as well as TV and a few film roles. Do not miss out on seeing one of the finest comedians working today!

Also joining John David this Saturday night is comedian Mike Whitman whose innovative material and style made him a hit and semi-finalist of the 2008 Boston Comedy Festival which earned him the title Boston's Best New Comedian. He is also becoming one of the country's most versatile and entertaining comics working today.

For advanced reservation and seating for the show, as well as all of Dick's Beantown Comedy Escape events and for more information about future dates and shows at The Old Court in Lowell call 1-800-401-2221 or go to beantowncomedy.com

And on Saturday February 13th at The Old Court; National headliner Dom Fig will be bringing his one of a kind stand up act to Lowell. Dom has worked with such notables as Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Lewis, Sam Kinison, and Arsenio Hall just to mention a few. He has also written for Rodney Dangerfield and Jay Leno. Fig regularly performs in Hollywood at the world famous Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, and The Improv. He has also appeared on Comedy Central, VH1, and A&E, as well as recent shows in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

So if ya looking for laughs and a great night out with family and friends mark your calendars now and come on out to Dick Dorherty's Beantown Comedy Escape at The Old Court Irish Restaurant and Pub in beautiful Downtown Lowell on Saturday January 16th and Saturday February 13th at 8pm, Also look for future dates in March and April at The Old Court on Dick's Beantown comedy website

Tickets are $20 each and the door for all 8pm shows in Lowell open at 7pm. come early and enjoy dinner in the restaurant before the show and receive a $5 discount on admission.

Based on the music of one of the Northeast's most original acts and the imagination of a very ambitious and talented local film student (Producer Jess Houlihan) Love Songs for Losers; The Rock Opera featuring the songs of Melvern Taylor and His Fabulous Meltones will be holding open auditions for the production that is scheduled to premier in May 2010 at the Merrimack Repertory Theater in Lowell Massachusetts.

Love Songs for Losers is a beautiful, exciting love story about romance, hopes, and dreams, and all the hurt that they come with. A non-profit production funded and put together by its producer(s)

In addition to the characters below, the production team is also looking for artists of all kinds! they need about 20 backup singers, as well as people behind the scenes. Also, singers, dancers, choreographers, musicians, set builders, lighting designers, artists, theater students and any one who wants to help create the director's vision!

The main characters needed are:

SHE: Female lead, in her 20s-30s. SHE is a cocktail waitress at a dive bar. She is a very passionate character, and has big dreams of leaving her dull life and drab town and moving to sunny California to be an actress. It is in the bar she works that she meets and falls in love with a man who also dreams of being something bigger. But things start to change as his addiction to alcohol grows and his motivation for life fades. In "Sad and Blue," she is singing to him, telling him he is pathetic and that she is leaving him. This role requires LOTS of singing, LOTS of dancing!

HE: Male lead, looks to be in his 30s-40s, but can be played by a younger man. He is a songwriter and musician who is not-really trying-to-make-it. He is also a hopeless drunk, who cares for nothing more than another drink. That is until he meets the love of his life, but his mistress of booze tears them apart. In "Cheap Bottle Of Wine," his girl has finally left him, alone with his alcohol and sorrow, and he realizes how much he loved her and how much he hurts inside. This role requires LOTS of singing, LOTS of dancing!

BARTENDER/HOMELESS MAN (BEST FRIEND) - 2 different characters but may be played by same person, depending on circumstances. He is in his 30s-40s, but can look older. These are very crucial roles, as they are both lead/main backup singers. Some choreography as well.

Please keep in mind a background in dance is not required, but helpful. Auditions for these roles, as well as for any backup singers will be held on Saturday, January 30th, 2010, from 10-4 at LTC in Lowell, MA. Audition pieces will be available at www.lovesongsforlosers.com starting the night of Wednesday, January 6, 2010.

Please call Jess directly at 978-996-4745 for further details and to register for an audition spot. this is not an open casting call, you must register.

PLEASE REGISTER TO AUDITION SO WE CAN RESERVE A SLOT FOR YOU!

This one has been keeping me up nights. But a choice has finally been made and I have come to a conclusion. Of all the music I have heard in the last year by unsigned artists and bands currently under the radar of mainstream radio, all the CD's and MP3's sent to me by bands and performers literally from Maine to Hawaii , and all the acts I have had the pleasure of meeting, seeing, and hearing over the last 12 months, I have finally chosen one as; "The Audio Floss Best CD of 2009"

The CD and the Band is called Flying Machines which features four incredibly talented musicians that have literally hit a high note with their debut release. Front man and keyboard player William George, Guitarist John Wlaysewski, Drummer Ken Weisbach, and Bass player Evan Joyce have brilliantly come together with 10 tracks reminiscent of hard rock 70's glam fused with a modern day post grunge pop sound destined for commercial success. And as the name of the band and the CD indicates the music seems to fly and at times soar with an edge, a sound, and a style that is all their own. But It's actually the rapid changes and mild distortion of Wlaysewski guitar play and George's vocal styling on many of the tracks which features an almost Queen like vibe to it and an operatic feel that is incredibly similar to the late great Freddy Mercury that gives Flying Machines all it's upward momentum. Try track 7 "Patterns" if one needs convincing.

Although, not totally on board with the notion that the CD can be completely categorized in the hard rock genre. The music of Flying Machines is certainly enough to push it in that direction. And the disc does qualify itself by demonstrating a clear case that it just might be by offering up to its listeners the obligatory power ballad most associated with the genre'. . And track 4 on the CD "I Don't Remember Why" is certainly that, a beautiful slow moving piece that not only builds to its last sustaining notes but also centers completely on the vocals of William George. If there is a breakout hit on the CD, track 4 is most certainly one of them.

The CD hit the street on September 22nd and is available at all the usual hot spots for the 21st century web savvy music lover.

Check'em out and see why the debut CD "Flying Machines" by the band of the same name is; The Audio Floss Best CD of 2009

Enjoy

Back in the day and long before the dawn of the digital download I had this amazing hi-fi system, it was huge, heavy components stacked on top of even heavier components, and with 4ft speakers flanking both sides of this massive entertainment device it took up an entire corner of the living room it stood in. A turntable, the duel cassette, FM receiver, it even had an 8 track player. And I also paid the local cable company to hook me up in stereo because I wanted my MTV! Sound and Vision abound!

On the other side of the room was the library, a collection of Albums and Cassette tapes stacked floor to ceiling, well organized and painstakingly piece together by alphabetical genre'. If I was looking for "Days of Future Passed", "Bat out of Hell", "Give the People What They Want" , or "Synchronicity" I knew exactly where to find them in the array. I could have done it blindfolded on those occasions when I really wanted to impress. There were also a few other tricks of the trade that elevated my ability to the professional level and graduate from the college of rock n roll knowledge. I could ff through a cassette and hit play within a split second of listing to the beginning of the track of my choosing, the tape counter and the silver wall backing the inside of the tray was all I needed to guide me. There was also the classiest of moves that were done with the turntable and the one move that made me famous, dropping that needle right into that second of silent grove. Hand-eye coordination at its finest......yup, I was a total pro!

But the highlight of having such an amazing collection of music, a perfect sound system to play it all on, and my ability to spin what I wanted and when I wanted it wasn't to impress...The goal was much more involved, much deeper, time consuming, and something which required all my attention, ability, and efforts...."The mix tape". That well crafted piece of art I would make for the party, the ladies, and the car ride. My favorite songs from each album, cassette, or 8 track tape all flowing into one highly pleasurable compilation totally dedicated to the specific event it was designed for. Yes! And each brilliant mix tape I would produce would take hours of time, the right songs in the right order was critical, one song out of place and the mix tape lost and all its power to relax, party, heel, and make the drive a ride worth taking.

But today, it's all gone! I don't even remember at what point I gave away or sold the system, and I have but only one album which I cling to; "Introducing The Beatles". And 400 cassettes tapes now sit in a box in my basement buried behind the Christmas decorations that I use once year while the tapes remain un-played for over a decade. What happened?

The www is what happened! These days, Rhapsody, itunes, amazon, and cd-baby are the music lover's new methods. The device of choice we are using to listen with is smaller than a pack of chewing gum and can store literally thousands of songs while being added, categorized, and heard with a simple "click". ipods and itunes is all we need these days. A powerful new medium indeed and one which requires all new savvy to navigate, but the music is still out there, and those mix tapes are now just a click on shuffle. The music hasn't changed, it's all still out there and there is plenty of it, our desire to listen is still ever present, and our ability to go get it has never been easier.

So with the itunes gift card you got for Christmas or that ready to use account that you have open on Rhapsody or CD -Baby, start downloading. So, here are a few area musicians/song title and the CD that these tracks appear on which no modern day mix tape/shuffle is complete without and they are all just a click away.

Simply call the file; Local Flavor

Enjoy!

Leo Blias/ Sincerity - from the CD of the same name

Air Traffic Controller/ The Rain Song - From the CD called "The One"

Jen Kearney and The Lost Onion/The Year of the Ox - from the CD "The Year of the Ox"

Peter Lavender/ This Time -The CD is called "Never Now"

Trick Bag/Love Slip Up on Ya- from their Hip Shot CD

Elizabeth Lorry/She - from Her Debut CD "Awakening"

Melvern Taylor and His Fabulous Meltons/Love Songs for Losers - From the CD of the same name

Flying Machines/I Don't Remember Why - The CD is called "Flying Machines"

Audrey Can't Die/ Killing Time- from the CD "Waving at Parked Cars"

Gentlemen Hall/ Do It in the Dark - off their debut EP

Reverend JJ and The Casual Sinners/Hard to See You Go-from his self titled CD

The Rafters/I'm Sorry - from their 2nd CD titled "With the Sun"

This Wednesday Night (December 23rd) starting at 8pm Tex MacNamara and His Bucking Broncos will return to The Worthen House in Lowell to host The 2nd Annual Tex-Mas Eve Christmas Extravaganza!

The night will feature a who's who of the Mill City's most talented musicians who will all be taking turns sharing the stage to perform many of your Christmas favorites while bringing with them a style and flavor that is all their own, and one which certainly makes each of these artist so unique to this cities incredibly vibrant music community.

Here is your line up!

Tex MacNamara & His Bucking Broncos
Donnie McHale of The Cold Pilgrims
Reverend Justin Burns
Melanie Driscoll
Peter Lavender & Craig Himmelberger
SpeakerMute
Morgan Keating
Matt Siopes
Bob Sevigny of The Stillhouse Jammers
Leeroy Brown of Congo Monster Band
Josh, Mike & Harmony of Swamprocket
Jen Kearney & Carl Johnson
The Farewells

The event is totally free and cash donations are not only greatly appreciated but all monies donated will go directly to benefit the Merrimack Valley Food Bank.

The 2nd annual Tex Mas Eve Christmas Extravaganza is guaranteed to please. So come on out to the Old Worthen this Wednesday night and kickoff the Christmas Holiday celebration with Tex

Hope to see you there!

On September 29th Producer Lou Gendron and Vice President of Sales and Marking at World Sound Mike Cusanelli released; Acoustic for Autism. A compilation CD featuring 12 original songs by various singer/songwriters with 100% of all proceeds being donated to autism charities.

In gathering together the artist Mike and Lou literally reached across the country by inviting performers such as Cormac McCarthy from Maine as well as Hawaii's Anuhea to appear on the disc. The CD also features local recording artist The Rafters and Elizabeth Lorrey as well as 2009 Grammy Award Nominee Chris Trapper who's opening track "Across the World" truly sets an upbeat tone as one listens to the songs that follow. Simply put, The CD is a pleasure to listen to.

The songs donated by the artist and chosen by Mike and Lou are tracks that speak to the heart with music and lyrics that are not only enjoyable to listen to, but each song also delivers a positive message which inspires and offers hope. The Acoustic for Autism CD is available at all the digital download websites as well as the official World Sound website. And do i have to mention that the Acoustic for Autism CD makes a great Christmas gift?

Enjoy