July 30, 2007
KG to Boston?
DISCLAIMER: This is an entertainment blog and I think sports falls into that category. Check out this link and continue reading below. You may also want to check out your favorite sports site for further details, but why not give a shout out to the Twin Cities for this gift?
I like this deal: Kevin Garnett to Boston for whatever. Sure, you give up Al Jefferson, a big man with big potential...but Big Al is also a man who sports injury prone ankles.
Print the playoff tickets, Danny. But don't count on winning it all. This team still needs to improve its defense if it wants to compete with the West, which is still way too powerful.
If this goes through, we'll keep an eye on local sales of Garnett jerseys in Celtic green.
Later,
Andy
Posted by Andy Ravens at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2007
Don't forget...
The largest free folk festival in the country begins tonight in Lowell. Yes, it's the Lowell Folk Festival, traditionally home to good food, drinks, music (and hot weather)! Check out this link for more info.
Later,
Andy
Posted by Andy Ravens at 4:23 PM | Comments (0)
July 17, 2007
Hot Stove, Good Times
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and ESPN's Peter Gammons will announce today the third annual "Hot Stove, Cool Music: The Fenway Park Sessions," the popular charity concert at Fenway that benefits Boston area youth and the Foundation to Be Named Later.
The current line-up (stay tuned because last minute additions typically happen!) includes John Legend, Buffalo Tom, Kay Hanley and French Lick featuring Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck. The Hot Stove All-Stars (Theo, Peter and more) will also perform.
Tickets ($40) go on sale tomorrow at noon. Click here to buy tickets or call 877 RED-SOX9.
I cover these concerts every year and Nashua's actor/comedian Mike O'Malley ("Yes, Dear") always steals the show. He's a funny, down-to-Earth guy.
Latah,
Andy
Posted by Andy Ravens at 11:12 AM | Comments (0)
April 24, 2007
Tennis, anyone?
I played tennis in high school and taught it for a while so I’d be an idiot not to pass along details of Champions Cup Boston — where Pete Sampras returns to tournament action — that is set for May 2-6 at Agganis Arena in Boston.
The tourney will feature a slew of tennis legends including: John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Todd Martin, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, Jimmy Arias and Petr Korda. Format for play is round-robin style and tickets (starting at $15) are still available by calling (866) 448-7849 or (617) 931-2000.
Click here for more info.
— Andy
Posted by Andy Ravens at 10:31 AM | Comments (0)
January 19, 2007
I'm too sexy for my...
Former Lowell Spinner Freddy Sanchez is up for final consideration as one of the most beautiful people in Pittsburgh. The Sox should never have let him go to the Pirates when you consider he won the N.L. batting title last year and was an All-Star. Oh well.
Here's the link if you want to vote for him.
Posted by Andy Ravens at 3:15 PM | Comments (0)
January 8, 2007
Hot Stove, Cool Times
BOSTON — Rockin’ chick Kay Hanley, formerly of Letters to Cleo, was one of many highlights at Sunday’s “Hot Stove, Cool Music� concert at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston.
While some in the audience were obviously impressed by the petite blonde’s good looks, her vocals and guitar work were off the charts. Of course, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to any veteran Hot Stover — Hanley’s been a mainstay in Peter Gammons’ charity concert series. Hanley also sung the National Anthem before the Pats-Jets playoff game on Sunday.
Organizers expect to raise about $80,000 during last weekend’s two concerts and roundtable baseball discussion that featured the likes of Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and Gammons. The funds go towards the Foundation to Be Named Later, which benefits underprivileged youth. Theo and his brother, Paul Epstein, started the charity in 2005.
Nashua, N.H.’s Mike O’Malley (“Yes, Dear�) emceed the seventh annual installment and was his usual funny self. He recently played a clueless cop in an episode of NBC’s “My Name is Earl� that parodied Fox’s “Cops.� It was truly hilarious, arguably the best episode of the series. “A lot of people have told me that,� O’Malley said after I suggested it was Earl’s finest half hour.
O’Malley will be back on TV soon enough. He’s got a deal with CBS and is working on one with TBS to develop comedy shows for both networks. With two young children (and one on the way) O’Malley hinted this might be the last time he hosts Hot Stove. “I can’t leave my wife with three young children,� he said. The couple lives in Los Angeles.
Peter Gammons appeared downright giddy to be playing live music again. The former Groton resident, who suffered a brain aneurysm last June, returned to the stage for the first time last weekend. Of course, it only took him 2 1/2 months to return to his gig on ESPN. What a remarkable, nice guy.
I started talking about my favorite band, Pearl Jam, with Peter (he’s a well-known fan, too) before Sunday’s show and he told a story about how all five members of the band wrote him “get well� letters. “They (Pearl Jam) are so professionally honest,� said Gammons. I couldn’t agree more.
I also wanted to give a shout out to Eli “Paperboy� Reed, 23, of Brookline, who opened Sunday’s concert with a rockin’ blues set. Check him out here.
Posted by Andy Ravens at 1:48 PM | Comments (1)
December 29, 2006
Brian Bergeron
Lowell’s own, Brian Bergeron, 21, was recently nominated to participate in Boston’s Rice and Beanpot Battle of the Bands.
This battle is based on college hockey’s Beanpot Tournament and features representatives from Northeastern University, Boston College, Boston University and Harvard University.
Bergeron, who studies music at Northeastern, hopes to become one of four lucky finalists to compete at the Paradise Rock Club on Feb. 8 in Boston.
To vote for Bergeron, text message “Bergeron� to the number 22122. You can vote (which is free, but standard text messaging rates apply) until Jan. 23.
For more info on Bergeron check out this link.
Posted by Andy Ravens at 11:31 AM | Comments (2)
December 6, 2006
Lowell Unplugged
I just got a nice note from Lowell acoustic guitar master Brian Bergeron, who will headline a local show with Billerica duo Cahill and Haverhill’s Chad Perrone.
Lowell-based Danger Room Productions is sponsoring its first-ever “music night� on Dec. 15 at the 119 Gallery, located at 119 Chelmsford St. in Lowell. The festivities begin at 8 p.m. and admission is just $5. We’re told refreshments, including beer and wine, will be provided by Brew’d Awakening Coffeehouse in Lowell.
Bergeron’s younger brother, Tim will open the show. Those looking for more info should visit 911gallery.org or brianbergeron.net. This is a great opportunity to support the local music scene so get off your butts and check these guys out!
And don’t forget to scroll down and answer any of the poll questions from the past few days. We’ve had some interesting results.
Posted by Andy Ravens at 3:09 PM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2006
Over6 towers over the competition
By ANDREW RAVENS
Sun Staff
Who: Over6
AKA: Scott Ward, bass and backing vocals; Keith Arsenault, lead singer; Mike Arsenault; guitar; Eric Park, drums.
Visit: Over6.net
Backstory: With a combined weight of nearly 1,000 lbs. and an average height of 6-foot-2, Over6 bills itself as the largest cover band in New England. Hey, I’m not going to argue that point with these big fellas. We recently caught up with bassist Scott Ward.
Q. Where do you guys typically play?
A. We typically play in Boston, the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire.
Q. Where did the band’s name come from?
A. We all just got together one day and we were hacking around and playing. I think it was me who said, “If we ever put something together we should be called Over 6 since we’re all over 6 feet tall.� And it stuck.
Q. What is some of your favorite music to play on stage?
A. There’s a lot of them. There’s a couple of new songs by Hinder we do. We also like Nickelback because it’s new stuff and they are really popular. It’s the crowd’s response that does it for me.
Q. What’s playing in your iPod or CD player?
A. I listen to so many different kinds of music, but I am listening to a lot of Nickelback and Hinder.
Q. What’s your earliest concert experience?
A. That was a long time ago. I think I saw Heart at the Boston Garden in like 1979 or 1980.
Q. If you could share the stage with one big-time band, who would it be?
A. You know something, I just went to the Orpheum Theater and saw Les Claypool. I’d like share the stage with Claypool and play one of the bass guitars he has. It’s called a “rainbow bass� and you can’t even order them now. They’re worth about $15,000.
Catch Over6 at Pub 30 Something in Tyngsboro on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 9:30 p.m.
Want to be in the spotlight? E-mail Andrew Ravens at aravens@lowellsun.com.
Posted by Andy Ravens at 10:38 AM | Comments (2)
November 27, 2006
Poll Time
We are starting something new here. Periodically, I will post a poll about the entertainment world. Feel free to respond to our first one:
Posted by Andy Ravens at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2006
"The Busker" Brings It
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I just wanted to reprint my review of Stephen Croke's "The Busker." It's an excellent film, some four years in the making from Croke -- a talented director and screenwriter from Lowell.
By ANDREW RAVENS
Sun Staff
Stephen Croke’s inspiration for "The Busker" is just as riveting as the film itself.
Lessons from Croke’s chance encounter 12 years ago with a boy on a street during tumultuous times in Northern Ireland and the time he was held hostage by two black men in a Los Angeles restaurant are strewn throughout the Lowell native’s independent film.
Alex Alexander stars as Seamus O’Mallie, a 13-year-old white boy who falls in love with a black girl during a time of racial unrest in Boston.
The film begins with riots after a white policeman is acquitted in the shooting of an unarmed black man. Seamus then watches as his father, a gifted musician, is shot to death by a black man.
Months later, Seamus meets Ruby (Ayla Rose Barreau) while busking (playing his violin on the street for money) on the streets of Boston. The two are smitten with each other, but are isolated from the community because of their relationship.
While busking in the cold (he keeps warm by chugging vodka in a thermos), Seamus soon meets Oliver (Derry Woodhouse), an older music teacher who wants to take the boy away to London and enroll him in a well-known music school.
Confused, Seamus has some big choices to make and not a lot of people to lean on (his mother drowns her sorrows with the bottle, too) and his brother, PJ (Jeffrey Marcus), is not a big help until he has a race-related revelation.
Filming is primarily set in Lowell, against the city’s beautiful Christmas lights, cobblestone streets, glistening snow and crimson red buildings. Pond hockey scenes, where emotions flare among Seamus’ friends over the interracial relationship, also give the film a rewarding and authentic New England flavor.
Croke wisely taps cinematographer Lukas Ettlin, who worked on "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" and 20th Century Fox’s upcoming "Revenge of the Nerds," to capture the city at its best during the holidays.
Almost everything about 87-minute film screams “professional� and “well-crafted,� including the music. Alexander’s violin playing is charming, as are original tunes from Liam O’Maonlai of Hothouse Flowers and Chris Trapper of The Push Stars.
"The Busker" slips just a bit during a few predictable Seamus-Ruby scenes that come across as less genuine and a little corny. During the film’s lighter moments, some attempts at humor fall flat, although that could be more of a judgment of the acting rather than the writing.
Croke penned the screenplay, which was selected as a semi-finalist from more than 5,000 scripts in the 2001 Academy of Motion Picture’s Nicholl Fellowship Awards — widely regarded as the nation’s most prestigious competition for aspiring screenwriters.
Here’s hoping Hollywood takes note of Croke, who knows how to tell a heartwarming story with just the right amount of conflict, reconciliation and love.
“The Busker� premieres on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. at the Cyrus W. Irish Auditorium, 50 French St., Lowell. Doors open at 6 p.m. and general admission is $10.
Andrew Ravens’ e-mail address is aravens@lowellsun.com.
Posted by Andy Ravens at 10:19 AM | Comments (0)
November 8, 2006
Hot Stove, Cool Times
It should be an emotional and fun night for Groton’s Peter Gammons Jan. 7 when the popular ESPN.com hardball scribe takes the stage at the biannual "Hot Stove, Cool Music" charity concert.
Gammons, who this summer made a successful recovery from a near-fatal aneurysm, will be joined by Theo Epstein, Joe Pernice and Kay Hanley at the seventh annual concert.
Members of Little Feat are also expected to appear at the show, which will be held at the Paradise in Boston and emceed once again by Nashua, N.H.’s Mike O’Malley.
Tickets are $40 and are available starting tomorrow (Thursday, Nov. 9) at 12 p.m. via the Paradise Web site: TheDise.com. Last year’s concert sold out in 48 hours so act fast.
Posted by Andy Ravens at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2006
Comedy Central: An Update
I wanted to give everyone an update on my “Legends of Comedy� tour that took place Friday: Pretty freakin’ cool day.
George Carlin, who appears at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on Oct. 29, called me at 12:20 p.m. – yikes! – a full hour before our interview. I was not ready! Fortunately, he was just calling to ask if we could schedule the interview later in the day. No problem, George.
So around 2:40 p.m. Carlin and I are speaking over the phone. I give the guy credit: He’s been interviewed a million times and routinely asked the same questions, and despite that he was still very gracious and genuine. I can’t say the same thing for other celebs I’ve spoken with.
Towards the end of our 15-minute talk I told Carlin that I was likely going to speak with Bill Cosby, who was performing at the LMA that night. I asked if they were friends and Carlin tells me he’s a loner who doesn’t hang out with people. I’m still not sure if that was meant to be a joke or the truth. Perhaps a bit of both.
So it’s now time to take in Cosby’s performance, which was funny. Standard Cosby. Lots of audience interviews and rants on married life.
The best part came after the show when my wife and I (thank-you LMA staff) spoke with the comedy legend for about 15 minutes in the Green Room. Just me, my wife and Cosby. Very cool.
We talked about our favorite “The Cosby Show� episodes, including the one where Theo decides he is ready to move out. That sketch, Cosby said, was based on his son Eniss’ similar plans.
As we finished up our chat, I told Cosby that I interviewed George Carlin earlier in the day. Cosby confessed he once stole a joke from Carlin. I wish I could remember which one, but I’m guessing it was one of Carlin’s earlier clean ones.
Posted by Andy Ravens at 3:39 PM | Comments (0)
October 2, 2006
Marty Nestor
If you are looking for some acoustic rock that's been described as "edgy as a jail house cup of coffee," check out Westford's Marty Nestor on Oct. 7 at the Celebration of the Arts and Antique Show in Dunstable.
Nestor plans to play from 12-3:30 p.m. (now that's a big set).
Go to here for more info.
Posted by Andy Ravens at 11:37 AM | Comments (0)