Bradley’s Almanac

Classified Rock : The Great Band Experiment of 2003

Posted on May 23, 2003 at 1:31 pm | No Comments

Ok, so I sometimes play the drums. Have been for a buncha years now. If you know me well, or have ever surfed through music section of this site, you’re probably aware of that already. It ain’t news. Neither is the fact that the last band I was in died an unexpected death last fall. A bummer, yeah, but life goes on. And so it has…

In a long-building fit of motivation and slight impatience, I placed an ad in the artists & musicians (neither of which I consider myself) section of craigslist yesterday. I threw it together in a few minutes, didn’t put a lot of thought into it, and clicked ‘post’. Easy enough.

Y’see, I’ve been waiting to rock again… I just kinda figured something would come along, y’know? Like the ad says, I’ve hardly ever had to force it… there’ve always been people around me who wanted to start something… the core of each new band comes together on it’s own. I’ve always been able to start things off with friends, not inter-met strangers (although in the one big exception to that, I got awfully freakin’ lucky with Matt, and by association, Mary, and I’m not just talking about their rock skillz, either.)

So I’ve waited long enough for fate to find me, and thought it was time to put something out there and push it along … at the very least to see who’s around, who’s looking, what the demand is for a not-quite-ready-to-sell-the-drum-kit kinda guy like me.

In the interests of science, and potentially slight amusement, I thought I’d chronicle the responses I get here on the ‘nac. Follow me on my little journey now, will you?

Responses, Day One :

1) The first guy invites me to join “a ska / rock band (without horns)”. Perhaps I should have put ‘no ska bands’ in my ad, too? My friends are picturing me in a ska band and laughin’ right about now. It’s even funnier without the horns.

2) A singer who is into Faith No More, James Brown, and Jane’s Addiction, and “music that makes you want to sing along and dance/move to.” He used the word ‘jam’ in his email, too… and not in a good way.

3) A band who just lost their drummer and is looking for “someone who can FEEL the beat and groove it.” Yes, he actually capitalized the word ‘feel’. Y’know, I’ve been accused of a lot of things in my life, but “grooving it” was never one of them.

4) Oddly enough, while I was writing this post, I just got one that actually looks pretty promising.

Oh, and in the event that this whole search thing is a bust, and only serves the purpose of padding some blog space, what should I write in my next ad? Which parts of the ad sucked? What am I missing that could help narrow the field, or did I say waaay too much? (I, um, tend to do that sometimes.) Let me know in the comments section below.

And yeah, go ahead my witty pals, make fun of me in there, too. You know you want to. You started thinking about it three sentences ago, ya bastards.

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  • BOSTON-AREA LIVE SHOW ACTION
    Tuesday, November 19th
    EARFULL
    Writers reading. Songwriters singing.
    with authors
    Joan Wickersham & Abbott Kahler
    and performers
    Joanne the Band & Tim Gearan
    @ the Burren Back Room

    Tuesday, November 19th
    Modest Mouse
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Wednesday, November 20th
    A.C. Newman (New P0rnographers)
    celebrates the 20th anniversary
    of his LP "The Slow Wonder"
    @ City Winery

    Thursday, November 21st
    An Evening with John Waters
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    Primal Rat Screw
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, November 22nd
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    featuring vocalist Robin Wilson
    @ City Winery

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    Runnner
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    Saturday, November 23rd
    J Mascis
    @ the Sinclair

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    Tyler + the Names
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    The Spatulas
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    November 26th & 27th
    The English Beat
    @ City Winery

    Friday, November 29th
    Caspian
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Saturday, November 30th
    Honoring Steve Morse
    All ages @ the Middle East

    Sunday, December 1st
    Interpol
    Cave In
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, December 1st
    Gillian Welch &
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    @ the Wilbur

    Wednesday, December 4th
    The Ladybug Transistor
    Lightheaded
    Mark Robinson (Unrest/Air Miami)
    @ Deep Cuts

    Thursday, December 5th
    Shawn Colvin
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Thursday, December 5th
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    Devon Allman, Duane Betts,
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    Cody Dickinson, Jimmy Hall,
    Anders Osborne, Larry McCray,
    Lindsay Lou, Jackie Greene, G. Love,
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    @ the Orpheum

    Friday, December 6th
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    Chris Brokaw Rock Band
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    Friday, December 6th
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    The Figgs
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    Past Life Crisis
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    Looking For Rocks
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    BEAT plays the music
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    featuring Adrian Belew, Steve Vai,
    Tony Levin, & Danny Carey
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    Saturday, December 7th
    Ted Leo & Aimee Mann's
    The Christmas Show!
    with Paul F. Tompkins,
    Nellie McKay, Josh Gondelman,
    & "other fun stuff"
    @ the Cabot, Beverly, MA

    Sunday, December 8th
    Footballhead
    New Age Thief
    @ Warehouse XI

    Monday, December 9th
    Joyce Manor celebrating
    10 years of 'Never Hungover Again'
    with Algnernon Cadwallader
    & the Ergs
    @ the Royale

    Thursday, December 12th
    Squirrel Nut Zipper
    @ the Cabot, Beverly, MA

    Thursday, December 12th
    Wednesday (solo)
    Cryogeyser (solo)
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Thursday, December 12th
    The Jesus Lizard
    Pile
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, December 13th
    Suki Waterhouse
    Bully
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday & Sunday
    December 14th & 15th
    They Might Be Giants
    @ the Orpheum

    Sunday, December 15th
    Tiny Moving Parts
    Action/Adventure
    Greywind
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Friday, December 20th
    MK Naomi
    Sun Urchins
    Arto Vaun
    @ Deep Cuts

    Saturday, December 21st
    The Del Fuegos
    Holiday Shows!
    2 shows @ City Winery

    Friday, December 27th
    Will Dailey
    full album performance
    @ the Burren

    Tuesday, December 31st
    Aerosmith (farewell tour)
    with the Black Crowes
    @ TD Garden

    Saturday, January 4th
    The Sheila Divine
    Baabes
    Teardrops
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, January 16th
    Kal Marks
    Paper Lady
    @ Deep Cuts

    Friday, January 17th
    Speedy Ortiz
    Grass Is Green
    & a surprise guest
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Sunday, January 19th
    Cracker
    @ the Middle East

    Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday
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    Robert Glasper
    two shows each day
    @ City Winery

    Tuesday, January 21st
    This Is Lorelei
    Youbet
    @ the Rockwell

    Saturday, January 25th
    Stereo MC's
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, January 31st
    Half Waif
    See You At The Maypole
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Friday, January 31st
    Jamie XX
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, January 31st
    Frank Black & his band
    play "Teenager of the Year"
    @ the House of Blues

    Saturday, February 1st
    Stuart Murdoch
    (Belle & Sebastian)
    "Nobody's Empire" book tour
    @ the Rockwell

    Saturday & Sunday
    February 1st & 2nd
    The Bowery Presents &
    Run For Cover Records
    present "Something In The Way"
    with
    Slowdive, Balance & Composure,
    Soccer Mommy, American Football,
    Fiddlehead, Mannequin Pussy,
    Militarie Gun, Sweet Pill, Anxious,
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    Enumclaw, Sadurn, Gouge Away,
    Mini Trees, Great Grandpa, Dazy,
    Wishy, My Fictions, Women in Peril,
    & more TBA
    @ Roadrunner

    Tuesday, February 4th
    Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains)
    Filter
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    Friday, February 7th
    Rubblebucket
    Hannah Mohan
    @ Big Night Live

    Monday, February 10th
    Tim Heidecker
    DJ Douggpound
    @ the Royale

    Tuesday, February 11th
    Lauren Mayberry (Chvrches)
    @ the Royale

    Thursday, February 13th
    Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Saturday, February 15th
    Travis
    @ the Royale

    Monday & Tuesday
    February 17th & 18th
    Jack White
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday, February 22nd
    Father John Misty
    Destroyer
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Sunday, February 23rd
    Jenny Owens Young
    @ Club Passim

    Thursday, February 27th
    Pom Pom Squad
    Caroline Kingsbury
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, February 28th
    The Bevis Frond
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Friday, March 7th
    Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy,
    & friends mark the 40th anniversary of
    R.E.M.'s "Fables of the Reconstruction"
    (and more) with opener Dave Hill
    @ the Royale

    Monday, March 10th
    Kim Deal
    @ the Wilbur

    Friday, March 14th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Menzingers
    Kilograms

    Saturday, March 15th
    Hovvdy
    Video Age
    @ the Middle East Downstairs

    Saturday, March 15th
    Dream Theater
    40th Anniversary Tour
    @ the Wang

    Saturday, March 15th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Menzingers
    Teenage Bottlerocket
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Sunday, March 16th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Bouncing Souls
    Hot Water Music
    Rebuilder
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Monday, March 17th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Bouncing Souls
    Hot Water Music
    Cody Nilson
    @ House of Blues

    Wednesday, March 19th
    Quicksand
    @ the Paradise

    Thursday, March 20th
    Neil Degrasse Tyson
    @ the Wilbur

    Sunday, March 23rd
    Ida & Tsunami!
    the Coin-Flip tour!
    @ Crystal Ballroom

    Thursday, March 27th
    José González
    @ the Cabot in Beverly

    Saturday, March 29th
    Maya Hawke
    Katy Kirby
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, March 30th
    The Hard Quartet
    Sharp Pins
    @ the Paradise

    Saturday, April 5th
    Snow Patrol
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Saturday, April 5th
    Franz Ferdinand
    @ the Orpheum

    Tuesday, April 8th
    Deftones
    The Mars Volta
    Fleshwater
    @ TD Garden

    Wednesday, April 9th
    Kylie Minogue
    @ the Garden

    Thursday, April 10th
    FACS
    @ Deep Cuts

    Friday, April 11th
    Mogwai
    @ the Paradise

    Saturday, April 12th
    Franz Ferdinand
    @ the Orpheum

    Sunday, April 13th
    EXTC
    (Terry Chambers & friends)
    @ City Winery

    Sunday, April 13th
    Heart
    @ Agganis Arena

    Tuesday, April 15th
    Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
    St. Vincent
    @ Agganis Arena

    Thursday, April 17th
    Mercury Rev
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Friday, April 18th
    Mount Eerie
    Hana Stretton
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, April 18th
    Bright Eyes
    Cursive
    @ House of Blues

    Sunday, April 20th
    Gang of Four
    "The Long Goodbye" farewell tour
    playing "Entertainment!" & more
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Wednesday, April 23rd
    Dweezil Zappa
    @ the Cabot, Beverly, MA

    Wednesday, April 23rd
    The Linda Lindas
    Pinkshift
    @ the Paradise

    Friday & Saturday
    April 25th & 26th
    The Town and the City Festival!
    @ various venues in Lowell

    Saturday, May 17th
    Amyl & the Sniffers
    Sheer Mag
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday, May 24th
    The Wedding Present
    "Bizarro" 35th Anniversary Tour
    with The Tubs
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, May 30th
    Teddy Swims
    @ Suffolk Downs

    Friday, June 6th
    The Ocean Blue
    playing their self-titled LP
    and their "Cerulean" LP
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Tuesday & Wednesday
    June 10th & 11th
    Queens of the Stone Age
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Monday, July 7th
    OMD
    @ House of Blues

    Tuesday, July 15th
    Weird Al Yankovic
    @ the Wang

    Friday & Saturday
    July 18th & 19th
    PIXIES
    performing "Bossanova"
    & "Trompe Le Monde" (18th)
    and a set of classics (19th)
    with Kurt Vile & the Violators
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Monday, July 21st
    Ghost
    @ TD Garden

    Saturday, July 26th
    Rod Stewart
    Cheap Trick
    @ the Xfinity Center

    Tuesday, July 29th
    Goo Goo Dolls
    Dashboard Confessional
    @ the Pavilion

    Sunday, September 7th
    My Chemical Romance
    Idles
    @ Fenway Park