Brace yourself, Boston. There’s gonna be rock ‘n’ roll all over you Friday night.

There’s a show I’d like to go to just about every night somewhere in this town. Some nights it can be tough to choose just one. Friday night is going to be impossible. Fourteen lovable Daykamp Music alumni will be taking the stage at five different area venues on October 17th. My brain is melting. What to do? Let’s see if we can figure this out together.

The last time White Dynomite and The Field Effect played together was one heck of a show.
The last time White Dynomite and The Field Effect played together was one heck of a show.

Let’s start at The Middle East Upstairs for a very good cause. Township, White Dynomite, The Field Effect and Triple Thick will be there for Crash Safely along with Animal Hospital. That’s alotta rock, with the money raised going to support The National MS Society. (FB Event)

Cask Mouse are doing it for the animals.
Cask Mouse are doing it for the animals.

Maybe you want to do good with your show-going dollars, but that show isn’t your thing? You could always head next door to TT’s for the latest installment of the Boston Does Boston benefit for the Animal Rescue League Of Boston. Cask Mouse, The Rationales, The Daily Pravda, Muy Cansado and The Fatal Flaw will be joined by Dave Crespo’s After Party at that one. (FB Event)

Doom Lover look harmless, but they'll kill you and immortalize you in song.
Doom Lover look harmless, but they’ll kill you and immortalize you in song.

If you’re caught up in the Boston Music Awards buzz and want to check out New Artist Of The Year nominee The Color And The Sound, then Church is the place for you. Bonus time! Doom Lover are on that bill, too. Daykamp Music loves them, but we secretly worry they’re plotting our demise. At least they’ll write a creepy-cool song about it. (FB Event)

Answerman eats PAs. I mean Answerman *at* PA's.
Answerman eats PAs. I mean Answerman *at* PA’s.

How about Answerman and Barricades at PA’s with Go Blank and Emergency Exit? Couldn’t fault you for that one, either. (FB Event)

Just another ordinary Gondoliers show.
Just another ordinary Gondoliers show.

If you can’t find something to like in one of those shows, there’s nothing I can do for you. Oh wait! Yes there is! You can go see Gondoliers at Cuisine en Locale with Shepherdess and Planet Of Adventure. This show is being filmed. I can’t even image what Gondoliers have up their sleeves. I can’t wait to see. (FB Event)

Crash Safely poster by Nicole Anguish of Daykamp Creative.
Crash Safely poster by Nicole Anguish of Daykamp Creative.

Crazy Alice @ The Middle East Downstairs 10.4.2014

When the Pipeline! at 25 shows were announced, I kinda freaked out over some of the reunions that were scheduled. Orangutang? Quintaine Americana? Kudgel? Must see. Oh, they’re all on the same night? Mind blown. Right near the tippy-top of my Bands-I-Will-Not-Miss list was Night #9 opener Crazy Alice. Their brand of off-the-rails Superchunk meets The Replacements meets Hüsker Dü nonsense is right up my alley. I’ve loved these guys from the first time I saw them shortly before they disbanded. Thanks to Bob Dubrow and his crazy idea to get every band in Boston to reunite, I got another chance to see one of my favorites.

They were the best damn chickens in the fair.

Fuzzy @ The Middle East Downstairs 10.3.2014

Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Fuzzy!

OK. I think I’ve got that out of my system. Fuzzy is just one of those bands that will make me do stuff like that. I’m a sucker for their perfectly succinct indie rock nuggets. The band played The Middle East Downstairs as part of the Pipeline! at 25 shows and I smiled the whole time.

Maybe only knowing half of the Boston Music Awards nominees is a good thing.

Petty Morals picked up two nominations.
Petty Morals picked up two nominations.

It’s Boston Music Awards season. Time for some spirited online banter!

Discussions about who deserves to win a Boston Music Award are generally conducted with a modicum of civility. It’s usually not until after the winners are announced when things get really ugly. Talk of overlooked acts is touchier. Reactions range from understandable disappointment to vitriol revolving around conspiracy theories, systematic corruption, sacrificial rituals and secret handshakes. And they would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for those meddling kids! Wait, what? Forget I said anything.

Sidewalk Driver are nominated for Live Artist Of The Year.
Sidewalk Driver are nominated for Live Artist Of The Year.

I’ll leave reporting on the above topics, including valid concerns and potential solutions, to the professionals. There’s something else that worries me. A common criticism of the Boston Music Awards goes something like this:

I’m actively involved in the Boston music scene and I’ve only heard of half of these bands.

Look, I want all of my favorite bands to get recognized, too, but you’ve got to be kidding me with this. Is this really a problem? Let’s look at it another way:

Congratulations! You know half of the Boston Music Awards nominees!

How great is that? Our music scene is so vibrant and so prolific that you, a person with a finger on the pulse and a ear to the ground, are only familiar with half of the acts. That’s incredible! What a wonderful opportunity to discover new music this is for you. Why not check out some of those artists that you’ve never heard of. Maybe you’ll even like one or two of them.

Going into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble the past couple of years, I’ve know about half of the bands before hand. I’ve written in the past about what an exciting prospect that is. I feel the same way about the Boston Music Awards. Doing a quick tally, it turns out I’m familiar with 45 of the 90 or so musical acts that earned nominations. Lucky me. I’ve got some listening to do.

Daykamp Music is proud and maybe a little lucky to be a 2014 Boston Music Award nominee. A vote for Daykamp Music is a vote for more Scooby Doo references in blog posts.

Nate Leavitt is nominated for Singer-Songwriter Of The Year.
Nate Leavitt is nominated for Singer-Songwriter Of The Year.