Tag: Jason Baldock

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Aquanutz @ Johnny D’s 1.26.2013

So, yeah, Aquanutz. I grew up on this stuff*, so I’m predisposed to like it. Hair metal is a thing for me. Plus, you guys/gals are/were in all kinds if sweet bands like Brownboot, The Decals, Gymnasium, Darkbuster, Cocked N’ Loaded, Heavy Stud, The Raging Teens, Noble Rot, Full Body Anchor, The Dents and about a thousand others. You’ve got a lot going for you. Oh, who am I kidding? You have everything going for you. I’m trying not to overplay my hand, but this friggin’ rules. You’re loose when you need to be loose and you’re tight when you need to be tight.** You rock the Whitesnake, White Lion, Poison, Bon Jovi, Lita Ford and Van Halen. I smile. I even tolerate your Scorpions.

Aquanutz, you play hair metal covers in Boston*** and I love you for it. Thanks.

* Well, this stuff, Barry Manilow, Anne Murray, Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb, anyway.

** Matt’s solo in “Wait” = tight. Damn. Note perfect. It’s rare that a guitar solo gets a genuine round of mid-song applause these days. This one was well deserved.

*** Somerville.

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Brownboot @ Radio 10.13.2012

If you’re going to throw a big birthday bash for your club with 14 bands over 12 hours, you better make sure whoever plays last can bring it. Richard Bouchard, who did an amazing job putting together One Year Of Radio*, wisely tapped Brownboot for the task of closing out the night. Their killer rhythm section and a double dose of guitar and vocal pyrotechnics made them a natural choice to close out a night that celebrated all that Aimee McGrath and the whole crew over at Radio have done for this community.

* Richard also happens to run the supermegafantastic Boston Band Crush, which was recently nominated for a Boston Music Award. Go vote for Boston Band Crush and then come back and look at these pictures.

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Brownboot @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 4.6.2012

Brownboot slayed. The band’s Rumble set had the feeling of a huge rock n’ roll band playing a secret show in a small club as a treat to their die hard fans. The guitars were loud, the songs brought the house down and everyone got sweaty. Talk about a band rising to the occasion. This was Brownboot’s finest moment. That was one hell of a show.

Preliminary Night #5 Winner: Bow Thayer And Perfect Trainwreck

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Aquanutz @ Moe’s Lounge 1.20.2012

I pretty much knew I was going to like Aquanutz. I grew up on hair metal, so this was right up my alley. I expected the Poison and Cinderella covers. I would have been happy to leave it at that. I got so much more.

When Aquanutz opened with “Slide It In”, I knew this show was going to exceed my already high expectations. When they covered “Blind In Texas” a couple of songs later I was all-in. I mean, who covers W.A.S.P. in 2012? Awesome bands do. Aquantuz does.

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The Shakes & Pony Show @ Moe’s Lounge 1.20.2012

Thank goodness this is the final night of The Shakes & Pony Show residency at Moe’s Lounge. I’m getting tired of Rod and Jason’s mind games. I’ve been to all three shows and I still can’t figure out what the hell a Shakes & Pony Show is. Sometimes it’s a crazy mix of cover tunes. That was fun. Sometimes it’s Brownboot. That was fun, too. Tonight it’s Rod and Jason playing some ’80s power ballads. That was… oh, I get it now.

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Brownboot @ Moe’s Lounge 1.13.2012

So…

It’s night #2 of the Shakes & Pony Show residency at Moe’s Lounge. There’s a band on stage*. I think Shakes is the drummer and Pony is the Nikki Sixx-looking fella playing Gene Dante’s guitar. This night was also billed as Rod, Jason & Friends doing the songs of Brownboot. It sure sounds like Brownboot.** Maybe Rod and Jason’s friends should start a Brownboot tribute band.

Oh, hey! It is Brownboot! There are a couple of new players here, but the songs remain the same. Elena Siegman (vocals) and Randy Knight (bass) join Rod Van Stoli, Jason Baldock, Matt Sullivan and Joe Kowalski in their ’70s rock n’ soul crusade. Someone has to fight the good fight.

* …and floor…

** …or some kind of foot stompin’ acoustic variation there of…

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The Shakes & Pony Show @ Moe’s Lounge 1.6.2012

Rodrigo Van Stoli and Jason Baldock were tasked with opening Moe’s Lounge* with a bang. The duo cooked up a residency where they would pick a different theme for each night** and assemble a ragtag group of local rockers to help them pull it off. Night one was Mixtape-Mixtape night, where the gang*** performed selections from the various nights of the MixTape series they’ve been involved with. What you ended up with was a mishmash of covers spanning decades. A couple of highlights were some great interplay between Rodrigo Van Stoli and Rona Mattocks on “Beast Of Burden” and a snappy cover of Robert Plant’s “Tall Cool One”. The night ended with a “Daydream Believer” singalong.

Welcome to The Shakes & Pony Show…

* Moe’s Lounge is downstairs at Radio. Seeing a show there is like hanging out in your friend’s basement. Good times.

** To find out what’s in store for the rest of the residency, check out this amazing poster by the wonderful and talented Nicole Anguish of Daykamp Creative.

*** Which at various times included 2/3 of Brownboot, 2/5 of Sidewalk Driver, 1/5 of The Future Everybody, 1/6 of Fit To Be Tied, all of Tad & Kate and 4/5 of Bright Lights, Big Rod.

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Magnum Force @ Radio 12.10.2011

Every MixTape show needs one band to suck it up and play the hits. Don’t re-interpret the songs. Don’t play the songs only the cool kids were into. Take one for the team. It’s MixTape 1988. Someone has to play “Kokomo”. In this case, it’s six somebodies. Six somebodies dressed in Hawaiian shirts, Detroit Tigers hats, short shorts and mustaches. Magnum Force.*

When I saw Brendan Boogie sporting an honest to goodness mustache early in the evening, he informed me it was part of his costume for the show. I immediately hoped it was a Weekend At Bernie’s reference and that Brendan Boogie would just play dead on stage. I guess my internal movie database** was off by a year, as that landmark film was released in 1989. I was only mildly disappointed at the Magnum P.I. theme.

* This band was originally billed as Pour Somerville Sugar On Me. Halfway through their set they changed their name to Hungry Guys.

** Hmmm… IMDB. That’s catchy.

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Bright Lights, Big Rod @ Radio 12.10.2011

Bright Lights, Big Rod. Let that sink in for a minute.

MixTape 1988 brought us a super duper supergroup. A superdupergroup. Bright Lights, Big Rod featured some of the fine folks that brought you Brownboot, Sidewalk Driver, Boston Band Crush, Parlour Bells, Noble Rot*, Low Static Romance, Bang Camaro, Bikini Whale, Waste Management, Boston.com and who knows what else. They joined forces to dust off some of the hippest songs of 1988. Like “In Your Room” by The Bangles. Seriously, how great a song is that?!?!

As much fun as the whole night was, MixTape 1988 will be defined by one thing for me: Bright Lights, Big Rod’s “Robert P Medley”. It was a seamless blend of Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible” and Robert Plant’s “Tall Cool One”. How could that not be awesome? It couldn’t not be awesome.

* Which I just mistyped as Noble Rod. I rule.