Calendar
Bit O’ Trivia: David Johnston also appears in the opening scene of Ben Affleck’s 2010 film The Town, playing outside a Harvard Square bank just before it is robbed.
Ryan Alvanos is a poet by training, editor by trade, songwriter by passion, busker by calling, and whim-blown vagabond by good fortune.
Brian Chaffee has something he wants to share, something he’s kept bottled up inside that he needs to let out: his music. But not just music he’s written and performed, music he’s lived and breathed. – The Pulse
Come share your vinyl! Record lovers unite at Toad on Sunday afternoons – for a day of song sharing, sipping drinks, and chatting about their favorite music. Toad is a cozy neighborhood bar that hosts live bands every night, but at Sunday Spins, the patrons appreciate music in a different format. People bring their vinyl records and sign up for a slot to play two songs at a time.
Led by Lyle Brewer, Eleanor Bigsby takes you on a trip down memory [penny] lane with killer instrumental Beatles tunes!
David Johnston is a regular fixture in Harvard Square. You can find him on just about any sunny afternoon with his old Gibson guitar, his signature black jeans, black hat, and a white bucket to catch the dollar bills —
Founding member of The Figgs (started in 1987), The Gentlemen (started in 1999), and The Rapid Shave (started in 2009). Mike Gent played with many other artists and bands as well, including Graham Parker, Mike Viola/Candy Butchers, Tommy Stinson, etc
The Blue Ribbons was formed by singer/songwriter/keyboardist James Rohr.
They have been building a base of devoted fans withtheir original and soulful music.
Described as
“Ray Charles and Tom Waits on a pirate ship with Sun Ra and Captain Beefheart,” they
combine “upbeat disillusionment and celebratory fatalism with musicianship” – Charan Devereux;Boston Globe.
FANDANGO is as much a spiritual renewal as it is a reinterpretation of some of the best soul, blues, gospel, and Americana music ever written. With a loyal flock of followers (the flock that rock) to their weekly Wednesday night residency at TOAD in Cambridge, FANDANGO fuels frontman Fred Griffeth to lead this congregation into soul and R&B righteousness! For he is like a refiner of fire and he shall purify!
“Ask not for whom the Fandan goes. It goes for thee. On Wednesday donchaknow.” –
BAKER THOMAS BAND “…kind of a musical Robin Hood, robbing freely from the classic roots of American music and bringing it back to the common folks.” – Billy Beard, Talent buyer/Boston Session drummer.
“John Hanifin loved the cello when he was a kid. He still does and he’s having more fun than ever with exciting arco, pizzicato and flamenco techniques while fronting his own band . . . “
– Strings Magazine (Jan 14, 2015)
You can have a sneak preview of Samantha Farrell right HERE in her official video filmed right here at TOAD –
The Little Compton Band embodies a new age of roots rock. Camaraderie around small town living, improvised musical journeys, and a commitment to craft has forged this powerful group.
On a seaside farm in southern Rhode Island, the five friends began making music at a young age.
Through the years, the LCB has developed a sound that is remarkably classic in nature. A common infatuation with the musical languages of soul, jazz, country western, and blues, coupled with their spiritual connection to the rural north, created a unique sound that transcends the status quo.
Bring your vinyl over for a spin! Or perhaps pick some up on your way at The Somerville Flea!
“Being compared by critics to Lucinda Williams and making the CMA CloseUp Magazine’s “Who New To Watch in 2013” list have got to be hard to live up to, but Juliet and the Lonesome Romeos do just that with their debut album, No Regrets. The final track here is her finest moment – the waltz “Learn to Love Again” – where she must dip into someplace deep for such longing in her performance. Not since Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine” has ¾-time deserved a spot back on contemporary radio playlists. (Please hit the link to read full review.)”
Janet Goodman – Music News Nashville
More triva! Peter Wolf, whose brilliant Midnight Souvenirs—released in 2010—included David Johnston’s “I Don’t Wanna Know.” This song went on to become the second single from that album, and was performed on the David Letterman Show in June of 2010.
Blue Mondays at TOAD – Listen to Dennis Brennan: “Hey all you progressives, radicals and outcasts out there. It’s Monday and time for the blues with THE WHITE OWLS, featuring Tim Gearan, Jim Haggerty, Andy Plaisted, Steve Sadler & me along with David Johnston starting the night off.”
Start your evening right with the Residency Finale with Mike Gent -right before The Blue Ribbons last show of the season – sigh . .
Friends, we here at The Blue Ribbons Propulsion/Stagnation/Existential Laboratories would like to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all y’all who have been coming out to TOAD on Tuesday nights. It truly is a beautiful thing to be together sharing the moment, even if that moment is loud and confusing sometimes. Thank you for listening, dancing, loving it, hating it, ignoring it…the important part is that we are all agreeing to be together for a few hours being human.
Running with the Dr. Seuss notion that clever rhymes can woo pretty much anybody, Pat & the Hats are conquering the local music scene one swooning fan at a time.
Todd Thibaud is a Vermont born, Boston based Singer-Songwriter who’s songs are a slice of what life is really like…the pains and pleasures, love lost and life reborn. Using songwriters like Elvis Costello, Neil Finn, Johnny Cash and John Hiatt for inspiration, Thibaud has built a sound that is entirely his own. His music is meshed with elements of Americana, Folk, Country and Roots Pop Rock, making it seem at once familiar and new.
For Reals . . . EVERYBODY’S in the BAKER THOMAS BAND!
Tim Mann‘s original material mixes a heavy dose of 60s British pop (Beatles, Kinks, Rolling Stones) with a pervading undercurrent of American roots rock (Byrds, Dylan, The Band, Neil Young) to form a blend of contemporary nostalgia, in the vein of Tom Petty and Elliott Smith.
Hypnotic blues grooves fueled by vintage soul and Rock ‘n Roll –
Fronted by Boston-based blue singer/guitarist, the award winning Barrett Anderson Band packs a mesmerizing, backbeat-heavy, hypo-boogie punch.
Sunday Spins! – Vinyl Lovers Unite! 3-8pm every Sunday!
Sign up on the list and play two songs each turn.
“What I do has been shaped by the streets,” Johnston said. “I played in bands since I was a kid, but the idea of playing solo, by myself was kind of scary…I can do whatever I want because they’re not really listening to me. But that changed. And I remember the first time I drew a crowd…it’s like a gig.
The White Owls‘ Blues music + bevvies = big fun ! So simple ! ! !
In 2009, when multi-award-winning singer-songwriters Amy Fairchild and Carla Ryder decided to combine their voices and join forces to start a band, Miriam was born.
Harmony singin’, lead vocal swappin’, ass-kickin’ fun.
“wont you wear my crown, up around your neck”? John Powhida International Airport wins the Boston 2011 Rock nd Roll Rumble! Hot Dog! 5 yrs after The Rudds took silver JPX takes Gold!!!
They’re creepy and they’re kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They’re altogether ooky,
. . . . FANDANGO!
Mike Hastings Band are lyrically based roots rockers that have built a solid reputation by playing super fun live shows at many of the areas best venues . . .
