While the country still seems to be basking in the glow of Michael Phelps and his historic medal count (or Youtubing that Cuban tae kwon do guy kicking the referee in the face), the Valley's own Jose Ayerve has quietly mined an oft-overlooked musical niche—professional sports—and achieved incredible results in his own right.
First he tackled the silver screen, and his ode to the notorious BoSox bad boy turned dread-headed Dodger, "Moonshoot Manny," found its way behind the credit sequence of the Farrelly brothers flick Fever Pitch. Now he and his bandmates in Spouse appear to have struck small-screen gold, with their tune "Tonight" getting tapped by ESPN to play behind the opening intro of the 20 NFL football games they'll be airing this year.
"If I were tasked with actually composing the official soundtrack for any televised sport, I would be incredibly happy," the Colombia-born crooner says. "I don't mind the progression from baseball to football, either, but everyone who knows me will tell you I'm actually a giant aficionado of tennis!"
When not espousing his views fronting Spouse, the tennis-smitten singer/songwriter has also been known to make a racket with The Nuclear Waste Management Club ("look for a new disc from them in a month or two," he notes) and mans the other side of the recording board—producing and engineering for the likes of The Winterpills, Pernice Brothers and New Radiant Storm King—just as frequently.
"I firmly believe that you can't appreciate one without understanding the demands of the other," he says of his double duties. "And while I'm really enjoying the live sets, I'm truly in my element when doing nothing but recording and collaborating with talented musicians."
Spouse's "Tonight" kicks off the NFL season on ESPN Monday, Sept. 8, when the Vikings attempt to tame to the Favre-less Packers. On Saturday, Sept. 13, Spouse is slated to lend support to yet another Ayerve-enhanced project, Haunt, for an official CD release party at the Pearl Street Clubroom.
Speaking of precious metals& the normally reclusive and formerly substance-abusive Silver Jews have signed on to perform at the Iron Horse Thursday, Sept. 4. The local stop comes courtesy of a mini-tour assembled to promote their newest release, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. The band's frontman and only mainstay, David Berman, may be best known for his association with the founding members of Pavement. Bay Staters in particular, however, may also be interested to know that he received his Masters in Fine Arts right here at UMass-Amherst.
Meanwhile, over at Chicopee's Maximum Capacity this Tuesday, Sept. 9, Tony Barrineau of BlasterMonkey Productions is setting up one of the more unusual meat and greets to come down the Pike in some time.
Throughout the evening, attendees will be able to experience sets by some of the area's hottest up-and-comers including Dwell, Wrenchneck, Deadman's Dossier and more. In turn, the local notables will have the chance to get acquainted with—and share the stage with—the evening's headliners, national artists Infernaeon and Murderous Embrace. And through it all, Barrineau promises that hearty portions of USDA choice beef—and fries—will be flying out of the Max Cap kitchen.
"We're calling it Metal Hamburger Night," he says. "And hey, with this much metal, we figured people may need some sustenance to keep them going! But seriously, giving a hamburg and fries to everyone is also in keeping with the night's vibe and community spirit. There are a lot of bands involved and some prizes, but in no way do we want this to come off like a battle." For more info on Barrineau's battle-less beef bash, visit themonkeysoven.com.
Last up, after a decade of peddling power pop and rock, Springfield's Drunk In July called it quits two years ago. Maybe they were too drunk this July or too hungover this August, but according to drummer Bryan Klein, the band has decided to reunite for one show only. And that show will be Friday, Sept. 5, at Maximum Capacity as well."
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
