We may have said sayonara to the holidays proper, but at least five area musicians are still trying to “jingle” all the way… to a new car.
“I heard about the contest on the radio, and went for a Motley Crue-inspired theme,” Scott Lawson Pomeroy, best known for fronting local ’80s party band Orange Crush, says of his entry in the Country Nissan/Country Hyundai Jingle Contest that will put one lucky winner in the driver’s seat of a Hyundai Accent or Nissan Versa. “I thought my ‘You keep the keys, we’ll keep the dream alive’ was great, but [though I wasn’t chosen] I take consolation in the fact that my submission rocked harder than all the others!”
Among those still in the running with their “90 seconds or less masterpieces” are Eastlake Recording Studios owner/engineer Enoch Jensen and his bristly power-pop offering; former Infamous Shoeless Joe frontman Justin Calcasola; and Sunderland’s Joe Skutnik, who is also enjoying the distinction of having his band All Out‘s video for its first single (“Lights”) head for its 500,000th Youtube view, possibly in advance of the band’s Iron Horse appearance (Jan. 20) in support of Beantown-based houseparty heroes Bad Rabbits.
Voting for the Country Nissan/Country Hyundai Jingle Contest concludes at midnight on Monday, Jan. 24. To cast yours, kindly point your broswer to: http://lnk.ms/HdgrJ.
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In other news, guitarist Tristan Tash checked in recently with a winter Watcher (myspace.com/watcherband) update.
“Our bassist Theresa (Victoria Berard) was in Italy participating in a graphic design class,” Tash explains. “But with her back Stateside, we’re ready to get back to the business of playing out again.”
Said business kicked off at The Rendezvous in Turners Falls Jan. 8 and continues this Friday, Jan. 21, when Watcher takes to the Thornes Marketplace basement in Noho—formerly Dynamite Records. Speaking of records, Tash adds that the label she recently founded with bandmate Karen “Rudy” Renaud—Mohawk Cat—appears to be successfully clawing its way into the regional fabric as well.
“Mohawk’s primary purpose is to serve as a promotional vehicle for both Watcher and Acid Zoe, a side project I have which features Theresa on vocals,” the entrepreneurial six-stringer says. “So we released Watcher’s End of Tomorrow late last year, and I am just finishing up manufacturing of Acid Zoe’s debut. And the idea for it all is just to be self-sufficient and not depend on anyone else.”
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Meanwhile, Franklin County trio The Boxcar Lilies (boxcarlilies.com) pulls double duty this weekend, lending its name—and sizeable talent, considering that each of its members, Stephanie Marshall, Jenny Goodspeed and Katie Clark, were accomplished singers in their own rights prior to banding together—to the Big Names In a Small Room concert series at Elmer’s Store in Ashfield Saturday, Jan. 22 and a special House Concert in Florence Sunday, Jan. 23 hosted by Ruthy Woodring. Tickets for the former are $10 and can be combined with a dinner package for an additional $9; for the latter a donation of $5-$15 is suggested. Both shows also feature performances by the New York City-based duo of Jean Rohe and Illush Tsinadze.
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Last up, the British are coming… or, at least, two of the best American versions of the most popular acts ever to cross the pond. Beatlemania Again—resurrecting the Meet The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper and Get Back eras in particular—touches down at Noho’s Academy of Music (academyofmusictheatre.com) Jan. 22. That same evening, over at the Calvin (iheg.com), Zeppelin zealots Get The Led Out promise to keep the songs very much the same as they plow through an eclectic array of Led Zeppelin classics and chestnuts.
Catch the Nightcrawler every Wednesday at 8:50 a.m. on the Steve Cantara Radio Show, WRNX 100.9 FM. Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, PO Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email garycarra@aol.com.
