Noho’s And The Kids are more than allright. In fact, they’ve been called everything from “fearless and entertaining” to one of “Western Massachusetts’ indie scene’s brightest creative lights,” depending on whom you ask. The observations cited just happened to come from NPR Music and Pitchfork Media, incidentally. Advocate readers also deemed the “apocaylptic pop rockers” best local band in 2015.
“I feel like we hadn’t hit the nail on the head yet with a representation of our live show, and this does it,” percussionist/synth player Megan Miller says of the band’s recently pressed debut full-length Turn To Each Other — an accomplishment that generated much of the aforementioned praise and will be celebrated this Friday, June 12 at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke with Connecticut’s Parsonfield and local notables the Basement Cats in tow. As fate — and international law — would have it, however, Miller was recently detained at the border of her native Canada and will not be in attendance this weekend. Bassist Taliana Katz has been hired to fill the void in the interim. Tix are $12. Beer garden and barbecue begin at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.
Speaking of kidding around, scene staple Henning Ohlenbusch has hooked up with what is turning out to be a wildly successful reunion with Polaris — a band that, until recently, had only been heard via Nickelodeon’s 1992-1996 The Adventures of Pete & Pete show.
“I started working with Polaris’ Mark Mulcahy over 10 years ago for an operatic piece he was doing with cartoonist Ben Katchor,” Ohlenbush says. “A few years ago, we also did an entire album of his at my place. So, when the idea for a Polaris reunion came up, Mark asked if I would be interested in taking the role of the fourth member in the trio — picking up guitar leads, harmonies, and keyboards. I think we’ve done about 20 shows around the country thus far, and our eighth concert ever — recorded in Chicago — turned out to be a double live album.”
In between the sold-out shows that have lured the likes of former Pete & Pete special guest Michael Stipe to check them out, Ohlenbusch and his Rub Wrongways Records are doling out a steady stream of local offerings this month as well. These include, but are not limited to, The Salvation Army String Band on the Easthampton Cultural Chaos Main Stage June 13; Beach Honey and the Gaslight Tinkers on the Forbes’ Library Lawn in Noho June 17; and The Fawns, EZTV, Gracefully Aging Hippie Soloist, and Baby Barnyard at the Thirteenth Floor Music Lounge in Florence June 20.
Last but not least, there appears to be something rather Phishy going on at Noho’s Academy of Music this Father’s Day, June 21. Namely, a solo show for Mike Gordon — founding bassist for the legendary, Vermont jam band Phish — with a few of his friends in tow.
“I like the idea of breaking down boundaries,” Gordon says of his impending Overstep tour, which reportedly boasts an “oversized, interactive piano-like instrument” as its centerpiece and touch-sensitive panels that will allow audience members to trigger sounds and jam with the band, among other theatrics and curiosities.”
Stay posted for the Crawler’s exclusive interview with Gordon closer to that one!•
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email garycarra@aol.com.
