Many is the journalist—yours truly included—who has been the target of name-calling for committing the sin of getting someone else’s proper one wrong.
In the curious case of the Texas-based Americana outfit Band of Heathens, however, an apparent misprint in a local publication of note did something far from inspiring such ire. In fact, as one of the band’s principal songwriters, Colin Brooks, recalls, it inspired—it instilled in what was then little more than a loosely knit collective of area musicians a sudden sense of purpose and direction.
“We certainly weren’t thinking of naming the band at the time because we weren’t even thinking about being one,” he explains. “It was just a jam on Wednesday nights at a club called Momos. They used to call it the Good Time Supper Club. But somehow Band of Heathens made it into the paper and it stuck.”
With both a moniker and a fan base in place, the newly dubbed Heathens began taking the show on the road in 2005—securing slots at several major festivals, including Lollapalooza, and on Austin City Limits on a bill that included Elvis Costello.
Six years, three CDs and more than 200 shows later, Band of Heathens makes a stand at Noho’s celebrated Iron Horse Music Hall (iheg.com) this Friday, Aug. 5.
Tix are $12.50 in advance, $15 at the door.
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In other news, Chicopee’s Maximum Capacity reopens this week on the heels of its “weiner-gate” scandal. Apparently one the performers in a recent Men In Motion male dance revue unwittingly revealed his manhood before an undercover officer during a covert sting operation at the popular venue. Based on what said officer saw, 1) it was very cold in the room, and 2) the club had its liquor and entertainment licenses suspended for 10 days. (Just kidding about number one.)
The shutdown began July 24, and according to club officials, the down time was utilized to do some light remodeling, including a new bathroom and a larger stage and enhanced lightshow on the main floor.
The first large act to be able to test the new facilities will be ’90s rockers Firehouse, who come to town Aug. 12. Soft openings for the new, upscale nightclub Remix upstairs will occur Aug. 6 and 13, yielding to a grand opening party proper on Aug. 20 with DJ Fooz.
“Remix will feature virtually no hip-hop, more fast-tempo remixes and house,” says owner/manager Donald Robert. “There will also be a strict dress code and an overall mature atmosphere.”
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Last but not least, self-appointed “megastar” George Dorunda (dorunda.com) makes his annual pilgrimage north to play host to the 14th installment of his “Lunch With The Entertainment Greats.”
“We should have an interesting cross-collection of 30 to 40 characters from the regional entertainment industry, including music, broadcasting, and even a wrestling promoter or two,” he says of the Aug. 8 event slated for the Hometown Buffet in West Springfield starting at 11:30 a.m.
The only cost is the actual price of the buffet, approximately $8, and the luncheon is open to all.
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Also on Monday, Aug. 8, celebrated cellist Inbal Segev—touted for her “warm, beautiful tone” by Strings Magazine—holds court at the mansion and Gilded Age museum Ventfort Hall in Lenox starting at 7 p.m. The show is the continuation of a larger summer series titled 3 Evenings with Keisuke Wakao, Members of the BSO and other Distinguished Musicians, and all of its proceeds are earmarked for Japanese tsunami cleanup efforts. For tickets ($30 for adults and $7 for children), call (413) 637-3206 or visit www.gildedage.org.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, PO Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
