This may be the last Rock Beat of 2011 before I do the full round-up with all the videos and stats of everything I saw, as we did last year! 2010 we saw 139 individual local bands and I think we beat that number this year. I gotta crunch the math up but I’ll be back next week with the announcement – WHO DID I SEE THE MOST THIS YEAR! WHOA?! That should keep you on the edge of your seat through Xmas.
Before all that though – here’s what I think will be the last of my videos this year (unless someone drags me out of my end-of-december hibernation for a rock show. Seriously, you want me at your show, let me know- and make it worth my while! sophia@donotforsake.com).
12/15 we went to Church to catch an old friend (who moved to San Francisco) that we used to play with all solo acoustic all the time – roughly ten years ago – Bryan McPherson. I found his intensely political-personal songs to ring as true with me now as they did when we first met – and he put on a very rousing hometown performance just him, his acoustic guitar, and occasional harmonica. Bryan Video 1, Bryan Video 2, video 3:
Up next were Swaggerin’ Growlers – fighting irish punk at it’s finest: SG Video 1, SG Video 2, SG Video 3:
On 12/17 I had the pleasure of lending my band, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling to rock a benefit for The Children’s Room at The Regent Theatre on an amazing bill that started with Tanya Donelly and Bill Janovitz:
then the enormous power-pop of The Vivs :
and then the Big Dipper reunion! Big Dipper formed in the mid-80s and were an awesome post-rock alternative (back when “alternative” sort of meant something) band that had some big success. Merge even recently re-released some of their records! here’s their whole set:
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