The Takeaways

Celebrate Skanukkah at the Middle East with Local Bands

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20131201 skanukkahIt’s a little known fact that the fifth night of Hanukkah is the most important of all the nights, particularly among ska fans. Since medieval times, the festival of lights has been a time to gather, dance, and drink.

Actually that first part is made up and the second part could be true of any holiday. What’s absolutely true is that this year on that fifth night, the Middle East in Cambridge is host to 5 local ska and punk bands: The Takeaways, A Guy Named Guy, and Poor Jeremy from Boston, OFC666  from Turners Falls, MA and RF30 from Concord, NH. (The Stupid Stupid Henchmen were originally on this bill but had to drop off.) Will this evolve into an annual event akin to New Jersey’s Skanksgiving? We’re certainly not opposed to the idea!

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SHOP Releases 2nd Compilation Featuring Local Boston Ska Bands

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shop comp 2Allston-based production company S.H.O.P. released their 2nd compilation of local bands on July 25th. The compilation features a whopping 21 tracks and the incredibly affordable “name your own price” rate. SHOP explains the comp on their bandcamp page:

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FORT! The Last Show: July 10th Show at Middle East Club to be the Band’s Last

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fort promo

In a blow to those of us who like to party in basements with their friends, the Allston based FORT! The Band announced their last show via their Facebook Page on Sunday:

It was 6 years ago when a few art students and childhood friends found themselves in a basement on Mansfield Street, in Allston, Massachusetts. Through mutual appreciations for certain forms of art and entertainment they recognized a mutual interest in starting a band. They named themselves after a joke. With a bit of practice and thought, they soon enough were debuting their efforts in that very basement. Two other bands, Detonate, from Texas, and Marx Revolution, also played this show. If their self written biography is to be trusted, over the six following years, and through various incarnations, FORT! the Band brought their “rash, eclectic electricity to stages across the northeastern United States.” They made ten albums and went on three or four real rock and roll tours.

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