BOSTON - Boston spent $1.4 million on police overtime at the Occupy Boston encampment, but overall police overtime was down in 2011 by about 6 percent.
Former Massachusetts House Speaker turned convicted felon Sal DiMasi is on the move this morning. The Federal Bureau of Prison's Web site lists DiMasi as on the move. Earlier this week, he was moved from a prison in Kentucky to a prison in Brooklyn.
Imagine this holiday gathering, will you? Tom Brady is reportedly getting a new brother-in-law from another Boston sports team. The Boston Herald reports Kevin Youkilis is engaged to Brady's sister, Julie.
BOSTON  - Troy Schoeller admits he could have chosen his words more carefully when he talked to a reporter about bodies he worked on as an embalmer at a funeral home.
HOLYOKE, Mass. - Authorities say 20 people have been arrested in a multi-agency drug and gang sweep in Holyoke. Hampden District Attorney Mark Mastroianni says those arrested Thursday face a variety of drug charges.
WILBRAHAM, Mass. - The chief executive of the Friendly's restaurant chain has announced he is stepping down after 18 months on the job and a month after the company emerged from bankruptcy protection.
A dog from South Hamilton is on the road to recovery. He had a four-centimeter long stick removed from his eye. Doctors say 8-year-old Jake was running through the woods with his owner in December when he ran face first into a tree branch.
Anyone who had a chance to watch Benicia High School's production of “Beauty and the Beast” experienced a very special event. This writer’s task was to observe the high school orchestra at work, but it was hard to ignore the impressive set and performances as well..Get Beauty and the Beast tickets packages at discounted rates.
When: May 29, 2012 7 PM to May 30, 2012 1 AMin Boston, Massachusetts Cost: 85$ (Tue, 29 May 2012 19 )
Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors find themselves in the midst of a creative revival of popular music in Nashville, where artists like Kings of Leon, Jack White, Mat Kearney, and a legion of other national acts have re-invented the reputation of Nashville as a hotbed of music beyond the realm of Country. Holcomb and his band have found their own unique niche in this scene, with their 2008 LP, Passenger Seat, and their 2009 EP, Live Forever, both debuting at #2 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts. They’ve also had multiple TV placements on shows like NBC’s Parenthood, Oprah, Army Wives, The Cleaner, and others, proving that Holcomb’s career has stretched far beyond the TN state limits where he was born and raised. Seven years ago, when Holcomb graduated from college in Knoxville, TN he never expected he would spend his twenties touring the country playing music, but that is exactly what he and his wife Ellie, and his band, the Neighbors, have been doing since coming together in 2006. When not out on the road touring, they have recorded and released three independent albums, selling over 35,000 records all without the help of a record label. Keeping in that same independent vein, over the past half-decade Holcomb & the Neighbors have played over 1,000 tour dates and garnered a massive following in the Southeast club scene all without the assistance of a booking agent, proving the undeniable authenticity of the band’s talent and genuine appeal to the masses. With so much success happening across the board for Holcomb & the Neighbors, the band knew it was time to return to the studio in 2010 to give their fans the album they’d been wanting to make for years. The anticipation for that new project, Chasing Someday, has been enormous amongst the Neighbors’ ever-growing and intensely loyal fan-base. Drew explains, “Over the past year or so things have really just started to click. We’re reaching that tipping point with our fans, and it really hit me about 8 months ago when we played Austin for the first time on a weeknight and had 300 kids at Stubbs singing every word. It’s been pretty phenomenal to see things building like this.” That enthusiasm spread over into a fan driven fundraising campaign for Chasing Someday earlier this fall, which brought in over $15,000 in 6 days, validating the passion and dedication amongst the band’s core fans. For Chasing Someday Holcomb wrote over 25 songs and a final twelve were selected to be recorded and produced by Andy Hunt at his East Nashville Wide Studios. Hunt is one of Nashville’s young and upcoming producers who learned his craft working for Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Cold War Kids, Norah Jones) and Dennis Herring (Elvis Costello, Modest Mouse, Counting Crows) during his formative years. It is difficult to categorize Chasing Someday when its sounds are vast and diverse. The album showcases a songwriter and a band whose influences cover a large swath of the history of popular music; it’s just as easy to hear the influence of Springsteenian earnestness in Holcomb’s hopeful growl on songs like “Fire and Dynamite” and “Miracle”, as it is to hear the persuasion of Motown on pop gems like “Someday” and “Can’t Get Enough of You.” When audiences hear Holcomb’s songs, there is an emotional attachment and reaction, proven by the epic “Live Forever” which was recently used during an episode of NBC’s Parenthood and sparked a downloading frenzy online. “We want to write songs that have moments of honesty, transcendence, and humanity; so our audience lets the songs into their lives,” Holcomb states, “All of my favorite songs and records that I have spent my life listening to, have helped me to understand the paradoxes of joy and suffering that we all experience. We just want to add to that conversation, and if we can do that, I will consider it a success.” On Chasing Someday, Holcomb and his Neighbors have found a unique voice, one that definitely has the potential to add to the conversation in a profound and substantial way.
When: Mar 18, 2012 8 PM in Cambridge, Massachusetts Cost: $10 advance / $12 day of show (Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20 )
With the power of gospel and the precision of Broadway, Ladysmith Black Mambazo is the undisputed king of mbube, South African a cappella singing. The group came together in the early 1960s and continues to thrill audiences around the world with its strong, proud melodies, harmonized in layers of call and response.
When: Mar 17, 2012 8 PM in Cambridge, Massachusetts Cost: $40, $32, $28 (Sat, 17 Mar 2012 20 )
The genre-spanning band Perpetual Groove has had a "record" run over the last year. With the release of two new studio projects, Heal, a full length record, and Honey Cuts, an EP and a slew of sell out performances, the band has been reinvigorated with the addition of new keyboardist, John Hruby. Hailing from Athens, GA, this legendary band has once again reinvented their sound. A line-up adjustment and a change in scenery have given way to a beautiful, timeless set of recordings and live show that signifies the rebirth of a band that's carved out their own unique sound by performing nearly 1000 live shows in their brief career.
When: Mar 23, 2012 8 PM in Cambridge, Massachusetts Cost: $12.00 - $15.00 (Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20 )
The genre-spanning band Perpetual Groove has had a "record" run over the last year. With the release of two new studio projects, Heal, a full length record, and Honey Cuts, an EP and a slew of sell out performances, the band has been reinvigorated with the addition of new keyboardist, John Hruby. Hailing from Athens, GA, this legendary band has once again reinvented their sound. A line-up adjustment and a change in scenery have given way to a beautiful, timeless set of recordings and live show that signifies the rebirth of a band that's carved out their own unique sound by performing nearly 1000 live shows in their brief career.
When: Mar 22, 2012 8 PM in Cambridge, Massachusetts Cost: $12.00 - $15.00 (Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20 )
Two-time Emmy winner, NY Times bestselling author, Grammy nominee, 2009's GLAAD Vanguard recipient and 2011 Trevor Project Life Award honoree Kathy Griffin is a multi-faceted performer with rapid fire wit. She has been making audiences laugh for years discussing Hollywood gossip and celebrity blunder
When: Mar 23, 2012 7 PM in Boston, Massachusetts Cost: $50-$72 (Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19 )
Bruce Bruce is a name synonymous with keeping audiences rolling with laughter thanks to his captivating improv skills and larger than life comedic style. Bruce’s steady style of comedy has been showcased across the country, and he has been entertaining audiences young and old, and of all backgrounds, for years. His wit, spontaneity and dazzling personality set him apart from other standup comedians. Although Bruce is known for his adult comedy, he prides himself on not using vulgarity to win a laugh, and is no stranger is winning over new audiences with every appearance he makes. From his role as host for two seasons of BET’s “Comic View” to his many appearances on tv and film, Bruce is clearly a comedian that has found his mark in the business. Bruce headlined the 2008 Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, leaving the audiences north of the border in stitches. On the feature film front, Bruce made a cameo in the HBO Films feature Idlewild, and appeared in the Larry the Cable Guy-starrer Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector. He also recently appeared in the comedy Who’s Your Caddy as “Golf Ball Eddie.”
Jon was born John Roy Anderson in Accrington, Lancashire, England, to Albert and Kathleen Anderson, who were of Irish ancestry. Anderson dropped the "h" from his first name in 1970.
JON ANDERSON is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable voices in progressive rock as the lead vocalist and creative force behind Yes. Anderson was the author and a major creative influence behind the series of epics produced by Yes and his role in creating such complex pieces as "Close to the Edge", "Awaken", and especially "The Gates of Delirium" was central to the band's success. Additionally, Anderson co-authored the group's biggest hits, including "I've Seen All Good People," Roundabout," and "Owner Of A Lonely Heart."
When: Mar 15, 2012 8 PM in Boston, Massachusetts Cost: $30-$40 (Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20 )
Stephanie Miller's Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour starring Stephanie Miller and Hal Sparks and John Fugelsang (both featured on Stephanie Miller's syndicated radio program) brings together three of today's brightest "liberal comedians" for an evening of humor from the left in one sexy package.
Not only does the show deliver great comedy, but the tour will also benefit local charities and the content will reflect local issues. In the upcoming Syracuse event, Stephanie will be incorporating MENY, Marriage Equality in New York, to increase awareness for the upcoming state senate vote on same sex marriages, and in the engagement in Minneapolis, MN proceeds will go Green for Minnesota, bringing affordable ways to for everyone to be 'green'.
When: Jun 9, 2012 8 PM in Boston, Massachusetts Cost: $35-$125 (Sat, 09 Jun 2012 20 )
“This striking North Carolina trio brings a modern sizzle to the legacy of classic African American stringbands . . . sparking an electrifying ruckus.”—Spin
“The hottest thing to hit the old-time music community in decades.”—NPR Weekend Edition
The Grammy Award–winning Carolina Chocolate Drops revitalize the old-time string and jug-band music of the Piedmont region with velocity and virtuosity. The band’s expanded new lineup includes original members Rhiannon Giddens on fiddle, banjo and vocals and Dom Flemons on guitar, banjo, harmonica, jug and snare. They are joined by new members Hubby Jenkins and Leyla McCalla.
When: Mar 3, 2012 8 PM in Boston, Massachusetts Cost: $37, $32, $28 (Sat, 03 Mar 2012 20 )
DC and Hooks are Zeds Dead. They first hooked up in 2004 and formed Mass Productions. Influenced by the digging in the crates sampling school of hip hop, Mass Productions released one independent album in the summer of 2007 entitled Fresh Beetz. It was their first and only release. In the summer of 2009, the two launched their second collaboration - Zeds Dead - turning up the bpm and aiming the bass-lines at the dance-floor. Soon after Zeds Dead (alongside the Killabits) founded a weekly party in Toronto called BassMentality. Guests have included Nero, Skrillex, 12th Planet, Borgore, Mary Anne Hobbs, Plastician, Netsky, and many more. Two of the hardest workers in electronic music, Zeds Dead's tireless efforts have earned them an excellent reputation amongst a new generation of producers as artists without borders - genres hold no bearing over their music as they transcend style and form with ease. By pulling from a vast array of source material (Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, The Moody Blues, Sublime), and molding it into their unique brand of dance-floor classics, They have established themselves as a dominant force in EDM circles and have received recognition and praise from tastemakers worldwide. With a stockpile of originals and remixes set to be released in 2011, DC and Hooks show no signs of slowing down. Catch them live and you'll know: Zeds Dead is here to stay
When: Mar 7, 2012 8 PM in Boston, Massachusetts Cost: $26.50 (Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20 )
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