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Community Corner

April Concerts at The Red Room @ Cafe 939

Check out these upcoming shows at the Red Room @ Cafe 939! 

Tickets/information: www.cafe939.com 

939 Boylston St. Boston, MA


All shows are all ages.


4/2/2014: The Checkout: Live At Berklee - Matthew Stevens Quintet

4/3/2014: Run River North

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4/4/2014: Houseguests / St. Nothing

4/5/2014: Kneebody

Find out what's happening in Back Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

4/8/2014: B.I.T.R: Berklee In The Round: “Roots Songwriter Night”

4/9/2014: Great Caesar / Night Lights/ Arielle Vakni

4/12/14: Drunken Logic / Midnight Snack / Rocket & the Ghost

4/14/14: Tyler Hilton / Russell Howard / Heidi Merrill

4/25/14: Fenway Recordings Presents: Wake Owl / Lyla Foy / DJ Carbo

4/26/14: Hauschka

4/29/14: Jeff LeBlanc / Ken Yates

  

Wednesday, April 2, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

The Checkout - Live At Berklee:- Matthew Stevens Quintet

Admission: $10, $5 with college ID, general admission

New York’s WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM and NPR Music proudly present year three of “The Checkout - Live at Berklee”—a concert series that brings critically acclaimed, New York-based performers back to their Berklee roots for a performance at Boston’s Cafe 939. This concert features Matthew Stevens (guitar), Gerald Clayton (piano), Vincente Archer (bass), Paulo Stagnaro (percussion) and Eric Doob (drums).  See the action in person or watch as it is streamed live worldwide at 8:00 p.m. EST on NPRmusic.org. In addition to live streaming onNPRmusic.org, this concert can be heard in New York on WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM or wbgo.org. The show will also be archived and available anytime after its airdate at Checkoutjazz.org and NPRmusic.org.

 

Thursday, April 3, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Run River North

Admission: $12 in advance, $14 day of show, general admission

In 2011, the Los Angeles-based indie outfit Run River North (formerly known as Monsters Calling Home) released an unplanned demo, a last-minute promotional piece to sell on tour. With only that demo, the six-piece band has seen extraordinary buzz, including a booking on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Run River North writes brilliant harmonies paired with layered instrumentations, and puts on an awe-inspiring live show. Its full-length album, produced by Phil Ek (the Shins, Band of Horses, the Walkmen, Fleet Foxes), was released on February 25.

 

Friday, April 4, 2014

Houseguests / St. Nothing

Admission: Free

Houseguests is an indie/alternative rock band from Allston, MA. After recording a self-titled EP in 2012, the duo decided to expand to a full band, inviting Graham Cooke (bass/vocals) and Evan Linsey (drums/vocals) to join. Since then, the four-piece group has begun to make a name for itself. With the full-length effort Year of the Pilot to be released in April, Houseguests is excited to perform and share its music. St. Nothing (formerly called Hall of Mirrors) is the electropop project of singer-songwriter Marco Lawrence. In 2013, he self-released the EP Begin, a collection of demos written in late 2012. Since then, the songs from Begin have reached over 10,000 plays, and St. Nothing has played shows with Young Galaxy, Alpine, Born Gold, Robert DeLong, and others. St. Nothing will release another EP in 2014.

Saturday, April 5, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Kneebody

Admission: $15, general admission

By combining sophisticated compositions and virtuosic improvisation, the Grammy-nominated group Kneebody has created a diverse, loyal fan base in the U.S. and Europe. Founded in 2001, Kneebody has built upon an impressive array of individual resumes and conservatory training to create a truly singular voice within the instrumental world. Kneebody is currently touring in support of its fourth studio album, The Line, on Concord Records.

“Cohesion is the truest constant in the music of Kneebody, a band that inhabits the borderland abutted by post-bop, indie-rock and hip-hop without seeming to give much thought to the borders.” –The New York Times

Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Berklee In The Round: “Roots Songwriter Night”

Admission: Free

Berklee in the Round Tuesdays are free acoustic performances showcasing Berklee students, faculty, and alumni, plus special guests. Inspired by the world-famous Bluebird Café rounds in Nashville, Tennessee, Berklee in the Round is held on the first Tuesday of each month during the semester. The writers are seated in the center of the room and perform their original songs in a circle, creating an intimate listening room vibe, as if the audience was joining the writers in their living room.  

A special chair is reserved in the round for a mystery guest. This person could be an established artist who is visiting the college or touring in the area, a hit songwriter, etc. You never know who might show up for a few songs or join in for the whole round.

 

Friday, April 9, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Great Caesar / Night Lights / Arielle Vakni

Admission: $10, general admission

Great Caesar aims for the heart with a vulnerable blend of brass, voice, and indie-rock, drawing from acts like Arcade Fire and Beirut to create music that confronts the things that really matter: love, legacy, and the complexity of human relationships. The New York-based band’s 2014 video, "Don’t Ask Me Why," juxtaposes the civil rights movement of the 1960s with today’s fight for sexual equality. With support from Russell Simmons, Deepak Chopra, Arsenio Hall, and Superbowl champion and LGBT advocate Brendon Ayanbadejo, the video challenges viewers to take a stand for love and equality. "Don’t Ask Me Why" is available now via major digital outlets, and will appear on CD and vinyl as part of a forthcoming EP produced by Griffin Rodriguez (Beirut, Modest Mouse, A Hawk and a Hacksaw). 

Night Lights brings together an eclectic assortment of indie, rock, and soul influenced sounds in an effort to make people dance and feel feelings. The Boston-based band met at Berklee in 2012, and has since discovered a balance between profound lyrics, hook-filled melodies, danceable music, and intriguing harmonic progressions. These songs touch on existentialism and the confrontation of the self, hoping to discover a truth grounded in music, community, and conversation. Its warped soundscapes, intricate riffs, melodic bass lines, colorful rhythms, captivating melodies and otherworldly voice effects come together to create an unparalleled audio adventure.

Arielle Vakni is a uniquely soulful vocalist with a subtle twist of experimental folk. Her seemingly effortless depth of lyrical expression is matched by a gift for songwriting and performance in both acoustic and electronic genres. Soon to graduate from Berklee, Vakni is a compelling stage performer set to win wider acclaim. She performs her original music with an eight-piece band throughout New England. Vakni’s debut solo album (produced by Vicente Espi) will be released this spring. 

 

Saturday, April 12, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Drunken Logic / Midnight Snack / Rocket & the Ghost

Admission: $8, general admission

Formed in Boston in 2012 by Berklee alumni, Drunken Logic has evolved into an eclectic mix of alternative rock, indie folk, classic rock, and tasteful pop, with topical lyrics. Since the release of its debut album, Something New to Burn, less than a year ago, this quintet has rocked AT&T Park in San Francisco, become regular featured performers at Faneuil Hall, and was named RAW:Boston’s Musicians of the Year for 2013. From folky ruminations on growing up to bluesy barn-burners about corporate greed, Drunken Logic creates and reinvents while challenging contemporary culture — and have far too much fun doing it.


Midnight Snack beats energetically through syncopation-laden, heavily jazz-tinged rock grooves and then floats through a sweet ballad soundscape. These musical extremes are stitched together with passionate lyricism, visceral drum fills, buoyant brass and guitar lines, anchors of interlocking piano chords, and sweeping bass lines. This is one of the few bands that can inspire the audience with poetic images of love, loss, and beauty, while making them dance to the rhythm and soul of it all.

Calling Rocket & The Ghost a “rock band” would be the easiest way to categorize them, but not necessarily the most accurate. They have all the proper elements: thunderous drums, booming bass, the fuzz and wail of two electric guitars, and it’s clear that they enjoy rock n' roll music of the '60s and '70s. The arrangements are carefully constructed yet wildly dynamic; the band will whisper in your ear one minute and holler at you from the top of a mountain the next. The band’s songs draw as comfortably from 1920s Americana as they do from millennial pop music without losing their fundamental garage grit. At their heart they are folk songs that tell stories.

 

Monday, April 14, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Tyler Hilton / Russell Howard / Heidi Merrill

$12 in advance, $15 day of show, $59.99 VIP experience, general admission

Tyler Hilton is best known for his role as Chris Keller on the hit CW show One Tree Hill, and for playing Elvis Presley in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line. In both notable roles, he plays a musician, which is indicative of his real-life musical talent. No longer with his former record label, Hilton is excited to be introducing the world to his new music—on his own terms. His most recent album, Forget the Storm, is his first full-length release in more than eight years. It unleashes a new side of the artist while combining multiple genres. Today, Hilton is happy to be on the scene as an independent artist, touring the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and working on new film and television projects (including the 2013 hit holiday film Christmas on the Bayou).

*VIP experience includes admission to the show, Tyler Hilton CD, Tyler Hilton Poster, and access to a pre-show acoustic hang with Tyler Hilton during soundcheck.

Russell Howard writes songs about the rewards and struggles of self-discovery. Irresistibly shimmering with awe, melancholy, and steely optimism, Howard’s music feels at times both intimate and expansive. Having shared the stage with such diverse and respected artists as the Lumineers, Sister Hazel, Teddy Geiger, Greg Laswell, Joe Firstman, Tyler Hilton, and Griffin House, Howard has toured extensively, spreading his proprietary blend of folk, indie, and pop across the U.S. His 2012 crowdfunded EP City Heart received such a positive reception that in 2013 it was expanded and re-released via Rock Ridge Music.

Heidi Merrill's influences include Sinead O’Connor, Evanescence, Leona Lewis, Robin, Sarah McLachlan, and Lifehouse, all of whom she calls great inspirations. Merrill is also moved by the bare rock sound of Kings of Leon, Joss Stone’s sassy riffs, and the pure, heartfelt lyrics by bands that “take the heart and squeeze.” Her vocals have kind of a smoky sound that blends silky pop with a rock edge. The Way I Feel was her first recorded EP and, she says, "I’m so proud of the way it turned out." This collection was written and produced by Shane Koss and John Hogg, who are in a rock band called Kassini.

Friday, April 25, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Fenway Recordings Presents: Wake Owl / Lyla Foy / DJ Carbo

Admission: $10 in advance, $12 day of show, general admission

Wake Owl showcases the music of singer-songwriter Colyn Cameron, whose words and melodies are rich with raw, honest emotion. Cameron’s songs are derived from his travels and farm work throughout the U.K., Germany, Chile, and Canada. Wake Owl’s new album is titled The Private World of Paradise.

This show also features London-based singer-songwriter Lyla Foy, whose debut album on Sub Pop is Mirrors in the Sky.

Established in Boston in 2004, the Fenway Recordings Sessions is a regular concert series featuring a mix of established acts and the best new and developing indie artists playing in the city’s clubs, along with occasional special guest DJs.

Saturday, April 26, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Hauschka

$20, general admission

Experimental musician Hauschka is known for his “prepared piano” work, a tradition believed to have begun with the French composer Erik Satie in which objects are inserted between strings or on hammers to extend the piano’s aural possibilities. However, in recent years, Hauschka, who is based in Dusseldorf, has extended his repertoire beyond this niche, recording rich orchestral pieces with San Francisco’s Magik*Magik Orchestra, a 12-piece string and wind ensemble. In 2011, he released Salon des Amateurs, featuring members of Calexico and mum, and in 2012, he released Silfra, a collaboration with violinist Hilary Hahn.

Tuesday, April 29. 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Jeff Leblanc / Ken Yates

Admission: $12 in advance, $15 day of show, general admission

Sirius/XM's Singer/Songwriter Discovery of the Year nominee Jeff LeBlanc returns to The Red Room for a special headlining performance. LeBlanc's new album, My Own Way There, was his second consecutive record to break the Top 10 of the iTunes Top 200 Singer/Songwriter Chart. The enthusiasm for the record and his frequent touring landed him support slots for household names like the Goo Goo Dolls, Lifehouse, and Gavin DeGraw as well as rising stars such as Andy Grammer, Colbie Caillat, and Ingrid Michaelson. Born and Raised in London, Ontario, Ken Yates moved to Boston to study songwriting at Berklee. It was there that he developed his skills as a songwriter, releasing his first CD, The Backseat EP, and received the opportunity to play a song for one of his biggest influences, John Mayer. Mayer even posted a full-page blog about Yates’ ability as a writer, stating, “Ken Yates wrote a song called ‘I Don’t Wanna Fall In Love’… this song moved me when I first heard it and still does today.” Yates’ EP received high critical acclaim, leading to a slew of online covers from fans. He has toured with many notable names, including veteran singer-songwriter and mentor Livingston Taylor, Sister Hazel, Peter Katz, and Liz Longley, and has songs in heavy rotation on Sirius XM’s The Coffee House. His debut full-length album twenty-three, recorded in Holland and produced by Joren van der Voort, was released in May 2013.

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