The Dresden Dolls came out for the Winter Tour to close out 2007 (and on New Year’s Eve in NYC). Their Boston date was supported by Meow Meow and Luminescent Orchestrii, as well as an art house performance by members of the Lexington High School Drama Troupe. Opening with a back-to-back raucous versions of “Girl Anachronism” and “Missed Me,” the songs set the tone for a wild romp through mostly early tunes. The Dresden Dolls are never dull but there was something surprisingly normal about the whole affair. Mostly lacking the “cabaret” aspect of their performance, this was a straight rock ‘n’ roll concert.

That didn’t stop the audience or the duo of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione from enjoying a frisky race through some well-worn hits like “Coin-Operated Boy,” and some lesser played tunes like the gorgeous “Ultima Esperanza” and “Boston.” They invited Sxip Shirey to play a searing cover of “You Gotta Fight for Your Right To Party!” and closed out the show with the entire Luminescent Orchestrii on a cover of the iconic Eurythmics hit “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This.”

Despite having a cold which caused Amanda to have problems with some the notes, there wasn’t a dull moment in the set. Amanda even spent some quality time in each corner of the house, moving through the audience and Brian spent a chunk of time handling guitar and drums at the same time and also took lead vocals on “Fight For Your Right” with Amanda on his drum kit.

Luminescent Orchestrii gypsy rock music with international influences. Four performers guitar, violins and bass that rocked out to mostly foreign-language tunes that ranged from a Yiddish waltz to old French folktale. Sxip Shirey, who jammed a variety of guitar parts, also acted as the MC for the night. Their performance was part jam band, part Bar Mitzvah band, a touch of tango, beat boxing and a heck of a punk attitude. All four took vocal duties at various times. The two ladies, Rima Fand and Sarah Alden, handled most of the harmonies and bassist Benjy Fox Rosen only lead on the mic was on in Yiddish. The energy level was otherworldly.

The band brought out Dresden Doll Brian Viglione for two numbers, and Meow Meow and Lance Horne could be seen waltzing in the background.

Meow Meow opened the show in the audience, making her way in full winter gear (with luggage) to the front of the stage, taking an assist from the house crew to get on to stage. She then proceeded to introduce herself and undress, one piece at a time, with the help of men from the front row. Sitting almost dead center, I was asked first to help her out of her winter coat while she talked to the audience holding her mic. It was challenging because she was wearing mittens and I was trying a) to not touch her inappropriately and b) not pull her mittens off with her coat.

After depositing her jacket on the stage, she asked me to help her out of her pants. Yeah, I admit, I thought she was kidding. She bent over in front of me and then turned and asked, “Have you ever undressed a woman before?” Then she bent over with her head around her ankles. I grabbed the zipper, without ever touching her body, and then was urged to pull down on both sides of her pants to bring them down around her ankles.

At which point, she continued to struggle out of items of clothing with other people in the front row. “The male dancers usually do this,” she told the crowd while wrestling out of a vest.

She asked on lady to be her mic stand. Then, she got not one, but two members of the audience to snuggle with her on stage while she performed. She later corralled a third person out of the audience after he shouted at her about something. She said something to the effect of “It’s really easy to be shouting out when you’re in the dark” before she got them to raise the house lights. So three people draped around her (and she continually moved their hands around so they were touching her rather intimately.)

Her entire set was only one song. She was accompanied by keyboard player Lance Horne (an accomplished musician in his own right.) It was cabaret and opera, mostly in French. She wailed and belted and crowed and engaged the audience without ever missing a beat. When she wanted the help of someone in the audience, she would admonish them “Quickly!” and even once switched to German, “Schnell!”

Finally, calling out to Horne, she asked how much time she had left. “I have to get through one song. It’s on my contract.” After determining there was 5 minutes left in her set, she decided she had enough time to crowd surf. She started out on the other side of the stage but decided that half the audience wasn’t a good bet and came over to our side.

I’ll admit, I still thought she was joking. Even after helping her out of her knickers, I guess I should have known better. She made a grand show of it, even asking to young men in the third row to fill in a gap so that she could make it passed the first few rows. Then she leaned out and “floated” (term used loosely) her way to the back of the house, all the while, gabbing with the audience and finishing the tune.

As remarkable as that fact was alone, even more unbelievable was that for most of her crowd surfing, she was sitting straight up with her legs split. The crowd supported her (mostly) all the way back to the stage where she collected her things and departed.

a fantastic polka-infused band in the style of Gogol Bordello and Man Man, frankly the sound is too unique to be occurring in so many bands without sounding like another rip-off, but still enjoyable, don\”t know if they were actually immigrants from the poor country or no-style punks

This purported garage rock festival turned out to be a screamo thrash festival, plus the sound was terrible, plus GuyIDon’tDate was less enthusiastic than I was so all I’ve got for you are internet descriptions
The Bad Times: “Jay Reatard (born Jay Lindsey) is a prolific garage punk musician from Memphis, Tennessee. He is best known for his work in The Reatards, Lost Sounds, and his current solo career.” (Wikipedia)
So come to find out that I was totally ignorant of the fact that he is/was a member of my current favorite band (Lost Sounds: “synthesizer-heavy punk band”). I EVEN saw somebody wearing their t-shirt (Lost Sounds) at this show and almost ran up to the fat man but didn’t make the connection that he was wearing it for reasons outside of having incredibly good taste in music and now I have to live with the fact that I didn’t watch the show

This purported garage rock festival turned out to be a screamo thrash festival, plus the sound was terrible, plus GuyIDon’tDate was less enthusiastic than I was so all I’ve got for you are internet descriptions
The Blowtops: “The Blowtops were formed in Buffalo, NY in 1995, with core members Aaron Adduci (guitar), Dave Brand (vocals & guitar), and Andy Beiter (bass then later drums). The band grew out of the garage rock scene in Buffalo at the time, whose home base was The Sanctuary, a club owned by Big Neck Records founder and owner, Bart Hart. Bart was eventually run out of town when the Sanctuary was closed based on questionable charges of “indecent” events by the New York State Liquor Authority in regards to the club’s weekly S&M themed night. The first record issued by Big Neck was The Blowtops 7 inch EP “Voodoo Alley”, which was named for the practice space and makeshift recording studio of the band, where Blowtops founders Aaron Adduci and Andy Beiter worked alongside producer Mr. Ski-Mask, who was also known for the controversial public access tv show, Thunderbird Theatre, which screened on cable television in Buffalo (as well as Norwalk, CT, Boston, MA, Chicago and Los Angeles at various times) for over 10 years, often featuring live music performances from the Sanctuary as part of its content, raised controversy with the City officials who tried to have it taken off the air based on a resolution by Councilman Richard Fontana, who found the show “offensive”. The first two Baseball Furies 7 inches, which were also put out by Big Neck Records” (Wikipedia)

This purported garage rock festival turned out to be a screamo thrash festival, plus the sound was terrible, plus GuyIDon’tDate was less enthusiastic than I was so all I’ve got for you are internet descriptions
Tunnel of Love: “of Brookline, Massachusetts is a band that has it all. First, their uniforms: striped tights and athletic shorts, -no shirts. Perfect! It’s just weird enough. Who else is doing the uniform thing, save for maybe some band mates with the same pair of Chuck Taylors? The Mummies is the only band I can think of, and that shit is way over. Second, their drummer Makoto Sato, is a fucking animal. The dude drums standing up, as if he’s too feral to understand what sitting down even is. He beats on the drums with sloppy and savage inaccuracy like some kind of angry ape in an old Samsonite luggage commercial. Brothers, Andy and Anthony MacBain both switch off playing a guitar held together with duct tape, and screaming murder into a mic. They look similar to one another, both dirty looking with bad hair. Almost like the dirtbags down the block who would beat you up as a kid. And lastly, their songs are so raw and stripped down to the marrow, that they are absolutely void of anything but pure soul-scraping aggression. One-chord slop, so mean it knocks your IQ down a couple points, where it belongs.” (Brett Cross)

unimpressive rap/funk outfit at first – first rapper was too Tribe but the second rapper (he walked in late through a side door in his sweat suit and gut) was a little dirtier and much smoother – very interesting concoction of a band: keyboard, two guitarists, drummer, sax, trumpet, trombone and two rappers – though Mr. Rapper was good I think I enjoyed their departure into salsa the most – they did get people dancing in an unreceptive bar

So there are very few bands that could get me to come out for a concert on a “12 Days of Christmas Tour” but Sister Hazel just happens to be one of them. Sister Hazel’s last radio hit (well, only radio hit) “All for You” was 10 years ago, but the band has active with tours and new albums despite the lack of mainstream support, including their first holiday album Santa’s Playlist. In 2000, I saw them at a fans-only radio show at Sunset Station Casino in Las Vegas and I was blown away. The four guys Ken Block, Andrew Copeland, Jett Beres and Ryan Newell (along with drummer Mark Trojanowski) all sing vocals and their harmonies are transcendent. Their musicianship is stellar and I almost thought, almost thought they could pull off a Christmas show that I would enjoy.

Rock versions of Christmas songs, and lots of them, but Sister Hazel found a balance between their southern rock roots and unique interpretations of traditional Christmas tunes. They brought a unique flavor to “White Christmas” (a full reggae version and an acappella version during a stunning rendition of “River”) and a convincing bluegrass rendition of “The Dreidel Song” which prompted Block and Copeland to trade “Dueling Banjos” briefly. Christmas Time Again became a rollickin’ tongue-in-cheek rap song complete with Beres in fully blinged Santa Claus gear.

A orchestra and choir from the South Shore Conservatory were on stage for a number of songs. For most, the strings and the choir were completely drowned out but occasionally, the effect hit home, particularly on “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night” which became heavenly gospel numbers. I got the impression that the orchestral version of a song like “Champagne High” might have been something to hear, except that there was no discernible effect. You saw them playing but it was the band that you heard.

A prerecorded version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” (mixed with the strain of “Jingle Bells”) played during brief interludes and the show closed out with the studio version of “There’s Something in the Air (At Christmas)” which sounded like it was sung by the Chipmunks (on the album, it’s a choir of children.) Copeland’s mic went out during “One Little Christmas Tree” and again during “Please Come Home for Christmas” and again at the opening of “Run Rudolph Run” which prompted him to observe that somebody didn’t want Sister Hazel to sing the songs he chose for Santa’s Playlist. Whatever. Even the technical problems didn’t ruin the night.

The four college students in the row in front of me were so disturbingly drunk even before Sister Hazel started their set, that I almost walked out. I was boxed into my seat, and thus privy to my own little sideshow of drunken dirty dancing. It only ruined one song, “Change Your Mind” which is actually one of my hands down favorite Sister Hazel songs. But to my pleasant surprise, all of the non-holiday songs on the setlist were among my favorites, so it turned out to be a great night for that, too.

Sister Hazel 12 Days of Christmas Setlist
Twas the Night before Christmas (intro)
Merry Christmas Baby
Little Drummer Boy
Change Your Mind
One Little Christmas Tree
Happy Birthday to You
White Christmas
Twas the Night before Christmas (interlude)
River / White Christmas
Silent Night (w/ South Shore Conservatory)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
The Dreidel Song
Your Winter (w/ South Shore Conservatory)
Please Come Home for Christmas (w/ South Shore Conservatory)
It’s a New Year (Just Get Along)
Twas the Night before Christmas (interlude)
Run Rudolph Run
Happy
All For You
Twas the Night before Christmas (interlude)

1st Encore
Christmas Time Again
Your Mistake (w/ South Shore Conservatory)
Champagne High (w/ South Shore Conservatory)
I’ll Be Home for Christmas (w/ South Shore Conservatory)
Twas the Night before Christmas (interlude)

2nd Encore
O Holy Night (w/ South Shore Conservatory)
There’s Something in the Air (At Christmas)

Pat McGee, the name brand vocalist of the Pat McGee Band, was on loan tonight to open for Sister Hazel’s 12 Days of Christmas Tour. Mr. McGee learned a handful of holiday tunes in addition to promoting the band’s new album These Days (The Virginia Sessions).

He’s an engaging frontman, accompanied only by his guitar (and John Taylor on keyboards for “Come Back Home”) and some witty banter. His half hour set was an impressive showing, with that growling rocker voice that used to be the sole province of grunge. After his version of “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” he explained that he learned a few songs for the tour, “I learned them all and typed them into my WordPerfect.” He also told a story about how his sister made him listen to “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in 1983, and he’s heard it every year ever since. “I had to download the karaoke version to this crap” before launching in an abridged version of the Band Aid charity song.

The best of the night was “Come Back Home” and the worst, by far, was a Pat McGee Band tune called “Elizabeth” (for what it’s worth, the album version is more tolerable.)

Pat McGee Setlist
Guess We Were
It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Up on the Housetop
Elizabeth
Do They Know It’s Christmas?
Come Back Home
O Come, All Ye Faithful