WAILING CITY: June 2014

Anne's Show Picks of the Week (June 26)

By Anne Castellano

Wow, there's a lot going on this weekend! First up, there's a benefit for the New London Community Meal Center taking place on Friday night. The Hoot For Hunger will be happening at the Seehund German Pub & Restaurant on Bank Street in New London, in the space formerly housing Dev's on Bank (and before that it was Ye Olde Tavern). There will be nine bands and solo performers, with each playing a 15-20 minute set.. The Crew will start things off at 6:30 pm, followed by Sue Menhart at 6:50, SheSaidHeSaid at 7:10, Dan and Liz at 7:30 pm, Anna May and Vince Thompson at 7:50, Golden Ratio at 8:10, Jim Carpenter at 8:30, Arlene Wow! at 8:50, and Vox Nova at 9:10. There's no cover, but donations will be collected throughout the evening, so you are encouraged to be generous.

By Anne Castellano

On Friday night, Music in the Meadow returns with another show at the Connecticut College Arboretum in New London. The bands will be The Rivergods, The 3-Pack, and The Meadows Brothers. They made their debut at the Hygienic Art Park for a recent Live Lunch Break show, but this will only be the second show for the Rivergods' new 6-piece lineup. Core members Ben and Nancy Parent are joined by Dana Takaki on violin, Craig Johnson on bass, Chris DeBiasi on drums, and Bill Groth on keyboards and backing vocals. The band won "Best Country Rock Act" at the recent Whalie Awards, and they have a busy summer full of shows planned. Their most recent EP, Never Grow Old, was released in January. The only show to date that the 3-Pack have played was back in the fall, at the now-defunct Six String Cafe. You will remember Hugh, Peter, and Tom from the Reducers, but Peter is now playing bass and they have been working on all new material for quite some time. Expect a mix of new originals with a few really cool covers to round things out. I shouldn't have to tell you that they will sound great. The Meadows Brothers are teenage brothers Ian and Dustin Meadows, talented roots/bluegrass/country duo from the lower CT River valley. These guys have been playing in bands together since they were in middle school, and they released their self-titled debut album in 2012. The Meadows Brothers have toured extensively and have even opened for Don McLean. Bring an blanket, bug spray, a picnic supper, and a cooler. If you'd rather someone else do the cooking, Munchies Food Truck will also be at the Arboretum entrance. Gates open at 6 pm, and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. The Arboretum is located on Williams Street, directly across from the back entrance to Connecticut College.

By Anne Castellano

Summer is finally here (sort of), and the outdoor show season has begun. But first, perhaps some loud and fast music to release the tensions of your work week. There's a four band punk show on Friday night at 33 Golden Street in New London. The bands will be God's Middle Finger, Blastmat, Productive Member, and Losing Streak. Members of Losing Streak have been in such bands as Indocannibals, the Enemies, Second Class Citizen, and others. This band is brand new, and they will be playing their first show on Friday. Productive Member is a female fronted CT punk band who has played in New London a few times already, both at 33 and the El 'n' Gee. They played their first show, which happened to be at the Gee, almost a year ago. God's Middle Finger is from Norwich, and these thrash punks are well known from playing many shows in New London. Blastmat has played here a lot as well. Blastmat is from CT, and they are regulars at Cherry Street Station, where they opened for Gang Green this past December. This show was put together by Joaquin Gouin, formerly of the El 'n' Gee, so you know it will be good. Doors are at 9 pm and cover is $5.

By Anne Castellano

The big event in New London this weekend is the 5th Annual Whalie Awards ceremony, taking place on Saturday night at the Hygienic Art Park. The Whalies are New London's version of the Grammy Awards, honoring the best of the best in all genres of local music. There are some new categories in both Critic's Choice (voted on by area media professionals) and People's Choice (voted on by the public) for 2014, including Best Jazz Act, Best Radio DJ and several new Best Video awards. Over 100 local bands and individuals in the New London (and nearby) scene have been nominated, and the show has become one of the most popular events of the year. This is the music community's opportunity to be seen, be heard, and show off a little, so while music is the focus of the evening, fashion is right up there in importance as well. There's even a red carpet, with photographers covering the arrivals beginning at 6 pm when the gates open. Some folks have even taken limo rides to past shows. The actual ceremony begins at 7 pm, with 40 statuettes being awarded by special guest presenters. Musical performances will also be interspersed with the actual awards. Highlights of past years include the Weird Beards performing as marionettes and Bobby Crash presenting an award with (and interpreting for) "Pucky" the whale....

Tickets & more info:
www.mysticbluesfestival.com

LOVE & PRESS

"I just wanted to thank you for all you do for the local music community. I have tonight off so I went to the wailing city site to see who was playing. It’s amazing all the work you put in for all the local musicians and venues and I just wanted to thank you."
- Phil Smith (musician)

"...my new best friend Meghan Killimade, who's site Wailing City, lets me find all the latest local bands -- where they are playing and the times -- has suddenly been a big help in letting me find some events outside of my usual box!"
- Stephanie Shawn "Bar Fly Journals"
(Sound Waves Magazine)
Published December 2024

"Wailing City is this absolutely fantastic local music blog here in CT. They've been the place to go to find out what's happening, what's new and why you should care for well over a decade. Graciously, they interviewed us about the new album, the book, the film and all that. While touring throughout the years, we've sometimes felt like 'one foot in, one foot out' with the local scene, but they've always made us feel right at home. Thanks Wailing City."
- Pocket Vinyl (band)

"There are a staggering 64 documented live music performances in my home of New London county, CT today alone! The population of this county is only 268,805 and it is only 772 square miles. That is an incredible saturation of venues hosting live music and is a stark contrast to places I've lived in the past! You would be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the country that has so much live music. Amazing really! Thank you for the hard work documenting and promoting Wailing City!"
-Travis Hyll (musician)

"Wailing City appreciation post: true champions of the New London county music scene. Follow them!"
-Dirt Pile (band)

"We wanna take a minute to shout out our friends over at Wailing City for always helping to spread the word about our shows. They've been curating the most comprehensive live music calendar for SECT since 2006. If you don't already, give them a follow."
- 33 Golden Street (venue)

"Wailing City should be your first check in for all local music schedules. Thank you so much for all your efforts in promoting the scene!!
- David Schena (musician)

"Wailing City has been keeping the calendar up to date since I first started going to shows 20 years ago. We’re lucky to have Meghan volunteer her time to help keep the scene going!"
-James Burke (musician)

"With a little footwork and a short drive I managed to visit three live music shows on Bank Street last night... New London ROCKS...and all made possible searching out local music on Wailing City... thanks Meghan."
- Don Diederich (musician / local music fan)

"If you don't have ears, then it's possible you're not aware that southeastern Connecticut - specifically New London County - has an incredibly vibrant music scene. Over the years, it's gone from a hotbed of indie rock to an area of musicians, fans and venues that support a complex and varied number of artistic styles. The wailingcity.com web site - newly and lovingly redesigned - is a tremendous resource. A labor of affection and devotion conceptualized in 2006, wailingcity.com boasts artist bios, reviews and interviews, a club and band data base and calendars, videos, audio streaming, and cross-referenced links on all of the above - as well as lists of music services such as instrument instruction, record and retail stores, related media and periodicals, festival information, and so on. It's the brainchild of musician/artist Meghan Killimade, (and contributors), and they do a terrific job."
- RICK KOSTER (The Day) Published April 03. 2014

“Wailing City, is, as of now, probably the most successfully comprehensive listing on local and area shows in Southeastern Connecticut on the Internet; the folks at Wailing City are doing an excellent job of making sounds from the underground.”
-Ben Johnson (The Day) Published July 27, 2006

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