July Shows

Since the fall of Bauhaus in 1983, Murphy embarked on a solo career that has seen its ups and downs. Yet he’s continued to build his following, developing an iconic image as the “Godfather of Goth” with each successive effort. His vampire-themed stage shows have had him suspended from the ceiling by his feet, bat-like, and/or rising from a coffin decked out in a full length black cape. His solo career has sometimes branched out musically, even so farinto the norm as “pseudo-pop,” but his haunting vocals and deep baritone always remain the same. www.petermurphy.info

Dave Mason has been moved to July 10, 2009. All tickets sold for 03/09/2009 will be honored.
David Mason is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. In his long career, Mason has played and recorded with many of the era's most notable musicians including Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Mama Cass Elliot. Mason's best known song is "Feelin' Alright" recorded by Traffic in 1968 and covered by dozens of artists, including Joe Cocker, who had a major hit with the song in 1969. For Traffic, he also wrote "Hole in My Shoe" a kind of psychedelic satire that became a classic in its own right. "We Just Disagree" Mason's 1977 solo hit written by Jim Krueger, has become a staple of Oldies and Adult Contemporary radio playlists. www.dave-mason.com

Dickey Betts, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, has one of the most distinctive voices in music today. Known as one of the most influential guitar players of all time, Betts has mastered a seamless style of lyrical melody and rhythm -- marrying country, jazz, blues, and rock into one unparalleled sound. The New York Times has called Betts "one of the great rock guitarists… Mr. Betts was tearing into one of his improvisations, the music was about as exciting as rock and roll gets." www.dickeybetts.com/

Inspired by groups such as Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco, Las Vegas quintet the Cab was founded by then-students Alex DeLeon (vocals) and Cash Colligan (bass) in 2005 after the two met during high school. The duo began recording demos and broadcasting them via /MySpace, but it quickly became evident that a complete band would be needed for them to realize their full potential. DeLeon and Colligan recruited Alex Johnson (drums), Alex Marshall (piano), and Ian Crawford (guitar), began playing shows locally, and built up a fan base before sending a demo to Panic at the Disco's Spencer Smith. Smith was so impressed with the band that he helped them sign to the Decaydance/Fueled by Ramen label in 2007. The Cab's debut album, Whisper War, was produced by Matt Squire and released in 2008, followed by several national tours alongside the likes of Hey Monday and the Hush Sound. www.thecabrock.com/

In 1989, Scotty Morris, jaded by life as a young studio guitarist, decided to launch a three-piece jazz, blues and swing combo. The trio included drummer Kurt Sodergren and was named Big Bad Voodoo Daddy after a fateful meeting with blues guitar legend Albert Collins at one of his concerts. "He signed my poster 'To Scotty, the big bad voodoo daddy'", Morris explains. "I thought it was the coolest name I ever heard on one of the coolest musical nights I ever had. So when it came time to name this band, I didnt really have a choice. I felt like it was handed down to me." In the years that followed, Morris and Sodergren formed the rest of the band which includes Dirk Shumaker on string bass, Andy Rowley on saxophone, Glen Marhevka on trumpet, Karl Hunter on saxophones and clarinet, and Joshua Levy on piano. www.bbvd.com

Lura brings her electrifying live performance and unique interpretations of the universally loved music of the Cape Verde Islands to Showcase Live in her only New England appearance!

Lura’s music is widely acclaimed for her street-wise, urban sensuality infused with the passionate roots of Africa.  Riding on the tide of Cape Verde’s rediscovery of its African roots, she has the star quality to bring this music to a wider audience.  She mixes the familiar Morna style with the little-known rhythms of Funana and Batuque:  styles brought to the fore by a talented new generation of composers such as Tcheka and Pantera.  

Lura released her international debut album, Di Lorpu ku Alma (Of Body and Soul) on the Escondida/Lusafrica label in May, 2005.  She was awarded Best Newcomer at the BBC Radio 3 Awards and Best World Music Album at Les Victoires De la Musique in France. Lura seamlessly borrows influences as diverse as R & B, tango, tropicalia, and combines them effortlessly with her smoky alto voice.  www.myspace.com/luracaboverde

Soul music in it's purest, distilled form speaks from the soul to the soul. In an era and industry where wealth and superficiality were often flaunted, husband and wife duo, Kindred emerged from the Philadelphia musical underground in the early part of the decade with a refreshingly honest sound, style and mantra that celebrated the very essence of their genre.

New England's premiere hypnotist and innovative comedian has been mesmerizing audiences for over 21 years. His spectacular display of mind bending antics can turn any skeptics into a fan. His act is always fresh, racy, and like the swirls of a fingerprint, no two shows are the same. The audience becomes the show. When Frank performs, you are not merely an idle bystander vicariously absorbing an out-of-date comedy routine. This is the only show where you can ...
 
Fall Asleep

Fall in Love

Become a Stud
 
Lose Your Weewee 
 
and wake feeling well restored and completely refreshed. Frank has a show for every occasion. He can read his audience and adjust the tone of his performance to please every appetite. www.franksantos.com

Don't worry; that wasn't an imposter who was named "American Idol's" Season 4 runner-up in 2005. But the Bo Bice people saw on the show and heard on the subsequent gold-certified album THE REAL THING was just a taste of the broad and deep spectrum of music the Alabama-born singer has a passionate drive to write and sing. On SEE THE LIGHT, the first release on Sugar Money/ StratArt Records label, he promises we are getting to hear "the genuine Bo."

"I'm grateful for THE REAL THING; that was a fun album. But that wasn't MY album," Bo explains. "This time it was just total freedom. We had no inhibitions about what this was going to be; we just went in and did whatever we wanted to. The freedom shines through."

The Dave Matthews Tribute Band, based in Chattanooga, TN, has a single goal: to recreate the dynamic stylings of Dave Matthews in intimate venues for the fans.  www.thedavematthewstributeband.com

Jamaica's first dancehall superstar, Yellowman ushered in a new era in reggae music following Bob Marley's death. His early-'80s success brought the popularity of toasting -- the reggae equivalent of rapping -- to a whole new level, and helped establish dancehall as the wave of the future.

Combining the ringing guitar hooks of the Byrds and R.E.M. with a solid, rootsy drive, The Gin Blossoms rocketed out of the college pop charts and into the mainstream with their 1993 hit single "Hey Jealousy." Four more singles followed it: "Mrs. Rita", "Found Out About You", "Allison Road" and "Until I Fall Away". By the time the dust settled, 'New Miserable Experience' had sold nearly 3 million copies in the U.S. and the Gin Blossoms were a band to be reckoned with. The band's first #1 hit, "Til I Hear It From You", which appeared in the film, 'Empire Records'. The strength of the track landed the band in unofficial history books because never before had a movie not made it to wide release, yet spawned a soundtrack certified Gold (sales of over 500,000 units) that featured a #1 single. www.ginblossoms.net

Al Kooper is a skilled musician who's had a hand in some of the biggest and best albums in pop history--Highway 61 Revisited, Let It Bleed, and The Who Sell Out among them--but more importantly has a vastly impressive recording catalog of his own. A former member of New York's Blues Project and the founder of Blood Sweat & Tears--whose Child Is Father To The Man album, the only one featuring Kooper, is one of the finest pop records ever--Kooper released a string of excellent albums beginning with 1968's I Stand Alone, and most of them can be sampled here. A 50-track digital only release, the set is artfully sequenced and without a single moment of filler. I would suggest you find all his albums--especially 1969's You Never Know Who Your Friends Are, which approaches the BS&T album in its greatness--but in the meantime, check out this collection for a taste of this artist's fab greatness www.alkooper.com