Guest Spot

This just in: the latest review of Basia, Foreign Born & Annie C.'s recent performance at the Middle East thoughtfully and cleverly scripted by Milton's Chris "Stonewall Jackson" White. Have a look-see.

Thank you, Dana, for the invite and I apologize for my tardiness. Personally, I’d like to hear some more of your thoughts about that opening a capella that Basia performed. Perhaps you could, say, compare its texture and flavor to that of your last ½ pint of UFO at the bar? First, a disclaimer: I have never seen a live, female singer-songwriter that I did not like. Seriously. Give Doyle a xylophone, a stage and the screenplay for “You Got Served” and I am in. That said, I thought Basia was excellent and thought Dana’s “soft and natural” description was perfect. Since the show was a week ago and I am a bit of a drunk, that’s about all I can remember about her set.

Middle East manager to Foreign Born before the show: “You guys didn’t get the memo? You’ve been replaced by a serving of Quaker apple cinnamon-flavored oatmeal. Not only is it better for your heart, it adds a certain je ne sais quia to the room.” Foreign Born didn’t so much suck as fade into the background. There was nothing interesting about this band until the last five minutes of their set, when they played an awesome song with a lot of rhythmic (by everyone but me) audience clapping and “Ohhhhh Oh Oh Ohhhh Oh’s” that reminded me of the interlude in Phish’s song, “Stash.” This was the point in the show that I tapped my foot and awkwardly slid side to side a little bit. Since my arms and legs are made of cardboard and tree bark, respectively, this was like Stephen Hawking joining your pickup game and going 5 for 7 from beyond the arc.

Finally, St. Vincent was unexpectedly great. I say unexpectedly only because my ten minutes of pre-show research turned up two You Tube clips, from which I woke up three hours later. But instead of sending patrons into boredom comas, Annie Clark and her band rocked. I know analogies are never perfect and everyone loves to tear them down, but the tone and style reminded me of Regina Spektor. The frequent “ba ba ba ba” or “bee bee bee” type choruses were also familiar. By the way, do “Ohhhh Oh Oh Ohhhh Oh” and “ba ba ba” not translate well to paper? That’s probably why the Milton Record Transcript isn’t knocking down my door looking for a music reviewer. You get what you pay for, Dana. In short, try to get your hands on the Basia Bulat and St. Vincent records. Also, google “Foreign Born Ohhhh Oh Oh Ohhhh.” No, I can’t remember a song title or a single lyric, but I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding it.