Mike D’s Top 5 Can’t Miss Shows of January

1. Saturday, January 16: The Quahogs (CD release), Smith & Weeden, Hott Boyz; $10 advance / $12 day of; All ages; The Columbus Theatre, 270 Broadway, Providence. The Quahogs have come along way to get to this CD release party. Frontman Steve Delmoncio has been performing as The Quahogs since 2011. You might not have seen the Quahogs yet, but I guarantee you’ve seen shaggy Steve on a barstool around town as he’s constantly out supporting local music. Their new album Sunny Waste is their second full length.  When I caught up with Steve I asked him what was the difference between Sunny and their first album.  “I love the first album because it encapsulates a chapter in my life.  This record has more of a variety of where we want to be.  There’s a folk, soul, grunge aspect that seems to be prevalent,” explained Steve. And Top 5 regular opening act Smith & Weeden and Hott Boyz support. I am not familiar with Hott Boyz, but I assume they are associated with either Master P and / or Birdman.

2. Sunday, January 17: St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Banditos; $20 advance / $24 day of; All ages; Lupo’s, 79 Washington St., Providence. Birmingham, Alabama’s St. Paul and The Broken Bones have made a name for themselves as one of the nations top live acts.  I have yet to see them, but I have watched live performances by them on youtube.  That’s saying something as I never watch live performances on youtube, I use the site merely as a source for new recorded music and a jukebox of old stuff I can’t find on my iTunes.  I can tell even from my computer the band controls the room.  They are a six piece southern soul band with a touch of gospel influence.  Check out their last release 2014’s “Half The City”.  Fellow Birmingham honky tonks Banditos open up.

3. Saturday, January 23: Fine Malt Vintage and Revival Brewing present “Off The Wagon” A Pop Up; $5 advance / $8 day of; All ages; The Met, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket. This should be an interesting meeting of many different but yet similar minds.  Rhode Island Hip Hop, fashion and art all under the same roof.  Local and Fashion taste makers Fine Malt Vintage, Bad Taste, Milk And Cookies, Leviathan Exchange, Gold Dust Vintage, Top Shelf Vintage, Ape N’ Bird, Peace Club will all be represented.  There will be live performances from local hip-hop mainstays Juan Deuce, Chachi, Romen Rok and music fittingly by Music Please. And also art exhibits from Jason Shectman, Vector-Sector, and Owen Muir.  Get there early and bring an empty backpack.

4. Saturday, January 23: Murder City Devils; $20; 18+ only; The Paradise, Boston, Mass. I remember being 16 years old and my friend Brian Ralph, who lived at the legendary DIY Onleyville warehouse Fort Thunder, told me I had to come out that school night to see a band from Seattle.  Lucky for me I could get away with being out ’til whenever on a Wednesday (thanks mom).  That night I saw a performance like I never saw before or maybe will again.  They were raw, loud, and scary as hell.  The lit their guitars on fire.  They lit their drums on fire.  They performed like it would be their last show ever and had nothing to lose or keep.  I have seen them alot over the years, and while the velocity might have calmed somewhat over the years, the songs are as time tested as any punk and roll from the ’90s.  Their show at Lupos in the early 2000s with At The Drive In is talked about with my many of my friends as the best show they’ve seen.  Boston is a hike, but The Paradise is one of my favorite venues to see a show.  Highly recommended.

5. Friday, January 29: The Dictators, Natur, Neutral Nation, We Own Land; $?; 21+ only; Parlor Newport, 200 Broadway, Newport. Newport in the winter is truly for lovers.  Lots of great places to stay, lots of great restaurants and bars, and no tourists.  Go for a walk, really anywhere you want and you will not be bothered.  It’s still just as pretty, just not as green I guess.  This is a perfect night for a road trip down from Providence.  Get a room and drink a gallon of beer leading up to 70s NYC punk icons The Dictators.  Lead singer Handsome Dick Manitoba is still at it and the band will run through all their classics.  I recommend Spotifying their classic “Bloodbrothers” record to get in the mood.  And get there early as the line-up is packed with Neutral Nation and Newport’s Natur and We Own Land opening up.

Also Worth Noting: January 15, The Mallett Brothers, Jay Berndt and the Orphans, Matt Fraza Band @ The Met; January 29, Elder, Phantom Glue, Bloodphesant @ AS220; January 30, JFCK, The Worried, Medicine Ball @ Dusk