Tonight in Cambridge: Class of 2013's Deep North and Susan Constant, with Parlour Bells and Arcane Comedy @ the Middle East

A few weeks ago at Great Scott our pals in Eye Design hosted the Color Channel record release party, and since Abadabad and Early Nineties were on the bill, the Boston Phoenix threw its support behind it as a showcase for Class of 2013, my annual wrap up of the best new bands in town. A few weeks later, another show with some additional C13 energy hits the Middle East in Cambridge, as tonight Class of 2013 acts The Deep North and the Susan Constant take to the upstairs on a bill with WFNX BFFs Parlour Bells. It's definitely some shit I'd be yelling about in three hours if I still had a radio show. [Note: The Arcane Comedy is also on the bill, but I have to plead ignorance on that one. But hey, that's why we go out, right, to hear new shit? Word. Also their website looks like the Lizard Lounge's homepage, and that's cool.]

It should be good times at the Mid Easy, and I'll be bouncing back and forth from next door: The Susan Constant are powered by frantic indie-pop energy, the Deep North by lush rock orchestration led by vocalist Rebecca Frank, and Parlour Bells by a crisp noir-pop that's a rather fragrant side of glam rock's 24-hour diner. Well, that and Goddamn Glenn Di Benedetto. I wrote about their ace new EP Thank God For The Night when it was released a few weeks ago. Its moonlight dance still prances in my dome.

In fact, Di Benedetto and P-Belz guitarist Nate Leavitt were in the WFNX studio a few weeks ago for the Super Bowie Weekend pre-game show, along with the Daily Pravda and Gene Dante, and their acoustic performance of the Duke's "China Girl" was something special. I'm told they've worked it into live sets since then, so we'll see if it gets dusted off tonight.

Get into the jams:

Phoenix: Girlfriends hit their tour running

This ran in today's Boston Phoenix -- an OUT column on Girlfriends' 7-inch release party and tour kickoff last week at Great Scott in Allston.

Road warriors
Girlfriends hit their tour running
By MICHAEL MAROTTA | July 6, 2010

PHOTOS: Girlfriends at Great Scott, by Scott M. Lacey



An hour before Girlfriends hit the stage last Thursday at Great Scott, singer/guitarist Ben Potrykus was afforded the luxury of not having to make change.

"Keep it," a girl standing at the merch table said after handing Potrykus more than enough cash for Girlfriends' new seven-inch, "Gov't Seizure"/"Creep Stuff." "You're going on tour, that's awesome!"

Girlfriends are hitting the road indeed. After last week's kickoff in Allston, the jangly lo-fi garage-punk trio set off for 44 shows in 44 days before wrapping up in Providence on August 14. (They return to Great Scott for a gig with Reports and Eux Autres four days later.)

"Sometimes stuff falls through," said Potrykus, an apparent master at tour routing. "We figured we'd book all the dates, and when stuff falls through, that's our day off."

If any city can't get its shit together — from San Francisco to Ypsilanti — it'll be the city's loss. In less than a year of playing together, Girlfriends — rounded out by Jennifer Dowty (bass) and Andrew Sadoway (drums) — have the buzz that suggests great things are to come.

A homonymous cassette-only release and the "Good To Be True" digital single off Floating Garbage Continent Records got the blogs buzzing, and last month Girlfriends snagged the "Best Garage/Psych Band" award in the Phoenix 2010 Best Music Poll. Now the "Gov't Seizure" seven-inch — recorded at and released off Weymouth's Aurora Seven Records — could position them to be our country's answer to UK garage freakbeat kids Thee Vicars. It's a raucous sonic explosion wherein under the grainy echoing distortion lies six minutes of spirited dirty-pop bliss. Girlfriends' sound has a true home on vinyl, and it's probably just as rad on cassette in your parents' 1988 Cutlass Ciera. Which means it might never find its way onto an officially released compact disc.

"I hope not," Potrykus said. "I think CDs are kinda boring."

Just like days off.

'Double Rainbow' auto-tuned into song

Repost from my Phoenix blog: Last week on the interwebs we marveled at the guy who marveled at a Yosemitebear Mountain double rainbow -- so it was only a matter of time before new life was injected into it and it got re-imagined as a song.

Have at it now before it's irrelevant tomorrow, and for posterity, here's the orgasmic original video.

Phoenix Shakedown: IndepenDANCE Day

Writing about dance parties for the Phoenix? Yes, please. What was once called Booty Advisory is now known as ... SHAKEDOWN!


FRIDAY 07.02 | MANUEL DE LA MARE @ Rise | Last time an Italian DJ came to town, Pauly D left behind a sticky mix of Axe and Ice Spiker. So Italy's own (like, real Italy) Manuel de la Mare, who must be pissed at his country's showing in the World Cup, has something to prove. And the DJ/producer and Beatport Top 10 mainstay has a versatile mix of deep house and techno perfect for all-night ragers.

306 Stuart St, Boston | 11:30 pm | 21+ | $10 members; $20 guests | 617.423.7473 or riseclub.us

----------

FRIDAY 07.02 | OM LIFE @ Om Lounge | The Audio Chemist trio of Ill Will, Saucy Lady, and DJ Golden Touch have one thing in mind: a frantic, booty-shaking disco-funk throwdown at this Harvard Square monthly. Two floors separate the hip-hop upstairs from DJ Knife and Golden Touch from the other two's Latin grooves and roller boogie on the down low. Om, om, om.

92 Winthrop St, Cambridge | 10 pm | 21+ | $5 | 617.576.2800 or omrestaurant.com

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SATURDAY 07.03 | HEROES @ T.T. the Bear's Place | On this eve of Independence Day, DJ Chris Ewen and the Heroes new-wave party scoff at your early-morning BBQ plans, offering up a shadowy retro-to-electro set, to the delight of a man on the dance floor who goes by the Internet handle Roman Candle. Want real fireworks? Buy that dude a few screwdrivers.

10 Brookline St, Cambridge | 9 pm | 18+ | $7 | 617.492.0082 or ttthebears.com
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MONDAY 07.05 | THE JUAN MacLEAN AT PETROL @ Middlesex Lounge | Oh yeah, July 4 was the shit, and you ate more burgers than anyone else on that patio. Dance the extra poundage away at the weightless confines of Middlesex, where dance producer extraordinaire the Juan MacLean teams up with Louisahhh, one-half of the Los Angeles-based minimalist house duo Staccato. Residents C&G are there on the back-up, in case a belt gets busted.

315 Mass Ave, Cambridge | 9 pm | 21+ | $5 | 617.868.MSEX or middlesexlounge.us

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WEDNESDAY 07.07 | THE PENGUIN CLUB @ ZuZu | What do penguins do in the summer time when they're not parading around with the Stanley Cup? They dance in the Central Square igloo known as ZuZu to the drunken indie-rock grooves of Infinite Jeff and DJ Mario Lemieux (of course). Infinite Jeff makes some of the freshest and most road-trip-worthy mixtapes among hipster circles, so ask him for one and he'll hook you up, penguin-style.

474 Mass Ave, Cambridge | 10 pm | 21+ | Free | 617.864.3278 or zuzubar.com

Read more: http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/onthedownload/archive/2010/07/01/shakedown-it-s-independance-day-weekend.aspx#ixzz0sSkJedCx

Guided By Voices reform for Matador

Hey look, a re-post of my work! Ahhhh, I miss these. Just posted on the Boston Phoenix OTD about the Guided By Voices reunion, which goes down in Las Vegas along with a lineup that kicks the shit out of a lot of festivals. Yowza.

Review: Ellis revisits Zeroes in "Imperial Bedrooms"

Bret Easton Ellis's new novel "Imperial Bedrooms" gets the release treatment today from Knopf Publishing, and to celebrate, I reviewed the dashing piece of work in this past weekend's Herald. Yes, my last Herald piece as a Staff Writer was on Bret Easton Ellis. How very Michael. Can't wait for the book signing next Thursday.

More of ‘Less’

Bret Easton Ellis revisits his Zeroes in ‘Imperial Bedrooms’

By Michael Marotta
Sunday, June 13, 2010 - Updated 2d 19h ago
“IMPERIAL BEDROOMS” By Bret Easton Ellis (Knopf, $24.95): A-


As Hollywood proves yet again this weekend (“The A-Team,” “The Karate Kid”), it’s possible and profitable to remake, reboot and reimagine movies from the ’80s.

It remains impossible to rewrite a book.

But Bret Easton Ellis, that compelling literary voice of The Decade That Won’t Die, is back Tuesday with a sequel to his most important work, 1985’s “Less Than Zero.”

“Imperial Bedrooms,” Ellis’ stunning seventh novel - which he will read from at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge on June 24 - tracks the lives and deceit of the network of friends and enemies who first appeared in “Less Than Zero.” The characters who defined the so-called “Catcher in the Rye” for the jaded, disaffected and affluent youths of the ’80s are now 25 years older and running amok in present-day Los Angeles.

Narrator Clay (the Holden Caulfield of his era) is now a screenwriter, back in Tinseltown after a sabbatical in New York City and ready to cast his new film, “The Listeners.” It’s a movie set in - of course - the 1980s. As he returns to his home city, he finds the same old song and dance - and same friends, in particular ex-girlfriend Blair and junkie-turned-pimp Julian (who was played with frightening realism in the 1987 movie adaptation of “Less Than Zero” by Robert Downey Jr.).

About all that’s changed since the first romp down Sunset are the names of the hip, new spots, the name-dropped celebrities and, of course, the technology. Now we get text messages and online social networks where we once had pay phones and MTV. But the undercurrent of moral bankruptcy remains, and it remains Ellis’ strongest vantage point.

Like its predecessor, “Imperial Bedrooms” takes its name from an Elvis Costello song, serving as a reminder that while this book takes place in a new century, its themes are inherently ’80s. And maybe that’s Ellis’ point.

Ellis has always been a master of blurring the line between reality and fiction. The first line of this new novel - “They had made a movie about us” - immediately smashes that wall, allowing Clay to both praise the first book’s honesty and bemoan the Hollywood film adaptation. He slams actor Andrew McCarthy’s portrayal of Clay and notes that the movie failed to recoup its production costs. Classic Ellis.

“Imperial Bedrooms” is unlikely to generate the attention and controversy of “Less Than Zero” or Ellis’ “American Psycho.” But it’s a fitting evolution for an astute writer, who doesn’t deserve to be faulted for noticing that the disillusioned youths he famously chronicled are no less messed up as adults. It truly is the ’80s all over again.

Bret Easton Ellis at the Brattle Theatre, Cambridge, June 24. Tickets: $5; call 617-876-6837.

mmarotta@bostonherald.com

Hotline's last Weekend Flyer Roundup

Awwww, it's OVER. Hotline is DEAD. Here's the highlights of the last post on my Boston Herald blog, naturally, a weekend flyer roundup.

Hotline: Weekend Flyer Roundup (the end?!?!)

While I'm not re-posting my Cheap Thrills column in today's Herald -- cuz it kinda sucks; can you say "checked out"? -- I will re-post the possibly last Hotline Weekend Flyer Roundup, or at least the best bits of it. Dropped a nice Brett Anderson reference right up there at the top, as well. This day is shaping up!

Cheaps: Free ice cream, Orchard sk8 & Berryz

Hola Thursday, welcome to the latest Cheap Thrills column in the Boston Herald, why I pimp free ice cream, strawberry picking, Orchard skate shop's grand opening and even through those Rescue Nite kids some love. Awww, a new me. Evs.


I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM
Free Soft Serve Ice Cream at Bleacher Bar
Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m., 82A Lansdowne St.; all ages, FREE
Nothing beats free ice cream, and even though temps are supposed to dip back to May-like normalcy over the weekend, the lure of free soft serve on Saturday from the fine folks at Bleacher Bar almost makes up for having to watch the Red Sox [team stats] play the Kansas City Royals later that night. These promotions certainly don’t happen when the Yankees come to town - maybe because we don’t want to share our treats with their fans - so let’s appreciate the gesture and all get one massive brain freeze. Swing by the Bleacher Bar window and grab yourself the most unexpected cone at Fenway since David awkwardly pitched for the hometown team back in 2001.
Info: bleacherbarboston.com, 617-262-2424

ALLSTON SKATE CITY
Orchard Skate Shop grand opening weekend
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 156 Harvard Ave., Allston, all-ages, FREE; and Sunday night at 9, Rescue Nite dance party at the Model Cafe (7 North Beacon St.), 21-plus, FREE
Allston has no shortage of skateboarders, from kids doing tricks on the rails of the Jackson Mann Community Center to skillfully dodging angry cars at the corner of Harvard and Commonwealth. But now they can take the decks indoors, as Orchard Skate Shop moves its hot spot from Mission Hill to the center of Allston Village on Harvard Avenue. Saturday’s grand opening features an art show by Orchard Skate Team member Jahmal Williams above the shop in its Extension Gallery and an open call to test the room’s new skate ramp (kids younger than 18 must have a parent sign a waiver). And because it is Memorial Day weekend and everyone loves a party, the Morrissey-loving kids at Rescue Nite bring the Orchard celebration to the Model on Sunday night, offering up a splendidly drunken mix of post-punk, indie and Pabst Blue Ribbon all for Allston’s newest neighbors.
Info: orchardshop.com

AMERICAN PICKERS
Strawberry picking at Belkin Family Lookout Farm
Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 89 Pleasant St., South Natick; all ages, $8 general admission
The year was 1651 in New England. Massachusetts General Court ordered a 5 shilling fine for observing Christmas and, according to Wikipedia, new laws were passed forbidding poor people from adopting excessive styles of dress. And Belkin farm was established. This weekend one of the oldest working farms in the country kicks off another strawberry season with special picking for Memorial Day revelers looking to escape the city. If the heat gets too oppressive during the berry-picking sessions, there’s always the scenic train ride through the 180-acre farm’s orchards. There’s also a farm-themed children’s play area, face painting, live entertainment, a hay pyramid, burlap mazes and a moon bounce.
Info: lookoutfarm.com, call the u-pick hot line at 508-653-0653

Hotline: Live music back at Milky Way

An artless-not-heartless Hotline re-post: When the Milky Way and Bella Luna Restaurant in Jamaica Plain relocated last year from Centre Street to the Brewery Complex on Amory Street, it left behind two things that were a major bummer to its wide-ranging clientele: a hearty slate of live local music and candlepin bowling.

At the time, the owners promised the eventual return of the former, and now that looks to be true: the space will start hosting live music the second Friday of the month and occasionally on Thursdays, shaking up a weekly schedule dominated by DJ-led dance parties.

Here are some of the newest confirmations, skillfully jacked from the venue's Facebook page and a thread on Lemmingtrail (follow the links back for performer linkage):

Friday, June 11 - Audrey Ryan & Shepherdess
Thursday, July 29 - Sleepy Very Sleepy + TBA
Friday, July 30 - Hangman's Alphabet & Aloha Sarcophagus + TBA
Thursday, Sept. 30 - Lovewhip + TBA
Every 2nd Wednesday of each month Erin Harpe Delta Blues performs for free with special guests each month.

Hotline: Weekend Flyer Roundup (just 2 left)

The countdown is on to the End of the Hotline as we all know it (read: they'll find someone else to do it). So clearly the Weekend Flyer Roundup will go the way of the McRib as well... Here's today's post, and below are my faves:

Cheaps: EarthFest, Free Hug Day & record swap

Oh yes, Thursday brings us our weekly Cheap Thrills column in the Boston Herald. On tap this week: EarthFest's Saturday shitshow, free hugs all around Downtown Crossing and a cool record swap in JP on Sunday. And yes, there is a Suede reference.

NO SUNBLOCK NEEDED
Radio 92.9 EarthFest
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the DCR Hatch Memorial Shell off Storrow Drive; all-ages, FREE
It’s fitting that Saturday’s Radio 92.9 EarthFest megaconcert at the Hatch Shell also falls on World Goth Day - the forecast calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 70s. The festivities draw more than 100,000 annually to the banks of the Charles River and pump out a whole lot of environmental awareness. Even the bands are recycled, as this year’s concert features ’90s alt-rock worship: Catch Collective Soul, Marcy Playground and the Gin Blossoms, who have undergone a sort of hipster renaissance. Seriously, you can’t find anyone to bash the Gin Blossoms these days (“Hey Jealousy” held up remarkably well). Wade in EarthFest’s sea of “green” product vendors and local nonprofit environmental organizations. There’s also the interactive Kids Planet, for those who weren’t even born before Marcy Playground experienced a blip of relevancy.
Info: earthfest.com

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE
Free Hugs Day in Boston
Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., launching at the Park Street MBTA station and spreading toward Downtown Crossing and Park Street; all-ages, FREE
The Free Hug Campaign is a social movement started in Australia in 2004 meant to endorse random acts of kindness. Now these free-huggers are bringing their unsolicited grabby-back to Boston in a daylong event that has almost 550 Facebook RSVPs. Cheap Thrills is skeptical, however, and we’re promoting this not as an endorsement of giving or receiving free hugs, but as a people-watching opportunity to see what happens when the hug parade randomly approaches a group of Bostonians in the heart of Downtown Crossing.
Info: freehugscampaign.org, search “free hugs Boston” on Facebook events

RECORD ATTENDANCE
JP Vinyl Yard Sale & Record Swap
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 630 Centre St. in Jamaica Plain; all-ages, FREE
Hopefully the momentum caused by Record Store Day a few weeks ago carries over into this weekend, when Jamaica Plain hosts another vinyl yard sale and record swap. Dust off the Technics and spin the black circle at the get-together that boasts thousands of records for sale or trade from multiple sellers around the region. Maybe Cheap Thrills will finally find that ultra-rare white-label Suede “Be My God” 12-inch off RML Records we’ve been looking for since 1990. But if not, there’s certain to be tons of other rock, punk, psych, pop and “file under other” gems to fill the day with crate-digging goodness. And really nothing beats wasting a few hours outdoors on a spring Sunday going through a fat stack of $1 bins. And just in case Mother Nature still listens to CDs, the rain date is June 6.
Info: soulcrates@gmail.com, search “JP Record Swap” on Facebook events

Hotline: the Heavy @ House of Blues 5/27

Hotline says HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW: You know that cowbell-banging soul jam that sounds like a lost James Brown record and is played in the Kia Sorento commercial where the sock monkey gets a tattoo? Yeah, it rules, and it's called "How You Like Me Now" by UK band the Heavy. Hotline is sure the Heavy had to cancel some US dates late last year (memory is all fuzzy), but they're back in town this spring supporting Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings. The tour hits the House of Blues on Thursday, May 27.

Hell of a show. Details below after the video jump.

The Heavy's US Tour With Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings Kicks Off Today

The Heavy are back in the USA for tour dates spanning May, June and July for their longest North American tour to date. They will be supporting Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, headlining some of their own shows - a second show in both Denver and NY have been added due to high demand, and performing at Festivals such as Sasquatch, Jazz Fests in Victoria/Vancouver and more.

The Heavy Upcoming North American Tour Dates:

May 17 || Southgate House || Newport, KY*
May 18 || Majestic Theatre || Detroit, MI*
May 20 || University of Wisconsin, Memorial Union (Free Show) || Madison, WI
May 21 || Vic Theatre || Chicago, IL*
May 22 || Pabst Theater || Milwaukee, WI*
May 23 || The Vogue || Indianapolis, IN*
May 25 || The Sound Academy || Toronto, ON*
May 26 || Le National || Montreal, QC*
May 27 || House of Blues || Boston, MA*
May 28 || Larimer Lounge || Denver, CO
May 29 || Larimer Lounge || Denver, CO
May 31 || Sasquatch Music Festival || George, WA
June 14 || The Bowery Ballroom || New York, NY
June 16 || The Bowery Ballroom|| New York, NY
June 18 || Republik || Calgary, AB
June 20 || Commodore Ballroom || Vancouver, BC*
June 21 || Showbox Sodo || Seattle, WA*
June 22 || Crystal Ballroom || Portland, OR*
June 24 || KSJO Presents - The Blank Club || San Jose, CA
June 25 || Warfield Theatre || San Francisco, CA*
June 26 || The Wiltern || Los Angeles, CA*
June 28 || Jazz Fest Int'l - Element Club || Victoria, BC
June 29 || Vancouver Int'l Jazz Fest - The Commodore Ballroom || Vancouver, BC
July 1 || Fine Line Music Café || Minneapolis, MN
July 2 || Summerfest || Milwaukee, WI
July 3 || Taste of Chicago || Chicago, IL
July 4 || 80/35 Festival || Des Moines, IA
July 7 || The Basement || Columbus, OH
July 10 || Quebec City Summer Festival - Theatre Imperial || Quebec City, QC
*supporting Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
All other shows are headlining shows or Festival dates.

VIDEO: Dio 'Holy Diver' (RIP, buddy)

Hotline repost: Here's the obligatory Ronnie James Dio day-after-death worship. Hungover weekend mornings watching "Metal Mania" on VH1 Classic will never be the same. Godspeed, diminutive metal warrior! Here's the obituary from the AP.

\m/

Hotline: Weekend Flyer Roundup (final countdown)

Only three weeks left of the Hotline Weekend Flyer Roundup, so lets make it count, eh? Here are my faves from this week's post on at the Boston Herald's finest bloggy blog, Hotlinez:

Cheaps: Human Centipede, SoWa Market & Dom

Very sad, as with the end of my 3.5-year run as a Herald writer comes to an end on May 28, my weekly Cheap Thrills column may disappear with me. So hold on tight and let's cherish these last few weeks (if I'm not welcome to continue it as a freelancer). On tap this week: The Human Centipede at the Coolidge, SoWa Open Market's weekend opening and the album release show for Dom and Golden Girls. Dig in:

A DATE NIGHT WITH LEGS
“The Human Centipede” screening at the Coolidge Corner Theatre
Tomorrow and Saturday at 11:55 p.m., 290 Harvard St., Brookline; all ages, $9
The most-talked-about movie of the summer so far isn’t “Iron Man 2” or some bloated Hollywood blockbuster. No, its “The Human Centipede,” last year’s uber-horror flick about a crazy German doctor who sutures his victims together to form a human version of the insect. Whether you consider it the most horrific film ever, plain cheesy or just absurd, the film’s cultlike status seems instant. After a successful weekend run last week, it’s back at the Coolidge for two screenings this weekend. And despite the fact that it’s available for home viewing via Comcast On Demand, the movie really begs to be seen on the big screen. But consider yourself warned: This is not for the faint of heart.
Info: Coolidge.org, 617-734-2500

MARKET SHARES
SoWa Open Market grand opening
Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., then every Sunday until Oct. 31, 460 Harrison Ave. at Thayer Street; all ages, FREE
Boston gets its Brooklyn on this weekend with the grand opening of the SoWa Open Market. A glorious mishmash of more than 140 vendors, the open-air, tent-filled weekend destination is as much a place to be seen as it is a place to buy cool artisan goods. Now in its seventh year, the outdoor bazaar has expanded to a larger lot space and for the first time includes a vintage market (inside an adjacent brick building).
Info: sowaopenmarket.com

WORCESTER CENTRAL
Dom and Golden Girls double record release party at the Temple
Saturday at 8 p.m., 670 Centre St. in Jamaica Plain, all ages, $10.
If you’ve read the blogs or gone to any electro or indie dance parties recently, chances are you’ve heard the explosive bliss-pop song “Living In America” by Worcester trio Dom. In just weeks, the band has exploded around Boston, playing everything from Allston indie shows with the Passion Pit DJs to the Thunderdome electro party at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts last weekend. And now national eyes are on the band as well after their debut EP, “Sun Bronzed Greek Gods,” scored an 8.0 rating on indie-elitist Web site Pitchfork.com. On Saturday, things kick into high gear as Dom and fellow Worcester brethren Golden Girls officially release their new EPs off Burning Mill Records in a new, all-ages show space that used to be a Masonic Lodge. Local electro-rap heroes Big Digits and Brooklyn’s Oneida round things out, making this one shiny little party.
Info: myspace.com/imfur, myspace.com/goldengirlsma

Future-Pop: Lady Gaga announces 2011 gigs

More Hotline, which it still exists: Lady Gaga sold out her worldwide 2010 Monster Ball Tour – including shows at the TD Garden July 1 and 2 – faster than you can say rah-rah-ah-ah-ah, roma, roma-ma Gaga, ooh la la. So naturally the post-millennial Queen of Pop has her sights set on 2011.

Gaga returns to the Hub with another live dance party at the Garden on March 8 of next year, and tickets go on sale this Friday through livenation.com. Hey, it’s never too early to plan ahead, right?

Fun facts: Lady Gaga became the first artist to have his or her music videos reach the one billion view mark, and “Bad Romance” is the most viewed video of all-time on YouTube.com. Hotline alone is responsible for probably three percent of all that nonsense.

Here are the deets on Gaga’s 2011 tour extension:

THE MONSTER BALL TOUR STARRING LADY GAGA with special guests Semi Precious Weapons

North American Tour Extension 2011 Itinerary
Feb. 19 Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk Hall
Feb. 26 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center
March 3 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
March 8 Boston, MA TD Garden
March 25 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand
April 8 Houston, TX Toyota Center
April 9 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena
April 12 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Bank Atlantic Center
April 13 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
April 18 Atlanta, GA Gwinnett Center
Additional cities, venues, and on-sale information to be announced. Itinerary subject to change.

Cheaps: Boston khed, subway raves & free zoos

Thursday brings about another round of Cheap Thills, my weekly column in the Boston Herald. There is word the column will continue after I leave the newspaper later this month, which rules.

WICKED GOOD
The Good Life’s Boston party
Friday at 28 Kingston St., Downtown Crossing; 21-plus, $5 (free admission requirements below) and the cover is $100,000 if you’re from New York.

Yo, khed, wheartha pahtee at? If you hear someone shout that in the vicinity of the Good Life Friday night, you’re in the right place. Not since Everlast broke out the Larry Bird Celtics [team stats] jersey in the House of Pain “Jump Around” video has Boston been so fashionable, and now the kids behind the So Dope parties are bringing the flavor of the Hub to the nightclubs. Sure, it can be said that every downtown party is a Boston party, but few have such promotional whimsy behind them. Free admission to anyone wearing Sox, Bruins [team stats], Patriots [team stats], Celtics or Revolution sports apparel, and bonus points for Bill Belichick hoodies, old, ratty Steve Grogan jerseys or anything suggesting the Yankees are not a very good baseball team. DJs Brek.One, Damien Paul and Dorchester’s own Jay K hold down the music.
Info: goodlifebar.com, 617-451-2622

UNDERGROUND PARTY
Boston Subway Rave
Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., on any Boston MBTA subway car; general meet-up at South Station at about 4:30 p.m.; all ages, FREE

The commute home Friday evening just got a bit more interesting. Scott Trano, the man behind spontaneous and nontraditional all-are-welcome community events like the zombie march and silent disco, is taking the rave to the subway. Participants are asked to divide into groups of 20, which means that even if half the 1,300 R.S.V.P.’d guests on Facebook take part, subway cars from the Red to Orange to Green lines will have party-people raving out alongside the weary just trying to get home. This could get ugly, and will no doubt be interesting, even if you get the car without Boston subway legend DJ Night Train. The rules are simple: no offensive music, no strobe lights and no invading people’s personal spaces. Trano is hosting a meet-up at South Station about an hour before things get rolling down, and all are welcome. It’s the kind of event that’s as cool as participants make it, like last weekend’s epic water-boiling house parties.
Info: search Facebook or e-mail strano317@yahoo.com; subscribe to event notices by texting your name to broadtexter.com/waldo

MATERNAL KINGDOM
Free admission to mothers at the Stone and Franklin Park zoos
Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Stone Zoo (149 Pond St., Stoneham, $11 adults/$7 children 2-12) and Franklin Park Zoo (One Franklin Park Road, $14 adults/$8 children 2-12); all-ages, FREE for moms with proof of child
Cheap Thrills has said it before and we’ll say it again: Mom doesn’t want lavish gifts for Mother’s Day, she wants to spend quality time with the kids. The evidence is in that still-wrapped iPod you got her last year when you thought you were “the man” and tried to outspend your broker-than-you siblings. Whether or not Momma Dukes will be impressed with the Stone Zoo’s new baby emperor tamarin twins or the Franklin Park’s baby lemur is anyone’s guess, but if the weather holds up, she’s certain to enjoy chillin’ out with the fam. She gets into both parks for free all day as well, saving you a few dimes before you go out and buy another fancy-pants electronic device she has no use for.
Info: zoonewengland.org, 617-989-2000 (Franklin) or 781-438-5100 (Stone)

Sleigh Bells get loud tonight @ the Dise

More Hotline pops, the countdown begins: Last year Brooklyn glitch-pop dup Sleigh Bells got the interwebz all fired up with the street-smart blast-hop bounce of single “A/B Machines.” They blew up SXSW in March, released some fierce sonic noise in latest offering “Tell ‘Em” and buzz is palpable on debut disc “Treats,” which drops May 11 off Mom & Pop Records and MIA’s label imprint N.E.E.T.

So if you’re already holding a ticket for tonight’s sold-out Yeasayer gig at the Paradise Rock Club, be sure to get there early to blow the eardrums out by the sly-wink Sleigh Bells kids. Buy some merch, too. Between this release and Crystal Castles’ lethal second disc, it’s certainly going to be a summer of loud, noisy pop. It's the sound of now.

Sleigh Bells "A/B Machines" LIVE at Le Poisson Rouge NYC from AbzPunkPhoto on Vimeo.

Hotline: 'Pearl' harbored: No Chapterhouse

Hotline repost Monday morning evs city: Now Hotline usually ignores most nightlife news involving the Dirty Apple down I-95, but we know more than a handful of heads who were preparing to hit Brooklyn's Bell House tonight and tomorrow to see reunited shoegazers Chapterhouse.

Well, turns out it's all a no-go, as it was announced late last week the British band nixed its stateside tour due to that angry molehill in Iceland. European travel restrictions will finally kill off this shoegaze revival once and for all!

But since it's a gray, water-crisis day here in Boston, let's pay tribute to Chapterhouse with some love for 1991 classic "Pearl." I will personally never tire of spinning this song after Ride's "Vapour Trail," letting the outro cello play out over "Pearl's" first few chords. The band's official statement follows the YouTube jump...



Due to the recent volcanic activity in Iceland Chapterhouse have been forced to reschedule their upcoming tour of North America. The disruption to international flights caused by the ash cloud left Stephen stranded in Japan. Although the earliest flight earmarked for his return to the UK was May 3rd, he managed to get a standby ticket and return on monday evening. However, this caused him to miss his interviews at the American Embassy, which means that there is no hope of us getting him a US artist visa in time for the shows.

We are all extremely disappointed that this is our only course of action, but wish to stress that the tour is being postponed, not cancelled. We are currently working hard with the promoters in order to find the best time to reschedule the shows, keeping them at the same venues with the same line ups. Any fans with tickets will be able to use them for the replacement shows. Due to Ashley's commitments with his other band 'Tunng', the new shows are likely to be in the second half of September. We will confirm these dates as soon as possible.

The band are very upset about this turn of events and would like to convey their sympathy and apologies to everyone that will be affected, but on a more positive note, we intend to add a couple of dates to the rescheduled tour. Please bear with us. We look forward to playing in front of you all in a few months time.

Regards,

Andy, Stephen, Simon and Ashley