NOTE: For concert series news, photos, updates, go to the concert series web site: brewsterproductions.com/concertseries – we’ll only be adding Brewster Productions-specific posts here throughout the summer!
There are only a few days til opening night of the School’s Out Summer Concert Series 2010, and obviously we’re quite excited. I’m going to keep this one short. First, the the show is Friday May 28 at 6pm, featuring The Eagle Hill Band, Doug Logan, and (just added today) our great friend Ben Carter. Check out the rest of the shows and get your lawn chairs and blankets ready!
The Eagle Hill Band
w/ Doug Logan + Ben Carter
6pm @ The Hedge House Lawn
126 Water St.
FREE, all ages, outdoors
FOR RAIN AND CANCELLATION UPDATES, FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! That is in all caps because it’s very important. The only way you’ll know the show is cancelled the second we decide is to follow us on Twitter – as soon as we call a show because of rain (hopefully this won’t happen at all!), we use our cell phones to update Twitter. Otherwise, you’ll just get there are see no concert. Who wants that? I certainly wouldn’t.
Also, please pledge some money to help support the concert series!Click here to find out what cool things we’re giving away for donations, like CDs, backstage tours, and autographed posters.
Saucy Seth & the Clams of Death before our performance at prom May 7, 2004. From left: Jon Dorn, Seth McFadyen, Andrew Thompson, James Grinsell, Phil Hulse.
Sure, this is kind of a self-happy-birthday wishing, but that’s okay, I love my band and I figured I’d write something quick about them/us.
It’s been exactly 6 years since the band originally known as Saucy Seth & the Clams of Death took the stage Friday, May 7, 2004 at Lombardo’s in Randolph as the band for the Class of 2005 Plymouth South High School junior prom. We officially changed our name to The Eagle Hill Band in July 2008, and played our last show as the Clams of Death on December 30, 2007, but the band hasn’t changed a whole lot except for the name and a little thinning out of membership. What is now a 3-piece of Seth McFadyen, Phil Hulse, and myself (James just practiced with us yesterday, so we may be +1 this summer), was once us three, plus James Grinsell on the rhythm guitar, and the ridiculously talented Andrew Thompson on piano.
I think one of the big reasons we changed our name is that we don’t really consider ourselves Saucy Seth & the Clams of Death without the full 5-piece. It may sound weird, but to us, ‘Saucy Seth’ is a sacred name. It’s the first band I was ever in, and we achieved a pretty good amount of popularity at South HS – we had the honor of being in the long line of bands like the Skakopaths, the Leftovers, Leftout, Drive It Like You Stole It, Underage, and [our immediate predecessor] Comboguy. It’s not a lot in terms of the world of music, but it’s a pretty big deal to be the popular band in a high school for a short period of time. The big difference between us and those other bands was that we played classic rock. We all came from pop-punk and ska backgrounds, except Thompson, but we took that and decided to start a classic rock band. And it was damn fun.
And it still is damn fun. We’ve played a bunch of shows as a band over the past 6 years, sometimes with 5, 4 or 3 people, sometimes with our friend Nick Amendolare, and once as a 3-piece we called Nantucket Sleigh Ride. We’re still going strong as the EHB with Seth, Phil, and me holding down the fort all these years. We’re probably one of the more casual bands around, and I’d say that’s our best quality. We play when we want to – when we have time and when we can find a show. We’ve never once gotten too serious, or taken ourselves too seriously. We’re not a band “trying to make it” – we’ve already made it as far as I’m concerned – we’re a group of friends who can get together whenever they can and play music with incredible chemistry, and people seem to have fun watching us play.
So if I have a message to all you young musicians out there it would be: Make a band with your friends, don’t try to make friends from a band. If you’re only goal as a band is to get a record deal, chances are you’re not going to have much fun with it. If you’re looking to have fun, you’re much better off getting a group of your own friends together to play. With Brewster Productions, I’ve seen a lot of different young band scenarios, and my anecdotal evidence suggests that the laid-back attitude of my beloved EHB is the one that lasts 6 years (and counting).
Have fun with music – if you’re not having fun, what’s the point?
(R to L) Jake Hill, Jim Calandrella, and Brian Hitchings rocked Sweetwater Cafe in Boston Thursday, April 29.
The other night was our last show at Sweetwater Cafe in Boston for a little while, but it was something else. Originally, Hitch from 3rd Left was scheduled to play, with support from the Eagle Hill Band acoustic. Then, Jake Hill showed up. And then James Calandrella, “the best sax player in Boston”, according to Hitch (he’s not kidding), showed up and played. It was an incredible show. Here are the photos.
Check out the photos below, and stay tuned for concert series news (and go to the web site). We’ll be seeing you all quite soon, outside on a warm night on the glorious Plymouth waterfront. Until then, keep both feet on the wheel.
It’s been almost 3 years since we started this whole Brewster Productions thing, and this year, we’ve been honored with a nomination as a finalist for the Plymouth Cultural Council ARTY Award for significant contribution to the artistic and creative culture in Plymouth. We’re incredibly honored to get this nod and recognition of our hard work and dedication in our hometown. Hopefully we’ll win, but hey if we don’t win against, say, the oldest museum in the entire USA, that’s okay – it’s pretty cool just to be a finalist. Here’s the little description we got in the invitation to the fundraiser dinner (May 7 @ the Radisson in Plymouth), where they’ll be giving out the awards:
Founded in 2007 by Jonathan Dorn, Scott McEwen and Harry Quinn, Brewster Productions’ mission was to empower the youth of Plymouth to engage in musical and creative expression. The series began as a fundraiser for Plymouth schools with six young bands participating in an all-day event. It was called Schoolhouse Rock and soon morphed into the Schools’ Out Summer Concert Series. Alternating between Pilgrim Memorial Park and the Hedge House lawn, the series continues to allow the best in high school and college talent the opportunity to band together for unique artistic expression. Brewster Productions has expanded its boundaries to include producing venues in other states to help promote the talents and expand the careers of young original performers.
Lucas Carpenter returned to Boston April 12 at All Asia in Cambridge, along with Ben Carter and Jared Salvatore.
Lucas Carpenter stopped by the All Asia in Cambridge during his tour (he’s playing in CT tonight), and put on an incredible show, just like the last time he played with us August 7th at the concert series. Joining him onstage wasJared Salvatore‘s band, an incredible 4-piece from boston (you can expect to see them this summer), and our old friend Ben Carter. All three acts put on amazing shows, despite the tight time constraints, and Lucas had the whole crowd singing along to a bunch of his own songs, which must be an incredible feeling for a musician.
Make sure you come check out the Ben Carter this Thursday night at Sweetwater Cafe – it’s 21+, but it’s free! We also have show there for the next couple Thursdays, so check out our rad schedule (which is pretty packed after these few years of working really hard to eventually have a consistent schedule…that’s a self pat on the back right there).
Summer is inching ever-closer, so make sure you check out the SCHOOL’S OUT SUMMER CONCERT SERIES for the best indie music right in Plymouth, Mass. It’s going to be an incredible summer.
I hope anyone who visited yesterday enjoyed the show announcement. It’s entirely true – it wasn’t an april fools joke. Did you also know that April 2nd is Opposite Day?
Anyway, we’ve been getting geared up for the School’s Out Summer Concert Series for a little while now, it things are starting to get real exciting. If you haven’t been over to the CONCERT SERIES WEB SITE, please do so, there are many fun things to behold. You’ll notice the SCHEDULE, how toDONATE, and how toGET BOOKED to play. If you’ve always wanted to play on the Plymouth Waterfront, now is your chance. If you check out the schedule, you’ll also notice we’ve got an amazing field of musicians playing: Jeff Conley, Nate Cristofori, Jesse Boncek, Amy Mercier, Boston & Bosco, Barroom Heroes (a middle school punk band), 3rd Left, Jake Hill, EHB, The Release, 14th Union, Bones & A Curtis Rhythm, and a Warped Tour send-off show for The Empire State. We’ve also got a few incredible dudes who’ll be playing but we haven’t solidified their dates yet: Greg Loftus, Jake Hill, and Sean P. Rogan of Big D and the Kids Table. And we’ll be adding a ton more as we get closer.
Needless to say, it’s going to be an incredible summer of music. But wait, there’s more! Starting April 8th, we’ll be up in Boston every Thursday night presenting SINGER-SONGWRITER THURSDAYS at Sweetwater Cafe. They’re going to be awesome shows, and if you’d like to play get in touch!
This year we’ve got a special treat for the concert series. A little known but truly awesome indie band from Los Angeles will be bringing their mellow, poignant vibe to the School’s Out Summer Concert Series. They’re called The Black Eyed Peas. You might not have heard of them, but they’re certainly making their way up in some underground music circuits. You can read more about them here.
Opening the show will be a cool up-and-coming guy named Kanye West, and a really cool singer-songwriter that you’ll be saying “I knew him before he was famous” about in a couple years: James Taylor. The show is on June 31st and it’s going to be a great time.
Lucas Carpenter performs at the School's Out Summer Concert Series August 7, 2009.
Last summer, Lucas Carpenter conquered the Plymouth Waterfront main stage with his infectious songs and awe-inspiring showmanship. Now, in just a couple weeks the Philly-based Berkelee grad is back in the area for what will surely be an amazing show. Lucas will be playing at ALL ASIA in Cambridge April 12th . Our good friend and local crowd-pleaser Ben Carter will open the show, which starts at 8pm.
On the other-Boston-shows front, starting April 8th we will be producing Singer-Songwriter Thursdays at Sweetwater Cafe (3 Boylston Place, by the Common). Also, we’re currently in the process of booking all the School’s Out Summer Concert Series shows, so if you want to play, or know someone who does, give us a shout (booking@brewsterproductions.com)!! Same goes for the Sweetwater shows.
Stay dry.
- Jon
Photo: The Okay Win at the Acoustic Nights Free Concert Series, 2011.
