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• "Up in the Air" Flies High, Hits Subtle Notes

  ongoing Nuance. Let’s hear it for nuance. Let’s hear if for multiple layers, a story that weaves themes, that gives us characters that aren’t altogether wonderful or evil. Hey, isn’t it nice to go out to a movie and not to be banged over the head, preached to or patronized? [...]
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  Fetched: December 19, 2009, 7:59pm EST
  

• Joe Pernice: In Words & Music at the Lizard Lounge

  singer-guitarist Joe Pernice decided to write the novel that became “It Feels So Good When I Stop,” he approached it with this premise: “I wanted to purposefully stay away from music, because I didn’t want to be seen as just a musician taking a crack at writing. I wanted it [...]
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  Fetched: December 17, 2009, 10:59pm EST
  

• Ellis Paul: A Tradition Continues

  Wed. Dec. 30 Thurs. Dec. 31 Our old pal at the Globe, wizened folk music writer Scott Alarik christened Ellis Paul the Guy Lombardo of the local Folk scene, which may take a few folks back. Who the heck was Guy Lombardo you young punks might think? Well - throat-clearing [...]
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  Fetched: December 14, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  

• You Can't Keep a Good Band Down: The English Beat are Back in Foxoboro

  Fri. Feb. 26Dave Wakeling formed the Beat in Birmingham England in the late 1970s. It was one of the leading bands of the ska-punk, two-tone movement – two-tone meaning blacks and whites playing in the same band. The Beat, called the English Beat in America for legal reasons, has broken [...]
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  Fetched: December 11, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  

• A Big Disappointment? Only in Name ...

  Tues. Dec. 15Call your band The Big Disappointments and you win both ways: If you suck, it’s truth in billing, if you rock, it’s ironic. Eric Boomhower – who used to drum for the In Out – played under The Big Disappointments moniker as a joke back in 1999, and [...]
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  Fetched: December 11, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  

• The Boston Pops: Santa, Sacred Songs and More at Symphony Hall

  Through Sun. Dec. 27 The Boston Pops have been doing a Christmas Pops Show – now a politically-correct “Holiday Pops” show – since the Arthur Fiedler days, back in 1974. Keith Lockhart has been on the podium 15 years and this year he will conduct all but six of the [...]
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  Fetched: December 10, 2009, 10:59pm EST
  

• Another Round of Fine Music for Stephen Fredette at the Plough & Stars

  Thurs. Dec. 17 Promoter Billy Ruane threw a successful multi-band benefit-bash for cancer-stricken guitarist Stephen Fredette (in photo, best known for playing in Scruffy the Cat, a current member of Pony) last month and singer-guitarist Hilken Mancini (of Fuzzy) is throwing a Fuzzy Christmas benefit-party for Fredette at the Plough [...]
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  Fetched: December 09, 2009, 7:59pm EST
  

• J-Crafty: Music, Video, Arts & Crafts (?) at VFW in Somerville

  Fri. Dec. 11 Sophia Cacciola, from Boston Band Crush and Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, checks in with this: Mike Epstein (of The Motion Sick) and I are working together to help a friend get the word out on his video release. It's the world's first gangsta arts [...]
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  Fetched: December 09, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  

• "Hot Stove Cool Music": Year 10 at the House of Blues

  Sat. Jan. 9 The “Hot Stove Cool Music” charity fundraiser stages its 10th annual club show on Saturday Jan. 9, at the House of Blues, a switch from its usual haunt, the Paradise. It’s the music (mostly) and, yes, chat where Tinted Windows (Adam Schlesinger, James Iah, Bun E. Carlos [...]
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  Fetched: December 07, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  

• Ghost in the Machine: A Play By Hamlet, Not a Song by the Police

  Fri. Dec. 18 - Sun. Dec. 20 Though clearly one his best known and most discussed plays, William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is also one of his longest. And while the recent Orfeo Group production of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” brilliantly turned this epic exploration of a Danish depressive [...]
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  Fetched: December 07, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  

• First Night of Music: The Neats at the Orpheum atn Much More

  Thur. Dec. 31 Will the world end by fire or ice? Will First Night Boston be blessed with cold - but not too cold, just enough for ice sculptures to not turn into water puddles - and will continue to bring thousands into our fair city for many free samplings [...]
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  Fetched: December 06, 2009, 8:00pm EST
  

• "Hot Stove/Cool Music": Year 10 at the Paradise

  Sat. Jan. 9 The “Hot Stove/Cool Music” charity fundraiser returns to the Paradise for its 10th year this month. Saturday Jan. 9, at the Paradise. It’s the music (mostly) and, yes, chat where Tinted Windows (Adam Schlesinger, James Iah, Bun E. Carlos and Taylor Hanson), Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom, [...]
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  Fetched: December 05, 2009, 5:00pm EST
  

• Mission of Burma: Reaching for their Revolver? (Or not?)

  Fri. Jan 15 Sat. Jan. 16 Ok, there's not the amazing, wonderful shock of Oh my god! Mission of Burma is playing live again! That was the story back in 2002 the improbable reunion when the original trio, guitarist Roger Miller, bassist Clint Conley and drummer Peter Prescott (plus Shellac's [...]
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  Fetched: December 05, 2009, 5:00pm EST
  

• ABBA Reigns O'er All: Mamma Mia! is Back

  Tues. Dec. 15 - Sun. Dec. 27 We saw Mamma Mia! in 2004 and, as in 2001, it received a few slings and arrows in the press. Mamma Mia! is the kind of play that is a punching bag for certain types, both rock types and theater types. But it [...]
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  Fetched: December 05, 2009, 5:00pm EST
  

• "All About Christmas Eve":: The Gold Dust Orphans Strike Again

  Fridays through Sundays, Dec. 11 - Sun. Dec. 27 Boston is an irreverent city, are we not? Sure, we have The Nutcracker, The Messiah, and all kinds of Xmas themed events but no one does them quite like Ryan Landry and his drag queens in the Gold Dust Orphans. You [...]
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  Fetched: November 27, 2009, 5:00pm EST
  

• New Bad Boys of Boston Tackle Aerosmith's Catalog at Middle East

  Sat. Jan. 10 Sun. Jan. 11 Now, we're not going to make any claims for mandatory retirement for rock 'n' rollers. Last we noticed, the clock was ticking on all of us, and we all want to do what makes sense for us as long as we can. Right? So, [...]
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  Fetched: November 25, 2009, 10:59pm EST
  

• The Cliks: Glam Rock for '09

  Sat. Dec. 12 You may have seen Brian Viglione with World/Inferno Friendship Society at the Paradise last spring. You've certainly seen him with Amanda Palmer when the Dresden Dolls were going full-tilt. And now you can see him behind the drum kit when the Cliks (not to be confused with [...]
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  Fetched: November 24, 2009, 10:59pm EST
  

• Up Against the Wall: Rock-Art Posters at Space 242

  Fridays through Jan. 8 The punk rock revolution and post-punk era re-generated the idea of rock concert poster art. At Space 242, an exhibit of more than 100 rock posters called POST THIS! is up and ongoing, open on Fridays. It has splashy, neo-psychedelic rock posters from the 1990s into [...]
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  Fetched: November 24, 2009, 8:01pm EST
  

• Pretending Pretends to be the Pretenders at the Cask 'n Flagon

  wed. Nov. 25 Looking for something to do before filling up on food, watching football games you don't care about and taking a long nap ... Shred - former WBCN dj/promoter about town - is putting on an X-Night show at Oliver's Cask 'n' Flagon Wednesday Nov. 25 and it's [...]
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  Fetched: November 24, 2009, 8:01pm EST
  

• Brother Cleve Invites You to Cry in Your Beer at the Independent

  Mon. Nov. 30 Brother Cleve - you might know him as the former keyboardist for the Del Fuegos or Combustible Edison, or the current one for the Singhs. You might also know him as one of the coolest, most eclectic record collectors and DJs about town. Brother Cleve checked in [...]
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  Fetched: November 24, 2009, 8:01pm EST
  

• The Cliks: Glam Rock for the '09

  Sat. Dec. 12 You may have seen Brian Viglione with World/Inferno Friendship Society at the Paradise last spring. You've certainly seen him with Amanda Palmer when the Dresden Dolls were going full-tilt. And now you can see him behind the drum kit when the Cliks (not to be confused with [...]
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  Fetched: November 23, 2009, 10:59pm EST
  

• Dagmar's Flights of Fancy, at Toad

  Tues. Nov. 24 In the mood for a male-female duo which plays adventurous art-rock (or maybe free-folk) with a sense of humor and is not afraid of songs about, well, insect goddesses? Meet Dagmar - Jim Bauer and Meghan McGeary - playing Toad, free, Tuesday Nov. 24 at 7:30. We [...]
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  Fetched: November 23, 2009, 10:59pm EST
  

• The Feelies at the Wilbur, Opening for Sonic Youth

  Sun. Nov. 22 There aren't that many CAN'T MISS events we stress here at JSink, because there really are so many viable options out there. But this is one: the 2009 return of the Feelies, the Haledon, NJ-band that made the late-1970s and 1980s so much more wonderful with its [...]
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  Fetched: November 21, 2009, 5:01pm EST
  

• Happy Christmas at Johnny D's: Chandler Travis & company's Holiday Bash

  Thurs. Dec. 17 Christmas approaches and so does Chandler Travis' annual holiday benefit at Johnny D's. It's Thursday Dec. 17, starting around 9. (Details below.)The hardest working musician on Cape Cod, Travis, putting himself and his various musical incarnations out there again: solo, with the Chandler Travis Philharmonic, the Incredible [...]
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  Fetched: November 20, 2009, 4:59am EST
  

• Mill City Musicians: Two Days of Music,Folk and Rock

  Fri. Dec. 11 Sat. Dec. 12 Ok, we're Boston-centric here, we admit it. But we've also made the trip to Lowell for the cool Festival they have running throughout the summer and we'll also note that there is largely ignored music scene up in the old mill town as well. [...]
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  Fetched: November 19, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  

• Lucy Kaplansky Sings about Life Threads at Bloomie's

  Thurs. Dec. 10 A beauty-fashion event and a set by New York singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky (New Yorker: A truly gifted performer)? For free? Sure. Bloomingdale's in Chestnut Hill is doing what they call a Scent and Sound or retail-tainment (new word for us at JSink) event Thursday Dec. 10 from [...]
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  Fetched: November 19, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  

• Christmas: The Sexiest Time of the Year? "The Slutcrakcer" returns to the Somerville ...

  Thurs. - Sun, Dec. 13-15 17-20Had enough of The Nutcracker in your life? Year after year after year after ... The gals in Babes in Boinkland thought maybe some changes were in order, so they conconcted the only change that made sense to them: A Sexy-Freaky Holiday Zeitgeist Spectacular! - [...]
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  Fetched: November 19, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  

• Aaron Karo Makes Light Of Our Stupid World

  Fri. Nov. 20 Aaron Karo is a funny sumbitch, whether you've seen him do standup live or subscribe to his e-letter. Which we do. He's in town Friday Nov. 20 at the Wilbur Theatre at 7:30, almost 19 years since he last graced that stage. We'll let him update you [...]
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  Fetched: November 18, 2009, 7:59pm EST
  

• Bringing Nations Together with Gospel at Berklee

  Monday Dec. 7 One our little sticky points with gospel music is that that we have less and less truck with religion - any of 'em - the older we get. Raised Catholic, turned agnostic in college, remained that way. But agnostic doesn't mean atheistic, so that means we entertain [...]
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  Fetched: November 16, 2009, 5:00pm EST
  

• Serious Music/Fun & Games with Chandler Travis & company at Johnny D's

  Thurs. Nov. 19 The hardest working musician on Cape Cod, Chandler Travis, putting himself and his various musical incarnations out there again: solo, with the Chandler Travis Philharmonic, the Incredible Casuals. And, then there's his multi-band charity gig at Johnny D's in December. He's also at Johnny D's Thursday Nov. [...]
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  Fetched: November 15, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  

• "The Odyssey" In Charlestown

  Sat. Nov. 21 Rub a dub dub, two actors in a tub/And who do you think they be?/A man returning from a war, his wife Penelope/A witch who turns men into pigs/A whirlpool in the sea/And all the other things that make a play of 'The Odyssey.' Whether you have [...]
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  Fetched: November 14, 2009, 7:59pm EST
  

• Rolling Down the Lanes with Paul Pierce and Friends at Kings

  Mon. Nov. 16 What do Boston sports celebrities do in their down time when they're not hosting (or playing in their pals) charity bowling events? Well, there's a punch line there, but we'll avoid it. Taking the high road, we'll note that the ever-lovable Celtics Captain Paul “The Truth” Pierce [...]
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  Fetched: November 13, 2009, 5:00pm EST
  

• Jon Bream on Neil Diamond at Borders

  Mon, Nov. 16 Does Neil Diamond, at 68, need defense? (Well, in Boston, maybe, because of “Sweet Caroline” being an 8th inning annoyance at Fenway Park. Not Neil’s fault.) Consider: Diamond – same age as Dylan - has scads of hits he wrote for himself and others (“I’m A Believer,” [...]
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  Fetched: November 13, 2009, 4:59am EST
  

• Bob Dylan: The Sexagenarian Road Warrior at the Wang

  Sun. Nov. 15 True story: I took my friend, folksinger Bill Morrissey, to see Bob Dylan some years ago at what was then the Tweeter Center. Believe it or not it was Bill's first Dylan show. Probably, it was 6th or 7th, including the wondrous Rolling Thunder tour (with Joan [...]
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  Fetched: November 13, 2009, 4:59am EST
  

• Smart Theatre on the Cheap at the A.R.T.

  Tues. Nov. 17 We don't know if the American Repertory Theater is taking a tip from LiveNation - with its wacky Wednesday one-day sales - or it's just giving Boston theatre-goers a break for the heck of it. But on Tuesday Nov. 17, the A.R.T. is selling $25 tickets for [...]
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  Fetched: November 12, 2009, 7:59pm EST
  

• The Jesus Lizard: Hard and Heavy and Back in Your Face, Live at the Paradise

  Sat. Nov. 14 The Jesus Lizard, live?! Sorry, boys and girls, those days are gone ....I wrote those lines two years ago. The Jesus Lizard has now proved me premature. The re-united band is at the Paradise Saturday Nov. 14. Now, we saw 'em in the '90s and on Lollapalooza, [...]
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  Fetched: November 12, 2009, 1:59am EST
  

• Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra's Promise: They Will Rock You

  Fri. Dec. 18 - Sun. Dec. 20 Rock opera had its big run in the '70s. Is there a market today? Yes, there is, states Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra. which plays songs from rock operas and, perhaps we should say, theatrically inclined rock songs - songs of drama, trauma and meaning. [...]
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  Fetched: November 10, 2009, 2:00pm EST
  

• No Echo

  The Echo and the Bunnymen tour - scheduled to hit Boston's House of Blues - Nov. 23. We were just readying an item (and prepping to do an interview) with singer Ian McCulloch, but that's going to happen. Reason? Uncertain right now, but Echo's publicist says the IRS in involved [...]
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  Fetched: November 05, 2009, 8:00pm EST
  

• Rocking Out For Stephen Fredette at the Lizard Lounge

  Sat. Nov. 7 Stephen Fredette - you may remember him from Scruffy the Cat, a roots-rocking '80s Boston band - has played a lot of benefits in his day. Musicians get sick, musicians lack proper insurace; musicians depend on a little help from their friends. That's the way it goes [...]
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  Fetched: November 04, 2009, 5:00pm EST
  

• Gunpowder Gelantine: The Girls Do Queen Proud at Alchemist Lounge

  Thurs. Nov. 5 Gunpowder Gelantine is the world's only all-female Queen tribute band. We're pretty sure. Kind of like Lez Zeppelin is the only all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band. So, sure there's a bit of a gimmick, the Lez Zep one being pretty obvious (but still working) and the Gunpowder [...]
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  Fetched: November 04, 2009, 4:59am EST
  

• Bitches Brew: A Tribute to Miles Davis on Thanksgiving. Give Thanks For That!

  Thurs. Nov. 26 What to do after Thanksgiving takes its toll? That is the question. We've all been there and many of will be again this year. Sunk by the turkey and stuffings, lulled into watching football games on tv we don't care about, dealing with distant relatives we mare [...]
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  Fetched: November 04, 2009, 4:59am EST
  

• The Mary Onettes Stop at T.T.s Tonight

  Tues. Nov. 3 Singer-songwriter Phlip Ekstrom brings his quaret the Mary Onettes from Sweden to T.T. the Bear's tonight, Tuesday Nov. 3. Should you expect to party hearty? Not exactly. Songs on their new disc, Islands, like The disapperance of my youth and Cry for love were written in his [...]
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  Fetched: November 03, 2009, 7:59pm EST
  

• It's Christmastime and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones Celebrate Again

  Sat. Dec. 26 – Mon. Dec. 28 If you’re unsure as to whether the Mighty Mighty Bosstones still exist, don't feel out too of the loop. They do exist. They’re just not that visible. They sprang back to life this during the summer, playing a WBRU-sponsored show in Providence and [...]
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  Fetched: November 02, 2009, 10:59pm EST
  

• Howard Zinn's "The People Speak" Screens in Boston

  Mon. Nov. 23 Howard Zinn's long-in-the-making documentary, The People Speak, which features actors voicing real people's thoughts from Zinn's alternate-take history books, will finally hit the world, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. on History. But there will is a Boston screening of the film on Monday Nov.23, at 3 p.m. [...]
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  Fetched: November 02, 2009, 10:59pm EST
  

• The Kinks Ray Davies: Plus Band and Chorus, at Berklee

  Tues. Nov. 17 Ray Davies, the former Kinks leader, has released a couple of strong solo albums over the last few years. But he's never run away from the Kinks - no reason to do so. And on his latest work, The Kinks Choral Collection, he thanks the band then [...]
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  Fetched: November 02, 2009, 5:00pm EST
  

• Roger Daltrey: Keeping Himself In Shape and The Who's Catalog Alive

  Sun. Nov. 8 Roger Daltrey, at 65, continues to do what his late and lamented bandmate John Entwistle used to do when The Who was on hiatus or, simply, waiting for Pete Townshend to finish his latest project. He tours. This one is called The Use It or Lose It [...]
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  Fetched: November 02, 2009, 5:00pm EST
  

• Metal & Glass Ensemble: A Different Kind of Fusion at Nave Gallery

  Sat. Nov. 14 We loved the chaos created by Einstruzende Neubauten in the early '80s and the more mellifluous clatter made by the Alloy Orchestra today. Both groups take an unorthodox approach to instruments - such as playing things you might not normally considered an instrument - and the Metal [...]
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  Fetched: November 02, 2009, 5:00pm EST
  

• The Art of Country Music Songwriting: Tips at Cafe 939

  Fri. Nov. 13 Sure, there are some country stars who write their own songs. But in Nashville, country singers have long depended on a huge pool of songwriters, who supply the words and music. It's a division of labor situation that rarely exists in rock 'n' roll. If you're a [...]
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  Fetched: November 02, 2009, 5:00pm EST
  

• Duke Levine and his Giant Kings at the Lizard Lounge

  Wed. Nov. 4Last minute booking at the Lizard Lounge. The band is The Giant Kings, who and you may not know that name, but you do likely know the name of the guitarist, Duke Levine. Levine's resume includes stints with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Peter Wolf, the J. Geils reunion and [...]
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  Fetched: November 02, 2009, 2:00pm EST
  

• Genitorturers: Nineties Nastiness Still Happening

  Mon. Nov. 16 This tip comes with a heavy warning of caveat emptor. It also has a whiff of, My God, the Plasmatics are gone, but this band is still around. Maybe, we should see what's going on in this weird world once again ... The name of the band [...]
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  Fetched: November 01, 2009, 8:00pm EST