Tag Archives: rock

Local Music, Music

An Oral History with KLYAM Chris (2014)

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The following is an oral history – me (G. Gordon Gritty) guiding a discussion with Chris from KLYAM. The year is 2014. KLYAM was thriving on all cylinders – we released some fine record and tapes, and were posting quite a bit of content (including show reviews) right on this very website. Facebook events still ruled the world. I’m sure we intended to revisit this discussion.

So you’ve been to 174 shows in the past three years.
You could go back to June 2009. The first show I ever attended as KLYAM (though at the time KLYAM was music, entertainment, television, current events, cultural events, daily happenings, impressions of life, funny things happening. It was really weird. KLYAM went beyond the Wakefield Etudiant. We started focusing more on music in February 2012 – this is when we started seeing more local music and going to those shows. KLYAM snowballed into what it is.) was the Jay Reatard, TV
Smith, and Pretty and Nice. Harpers Ferry. July 3, 2009. With that show, we weren’t there as KLYAM. I didn’t know Jay or any of the bands at the time. You just told me about it. He was wearing red gym shorts and a red shirt. I thought it was cool AND total bullshit that it was only 30 minutes, including the encore with TV Smith. He was pissed off because it was lackluster and nobody was dancing. I thought it was cool, but I wasn’t super into it. I only recognized “See Saw.” I just heard of him that day. I thought he was kind of an asshole, but I could see why he would be pissed. It was a Friday night, the day before the Fourth of July. I
remember he spit out beer and said “you guys are boring motherfuckers” and then went into one of his songs. I remember Stephen Pope spitting everywhere. It was really odd. All I was thinking of was business class. It was weird.

At that show, you bought Matador Singles ’08 from Stephen
Pope.
I remember that day listening to it for five or six hours. We had relatives over. I kept listening to the album and then going back outside to hang out with company. Then I would go back and play the album. My dad was pissed. He was wondering where I kept going. I was hooked into it. Besides you telling me about Jay, I saw a Black Lips interview where Jared said his crew was Deerhunter, King Khan and BBQ, and Jay Reatard. I didn’t know Jay or Deerhunter. That got me to check them out as I was a huge Black Lips fan. It was kind of all coming together. I
knew what garage rock was in the ‘60s – not a lot – I knew about the Nuggets compilation. When I heard these bands, I knew what they were referencing, but I thought this kind of rock ‘n roll was over. It was an awakening. It took me a few years to appreciate it.

What were some pivotal moments in your discovery of this kind of rock ‘n roll?
When I started listening to more of it. It made me reject more of the stuff I used to like. I thought this was a totally different kind of sound. Good art, by existing, criticizes other pieces of art or entertainment. No other bands were as fun as the Black Lips. For the first time, I finally ‘got it’. In a personal way, it made sense. In the past, I enjoyed stuff, but I couldn’t picture myself being a part of it. I loved how Black Lips could shotgun beers, make jokes, laugh around. And still be intelligent. In We Never Learn, the guy from Dwarves would critique more of the
serious, political themed bands. You do a job then you rock ‘n roll and have fun. A lot of the political bands were half-baked. I’m gonna sing songs about fucking and being fucked up. Songs about the back seat of the car, fucking in the back seat of the car, is all I can do. That’s where I live.

Let’s talk about The Migs.
It was 4/20 when I saw them. It was the first Wilder Zangcraft basement show. I never heard of them before. New Highway Hymnal, Empty Phrases, and Friendship were on the bill as well. I don’t know how many people knew who they were, but they totally had the ‘60s thing down. It was crazy. Everyone was really drunk and high. People were dancing around. No one went into the crowd quite like Keven. He was playing to each person. Doing his little thing. It was a lot of fun. I thought they were gonna hurl their semen into my eyes. It was a plus that they didn’t do that. I saw them again at the Wilder Zangcraft with the Fat Creeps. That was more of a chill show. We saw them at Radio Down for Fat Creeps EP release. They did theirMigs thing. ‘We’re the Migs’. I could tell you thought they were amazing.

The Migs, the Atlantic Thrills, those shows were something else.
The music speaks for itself. You start to hear the songs. It is music for going wild. Either way, it’s going to be fun.

Reflection on Black Lips
I don’t get the same feeling as I used to at the first few shows. I like intimacy and community. At a basement or a small venue. Above all, I probably changed.

Is that from you going to more smaller shows?
I had more fun at Thrills at the Zangcraft than Sinclair. I had more fun seeing Thrills at Dusk or all the bands at BUFU Fest than seeing the Lips at Paradise this year. The first time seeing King Khan and the Shrines at the Paradise was crazy. They seemed larger than life. Over time, you realize these bands are on tour. The crowd plays a huge role, too.

Was No Age the first live band you saw that started things?
Before that (July 2008 at Middle East Downstairs), we had seen bigger bands at bigger venues. That show was an introduction to a smaller club. It opened a door to that. After that, we kept going to smaller stuff. Slowly. 2009 had some of the best shows I had ever seen.

Local Music, Music

Conference of Musicians – A RECAP!

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Flyer by Simon Simard

Our Conference of Musicians held at the Lilypad on Saturday, February 1st was a great success! We heard a plethora of opinions from a wide variety of the music community. It was truly humbling! We all acknowledged how scary it is out there, but that there is still hope. Some of that hope begins at places like these. We don’t have a one size fits all answer, but some ideas to start. KLYAM intends on hosting another conference in the future and we encourage this ongoing conversation. Below are some thoughts based on the discussion we had that night.

Takeaways:

  • There are people in this city (Boston, MA) and surrounding areas (even states, with some folks from CT speaking) who care about the local music scene and vocalize how much of an impact it has had on their lives – musically, spiritually, socially, ethically, and politically. It is a place for those who feel ostracized from society and a space to find like minded individuals. Also, to share their love of music and their own music/art, but also to be exposed to new music/art.
  • In spite of a mountain of obstacles and issues, we have a great scene here in Boston and the wider New England region; however, it could be MUCH, MUCH greater. It has also been on a decline and we are losing many of our venues/spaces over the past few decades.
  • The scene is fragmented and needs to be more unified through diverse bills, people attending more shows, going to shows in other parts of New England such as Worcester, Lowell, Providence, RI to name a few, and exposing music/fringe genres/shows themselves to friends, co-workers, neighbors anyone – online, but importantly in person.
  • Additionally, make people feel welcomed, included, and make resources such as show calendars and other curated media more widely available to the public. In particular, create a more diverse, equitable environment for marginalized groups. Accessibility – figuratively and literally (emphasis on creating spaces that allow disabled folks to still be able to enjoy the show i.e. chairs for them, ramps, ability to still see the “stage” outside of the pit area).
  • Conversely, while we want to embrace more outsiders, we still want to keep the underground protected with DIY spaces under the radar of the authorities. We still want the scene to maintain it’s alternative character. Constructive criticism and dissent within the scene are valuable and necessary.
  • We need to continue to have more grounded, organized forums for such discussions as these.
  • It’s tough out there financially (and every other way), but spending money to support local artists and the venues and whatever products they have for sale at the venues such as drinks is paramount to keep these places open and thriving.
  • While many of us want a new Great Scott, folks are leery about the presentation of the venue looking like a luxury apartment building. Will the venue continue to serve the community or simply outside corporate interests? We hope this doesn’t change O’Brien’s Pub (will be located next door) as that has been a major hub for both seasoned underground performers as well as new comers. We need both.

Nevaeh Berenato also covered the conference for Cambridge Day! https://www.cambridgeday.com/2025/02/18/bands-make-some-noise-about-diy-quandary-getting-audiences-but-not-too-much-attention/