THE MORNING AFTER … 8.25.11

Can somebody explain to me how I wound up in Brighton Center two buckets deep into a High Life marathon? Because THAT happened. Good thing the music was good.

Swear and Shake at Porter’s Belly: Boston, we need to have a chat. I get that the “next big thing” of a band needs to pay their dues and play crap venues before they open for huge acts and headline the Paradise, sure. That said: WHY THE HELL WAS A BAND LIKE SWEAR AND SHAKE PLAYING AT A DIVE IN BRIGHTON CENTER? No offense to Porter’s Belly (which is just fine as an establishment, and my hangover thanks you for your bucket o’ High Life for $10 drink special), but these guys need a real show at a real spot. Not a short set after an hour and a half of two dudes acoustically jamming out and taking themselves too seriously. Swear and Shake (which is a band name I fucking love, by the way) opened up for Dig pals Kingsley Flood in Newport about a month ago, so when Nick of the Flood invited me to come check them out last night I knew they’d be stellar. And they were fantastic, and I have a massive, massive girl crush on Kari Spieler as a result. So, venues of the great cities of Boston and Allston and the people’s republic of Cambridge: GETONTHESEGUYSNOW. Kthx.

Nate Leavitt at the Rosebud: We lurved Nate’s solo debut (as evidenced in our CD reviews this week) and Richard Bouchard of Boston Band Crush was completely gaga over the fact that Nate delivered three — count ‘em, THREE — full sets last night. “Nate can play anything. This stuff was more introspective and subdued, but he just blows everybody away. Guy played three full sets last night, all of them completely different.” Word is friends Jason Dunn of Dirty Bombs and Oldjack joined Leavitt onstage. All in all, great to know that Boston musicians support one of their own when they’re breaking out with some rad solo material!

Dirty Dishes and Lord Jeff at the Middle East: Ariana Hakim had the chance to chat up DD’s Jenny Tuite before the Vitamin Water Uncapped event last night. We’ve got nothing but love for the Dishes — who were Boston to Austin inaugural artists! — and it’s a double-whammy that the lineup for the gig last night was presented by Vice and curated by The Raveonettes.

Anton Glamb at Make it New: We’re not going to reveal too many details about what went down at Middlesex last night as it implicates numerous Dig staffers/contributors (and we have the text threads to prove it). Instead, we’ll give you one of the tracks blasted last night courtesy of David Day.

Aaliyah -- One In A Million (Hannes Fischer Remix) by Hannes Fischer