Allston’s infamous holiday has come and gone, but there are still gifts to be unwrapped without dropping a single penny.
Now that damaged desks and free mattresses are off the sidewalks, Allston is looking spiffy, and the fine folks at Do617 want to throw a series of shows to celebrate the musical neighborhood in style. We’ve got our eyes set on the Saturday, Sept 10 show. Pop Allston will host a reunion show with ’80s act Blake Babies and brought Dutch Rebelle, Weakened Friends, and the Doped Up Dollies to open. It kicks off at noon and ends at 6 pm. Best of all, it’s totally free.
“We recently reformed to play what amounts to reunion shows, since we were based in Boston when we were a band,” says John Strohm of the Blake Babies. The band’s prime years saw it atop the Boston scene from 1986 to 1991. Now, it’s returning with a vengeance, with members like Strohm coming as far as Nashville to play.
For other acts, playing an end-of-summer Christmas show requires far less effort, but makes total sense. “We tracked both of our EPs just around the corner at Zippah Recording where I work as an engineer, we’ve played Great Scott a bunch, and Allston’s gotten us drunk more times than we can remember,” says Annie Hoffman of Weakened Friends. “It’s a cool neighborhood, but I’m not sure how we tie into its themes. We’re not very cool.”
But that’s exactly it. All it takes to fit in anywhere in Allston is to crave a good time without breaking your back to get it. Uncool is cool, but luckily, each act playing Allston’s Awesome Christmas is cool already. It’s the people coming for free that are looking to rub shoulders with the bands’ skills. After all, this is Allston we’re talking about. Musical talent is the greatest gift of all there.
As hip-hop artist Dutch Rebelle put it best, “Allston has great vibes because everybody’s got their own thing going on.” At least she’s ready to level the playing field for onlookers with a two-step plan. “I aim to confuse, corrupt, and energize at all times. And yes, I’m taking shots with someone’s mom if they’re with it.”
Your move, moms. You can kiss Santa Claus underneath the Christmas tree that night if you want, too.
ALLSTON’S AWESOME CHRISTMAS. SAT 9.10. POP ALLSTON, 89 BRIGHTON AVE., ALLSTON. 12PM/ALL AGES/FREE WITH RSVP. DO617.COM/XMAS.
