Photos of the Central Artery coming down. Big Dig Boston.

As every season passes, it gets harder and harder to remember how dark, dank and sketchy this giant swath of Boston actually was. Dirty Old Boston (to steal a term from a fellow blogger) was a very real reality. Walking under the "raised artery" late at night was a dangerous proposition - with rats the size of Zdeno Chara staring you down - looking for a fight.

Before the actual digging that became the Big Dig began, those in the know knew that this little project was going to be a shit-show. Boston had a bit of a reputation for corruption - the year that ground was broken on the project was the same year Whitey Bulger went on the lam. The highway that sliced through our city like a rusty machete, from Boston Garden to Chinatown, had to be addressed...no matter how many palms needed to be greased.

These pictures are dated December 2003 - but I can't be sure if that's the exact date of these photos...but I guess I did own a digital camera back then. Maybe someone more familiar with the Big Dig can comment and confirm the date.

I started working on Kingston Street down by the Chinatown Gate around 1998. The ground shook and groaned on a daily basis as if Godzilla was searching for an exit from the underworld. What a friggin' mess it was downtown...

If I accidentally left my window open just half an inch over the weekend - I'd have to spend 10 minutes cleaning the dust and grime off my computer and desk.

If I remember correctly - these photos were taken between Congress and Broad Streets.

And now for something completely different...

These photos were taken within the last two years in approximately the same area.

Look...all the rats have been replaced with little humans. 

It's been one hell of a renaissance for Boston, but not without it's problems and unfinished parcels. The Greenway is still a work in progress. Some of the original plans will never see the light of day, but maybe that's a good thing...hopefully it will grow organically and served the people of Boston for decades to come.

The Greenway is starting to live up to it's name..

Boathouse Bash along the Charles River - Summer 2015

The Harry Parker Boathouse sits along one of my regular bike routes along the Charles River. It's the funky modern building that looks like a gigantic Norwegian sauna on Nonantum Road as you make your way towards Newton. It mocks all those other more traditional boat homes owned by major universities. It's a community rowing center with the goal of "making rowing accessible without regard to individual ability, background or experience."

 

I've seen various types of events being held on the premises while pedaling along the river - from weddings to corporate team building type shit. When I saw a public event on my news-feed that included some of my favorite local bands and beers - I figured I should pull over and join the festivities for once. I was not disappointed...

The Riverside BBQ was awesome - killer food...and simply perfect weather along the Charles. I believe they held a couple of these BBQs over the summer with different restaurants and bands. Look how much fun these hobos are having!!!

Just kidding. They ain't hobos - it's just Tigerman WOAH! everboby.

I ended up attending a second event there just a couple weeks ago. It was pretty cool, there was a mini regatta and it was helping to raise funds for the boathouse and some of the programs it supports. I was happy to help...

Good times. Already looking forward to the 2016 season...

Graffiti and Street Art in Somerville

Boston will never be a Mecca for graffiti or street art - which means that when I do catch a colorful glimpse of spray-paint it really makes an impression. Much of the time I'm in a car or on the T and I spy something out of the corner of my eye in some dark alley or underpass. The truth is - I don't spend as much time partying along the train tracks as I used to. So when I saw easy access to this stretch of tracks while walking in Somerville I boldly looked both ways for oncoming trains and took some photos.

Nice to see Wolf Tits back in the scene. I was bummed when the one in Chinatown got covered.

I found some other crazy crap scattered about the train tracks. I don't like to use filters on my photos too much, but sometimes they actually work...

And here's an example of some rare street art sculpture...

Beware the Owel Shot...

The hunt for underground art in Boston

When I stroll into a Back Bay or Soho type gallery – the sort with mostly bare walls, where the host barely looks up from their ipad to acknowledge me – I want to scream “THIS IS NOT ART”!!! It’s all too easy, and clean, and safe…and boring.

My tastes dip down towards the underground – with styles often regarded as low-brow or outsider art. I prefer to enjoy a Gansett Tallboy rather than a glass of Chardonnay when art gazing. Many artists of this ilk got their start on the streets or along train tracks; armed with cans of spray paint or a handful of stickers. Simply put - we need more places to bring these creative souls indoors and offer them the opportunity to develop their talent. 

The hunt for these artists in Boston can be an adventure in and of itself - and might require a trip into a neighborhood that’s not considered artsy fartsy. Secret spots are out there - hiding in coffee shops, rock clubs and temporary loft spaces throughout the city. And here’s a tip – original art can be affordable...and it’s all very satisfying to support a scrappy young artist that's well deserved.

 One place that consistently showcases new and underground art is Sweetree Ink in Watertown, MA. It’s owned and curated by Dave Tree, front man of the longtime Boston hardcore band Tree. It’s also his silk screening shop, a place where he will screen-print any design conceivable onto any piece of clothing or flat surface imaginable. The shop is notorious for its silkscreen parties where guests bring their own clothes and fabrics and can choose from over 100 different designs.

 Sweetree Ink tends to have group shows with a dozen or more artists. The walls of the small space on Mt. Auburn Street are usually covered top to bottom in art. The space might not have museum grade lighting and perfectly hung paintings – but the opening parties are pretty righteous and I wouldn't want my art to be served any other way… 

The only regret I have from a recent visit to Sweetree is that I didn't get a list of all the artist names - but here are a few that I was already familiar with: Adam O'Day, Ian Sanity, Joey Mars and Carl Ristaino. 

Joey Mars

Adam O'Day (bought this one for my girlfriend)

Artist doing art stuff

Dave Tree be like..."you gonna buy some fucking art?!?!?!"

Now go buy some art...

My Calling for Boston

This is a parody...just having fun and makin' some shit up over here.

The actual Boston Calling line-up was recently announced and features the likes of Beck, the Pixies, Tenacious D, TV On The Radio and local up and comers Krill. I like these bands (I've seen all but the Pixies live) and I honestly don't know much about the rest (my tastes lean more towards indie/low-fi/garage/noise) - but if I was king of City Hall Plaza, this is how the show would go down...

This is not my concert dream team by any stretch of the imagination, it's simply a reflection of what I've been listening to recently combined with some artists I wouldn't mind seeing this year. I like to think it would make a pretty decent weekend show. I'd love to see Boston Calling add a few more local bands - I've included four here. I'm pretty sure most of these bands will be touring in 2015 or are working on new material (Tool, Sleater-Kinney, New Order) - so it's a somewhat realistic fantasy that this bill could actually come together.

If you're from Boston Calling, feel free to book this show for the Fall. Just throw me some free VIP passes and beer tickets. K...thanks.

Twitter = @iFnLuvBos

Here are some of my favorite video jams from my fake show...

Woven Hand

Death from Above 1979

Royal Blood

Jeff the Brotherhood 

Red Fang (this video is epic! #beer)

The Coup

King Tuff

OFF!

OFF! (a punk rock opera)

Saul Williams

Ice Age

Parquet Courts

Jittery Jack (local)

The Monsieurs (local)

one more from the Monsieurs

The New Highway Hymnal

This show wouldn't suck, right?

The new Harvard Art Museum is open! And it's a big deal...

Harvard's Fogg Art Museum is dead - long live the Harvard Art Museums! When I did visit the Fogg sometime in the 90's I remember being somewhat underwhelmed, not by the art, but by the space. It was an old world type museum, musty and dim...like something from the ancient Greek empire. This new incarnation of art on the outskirts of Harvard Yard is nothing less than a world class museum. It's not like the art has changed - and Vincent Van Gogh's self portrait does not need an introduction, but the layout and flow along with the addition of natural light makes the space much more inviting...

The current space is located in the building that used to house the Fogg collection, but after seven years of expansionism and modernization you'd hardly know it. The Fogg was the first Harvard art museum, opened to the public in 1896. Two other museums, the Busch-Reisinger Museum and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum have added their collections to the Fogg's and they are all now united under this one glass ceiling. 

I snuck in on Tuesday during opening week an hour before the museum closed - admission was free as part of a grand opening promotion. I performed a brisk tour - unable to hover and contemplate each work and it's importance to my being. What came to mind about half way through my tour was this: holy shit - I can't believe a collection of masterpieces worth billions is a mere a short bike ride from my house!

The collection ranges from ancient Roman and Minoan to to modern and contemporary. If you've ever taken an art history class you will immediately recognize pieces from textbooks and PBS documentaries.

Yep - that right there (above) is a Picasso from his blue period.

The collection holds lots of religious content - did anyone paint anything else during the Renaissance? I would liked to have seen a bit more contemporary work and sculptures, but overall I enjoyed the diversity. 

I get really bored in museums that feature one medium or period. I mean, how many mummy's or medieval suits of armor can you stand in one day. So if you've got the A.D.D.'s, this might be your new favorite museum.

  

The Harvard Art Museum is a monumental addition to the cultural landscape of Boston. If you've been to the MFA umpteen times and you realize the Gardener ain't ever going to change, you now have something to look forward to. I recommend going right meow! 

Now, would someone please go build the Boston History Museum already!