June In November
June McDoom at O'Brien's PubJune McDoom breathes in the balsam scent at O’Brien’s Pub on Tuesday, 28 November 2023.
Crosslegged plays a solo set standing in the opener slot.
You in the market for a Christmas tree?
There’s a lot full of trees next door to O’Brien’s Pub, the Rough Jewel of Allston, Lighthouse Upon the Charles, Carrier of the Great Scott Torch, Neighbor to the Perpetually Shuttered Regina’s Pizzeria.
It’s not too early to buy one. Water them right and they’ll stay reasonably lively for several weeks. What you really want is that pine tree scent. Smells so good you’ll leave the tree standing until February.
Don’t wait too long. If you do, expect to pay top dollar for a sad Charlie Brown Special.
Not Allston Christmas.
Crosslegged
Shout out to the Danelectro that New York, New York’s solo strummer Crosslegged was rocking on Tuesday night.
CrossleggedHer songs have the feel of an alt folk genesis, like they were scratched out on an acoustic in some bedroom on some sleepy Sunday. But every performance photo you can find has her playing with the electric, so the prickly power of the amplified six-stringer is the artistic choice.
What’s the result? A kind of charged-up extra level to fingerpicking tunes that would otherwise get painted into the coffeehouse corner.
Have a listen to her latest LP Another Blue.
Speaking of gig photos, those same photos show her sitting in a civilized seat on stages. Easier to pick a guitar from the seated position for many musicians, especially if you’re fingering strange patterns. Does O’Brien’s even have seats? Last time Hump Day News recorded a sitting musician at the Lighthouse Upon the Charles, the bass player from Lane planted himself down on his own amp. You make do, or you don’t.
June McDoom
Here’s another artist that seems born for the acoustic, June McDoom.
June McDoomShe brought a gorgeous slotted headstock number with a shoestring strap to play songs off her recent LP With Strings and more. A fellow guitarist on electric joined her to fill out the compositions, which needed some rearranging to accommodate a two-person outfit.
Does she always roll with the jumbo-sized sampler at stage right to complete the pieces with backing tracks. Extra points for what looked like a vintage rig – the sort of thing that Phil Collins would lose his shit over in 1985. Or maybe it’s just mocked up to look retro. The robo-accompaniment tilted a little bit too far over its skis on a few tracks. The spectral cloud of chillfolk haze was so thick you hardly noticed.
Photo Gallery
June McDoom breathes in the balsam scent at O’Brien’s Pub.