A TOAST FOR TWO: Members of the bass-fronted
rock group Toast Machine have a rather bold mission statement:
Spread the joy of true rockage across the world and defeat once and
for all those who rock falsely. It’s a pretty ballsy statement, but
if such a thing is possible, bass player Giovanni “Gio” Benedetti
and drummer Brandon “Brando” Warner may just be the boys to do it.
It all started back in 1996 when, playing in a now-defunct outfit,
they got tired of waiting for the rest of the band to show up for
practice and set off on their own. As a result, the bass-driven
rocker duo boasts no loop and no vocals, instead opting for the
type of primal noise first explored by Primus, RHCP, and Suicidal
Tendencies. They’ve taken to the road to tour their recently
released album, Rock Wattage, and are not to be missed. Check them
out at I.V.’s Caliroll Express on Saturday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m.
— Sarah Hammill
SOHO SCENE: He may not be dancing with himself,
but Reid Spencer’s one-man act covers just about everything else
that somebody with two loop samplers could possibly do (expect
thoughtful acoustic rock with a phantom backup band). Joining
Spencer onstage will be MAGiSTiR. This band might subscribe to that
curiously popular iPod-inspired capitalization scheme, but don’t
hold that against them. MAGiSTiR makes for a good match with
Spencer, as they play a similarly relaxed rock. See them both at
SOhO tonight, Thursday, November 30, at 8 p.m. — Drew
Mackie
GETTING COCKY: It used to be that the best
reason to stop at Bricks Café was their drink menu, which offers
the best $5 martini on State Street. Step in on a Friday evening,
however, and you’ll find another good reason: Roosterfish. Fronted
by the newly local Sam Roosterfish and with backup vocals from Lady
Blue, the band offers original folk rock and blues music as a
backdrop to your time at Bricks. As an animal species, the
roosterfish may be an odd-looking thing, but this band makes for a
perfect match to the café’s laid-back atmosphere. See them Friday,
December 1 — and every Friday — at 8 p.m.
— DM