This newspaper is an ongoing project of BRAIN Arts Organization, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Please consider donating to, volunteering, or otherwise supporting us: brain-arts.org. thatbostoncompass@gmail.com
Living and booking house shows in Boston for several years was a good primer for the inherent difficulty and bullshit that will always be part of autonomous, self-determined cultural organizing: authorities want to shut you down, there are never enough resources to make things happen, people just burn out. It happens everywhere because the capitalist mess of a society that we live in wants us to fail if we care more about people, art and ideas than profit and bottom lines. In alternative cultural spheres we’re conditioned to feel like institutions are inherently bad, because as they stand, a lot of them are. But some institutions can be really important, especially when they create truly sustainable, accessible, safer spaces and/or generation-spanning platforms for sharing collective knowledge and energy. Of course, institutions will always need to be interrogated and sometimes destroyed. But we also need to build better ones from scratch in order to foster better futures. The Silent Barn, the all-ages collective art space where I live and work in Brooklyn with about 100 of my closest friends, is one type of creative response; an answer to the trying times that art and activism currently face, where the pressures of utter
commercialism seem inescapable. Sometimes it feels like one big collective push against it all, one big collective pull to open up space where it didn’t exist before. The Barn has been going in various forms for about 10 years, and is unique in its attempts to channel the spirit of DIY into something lasting; in 2013, the project signed onto a 10-year lease. On Sept. 25, the Barn suffered a bad fire that left the building severely damaged (mostly due to flooding throughout all levels of the building). All 12 of us who live there are displaced indefinitely, and multiple residents lost everything. Community support poured out on the internet. To be clear, the Silent Barn is insured, so while our rebuilding costs should eventually be reimbursed, our residents’ personal losses are not covered. We won’t be having any shows for about a month, and every day that we are not open, we are losing income, putting our sustainability at risk. We need donations right now, but in truth, spaces like Silent Barn always need donations; community projects always need community support. The Silent Barn sends love + gratitude to our Boston fam and all folks who are organizing and playing fundraisers; thanks for your support and we hope to see you soon <3
ART BLAST......................................................PAGE 2 Spooky Exhibits, Illuminus, Black Mt. College, & Fiber Arts Market!
HASSLE BRIEFS..............................................PAGE 3 That Michael Character, Palehound, The Britneys, Black Spirtituals, Os Noctàmbulos
HERE BE THE SHOWS...............................PAGE 4-5 Ethereal indie, post punk throw down, punky garage psych.
THE TARDY EAGLE..........................................PAGE 6 Where is the comedy, FRIGHT!!!!!!!, Teen Goths (maybe), More
FILM FLAM......................................................PAGE 7 Get spooky with witches, vampires, devil worshippers, and masters of avant garde Canadian cinema!
COMICS..........................................................PAGE 8
A Day in The Life of... BASKET CASE by Flying Blood Comics
Guest Editorial by Liz Pelly of Silent Barn
HASSLEFEST Indiegogo is Live!
You might have noticed a chill curiously descending over Central and Allston last month. Is it finally fall in Boston? Is it death coming for the tender souls of MIT and BU kids? Is it ALMOST TIME FOR HASSLE FEST 7 NOVEMBER 57 AT CAMBRIDGE ELKS LODGE AND OUT OF THE BLUE GALLERY AND BRIGHTON MUSIC HALL??? That last one’s pretty chill, right? Boston’s underground music fest is back in action starring Flipper (w/ David Yow of Jesus Lizard) and Screaming Females and SO MANY MORE BANDS! BRAIN Arts needs $10,000 in donations donations to make this festhappen, so avoid the inevitable sellout and get your presale tickets and other fest goodies online now ONLY at http://igg.me/at/hf7 before you get left out in the cold. -Harrison Bralower
Speedy Ortiz Hotline:
HELPING FOSTER SAFE SPACES
Have you guys seen the new Speedy Ortiz mandate to keep their shows safe? In an effort to provide a more inclusive space to show goers Speedy Ortiz has set up a new hotline that showgoers can call or text if they are being harassed or feel unsafe. It’s important to keep shows free from oppressive behaviors so everyone can have a good time! Remember to call or text (574) 404SAFE the next time you’re at a Speedy Ortiz show and feel unsafe in any way. Accountability is vital in these situations, so props to Speedy Ortiz for looking out for their audience! -Ari Ratner
J Rosemary’s Baby & Don’t Drink The Devil’s Blood 10/30 @COOLIDGE
There’s not much we really need to say about ROSEMARY’S BABY: it’s one of the best horror movies of all timeif not one of the best movies, periodand a 35mm midnight screening the night is an obvious nobrainer. What makes this screening really special, though, is that it will be preceded by the world premiere of DON’T DRINK THE DEVIL’S BLOOD, the spooky new short by longtime local staple and friend of the Compass, Coco Roy (Gone Bad, Electric Street Queens)! And did I mention it will screen on glorious Super 8? Your Halloweekend just got made. -Oscar Goff
Music as a Second Language
₧
MSL is a free monthly workshop series that explores the elements of music through collaborative improvisational games. Whether you’re an experienced musician looking to refresh your perspective, or you’ve always wanted to learn how to play, but never knew where to start, MSL could be just what for you’re looking for! Join the conversation at Spontaneous Celebrations on 10/4 from 35 pm. For more information contact: NoChops2Rok@gmail.com – Scott Mizrachi
i
Satanic Panic Book Launch 10/4 @BRATTLE
The next time Fox News has got you down, remember that, just 30 years ago, mainstream conservatives were scared that literal Satanists were sacrificing actual babies in their own hometowns, under the influence of Ozzy Osbourne and Dungeons & Dragons. Join Kierla Janisse, author of HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN, for the launch of SATANIC PANIC: POP CULTURAL PARANOIA IN THE ‘80s, the latest anthology of essays from her Spectacular Optical imprint. As if that weren’t enough, stick around for a late night screening of Joe Dante’s classic suburban satire THE ‘BURBS (see PSYCHOTRONIC MOVIES IN OUR ZONE, p. 7)! -Oscar
BOOKS N’ BREWS!
d
10/15 @ Aeronaut Brewery
I once tried to join a book club, but all I could think about over the finger foods, white wine and discussion of The Girl On The Train was how much better it would be if I had tons of beer and classic lit. Luckily, the Aeronaut Brewery is here to save the day with the launch of BOOKS N BREWS. The first meeting covers “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”. Come for the firstever session of drinking and literary debate on October 15th all ages can join in on the discussion, but aspiring Hemingways need to be 21+ to drink. -Emma Diamond
Castle of Comedy! SPoOokY 10/15@Arts at the Armory Forgive me for this writing sin, but our bud comedian Ethan Marsh’s energetic, silly act is so WONDERFUL it is SCARY. Get it, like, scary because of Halloween but it has another meaning like awe and okay I’m sorry. I’ll see myself to the dumpster but I *will* emerge for his annual Halloween show. A variety of comedic delights on a SpOoOky theme: characters, standup, and Ethan serenading the audience (accompanied on piano by Joe Della Penna!) 8:30p, all ages (though may be some adult topics broached, also Halloween frights). Free, but donations are cool. Kick the Armory a few bucks awesome local brew selection and great treats! Contact ethanmarsh.net. -Katie McCarthy
Trigger Warning: Substance use No matter what time of year it is, some things plague year-round. One of those is self-medication, something that every community deals with. At least 1,000 people in Mass suffered opioid-related deaths last year. Friends, classmates, brothers, sisters, kids, parents, and neighbors. You don’t have to look hard to find someone who has been physically hurt or emotionally torn by addiction. Life can fucking suck sometimes. Its circumstances are different for everyone. We all make shitty choices. We all self-sabotage. We all want to disconnect. But, these temptations are only short-term solutions. Self-medication can get in the way of the life you were meant to live. Because of a law passed in 2012, neither a 911 caller nor the victim of an overdose can be charged with possession: immunity. The city of Quincy became the first in the country to mandate every police officer carry Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, which helps reverse the effects of many harmful opioids. Boston EMS carries Naloxone, as do Boston University Police Officers, and Somerville PD. Mayor Marty Walsh ordered BPD officers to carry it, while Cambridge City Council is aggressively looking into giving it to all of their officers. CVS has also started to carry it in stores, not requiring a prescription to purchase. Note: Check out PunksInRecovery.com, a website created by Craig Lewis to help individuals, especially those in sometimes dysfunctional cultural scenes, realize that they’re not alone in struggling. He has two books for sale: a workbook based on his experience, and an anthology of stories called “You’re Crazy!” which, “compiles twenty-five first-hand accounts of people from the punk scene who live with mental illness, addiction and trauma. Love your friends. Take care of your friends. Love yourself, take care of yourself, because other people love you back.