Notes on Ben Sisto and Opera Boston
By JIM SULLIVAN | February 27, 2007
OPERA BOSTON UNDERGROUND'S Angela Gooch, Christian Figueroa, and Glorivy Arroyo |
The Milky Way Lounge & Lanes in JP was the first club to give Ben Sisto a shot at promoting an event — a dance night called Dynasty. So it makes a certain sense that six years later he’s back at Milky Way as its booking and promotions manager. (Mike Snow, who had the gig, went back to WFNX as promotions director.) What Sisto brings to the party is four years of running Honeypump, which did everything from punk-rock flea markets to dance cruises. He also was the promotions director for O’Brien’s and Great Scott. He says he has no plans to transform the Milky Way. “It’s both a hip night spot and a community-responsive club. My hope would be to continue that tradition. My personal promotion/booking history is indie rock, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see events floating that way. But also Latin and salsa. The Milky Way is a pretty good representation of JP, with a lot of overlapping communities.” In June, Sisto plans to introduce a first-Friday-of-the-month “underground disco” party with DJ Joseph Colbourne, in the hope of attracting the art-gallery crowd.When Opera Boston Underground made its club debut at the Lizard Lounge in January, more than 100 people had to be turned away. So OBU is planning a return to the Lizard on April 4. This time the theme will be “French Kisses: Songs of French and American Cabaret.” . . . Local pop-rockers Topheavy are set to record a follow-up to their 2003 album Love Drunk. Singer/guitarist Chris Wagner promises a slightly rougher sound reminiscent of early Goo Goo Dolls or the Replacements, and he’s hoping for a May release. The band play the Basement (at the new Baseball Tavern) on March 2.
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Jim Sullivan: jimsullivanink@verizon.net
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Topics:
New England Music News
, Goo Goo Dolls, Mike Snow
