Roots on the go

The Liberty Elm; plus, Hello Mahalo, more
By BOB GULLA  |  November 6, 2007

The Liberty Elm is a newly opened coffee shop/cafe and live music venue located at 777 Elmwood Avenue in the Elmwood neighborhood on the south side of Providence, situated directly across the street from the RIPTA bus garage. The diner, owned by LUCKY 57’s Kip MacLeod, is a restored 1947 Worcester Lunch Car; it currently serves breakfast and lunch six days a week. Lately, it’s also been open evenings for special musical events. “Your Roots Are Showing,” the monthly twang, roots rock, Americana, and alt.country showcase formerly held at AS220, will make its debut at Liberty Elm this Saturday, November 10. Kip and Lucky 57 will host, as is customary, and will present guests THE BLACK (from Austin), GRUBSTAKE (from Philly), and opener FRED KENDAL ABONG, former bassist for Throwing Muses and Belly and prolific recording artist in his own right. We wish Kip and the gang all the best as they embark on this magical food service/gig room gestalt. Call 401.467.0777, and go to myspace.com/libertyelm.

Hello Mahalo
BandStandLive Records in Taunton, Massachusetts, has been high on Providence’s Hello Mahalo for a while now, and we’ve finally found out why. Their debut album, Dawning Days, is colorful, cathartic, and captivating. A local band with a diverse following, Hello Mahalo includes UMass School of Music graduate Justin Joyce (vocals, bass), Jared Pizarro (guitar), Tom Stanwood (drums), and Justin Hardy (guitar). The band has spent the last year or so logging miles around southern New England and has enjoyed the support of mainstream and college radio.

With a melodic but adventurously funky prog sound a la the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Incubus, they’ve clearly been winning audiences over. Find out why when they officially release Dawning Days this Friday (the 9th) at Decibel Live @ Club Hell. Doors open at 7:30 pm with music starting at 8. FORGETFUL JONES (MA), STREET CREDIT (RI), and STEALING JANE (NY) add to the festivities. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door. This is an all-ages event that ends at 11 pm. Can’t make the show? Pick up the disc at Newbury Comics or through the band’s website — hellomahalo.com — beginning on Friday.

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