I moved to the Boston area from San Francisco almost a year ago to be with my mom as she struggles with health issues. I lived in SF for over a decade and was truly blessed to see the amazing plethora of shows that constantly flow through the Bay Area. I saw The Roots 4 or 5 times from the (now closed) Maritime Hall to The Fillmore. Blackalicious, DJ Shadow, Digable Planets, Invizibl Skratch Pickls, World Famous Beat Junkies, X-ecutioners, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, The Coup, Jurassic 5, Public Enemy... I could go on and on and on listing the mind blowing society enhancing hip hop shows that I saw while living in San Fran.

And now here I am, stuck in freaking New England in a cultural/musical void. HIP HOP NEVER COMES HERE!!! I keep my eyes fixed on the concert calendar and am continually shocked week in and week out that the only shows that roll through town are bands: rock, folk, alt rock, indie rock, heavy metal, country, bluegrass, shoe gazing, emo, super sensitive, celtic, swing, punk, classic rock, oldies, hippie jam BANDS!!!

And based on the subject line of this posting, you can imagine where this is all going. The Roots, being one of the best BANDS in America, came to Boston last April and played a show @ Northeastern and I was furious because it was a NE students only show. I tried desperately to get in there, and even had a poster on this very board offer me his extra ticket (until the very last minute when he gave it to his girlfriend or something). I was flatout devastated. However, I was slightly encouraged by the fact that The Roots were coming back with Erykah Badu @ The Orpheum in May. Co-Headlining? Badu opening for Roots? Oh no, The Roots open for Badu and though they sound great, they play for 45 minutes and then it's over. Rising Down 2-3-4, and then we're out: Argh!!! (Side Note: seeing ?uestlove spin @ Underbar afterward was fantastic, even with the mic issues for Black Thought.)

But, what's a hip hop lover to do in the big picture of life behind the New England curtain?

Well, you can further imagine my absolute hysterical happiness when I just so happened to be combing through the local venues upcoming calendars back on December 1st and saw that, low and behold, The Roots are coming to The Showcase in Foxboro, MA on January 31st, 2009!!! Oh my God, it's the best Christmas present ever! I don't think I've ever bought tickets quicker. I have never been to the venue, but it seems like a perfect mid-sized place to see a full show of our favorite band.

And now here I am: crushed by the curse of New England:

"Hello, this is Ticketmaster Customer Service with an important alert for your upcoming event. The Roots, scheduled at Showcase Live on Saturday, January 31, 2009, at 8:00PM, has been canceled.

Your credit card will automatically be credited the ticket price and convenience charges, and should post to your account within 7 to 10 business days. Please note, the $3.00 per order processing fee, any ticketFast, or UPS delivery charges and in-store pick up charges are non-refundable.

If you have any questions, please contact us online at:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/h/asktm.html

Thank you for using Ticketmaster. We appreciate your business!"


I am seriously going to drop to my knees and cry. I don't want a refund! I want The Roots! I want hip hop to come to Boston! I want some freaking well deserved love. Please, ?uestlove, tell me you're coming back. With your upcoming gig as the house band for Jimmy Fallon (congrats BTW), I can't imagine that you guys will be back anytime soon...

I seriously cannot believe this...

Snow up to our waist, dark @ 4pm, power out for days, and now this info arrives 2 days before Christmas...

And I just went to the Showcase site to see if there was an explanation as to why the show was canceled, and from their website it looks as if there was never a Roots show in the 1st place. And the freaking ridiculously lame-ass show replacing them is enough to make me want to never look at another Boston area music calendar again:
http://www.showcaselive.com/event-schedule/jan-09.aspx

"Girl Authority

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Rounder/Zoë Records tween girl singing sensation GIRL AUTHORITY - one year older and a little bit savvier - is back with Road Trip, their sophomore CD. All the elements that made GIRL AUTHORITYÕs eponymous debut CD such a success (100,000 copies and counting sold to date) remain firmly in place: the nine cute, bubbly girls who sing, dance and have personality to spare; the nicknames designating each girl (i.e. Rock nÕ Roll Girl, Boho Girl, Country Girl) with fashion- forward clothes to match; the covers of classic hits and todayÕs chart-toppers, sung with the same fun and enthusiasm that have attracted a legion of devoted fans across the country; and the groove-infused backing tracks, played by some of todayÕs most gifted musicians. www.girlauthority.com "



Yep, that sounds about right. Welcome to New England!

The Roots??? Nope, Girl Authority!!!

Knocked Unconscious by The Injustice,
Riddles