Now you see it…
4/11/10
Now you don’t.
5/20/10
I’m not quite sure when this happened, but some time while I was away visiting San Francisco, the graffiti behind the Woolworth’s was painted over.
The End is coming…on a party bus?
May 19th, 2010 by Cosmic AmandaBeing of the mopey indie rock persuasion, I managed to inhabit Haverhill for nearly four years without realizing there was a pretty active (and kickass) loud/metal/hardcore scene happening right under my nose. Places like Welfare Records and its offshoot venue Anchors Up! are bringing the “Rrarrrarrrhhhhhhrrrrrrrrr” to the Merrimack Valley on a regular basis.
My friends Living Syndication recently played a gig with Haverhill natives Age of End, which got me hooked up with guitarist Mark McKellar. Mark took a few minutes out of his busy schedule of intimidating people on the streets to chat with me about the band, the stigma attached to being a groupie, and why you should clear you schedule on July 31st and get ready to hop on a party bus.
HF: Hey Mark, thanks for taking some time out. Now, your latest album is called “The Rhythm of The Slaughter.” You’re not going to hurt me, right?
AOE: I might, but only in that John Mellencamp, “hurt so good” kinda way.
These guys aren't scary. They're just conserving electricity so they can rock!
HF: Rawr, okay! I went to your MySpace page to check out a few songs, and it’s dark, moody, with you guys all shrouded in mystery. Tell me, who are these men lurking in the shadows?
AOE: The band is:
Chad Hickman – Vocals
Mark McKellar – Guitar
Steve Madigan – Bass
Alex Wagner – Drums
All of us, except for Chad are from Haverhill and have been in a lot of Haverhill bands. (Delusions of Grandeur, Only Ash Remains, Dibiase, 30 for 60, High Society, etc.) Chad used to be the singer in a band that played in Haverhill a lot as well, Pendulum Theory. We have a lot of friends, family, fans, and supporters from Haverhill, and try to play there whenever possible! We’re proud to rep HELLTOWN!
HF: How would you describe your sound to the uninitiated?
AOE: LOUDCORE! We get this question a lot, and I never really know how to answer it. We play music that is aggressive and eclectic. We try to mix brutality with beauty, all while trying to keep it rhythmically original and interesting. There are definitely parts to our songs that will get stuck in your head, and there are also parts that will make you lose your shit! I once heard someone describe us as “Tool, having sex with the deftones, while Mudvayne watched, and Taproot played the acoustic guitar.” I think that sums it up just fine!
HF: So, on my way to this interview, I stepped in a Puddle of Mudd. How can I get this stain out?
AOE: So, you got “Staind” from a “Puddle of Mudd?” That really is too bad! Best bet is to douce the whole area with “Bleach” and start again!
HF: Chris and I are starting a band. Which band name is best: Cheeseburger Scene, Dread Pirate Roberts, or Coin Heaven?
AOE: Personally, I’d go with “Morgan Freeman’s Liver Spots,” but that’s just me.
Not my best Photoshop, but what can you do?
HF: Who would win in a fight- Rob Zombie or his kid brother from Powerman 5000?
AOE: I don’t know, Spider is a crazy mofo, and Rob is old. But, being an older brother myself, I gotta go with Rob on that one.
HF: Does your amp go to 10 or 11? Or higher?
AOE: Unfortunately, only 10. I did get in touch with Marshall recently, and sent them a picture of the tattoo on my arm (which is the nobs from my amp, all cranked to 11) and asked them to make me a custom head that does the same. I’ll keep you updated!
HF: Do you guys get a lot of groupies? How would you describe the average Age of End fan?
AOE: “Groupies” is such a negative term. We prefer “fun females.” It’s funny, because it’s kind of hard to pinpoint the “average” Age of End fan. We’ve had so many different kinds of people come talk to us after shows and tell us that they’re into what we’re doing. We actually once had a little girl, maybe 10 years old, who brought us a picture that she drew of us on stage. it was adorable! I’d say the one thing they all have in common though is that they’re all into great music!
Age of End rocking out at Anchors Up! (photo by RTTP.com)
HF: I hear you guys are playing at WCYY’s Oxxfest in Maine on July 31st. That’s pretty awesome. How are you going to get your fans up there?
AOE: We’re really excited about it! We played the festival last year, with Papa Roach and it was an amazing time! This year, with Shinedown, Sevendust, Chevelle, Puddle of Mudd, and 10 Years, it should be INSANE! Just like last year, we’ll be throwing a bus party to get people from this area up to the raceway in Oxford. We rented a couple party busses, and are selling tickets for them. We like to be able to offer a safe ride, so that people can come and party with us, and not have to worry about any negative consequences. And the bus parties are always WILD! If anyone is interested in coming, you can get in touch with us on MySpace, Facebook, or at ageofendband@gmail.com.
HF: What’s on the horizon for the band? Now that Maine’s conquered, where are you off to next?
We try to keep ourselves as busy as possible. We’ve already started writing songs for our follow up album, and are going to start pre-production soon. We’ve also been getting a lot of requests from club owners and promoters down in NC, SC, FLA, and some other areas down south. We’ve been getting some good airplay down there, and it seems to be building some momentum, so we’re working on making it down there soon!
—
Pretty awesome idea, guys! Party bus to WCYY’s Oxxfest: July 31. RSVP on Facebook and get more info on purchasing tickets. If you want to hear a few tracks off of The Rhythm of Slaughter, check out Age of End on MySpace and Facebook.
Lounge 59 to unveil special cocktail at Haverhill’s Biggest Bar Crawl
May 17th, 2010 by Cosmic AmandaHave you RSVPd to Haverhill’s Biggest Bar Crawl on June 11th yet? It’s promising to be a pretty epic event, with a crowd of 105 (and growing every day) traveling to 7 different bars around downtown Haverhill. This is happening all within 3 1/2 hours, and with all proceeds of the $10 cover going to the Haverhill High Althetic Department.
There will be free food, a performance by Merrimack Delta Dub Set, and even…drumroll please…the unveiling of THE FEVER CUP, the first Haverhill Fever inspired cocktail.
I know, right!?
The evil geniuses behind this concoction are (of course) Haverhill Fever’s own Chris and his love for Pimm’s, and Patrick McCarthy, owner of Lounge 59 at 59 Washington St. downtown Haverhill. I recently caught up with Patrick at the bar and he gave me a run down of their awesome in-house infused liquor selection. Check out this video, shot by Andrew Firg:
As we were packing up I asked Patrick who would win in a fight and before I even got to name the combatants he boomed “ME!” I don’t doubt it! I also hear Lounge 59 has some pretty incredible homemade desserts, including tiramisu and boston creme pie. Anyone tried them yet?
Be sure to come by Lounge 59 for a Fever Cup during Haverhill’s Biggest Bar Crawl and say hi to me and Chris! We’ll be there with Haverhill Fever bumper stickers for all, and we’ll be giving away some much-coveted Haverhill Fever t-shirts.
(And hey, what do you think of the video? I know the upload’s a bit wonky, but if you like the content, let us know and we’ll make some more!)
Don’t wake the neighbors
May 16th, 2010 by ChrisOne of the reasons I chose to live on the sixth floor of my current building is that the height provides good protection from potential zombie attacks.
Zombies probably can’t operate an elevator and that is a lot of stairs for the undead to climb. Plus, I have a good vantage point to watch out for sneak attacks.
Apparently, the residents of Carleton Street weren’t too worried about zombies when choosing where to live because there’s a creepy old cemetery right smack in the middle of their street:
Carleton Street
Some of these gravestones date back to the 17th and 18th centuries – so these dudes are going to be real hungry when they wake up.
At least the neighbors are quiet.
One of the gravestones indicate that the fellow buried there had been killed by Indians near Lowell Ave in the late 1600’s. So, next time you’re singing karaoke at Oriental Gardens – watch out!
Highly Recommended: The Melina Pizza
May 16th, 2010 by Chris
Cosmic Amanda is on a Mission Mission
May 14th, 2010 by ChrisIn case you aren’t a Facebook fan of The Feeve yet (what are you waiting for?) – then you may have missed our very own Cosmic Amanda blogging from all the way on the other side of the country.
Amanda blogging about burritos. Shocking.
She breaks down what it’s like to be a blog tourist and the funniness of fake moustaches.
Hopefully she makes it back to the East Coast because I can’t keep up this daily blog pace without her.
Let her know what you think in the comments!
Everybody should move to Haverhill
May 14th, 2010 by ChrisAccording a recent Yahoo! article: Haverhill is one of the seven best places to move in the country along with such famous cities as New Orleans (awesome, but too hot), Houston (Texas? cmon), and Philadelphia (where it is always sunny).
I found this picture on the internet
They cite the lively bar and restaurant scene and low housing prices as key factors:
“You can buy a brand new mid-level executive style home in the mid $380,000 to $450,000 range or find a first time buyer move-in condition property at around $170,000,” says Lisa Johnson, vice president at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Haverhill. “Condominiums can be found in the $50,000 to $60,000 range.”
Johnson says the area has a lot of great perks, from a thriving bar/club scene to a downtown restaurant district that can rival those of big cities.
So, if you don’t yet live in the Shoe City – you better hurry up before we fill up.
Ruth Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
May 14th, 2010 by ChrisLafayette Square staple Ruth’s House has packed it up…
Lafayette Square
And moved right across the street:
Lafayette Square
Not sure if Ruth is ready for business yet but The Feeve will keep their eyes open.
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Mr. Cleanse! Mr. Cleanse!
May 13th, 2010 by ChrisCosmic Amanda likes to tell me that I’m a snob because I dry clean my clothes. That may or may not be true. But at least I’ve never had my clothes cleansed:
Broadway
Now, I honestly can’t tell you if Bennett the Cleanser is still in business but there are definitely racks of cleansed clothes waiting to be picked-up inside.
Along with some ducks:
Quack Quack