Back Page Lowell

Erin Harpe and the Delta Swingers!

evan — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:53:58 +0000

Erin has been hailed as “an authentic blues chanteuse”, earning a reputation for her raw style and “total, selfless and compelling immersion in the music” and accomplished finger-picking guitar playing. Like her predecessors Memphis Minnie and Charley Patton, Erin has a wide appreciation of many styles of music, and ventures fearlessly outside the blues to lead her “Other Band”, the electro-funk dance band Lovewhip. Erin has even been known to slip a Lovewhip song into her blues sets, and the dancers don’t seem to mind a bit.

MaryBeth Maes Band (sweet melodic blues and rock)

evan — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:10:53 +0000

MaryBeth Linehan Maes has been singing, playing guitar and writing in the New England area for over 20 years. She started as a teenager performing in Boston venues with original bands in the late 80’s. Classically trained, the style of music she performs ranges from sweet melodic rock, to blues and hard rock. She is currently performing with her band, “The MaryBeth Maes Band” with Anthony DiPietro on drums, Jim Puff on vocals and bass, David Fischer on vocals and lead guitar, and John Wadkins on keys and vocals. She also plays solo and duo acoustic gigs. While MaryBeth does perform a wide range of rock, blues and dance covers, her gigs also feature music from her original CD “Just Like Me”, produced and recorded by her husband, Brian Maes. The song “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me”, written by her husband Brian Maes, has been featured on WZLX’s Sunday Morning Blues show. MaryBeth also performs with Brian as part of the Brian Maes Band, formerly of RTZ and Peter Wolf’s “House Party Five”.

MaryBeth and her band is currently working on a 6-song EP, which will be released in early Spring of 2013.

MaryBeth is currently part of the International House of Blues Foundation’s “Boston Blues SchoolHouse”. She is performing with her SchoolHouse bandmates at the House of Blues in Boston for children that come on field-trips, teaching children about blues music through narration and song.

Open Mic with Steve Clements!

evan — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:06:29 +0000

The Wednesday open mic at the Back Page is an institution.
Maintaining a constant flow of regulars and newbies, Steve Clements carefully weaves his way through each week, signing up, and backing up musicians of all styles of music, on drums, percussion, or guitar. Backline includes a full drum kit, a yamaha P-80 piano, extra percussion, amps, (and it’s not too hard to find a guitar).

Our host Steve Clements is a New England bred singer/songwriter/drummer/percussionist who has played/toured with acts such as Serial Thrillers, and Dale Bozzio/Missing Persons, and can provide accompaniment on drums.

Open Mic with Steve Clements!

evan — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:05:26 +0000

Ryan Hartt and the Blue Hearts (CT Blues Award Winners)

evan — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:56:51 +0000

YOU GOT TO LIVE IT TO GIVE IT”, states the first line from Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts’ latest CD, “Call My Name”. In their 12 years together, Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts have, indeed, lived it. They’ve logged countless gigs and countless miles in a Honda minivan, playing clubs and festivals throughout the Northeast and beyond. Being in a blues band in today’s music market is never easy. Nonetheless, the band keeps moving forward, outlasting musical trends and clubs that have come and gone.

Though the band will always be rooted in the Chicago and West Coast blues they have built their reputation on, “Call My Name” expands their sound with soul, proto-rock & roll and even ska. Their songwriting has matured equally. Certainly the common blues themes of love lost and found are here, but the songs on “Call My Name” also reflect the changes and growth of the band members over the last seven years with topics ranging from depression to choosing music over a relationship to the grind of a gigging blues band. Yet no matter what, as the last line of the of the last song says, Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts “will be back next Friday night.”
ARTIST’S WEBSITE

Open Mic with Steve Clements!

evan — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:54:48 +0000

Open Mic with Steve Clements

evan — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:52:51 +0000

Closed (Have a safe and happy 4th everyone!)

evan — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:42:48 +0000

Open Mic with Steve Clements!

evan — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:41:50 +0000

BIG Ben Hillman (the Professor of Funk)

evan — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:31:35 +0000

Big Ben Hillman the Professor of FUNK is an award-winning singer-songwriter whose style is a blend of old school funk and contemporary soul, with a touch of jazz, blues and even hip hop.

Hillman was born in Boston and began his musical career at an early age, playing drums with local bands. As a high school student he would begin to play the keyboards as his desire to write and arrange his own music grew stronger. Attending the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Hillman would study both percussion and keyboards while earning a degree in music composition.

Eventually Hillman would make a name for himself as a well known keyboard player in Boston’s hard-core funk scene, playing with some of the biggest names in local music, such as The Boston Horns, saxophonist Sam Kininger (of Soul Live) and hip hop artist D-Tension.

It was during this period that Hillman also began hosting a popular radio program called “Soul Power 91.5” which could be heard Wednesday nights on WUML in Lowell, MA.

Over the course of his career, Hillman has shared the stage with a host of diverse and well known musicians including hip hop stars Method Man and Ghostface Killa from the Wu Tang Clan, De La Soul, Biz Markie, Digable Planets and Mix Master Mike of The Beasty Boys. He has also been seen performing with rock legends Les Claypool and Jimmy Buffet.

In the early 2000s, Hillman formed a group called The Royal Family. It was with at this time that he penned his most memorable tune thus far, “It Must Have Been the Music” which had become a hit at dance clubs and received airplay on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 2007 yet another successful single was released a entitled “I’m Sorry” which was accompanied by an award winning music video. It was at this time that Hillman expanded his operation, taking his band out of Boston and performing in Philadelphia, New York, Washington DC, Toronto, the Caribbean and most recently an extended tour of Shanghai, China.