Kids Like You and Me, the local record label/website/promotion agency founded and run by Glen Maganzini (aka G. Gordon Gritty) and Chris DeCarlo celebrated it’s six-year anniversary recently at the Middle East with a birthday bash that featured KLYAM artists Nice Guys and Barbazons, as well as Atlantic Thrills and G. Gordon Gritty himself.
Over the past six years, Glen and Chris have booked, promoted, and played a number of memorable local shows at venues all across the city, including ZuZu, Lilypad, and Club Bohemia. We asked them to list the shows that stood out as being exceptionally awesome, and what they gave us is a good premier for what the duo will continue to book throughout 2015 and beyond.
KLYAM’s next show is tomorrow night (7/24) at Club Bohemia in Central Square. The lineup features some local heroes and Allston Pudding favorites, including Dinoczar, Idiot Genes, Rosie and the Rosies, and The Forgotten Jam. Check it out, and read about some notable KLYAM shows below.
Glen Maganzini aka G.Gordon Gritty:
ATLANTIC THRILLS OPENING FOR BLACK LIPS & VIVIAN GIRLS @ THE MET (PAWTUCKET, RI) – April 13, 2011
This one is a bit of a legend in the KLYAM history books: so I took the rainy ride down to Rhode Island with Papagiorgio (that’s my dad) to see my favorite band ever, the Black Lips, at The Met. Vivian Girls are on the bill as well as The Atlantic Thrills…who? So I had no idea who they were and little did I know they’d become my favorite opening band yet. They were really the perfect band to kick off a slimy night—crazy old-ish energetic rock’n roll dudes going insane at this opportunity to show off their goods. I hadn’t really seen anything like it. I called Chris right after they were done: “dude, I just saw this amazing band, blah blah blah blah” he was away at college at the time and I was rambling on in the front row on my phone about what I had just witnessed.
THE BARBAZONS, G. GORDON GRITTY OPENING FOR NOBUNNY & THE HUSSY W/ BANDITAS @ THE MIDDLE EAST UPSTAIRS – February 4, 2014
Nobunny is my personal inspiration and an artist that we’ve admired for years now. So that’s that. But then there was The Hussy, the nicest, realest people and a ridiculously fun band. AND THEN The Barbazons, who I had revered for years as Boston garage-pop heros and heroines. Always putting on outstanding, ass-shakin’ performances. Whether in a dingy basement or at Brighton Music Hall, wherever, whenever. And such was the case on this special, sold out night. I played on the floor, not worthy of sharing the same stage as my rock n roll idols, both local and the world around.
NICE GUYS SPLIT 7″ RELEASE SHOW W/ MIAMI DORITOS, MALPORTADO KIDS, GRAVE IDEAS – February 28, 2014
By this point, Nice Guys were fixtures at The Grotto, bringing their noisy chaotic charm to the drunken, stumbling young adults of BOS and beyond every time they took to the non-stage. Add on a special occasion—the release of a split 7″ with Miami Doritos on KLYAM Records—and things got freaky, fast. But if you know KLYAM, that’s the way we like it. But yeah, this was one of those basement experiences I likely won’t ever forget.
Chris DeCarlo
ATLANTIC THRILLS (RECORD RELEASE SHOW) W/ RAVI SHAVI, GYMSHORTS, LITTLEFOOT @ DUSK (PROVIDENCE, RI) – February 1, 2014
Six years of slime does a lot to a man. Seen a lot of unholy things. Atlantic Thrills always bring the party and in this instance it was total debauchery. There was silly string, crowd surfing, and some fans even got naked. I was soaked in beer, spit, and sweat. Not just one of the wildest Thrills shows, but simply one of the most chaotic shows I have EVER seen.
NICE GUYS (‘CHIPS IN THE MOONLIGHT’ RELEASE SHOW) W/ THE MONSIEURS, SLOW JERKS, BLACK BEACH @ CLUB BOHEMIA – February 12, 2015
I’ve never seen Club Bohemia as packed as it was on this night (except for perhaps The Monsieurs‘ record release show a couple of months earlier). Nice Guys always put on a fun, interactive show, but the crowd is often mellow in their appreciation. Not the case with this show. They ripped through a series of fresh and old cuts that sent the place into pandemonium. Definitely the best show I’ve seen this year.
THE BARBAZONS (‘AVEC PLAISIR’ RELEASE SHOW) W/ DOUG TUTTLE, BEWARE THE DANGERS OF A GHOST SCORPION!, ATLANTIC THRILLS @ MIDDLE EAST UPSTAIRS – April 24, 2015
This was a KLYAM Records release and one of our proudest. We love The Barbazons and had wanted to put out their album for years. So, this celebration was a dream come true. The band played the album in its entirety—and then some. I had never seen a crowd shake and twist this much at a Barbarzons show and likewise, I had never seen the band so animated before. Ryan even hopped off the stage and on to Glen’s shoulders in the middle of the set!