Boston Band Crush

Show Crush: Black Fortress of Opium / St. Helena / The Fatal Flaw / Marc Pinansky at The Lizard Lounge Saturday

On 01.13.12 | In Show Crush | by Andrew Wilson

The both rootsy and ethereal sounding Black Fortress of Opium (think Turkey by way of Texas) are gearing up to release Stratospherical, an 11-song album reccorded by Martin Bisi, Rafi Sofer, Joel Simches and Danny Gold featuring co-founders Ajda the Turkish Queen and daredevil guitarist Tony Savarino, along with rock star guests Rich Cortese (the Zulus, Concussion Ensemble), Joe Turner (Abunai!, Joe Turner and the Seven Levels), Dave Yanolis (Nisi Period) and powerhouse drummer Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls) who just might be one of the best drummers on earth, and we don’t like to throw around the word “best” very often. Check out their Bandcamp page to preorder and receive an immediate download of the first track “Blind.” Their live incarnation features Joel Simches on bass and Yuri Zbitnoff on drums. St. Helena will not be impersonating each other at the show, but we hear that they do in rehearsal to keep things fresh. With their sound rooted in the gorgeous combination of vocals from Patrick Teahan and the magnificent Magen Tracy. Add to that some magnificent songwriting, and magic is created. They just released a new video for “The Blue and the Red” to start the year strong. The Fatal Flaw will display their catchy Britpop sound with a generous portion of cynicism. Marc Pinansky is known to many for being in the awesome classic sounding Township. His solo material explores a more intimate side of his musicality. Given the blockbuster lineup and small size of the Lizard Lounge, this show will probably sell out so getting tickets in advance is highly recommended.