Here, take this. It’s a big ol’ bag of theories you can use to explain why digging through the aesthetic armory of the 90s to draw out your tonal weapons of choice isn’t cool anymore, and why self-described “math-rock” should get a fat pile of shit shoveled in its smug-ass face. You got it? I know, it’s kinda heavy. Now look inside. Oh, what’s that? It’s empty? Interesting. Not sure what I was trying to prove here. Let’s forget about this empty sack of nothing and go watch this band play. Ever heard of ‘em?
Enter Goddard, a self-described math-rock band from Worcester with large amps and a magical sparkling boner for the long-deceased and guitar-infatuated era of sonic pioneerism we now look back on as the 90s. RIP. The quartet, consisting of drummer Andy Kivela (ex-Graph, Ponds), guitarist Moe “Big Daddy” Sherzai (ex-Bitch Brothers, Broadcaster), and Central MA DIY powercouple Jason Karby and Anne Baldridge [both of defunct turn-of-the-millennium noise mechanism Calumet-Hecla and bygone Worcester show-throwing non-profit DC-FIY (Don’t Complain – Fix It Yourself)], certainly has its roots set deep through the fertile soils of New England (as the parenthetical verbiage in this paragraph is meant to indicate, jeez get on my level). And while said American soil has borne the band many fine fruits over the years—couple o’ tours, a recording session at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio, last Summer’s split 10” with MA math superduo Giraffes? Giraffes!—it is always true that foreign climes will bear even weirder blossoms. I mean, ya can’t grow a durian in Ann Arbor, dude.
So, Goddard’s going to Europe. They’re gonna play some shows there. They’re calling it their “Europa” tour because: 1.) “Europa” sounds like “Europe” except it’s one of Jupiter’s moons and therefore a space pun; 2.) Having lifted their name from historical person Robert Goddard, a Worcester native and “The Father of Modern Rocketry”, the band’s conceptual undercurrent of aeronautical themology and subject matter is thusly enforced, furthered maybe a bit moreso by those notably big piles of technical technology they like to lug around called “amps” and “pedals” and “bullshit”. Space pun. Progear. Protude.
The tour is organized in part by Do It Together, a cool-as-hell Netherlands-based media organization dedicated to documenting and facilitating the creativity, community, and ethics of DIY worldwide, making this a truly international collaboration in the practice of making shit happen and rocking the fuck out.
It’s a beautiful thing to see a New England band making giant leaps across our planet’s surface. Wish ‘em lots of luck and be sure to check Goddard’s next Boston show after they get back.
Goddard – Europa Tour 2013
Monday Sept. 1 – Vondelbunker, Amsterdam NL
Tuesday Sept. 2 – La Cantine de Belleville, Paris FR
Wednesday Sept. 3 – Dame C Bar, Lille FR
Thursday Sept. 4 – Blubox, Monchengladbach DE
Friday Sept. 5 – OCCII, Amsterdam NL
Saturday Sept. 6 – Café Pitcher, Haarlem NL
Sunday Sept. 7 – Recording Day, Amsterdam NL
