The band will perform the album in its entirety.
The last time I recall a successful blending of rock and professional wrestling was when Cyndi Lauper and Captain Lou Albano joined forces in the 1980s.
But leave it to The Swill Merchants to revive the idea. And they will do so with style at a CD release party for their new album, "I Don't Remember the World," on Saturday. The bash will take place at The Elevens in Northampton starting at 9 p.m.
OK, the album isn't really about wrestling, but it has wrestlers on the cover and the band's new logo is a wrestling mask. The show is also being billed, tongue in cheek, as "Greco-Roman Wrestling at The Elevens" The songs themselves, bassist John St. Onge said, are "10 tracks of music written over life crossroads, personal evolutions, and good times."
"We wrote it differently than anything we've done before. We would normally jam as a full band, working out songs with everyone in the room --which is great to do-- but restricting in some senses. We got to a point where we really weren't sure what we were doing, after touring for "The Mint Hotel"--our previous release--and promoting it vigorously," he said. "We had questions about ourselves, and life did what life does: threw curve ball after curve ball at us."
Instead of flailing at those curves, the band really "stripped things down," St. Onge said, and just dove into creating music: No live shows. No promotion. No having to live up to anyone's expectations.
"We really didn't have some direction we wanted to go in, or some goal like, 'We need to get a record deal,' or anything like that, he said. "We as writers and musicians, rather than a band entity, just clung to the creative process . . . and followed the developing vision for how we wanted to feel about the music on this album when it was done."
The result was "I Don't Remember the World."
"It is eye-opening and refreshing when you're able to just create--with no time constraints, no expectations, and no ulterior motives--just to create," St. Onge said. "The process of making this album really answered some personal questions I had and helped me through some trying times. Not having to perform, promote and hype anything--just making music we love. I am forever grateful for this time spent making this album."
The band will perform the album in its entirety at the show. The Elevens is at 140 Pleasant St. in Northampton.
SCOUTING REPORT
A special benefit show for Darren Masloski, who is fighting cancer, will be held at Maximum Capacity in Chicopee on Nov. 4. The event starts at 3 p.m. With a potluck party for all ages ($10), followed by a rock show at 7 p.m. for those 21 and older ($15 for both). The lineup includes Yucky Octopus, Problem with Dragons, Split Shift, BBSD, I Am Disaster, and Gone By Daylight. The club is located at 116 School St.
Rapper Yelawolf will perform on Saturday at the Pearl Street Ballroom in Northampton on Saturday at 9 p.m.
Theodores' at 201 Worthington St. in Springfield welcomes Jeff Pitchell and Texas Flood on Friday night. His most recent CD, "Heavy Hitter," reach No. 7 on the Billboard charts.