Gig Watch – January 2022

Shows not to miss in and around Boston for the month of January.

Nobody likes January right? The holidays are over and it’s nothing but bleak winter chill for a seemingly interminable number of weeks to come. Slow for tours too, but there’s still some choice gigs to cut through the gloom. See some picks below.

1/5 – Pet Fox / Crescent Ridge / Broken Head @ Notch Brewing Brighton

Great lineup of local indie rock, free show, excellent Notch beer – pretty ideal way to kick off your year in live music.

1/7 – Vile Creature / Ragana / Luci Dead Limb @ O’Brien’s Pub

What promises to be a bill of unholy volume takes over O’Brien’s, pairing the doom-sludge of Canada’s Vile Creature and west coasters Ragana with Luci Dead Limb, the solo noise project from Seed’s Lux Lucidi. Sold out, but you ought to be able to hear pretty clearly from across the street.

1/14 – Raw Bell @ Faces Brewing

Malden’s Faces Brewing Co. welcomes Raw Bell, the new project from Kurt Vile and The Violators guitarist and Swirlies affiliate Rob Laakso, for a Saturday night show joined by Ruin the Nite, Vic Firecracker and Unmade Bed.

1/15 – Cass McCombs @ The Sinclair

Troubadour Cass McCombs makes up for last year’s cancelled Royale date with a better-suited outing at the cozier Sinclair, supporting his great new-ish record Heartmind.

1/21 – One Step Closer / Soul Blind / Life’s Question @ Hardcore Stadium

Wilkes Barre hardcore crew & Run For Cover signees One Step Closer top a ripper of a bill at the Cambridge Elks. Bring a helmet.

1/24 – Jon Spencer & The Hitmakers @ Middle East Downstairs

Ex-Blues Explosion leader and all-around legend Jon Spencer returns to town with his all-star hitmakers (including Quasi’s Sam Coomes and Pussy Galore/Sonic Youth percussionist Bob Bert) ahead of the April release of their new record.

1/26 + 1/27 – Slaughter Beach, Dog @ The Sinclair

Former Modern Baseballer Jake Ewald now has more records with his Slaughter Beach, Dog project than with his beloved other band, and his songwriting has only gotten better and better within its folkier context. He and the Beach Dogs (they probably don’t call themselves that) headline two sold-out nights in Harvard Square.

1/30 – Sweetie / Old Soul @ Silhouette Lounge

Locals Sweetie and Oldsoul serve up a double bill of sensitive jams at the Sil to close out the month.