Lolita: Oh I know a good question, how ’bout—if you had a choice, who would you like to go see a show with, Rita or Lolita? Rita: That’s terrible. Lolita: Why? Because everyone would pick me? Rita: Your ego is making this closet feel awfully small. Okay, you can ask that question—but you have to word it like this: the Noise celebrates 28 years of covering the music of New England and T MAX’s high school band, MR. TIMOTHY CHARLES DUANE, just celebrated 40 years of adolescence. Tell us about an anniversary that you have celebrated recently. Lolita: Okay, but that doesn’t sound at all like my question. Hey Mr. Curt! Will you answer that question that Rita just asked? MR. CURT (Mr. Curt Ensemble): In 2009, Ms. Donna and I celebrate 40 years as a couple of lovebirds. We had met the previous year and now the courting began in earnest. One of our first dates (which her parents had to approve) was taking her to the Boston Tea Party in May to see one of my favorite bands, the Who (with Rashaan Roland Kirk opening—whoa!). A few months later, I convinced her to venture to upstate New York to check out this outdoor festival called Woodstock. She and some friends had to go with older chaperones on Friday. We met up at 8:30am Saturday, sat around in the sun and rain, saw a buncha bands, and then she left because her chums thought there were a bit too many people there; my friends and I didn’t leave until late Sunday night. Thus began our life together dedicated to love and music. Yahoo and hooray for heritage! *** VALERIE THOMPSON (Goli/ Fluttr Effect): In the future (a.k.a. October), I will be celebrating my 20th anniversary of playing the cello. I’ll probably celebrate by having a beer and playing the cello. *** KEN FIELD (Revolutionary Snake Ensemble/ Birdsongs of the Mesozoic): August 19th was the 7th anniversary of the first broadcast of the New Edge, my weekly radio show of interesting instrumental music Tuesdays from 2-4pm on WMBR (88.1 fm). *** JOHNNY ARGUEDAS (Arguedas Photography/ the Sneaks): I am celebrating five years since I opened my photography business and can’t imagine doing anything else. Also coming up is the two-year anniversary of my band, the Sneaks. A new CD is in the works. Life is pretty kickass. *** DARRON BURKE (Makeshift Studio): Just yesterday (August 4) I celebrated one year of working for Harvard Audio Preservation Services. I ate a chocolate bar with sea-salt encrusted almonds. Salty goodness. Happy 28th to the Noise! *** TIM MUNGENAST (… & His Preexisting Conditions): Congrats on 28 years of the Noise! In June my wife and I celebrated our own anniversary... 17 years! *** D-TENSION (Los Wunder Twins del Rap): First of all, congratulations on 28 years! That has to be a record of some kind. I recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of my turning 18. Every teenager tells his parents that he/she will move out and do whatever they want when they turn 18. They start saying that at around 12 and don’t stop until they’re 18 when they realize they have no money and need to stay at home. But since my mom decided to raise me in a cult on a David Koresh style compound, I moved the fuck out minutes after turning 18. While I miss the gorp and being paddled by my pastor... oh wait, I only miss the gorp. Happy anniversary to me! 20 years gone! *** HOLLY BREWER (HUMANWINE): Happy Anniversary! On May 1st, 2009 M@ (HUMANWINE) and I celebrated six years of marriage by heading to the middle of the woods just outside of Eugene Oregon, taking mushroom tea prepared by a bunch of witches (handed out to about 400 people) for the Maypole ceremony. Luckily we successfully avoided a disco inferno dance party that was happening in the mess hall barn and got to spend some real time in the woods during a storm that was so massive it toppled trees in a neighboring town. *** CARL BIANCUCCI (the Slumlords): I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s (gulp!) 40 years ago this year that I started playing guitar (I switched over to bass the following year). Learned a few things from a songbook by some new group at the time called the Led Zeppelins (did they ever go anywhere?) *** SAMMY MIAMI (Houndstone): 2009 marks my twentieth year of gigging in Boston. A lot has changed since Tuesday nights at the Channel, and as far as I’m concerned, not much of that change has been for the better either. RIP WCOZ and WBCN. But hey, what goes up must come down, and what comes down must bounce back! “Long live rock, be it dead or alive.” *** PETER RINNIG (QRST’s): When my wife and I celebrated out 10th anniversary we went to Vegas for a week and renewed our vows in front of Elvis with our daughter as the flower girl! It really was Elvis—if you squinted really really hard. *** DANA COLLEY (Morphine): It’s been ten years this July since Mark Sandman passed away in Palestrina, Italy at the Nel Nome Del Rock festival (In the Name of Rock). Orchestra Morphine toured the U.S. and returned to Italy to pay homage in 2000. This July we went back as a trio with Jerome Deupree, Jeremy Lyons, and myself to perform as Members of Morphine. We were joined by our families: India Colley, Elias Colley, Kate Williams, Luciana Lyons, Lisa Deupree, Linda Veins, Sabine Hrechdakian, Carolyn Kaylor, and Mark Hamilton. Two film crews each doing documentaries on Mark and Morphine were in attendance. We spent the better part of a week at the festival, set at the base of the ancient town eating and drinking with our Italian hosts who have in the years following Mark’s death become our extended family. It is still hard to comprehend the loss we in Boston have experienced when Mark died. He was at the center of our musical universe. Much has changed in the world and in our lives in the past ten years. But what remains crystal clear is that our life riches are not compiled in dollar amounts. It is in the people who touch us and bring us closer together. Thank you Mark for the music you left us and for the relationships brought together by the intangible power of music. Lolita: Go to the Mark Sandman Memorial Concert on Saturday, 9/26 at Mark Sandman Square (on Brookline Ave. between the Middle East and T.T. the Bear’s)—the concert is free, but consider donating to the Mark Sandman Project.