MOTHER MAY I?

Lolita: Mother may I? Rita: Yes you may—ask Boston rockers to tell you something about their moms. Lolita: Okay, there’s Duncan hanging a poster, I’ll grab him first… DUNCAN WILDER JOHNSON (Destruct-o-thon): My mom is a painter. She went to Mass Art and then went to the Ruskin School at Oxford. She still paints but has a day gig doing print production where she listens to a steady diet of Aretha Franklin and Tchaikovsky. *** MICHAEL BLOOM (Tim Mungenast & His Pre-Existing Conditions): My mom could’ve been Woody Allen’s mom—except, back in the ’70s, she had a job programming computers, in assembly language no less. And I’m enough of a geek that I think that’s exceptionally cool. *** MIKE LANGLIE (Twink): Some of my earliest and best memories are of making milk carton trains with my mom while humming Turkey in the Straw. *** KAREN DeBIASSE (Girl On Top): Of course my mother is like most mothers—a saint. She has not had an easy life. Getting married at 17 and raising four kids with no money is never easy. Her husband, my dad, is a great man but a workaholic. Though seventy years old in a month, she is still beautiful and still working hard for a living with all the pains of growing old this is never easy. She is an every day churchgoer, a good listener, and my best friend. *** JOE KOWALSKI (Onlyone/ Larry Banilow): My mom played me a Barry Manilow record when I was about four years old—“One Voice” was the song; I still remember. I asked who was singing with him, and my mom pointed out that it was all Barry, done via overdubbing. And thus, the need for me to chase these twin magics of music and recording and understand both were born. Thanks, Mom, and Happy Mother’s Day! *** SAMMY MIAMI (Shööt The Möön): I actually have two wonderful loving mothers, Karen and Linda. My biological mother “Karen” was the first female to ever work as a bar back at The Rat. She was a single mother who slung cases at Thundertrain shows to support her baby Miami. My father’s second wife “Linda” became my mother by default, but always treated me as her own. It was on her bright yellow beanbag that I learned how to play the acoustic guitar. Both my mom’s are tops. No wonder I love both blondes and brunettes! Happy Mother’s Day! Lolita: Was that a direct hit on Rita and me? *** MR. CURT (Mr. Curt Ensemble):Since Helen passed away a few years ago, I find her remembered presence helps me achieve a stronger grip on this road to graceland. When I was younger she instilled the balance of ethics and manners with a creative, optimistic outlook. She helped me understand social mores and artistic fulfillment. She was insatiably eager for more learning; she loved to read and listen to music; she was devoted to family and friends. Though she may have seen a different route for me, she was proud of all I accomplished. Quite a woman—what a mother! *** DENNY MAFFEO (Plasma Factory): She’s the best, always there when you need her, an awesome cook, and my family and I still go to her place for Sunday dinners. It’s the best meal of the week, because I do the cooking the rest of the time. *** VALERIE KAHN-DORATO (Killer Circus Pups): My mom improved the world every day. She did it without fanfare, and she did it with humor and love. She embodied the idea that one person can make a real difference in the world, and every person who came into her orbit knew it; they knew her wisdom, kindness, and empathy. My mom appreciated every day, and ended every conversation with a heartfelt, “I love you.” But few knew she’d also laugh her ass off watching, “South Park” and the sound of her laughter is what I miss the most. *** GENE JOHNSTON (Splint): My mom has always supported my brother and me in our music hopes and endeavors. Every day after school (since grade school) I would come home and mercilessly blare my guitar amp for hours. My brother would then either join me or practice his drums for several more hours. Mom still listens to our CDs and brags about her rock boys. She even attends our shows to the day. God bless her and her support because when you’re addicted to chasing your big rock dreams, you need all the support you can get. *** LIZ LINDER (Liz Linder Photography): My mother is short, sharp and still quite cute. We call her Detective Linder for her super-sleuthing abilities (you’d never know from looking at her). *** PETER C. JOHNSON (Peter C. Johnson): After several years of dementia during which she often didn’t recognize me, my mother looked straight up at me, said, “Peter, get your teeth cleaned,” and died. *** DANIEL ELLIS (Kid:Nap:Kin): My mother is an amazing woman. I owe her credit for my affinity for music. My earliest memories are lying in my crib as a baby and hearing an angel’s voice sing me to sleep every night. She once told me that she dated a blonde guitar player named Tom Petty in Los Angeles. She all of a sudden remembered a few years ago that she had seen Janis Joplin in concert, and was sure it was a great time. I love my mom. She instilled the love of music in me, I couldn’t ask for more. Screw Flanders. *** STEPHIE PEEKA (Stephie Peeka & The SeeKing 7): My mum is my biggest supporter. She bashes the shite out of anyone who has a negative or ignorant thing to say about the music. Sweet as can be to my bandmates though, and enjoys telling them how good we sound! Happy Mother’s Day Mum, you are a gem! Lolita: Stephie, you better get good reviews in The Noise because I don’t want your mom to come over here and trash the office.