Soul+Ska HAPPENING profile picture

Soul+Ska HAPPENING

Wish I was alive back in the 60's... huh? oh.

About Me

Welcome to

THE HAPPENING ™ BOSTON EVENTS:


Every Wednesday
in Central Sq:
Every Wednesday in Central Sq:
Every Saturday in Central Sq:
There's more to come... Keep posted !!! (
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Happening TM

DJ-Selecter Benny of "Moddy Wax Sound" returned to spin his native Boston scene in 1996, after working abroad for a decade. In early 1997, Benny launched a short-lived club night known as "MOD EXPLOSION": a mod night in Boston that actually played the Ska and Soul of the Mod era. This night contrasted sharply with the region's pevailing so-called "mod night" of the time (which focused on overplayed top-40 hits of the 60s and 80s). MOD EXPLOSION jumped from venue to venue, but did not take ground with landlords--despite the enthusiasm of a dedicated crew of music lovers. Selecter Benny was also DJ for countless scooter rallies throughout the 1990s - present.
Throughout 2005 and into early 2006, the Happening Crew ran a monthly series of non-profit "Passa Passa" Reggae & Soul parties at the Central Square VFW on Green Street (Cambridge Hoyt Post # 299). Proceeds from fundraising went to local charity projects as well as to gulf-state hurricane disaster relief agencies. These events were made possible through the dedicated participation of fans and the local community, who volunteered as performers, promoters, door security, set-up, and clean-up personnel --Thanks to all of you!!!
The Happening's "Passa Passa" series ended when (after 85 years in Cambridge) the VFW was evicted from it's Green Street location in March of 2006. It's sad to see the place gone.
The Happening is currently running ocasional nights at Zuzu (next to Middle East Club in Central Sq.) in Cambridge.
I was a proud VFW member of 299, and I feel it was among the best of nightclubs in town. But don't take my word for it; read what the Boston Phoenix's "Phoenix Best ®" Review had to say at:
http://www.bostonphoenix.com/supplements/the_best/03/CITY/CE _110.asp

Central Square VFW
* (Hoyt Post 299) *


One of the last acts to play the VFW, before it closed its doors, was "Eli Reed and the True Loves" in their original line-up. That night, Eli and his band performed one of the best ever Soul and R&B shows this side of Memphis.
Click for their page...
Hear the music!
Eli "Paperboy" Reed at VFW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ON THE RADIO:

In my (and many fine others') opinion, the Best Ska and Rocksteady radio show the world over is "Generoso's Bovine Ska" WMBR 88.1 FM (M.I.T. radio)Gene's show aires
Tuesday nights
12:00 midnight 'til 2:00 am
(Eastern US Time) (that's 5-7 am Wednesday GMT)
You can listen to WMBR on the web by clicking the WMBR logo image below:
It will bring you to WMBR.org Then click under "LISTEN"
WMBR has other great radio shows; in fact, something good nearly all the time!
You can see Gene's recent photos of Jamaica here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/generoso/sets/72157603986595639
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is an important message from my friend.
We must not forget what's happening in Sudan and the Darfur region--we should speak out: "Hello friends of Benny, I'm here to raise awarness about ..Darfur.. --and the holocaust that is taking place there. I'd apperciate if people write to governments of all nations concerning the Darfur crisis until they send help. More than 200,00 innocent civillians have been murdered and over 2 million have been left homeless. The people of Darfur would appreciate it if we backed them up and brought them help. Thank you for listening." ~Your Friend, WilliamWell said, William. I agree... Below is what some heroic Americans are willing to do. We citzens should at least speak out:
Five US Congressmen were willingly arrested and led away from the Sudanese Embassy in handcuffs in protest of the Sudanese government's role in atrocities of the Darfur region.
"The slaughter of the people of Darfur must end," Rep. Tom Lantos, (D) Calif., a Holocaust survivor who founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, said from the embassy steps before his arrest.
Four others--James McGovern (D) and John Olver (D) of Massachusetts, Sheila Jackson Lee (D) of Texas and Jim Moran (D) of Virginia--were among 11 protesters arrested on charges of unlawful assembly, a misdemeanor.
"We must hold the Sudanese government accountable for the attacks on their own citizens in Darfur," Olver said.
SUPPORT
THIS TROOP:
Gomer Pyle
U.S.M.C.
CARLA Promotions
BK
ZUZU
Central Sq.
ZUZU
Central Sq.
TROJAN
SOUL
TOUCH
GET SMART!
COCK SPARRER
THE AGGROLITES
Mr. MOUSE
BIG
CHARLIE
Mr. Bean
body, div, p, strong, td, .text, .blacktext10, .blacktext12, a.searchlinkSmall, a.searchlinkSmall:link, a.searchlinkSmall:visited{ color:GOLD; font-size:16

My Interests



WELCOME TO

THE HAPPENING ™

2008

NOTE: Pause Myspace music before playing video..

NYC events:


THURSDAYS
in
Downtown NYC:
CRAZY BALDHEAD DJ SOUNDSYSTEM
@ OTTO'S Shrunken Head 538 E.14th Street


3rd SATURDAY
of EVERY MONTH
in Downtown NYC:

3105 Eldridge Street
@ Broome
& Grand St.

TUESDAYS
in
Uptown NYC:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you you have an interest in motorscooters...
Lambretta, Vespa, etc.
click below and check this club: BostonStranglers.com .. Artwork by Duke Riley ..

Click below, and you can read what they said about me (Benny) on the "Members" page...

Strangler Members Link

You might even know some of these other characters.

Looking for a scooter of your own? Need repairs? Try either of these guys. I trust 'em, you can too:

bostonscoot.com

javaspeed.net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd like to meet:


I'd like to meet YOU at a good event in town!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ON THE RADIO:

In my (and many fine others') opinion, the Best Ska and Rocksteady radio show the world over is "Generoso's Bovine Ska" WMBR 88.1 FM (M.I.T. radio)Gene's show aires
Tuesday nights
12:00 midnight 'til 2:00 am
(Eastern US Time) (that's 5-7 am Wednesday GMT)

You can listen to WMBR on the web by clicking the WMBR logo image below:Then click under "LISTEN"

WMBR has other great radio shows; in fact, something good nearly all the time!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Here is an important message from my friend.
We must not forget what's happening in Sudan and the Darfur region--we should speak out:

"Hello friends of Benny, I'm raising awarness about Darfur --and the holocaust that is accuring there. I'd apperciate if people write to governments of all nations concerning the Darfur crisis until they send help. More than 200,00 innocent civillians have been murdered and over 2 million have been left homeless. The people of Darfur would appreciate it if we backed them up and brought them help. Thank you for listening." ~Your Friend, William

Well said, William. I agree... Below is what some heroic Americans are willing to do. We citzens should at least speak out:
Five US Congressmen were willingly arrested and led away from the Sudanese Embassy in handcuffs in protest of the Sudanese government's role in atrocities of the Darfur region.
"The slaughter of the people of Darfur must end," Rep. Tom Lantos, (D) Calif., a Holocaust survivor who founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, said from the embassy steps before his arrest.
Four others--James McGovern (D) and John Olver (D) of Massachusetts, Sheila Jackson Lee (D) of Texas and Jim Moran (D) of Virginia--were among 11 protesters arrested on charges of unlawful assembly, a misdemeanor.
"We must hold the Sudanese government accountable for the attacks on their own citizens in Darfur," Olver said.

PAMA INTERNATIONAL

KINGSTON SKA COLLECTIVE

RIKI ROCKSTEADY

JOE SKIN

TROJAN

"Bun'em Down"
ARYA

GET SMART!

COCK SPARRER

THE AGGROLITES

Mr. MOUSE

BIG
CHARLIE

MODLEY
(Nick)

BIG TOP SOUND

GOMER PYLE
U.S.M.C.

SHANA

ROB SKIN

Music:

ROCKSTEADY,
NORTHERN SOUL,
JAMAICAN SKA,
RARE SOUL,
PUNK,
BEACH BOOGIE,
& MUCH MORE...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Television:



Past Happening™ events currently can still be seen on Cambridge Community TV (CCTV cable). I don't have a TV yet, but I do listen to the radio often.

The best Boston stations are:

88.1 FM WMBR

88.9 FM WERS

90.3 FM WZBC

There are many COLLEGE stations around Boston...
Also a few local UNDERGROUND stations can also be heard:

88.5 FM Radio Pandamonium
offshore

1670 AM Allston-Brighton Free Radio
abfreeradio.org

"Big City FM" 101.3 FM
Caribbean music 24 / 7

"Choice FM" 102.9 FM
www.choice1029.com



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Save a Life: Get This Code!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Books:

The Bible


Johnny Tremain

By Esther Forbes

Animal Farm

By George Orwell

A Clockwork Orange

By Anthony Burgess

England Belongs to Me

By Steve Goodman

American Skin

By Don DeGrazia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Ultimate Interview
What's Your Name?:Benny
Where Were You Born?: Boston, Mass
What Colour Are Your Eyes?:Hazel
What Colour Hair?:Just a bit of head stubble
Music

What Is Your Favourite Kind Of Music?: Reggae & Ska,
Punk,
Oldie Soul...
& more.
What Is Your LEAST Favourite Music?:
Top 40
Who Is Your Favourite Artist/Band?:Most anyone on Studio 1,
The Clash,
Prince Buster,
Nina Simone,
Minor Threat,
Undertones,
Yardbirds....
and many, many more
Do You Play An Instrument?: Guitar,
Drums,
Bass,
Piano,
Accordian...Do You Sing In The Shower?:
Only when I shower alone
Cinema
What Is Your Favourite Type Of Movie?: Either realistic serious films and realistic action
(but I hate fake Rambo-type crap),
dark humor,
or zany comedies.
What Are Some Of Your Favourite Movies?: Bronco Bullfrog,
Paths of Glory,
The Harder They Come,
Dance Craze,
This is England...
many more
Who Is Your Favourite Actress/Actor?: The kids in my drama class
Sport
What Are Your Favourite Sports?: I have fun playing Soccer, but I suck at it...
I've medaled in Track & in Swimming, though.
Who Are Your Favourite Teams?: Brooklyn Cyclones;
Boston
(Sox, Celts, Bruins, Revs, Pats);
St. Pauli F.C.; Italia...
Do You Play In School Sport?: Battation Track Team(440m, 10k, Relay);
Army Swim Team;
Battalion Soccer Team
Partying
Have You Ever Gotten Drunk Before?: Me drunk?!?!
Ah yeah --more than once in fact.
Are you surprized?
Do You Like To Attend Parties For Fun?: Why else would I attend parties;
Tupperware?
Have You Ever Drank For Fun?: What's that supposed to mean?
I surely don't dread the thought of it..
What's with all these drink questions?
What Is The Best Thing About A Party?: Seeing old friends,
meeting new ones,
hearing bands play...
and Yes, some drinking too
Have Any Tattoos?: Yes
Do You Want More Tattoos?:
No
Religion
Do You Attend Church?: Ah.. No
Do You Read The Bible, Torah, Koran ?: Yes; I've read from all three on different occasions.
How Often Do You Pray?:
Pretty often
Cars
Are You Into Fixing Up Cars?: I'm always repairing my car, but not really into it.
I prefer putting time into my low-rider bike. When I fix it, it stays fixed.
What Kind Of Car Do You Have?: I have a Dodge Van, but I ride my bike more often.
What Is Your Dream Machine?: My old '65 Plymouth Sattelite 361"Big Block" was nice
--that, or my old Lambretta 200.
Maybe an old Citroen;
but then, my bike usually does the job.
Games
Do You Play Video Games?: No; Never
How Many Hours A Day Do You Play Video Games?: None
Have You Ever Played A Video Game So Long You Forget To Eat?: No, but I've eaten long enough to forget about video games.
What Is Your Favourite Game?: Hide and Seek
What Is Your Favourite Game Type?: Spin the Bottle
What Video Game Are You Most Excited For In The Future?: Instead of "Navy Seals"...
I'm coming up with a video game called "Baby Seals",
where you're armed with a club.
Sounds tough; eh?
Xbox360 Or PS3?: What language is that?
Shopping
Do You Like Shopping?: Yeah-- especially when I'm hungry
What Is Your Least Favourite Kind Of Shopping?: For cars
How Often Do You Clothes Shop?: Two or three times a year.
What Are Your Favourite Things To Shop For?: Records!
(They're like CDs, but bigger.)
How Many Pairs Of Sunglasses Have You Bought?:
In my life? About 100...
but I've lost or broken AT LEAST 98 of 'em.
In Closing
Overall, How Would You Describe Yourself?: Well... first of all, I don't wear overalls.
Secondly, it's probably better to ask someone else
(since I'm biased).
Finally, How Do You Spend Your Spare Time?:
I like to spend time on worthwhile things like...
Oh, who am I kidding?
I fill out stupid surveys like this one!

My Blog

Past Rippin' City Rallies

Here are images of past RIPPIN RALLIES: RIPPIN'EST TOWN RALLY & MONSTER BBQ  @ Baseball Tavern Boylston St. (Fenway) & Great Scott Comm Av. & Harvard Av. (Allston) Ju...
Posted by Soul+Ska HAPPENING on Fri, 02 Jun 2006 03:07:00 PST

Central Square VFW Closed

The VFW "Russel Hoyt" Post #299 Closed it's doors for the final time on Tuesday, 28 February 2006. The house was full with members, guests, alum, old-timers, and first-timers... all ready for the big ...
Posted by Soul+Ska HAPPENING on Wed, 01 Mar 2006 01:36:00 PST

You made the BLOCK PARTY fun

BLOCK PARTY went great! THANKS to ALL OF YOU for coming & making it such a pleasant success! *Much of the DJ playlist was dedicated to Desmond Dekker. *The party was planned to celebrate...
Posted by Soul+Ska HAPPENING on Tue, 23 May 2006 04:58:00 PST

Can I call 'em, or what? WORLD CUP

  Before the World Cup games had begun, I posted a chain-bulletin with my own prediction that Italy would take 1st place. Although a few doubts had crossed my mind when they tied with the US...
Posted by Soul+Ska HAPPENING on Fri, 21 Jul 2006 03:58:00 PST

New Years 1776, Prospect Hill

The Flag of the Grand Union --The FIRST flag of the UNITED colonies (States)-- was first raised over Prospect Hill in Somerville, Mass. on New Years Day, 1776.    Oddly enough... this fl...
Posted by Soul+Ska HAPPENING on Sat, 19 Aug 2006 10:13:00 PST

Reggae Monster Mashdown: Glad you came!

Hosted By: Spit Shine Records & The HappeningWhen: Monday Oct 30, 2006Where: Boston, MA USDescription:Spit Shine Records & The Happening   Click Here To View Event ...
Posted by Soul+Ska HAPPENING on Fri, 27 Oct 2006 12:03:00 PST