Matinee shows are awesome!

Just a few updates all rolled into one blog post.

Went to the Mates of State and M.T. Bearington matinee show at The Space on Saturday afternoon, and it was tons of fun. (I was really close and could have gotten a photo, but my phone died because I forgot to charge it the night before!) Anyway, because it was a home show for Mates of State husband-and-wife duo Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner, they were able to bring their kids, and lots of friends and family made it out. We got there around 3 and noticed there were a lot more kids than usual. We also couldn't help but gush over an adorable kid in a Mates of State shirt enjoying his root beer. Then we realized the home show/matinee atmosphere was perfect for friends and family, both young and old, to come. Aha! The show was awesome. M.T. Bearington rocked it. I bought one of their CDs at a Toad's Place show, but I only thought of this on Saturday: They kind of sound like Modest Mouse, except not as wacky. I like it. Then the Mates of State definitely had fun, playing lots of familiar stuff and some new songs that as danceable as ever. For a new dance song, they even brought up their daughter Maggie on stage and some of her classmates, including the one who enjoyed his root beer. Another bonus? It wasn't even 7 by the time we left! It felt much later because we had already done so much that day and went to a concert, but we still had so much time left in the day. Sweet deal.

And I never reviewed the Girl Talk show. We didn't end up in the general admission pit, but the balcony wasn't that bad. Sure, we were dancing in our seats and really far away, but there were some good parts. I never heard of Black Violin before, but they were the perfect openers for Girl Talk. They played violins over some hip hop and pop songs, and it was pretty cool. They also showed off their classical violin skills. Then Girl Talk came out with a lot of variations of his old mixes and some new stuff. Interesting point: Girl Talk is limited by the music that's out already. He doesn't call himself a DJ, but he "composes" music by mashing up songs. I saw him over a year ago, and I have two of his albums on my iPod, but those are kind of older. Seeing him live last week was pretty cool because he could play some Lady Gaga songs and mix Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" with Snoop Dogg. We weren't dancing in the pit, but it ended up being for the better. We didn't get hot or faint, and we could get drinks without trudging through a thick crowd. (A lot of people snuck in/pushed through to the downstairs after the opener.)

Next stop: Bela Fleck - The Africa Project at Jorgensen this Thursday.

Mark your calendars - We're going to The Severed Inn premiere!

The Severed Inn, from the independent filmmakers at Legion Films, is premiering next month in Hartford at Real Art Ways.

I wrote about some of the filming this past summer in New Britain and Plainville for the New Britain Herald and Bristol Press, and even though I haven't seen the movie, the filmmakers are really cool guys. They're all friends, and they have full-time jobs at a school in Simsbury, but they wanted to make movies. I'm definitely going on Sunday of Premiere Weekend and covering it. Above is a trailer for the film from Legion Films. (The first one was much more epic and we watched it a lot at work, but it got taken down.)

The Severed Inn, a horror movie about some shady happenings at a bed and breakfast, features some YouTube stars and actors from other Legion Films projects.

According to a newsletter from Legion Films, "The Severed Inn is Legion's most anticipated feature film release. The movie follows the tale of Uncle Bob (Paul Braccioforte) and his two sons Louie and Archie (Shawn C. Phillips & MJ Kelley) as they struggle to find the balance between their gracious hospitality toward the guests staying at their Inn and the gruesome deeds hidden in the basement.

The Severed Inn is a high-impact, entertaining blend of horror that is full of lovely ladies and the superb comedy of rising stars Shawn C. Phllips and MJ Kelley."

The movie is 90 minutes, has a rating of MA for some nudity, violence and language. Premiere weekend is March 6 and 7 with both showings at 11:30 a.m. at Real Art Ways on 56 Arbor St. in Hartford. The showings include an introduction from Legion President, Aaron Vnuk, meeting with Legion producers who are actively casting for their third feature, an autograph session with many stars of The Severed Inn and a merchandise table. Tickets are $8.50 and can be bought at www.legionfilms.com.

You can purchase tickets at the door, but the crew recommends ordering in advance because they expect the shows to sell out.