Oops, forgot to mention another summer song: Jem, "Wish I."

What time do club shows start where y'all live? Part of my problem with seeing live shows these days is that they all start after midnight. Sure, the poster will say ten, but if the opening act actually takes the stage before 11:30 I'm gobsmacked. I usually try not to go out until 11 at the earliest so I'm tired out by the time the bands start, but often, by the time 11 rolls around the most inviting idea is getting into bed and sleeping.

Here it depends on whether the show is all-ages or not, and what kind of club and band.

All-ages w/local acts between 8 and 10
Club with regular artists bout the same
Cllub with popular local band- whenever the popular band feels like it
Club with out of town act - anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half after the time on the ticket or poster.

OK, what the hell is alt country, anyway? Launch is playing me The Two Dollar Pistols, and telling me they are alt country. They sound pretty old-school country to me. Is that now "alt," since mainstream country is all rockified and shiny?

I've heard Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, and- name escapes me, but he's recent- described that way. I'm guessing it means not of Nashville.

Baltimore it depends on how many bands are playing and where and what night of the week. Most shows don't start until about 10 unless it's a pretty big name playing an all-ages show. Then it might start at 9. We have to be done by about 1:30 am in places with the liquour, which is most places where bands play here. That does mean that the headliner might not go on until almost 1. Too late for me most of the time.

As a band we like to play with only 2 other bands and to go on second--so that people have a chance to get there to see us and the drinkers in the band have a chance to drink some after.

yes, some places are calling any country/roots music peopel "alt country" if they are not mainstream. Although, I have never heard of that group, so I am just guessing.

I swear to god, there's a plot to name musical styles things that sound like I won't like them. I'm always doing that: "Ohhh! That's deep house? That's alt country??"" etc.

OK, what the hell is alt country, anyway?

Whateverthefuck the PR person wants it to be. I really hate labels.

Shows in Boston also start at varying times. At regular over-21 clubs, the headliner usually goes on between 11:30 at 12:30, depending on the bar closing time and the day of the week.

The $2 Pistols are definitely old-school country. They're just called "alt" because John Howie used to be the drummer for June and Finger.

Hayden -- Make sure you get there early enough to see the Places. It's basically just this one woman named Amy, with another guy helping out on bass. Some good stuff.

Will do.

OK, a coupla more summer tuneage:

• Guided By Voices - "Motor Away"
• Pavement - "Cut Your Hair"
• Superchunk - "Slack Motherfucker"
• X - "The World's a Mess, It's In My Kiss"
• The Blasters - "Marie, Marie"
• The Flaming Lips - "This Here Giraffe"
• The Soft Boys - "I Wanna Destroy You"

Gotta run. Later, y'all.