Category Archives: Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday: Boston’s Combat Zone

Although change can sometimes be difficult to accept, I think that everyone would agree that the changes now apparent on Washington Street, just south of Downtown Crossing are for the better. In 1985, if you told me the Ritz Carlton would open a high rise luxury condominium and hotel in Boston’s Combat Zone, I would have found that hard to believe.

Gone are the ugly, cement street lights, and the seedy peep show houses like Boston Bunnies and the Pilgrim movie house. Now this corner hosts a very busy Dunkin Donuts, the Boston Registry of Motor Vehicles and a high rise apartment building. Hopefully more change will come a few blocks north in Downtown Crossing where the Filene’s building once stood but now is a construction site that remains devoid of activity.

Thanks to Boston Real Estate Broker for posting these photos.

Flashback Friday: Morphine

When I moved back to Boston in 1997 I was so glad to be back, because I could follow all the great local bands the city offered. One of the bands who always had my attention, and I enjoyed seeing was Morphine. The band split after one of the two founders (Mark Sandman) suddenly died of a heart attack on stage; I believe in Italy if memory serves me correct. I’ve never heard another band quite like Morphine. The clip below is from one of their more commercially successful songs, “Early to Bed”.

If you like what you hear – check them out on YouTube where many more videos of the band performing exist.

Flashback Friday: Next Stop Wonderland

Did you ever see Next Stop Wonderland? Long before there were tax breaks bringing Hollywood to Boston to shoot, local director Brad Anderson, filmed this romantic comedy that asked the question, “Do you believe in fate?” I saw this movie at the Kendall Movie House in 1998 and met Brad who did a Q&A after the film concluded.

As you could have guessed from the title of the movie – much of this was filmed along the Blue Line, but there is plenty of Boston to see in the movie. The clip below shows, Erin Castleton – played by Hope Davis, in her apartment in Union Park in the South End recovering from just being dumped by her loser of an x-boyfriend, when her meddling mother calls to let her know that she placed a personal ad in the Boston Herald. Clearly this is a flashback to a time before Match.com, eHarmony, etc… I don’t even think that people place personal ads in the paper anymore.

In addition to being a wonderful cult film that shows much of Boston, the movie has a beautiful soundtrack that is Bosa Nova inspired. I have the soundtrack and still play it frequently some ten years later.

Flashback Friday: V-66

This week’s post references Boston’s first (and to my knowledge only) 24 hour music television channel called V-66 which aired for the first time in February 1985. The station went live just as I was starting high school and was responsible for turning me on to the Boston music scene. V-66 was often referred to as the poor man’s MTV since it was not a cable TV station so they played a heavy rotation of local bands nobody outside of Boston knew, such as Til Tuesday, Face to Face and New Man.

YouTube has a great clip that shows some of the station’s VJs and has vintage footage. Link here to see the clip.

Flashback Friday

Do the bands Letters to Cleo or Til Tuesday mean anything to you? Do you remember the song “Mother Mother”? Then you will appreciate this concert from the Safe and Sound benefit held in Boston back in 1997.