THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES
by Christian Cotterman
The MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES are a punk/ska band from the city of Boston, who
describe themselves as "ordinary people trying to do extraordinary things with a limited budget and
questionable talent." Energetic and powerful, they also say their biggest non-mucial source of
inspiration comes from all the people they meet from tour to tour, album to album. The
BOSSTONES also have started their own recording company, Big Rig, "to give Boston edge/punk
a chance, " with artists such as MUNG and IMPACT UNIT signed, and a benefit C.D. in
cooperation with Safe and Sound and The Friends of Shannon Fund*. The have established a
sound and attitude that is truly unique and wholly Boston. We somehow conviced these Mighty
Bosstones to divulge some of their boss tips:
FASHION: The three-button suit, a clasic sucker, with a pair of white, wing-tipped buck-style
shoes, a 2" wide tie or a standard bowtie are some of the outfits we will be sportin' this summer.
Boston designer Charles Edward Powers is creating some of our stylish ensembles. Also, remember
that there's never a bad place or time to wear plaid. Fun is the name of the game with fashion at a
Bosstones event...
CARS: When you travel with as many people as we do, compacts are out of the
question. A large Eagle 45 bus is ideal, but for the streets of Beantown you might see Gittleman in
his vintage 1970 Pontiac LeMans convertible. But then in Dicky's basement, you can see his classic
'63 Vespa scoot. And always remember to never drive drunk....
HYGIENE: Personal hygiene is of
the utmost importance. We're all too often in quarters too close to accommodate anyone who
stinks. Looking good takes a lot less effort that you might think. So I'll just address looking good.
Haircuts on the road are provided by Higgs. His 'Fade' is his strongest cut, but he has also been
known to shave heads, give mohawks, and brightly color any of our mops. One tour of Europe had
us sporting 'Dances With Wolves' inspired 'Mohican-cuts.' Another time we all 'Geri-curled' Michael
jackson-style to celebrate his marriage to Lisa Marie. Individuality is number one when trying to
decide on the best doo for you. Most Bosstones shaving kits include: Tom's of Maine toothpaste,
Old Spice, or Aqua Velva after shave, Advil, J.O.B. cigarette papers, Barbasol, Bacitracin for any
new tattoos that can take place on the road, and a number of different hair products--Murray's hair
grease being the most popular.
AUTHORITY: A good starting point for dealing with authority is
respect. Respect works well when dealing with anyone, but it goes right out the window when you're
dealing with someone who chooses not respect you. This has been where we have run into problems
in the past. We can be the nicest guys in the world, but when some knothead with a little juice
decides to flex the power given, then all hell can break loose. In the past years we've seen security at
musical events evolve for the better. Overall though, we've found that anyone who wants a career
that allows them to pull unneccesary power trips on people, and takes great joy in doing that, have
the IQs of grapes. These people are best avoided....
WORKING: Work is a good, healthy,
character-building thing. Hard work is even better, but a good job is hard to find. In this band we've
all had many shitty jobs. Dicky tarred roofs during the dog days of summer in Boston's most
dangerous neighborhoods. Joe Sirois spent time serving food at Denny's, but his memories of
working the graveyard shift still haunt him. Ben worked behind the bar at a favorite watering hole of
ours. When his employment ended there, so did the free drinks, and our loyal patronage. The key is
to find a job you like. We've been lucky enough to do just that---
The Mighty Mighty BossToneS
*The Friends of Shannon Fund was created in memory of Shannon Lowney, one of two women
killed in an attack on a Brookline, Massachusetts, abortion clinic.