.We’re on our way to Worcester to meet our friends Dalton and Ayana for dinner. Dalton is a friend of mine since middle school, and the core member of the band Dalton Moon, which also includes his bassist and friend Hayden Blomster, with newly added Sam on drums and Kyle Palmer as a second guitarist. Dalton just announced a string of shows to finish up the summer leading into autumn all around the northeast. Before we left the house he posted on Instagram saying that the masters for the album had arrived, so I was excited to meet up with him, hoping I’d hear a sneak peek. We did the drive down in separate cars, Top Gear style, because Stephanie’s staying in Worcester for the week. I’ll be leaving tomorrow.
Dalton has been explaining this album to me for the past year or so, showing me songs like Tijuana Dreaming, or the lead single Nothing Like Her. He’s told me that it’s the pop album of his discography, which is an intricate long-term plan all of its own. I’m listening to podcasts relating to the recent UAP whistleblower hearing that Congress held the other day. About halfway to Worcester, Route 2 was closed for a portion of the road near Turners Falls, forcing us off the state road, towards town. We took a right at an intersection on Route 2, which brought us out of the woods, and towards a wide river, alongside which was an old brick mill. The Turners Falls mill reminded me of the old Sprage Mill, which is now Mass Moca back in North Adams.
The plan is to get some Vietnamese food, at a spot called Pho Sure in Shrewsbury. My head’s been feeling congested and mucusy these past couple of days, so I’m hoping to get something good and spicy to clear myself out. Last week in North Adam’s the temperature got up to the nineties, the air was thick and humid. That was until this past weekend, when it rained harder than I’ve ever seen it rain in the Berkshires before. I was at work when the clouds broke and rain poured out so hard that it knocked over our pineapple plant. After that, the room was filled with a soft yellow hue, and the temperature dropped by what felt like twenty degrees. I’d been on my feet so long that day my shoes had a new squeak on the way to the car.
Every time the weather changes quickly my sinuses seem to have a panic attack and stuff my head full of shit. Hot and spicy soup is just what I need to clear myself out, maybe a Banh Mi with some boba tea too. By the time we pull into Stephanie’s house though, it’s quarter to eight, Pho’s kitchen closes in fifteen minutes, so she said we’re doing Hibachi instead. We got to the restaurant and Dalton and Ayana were there waiting for us. We took a seat next to a family of two young girls and their parents.
I haven’t seen Dalton since I played in Amherst at the Drake back in June, which feels like it was a long time ago now. Dalton’s been busy with shows so I’m excited to catch up with him. I ask him what he’s planning on ordering, and he’s torn between combining the steak with either salmon or scallops. Stephanie and I both decide on the Teriyaki Chicken, and Ayana gets shrimp and steak. Soups and salad for everybody. I ask about the new album and he tells me that it’s just about done, with twelve songs. This is the first album that they’ve sent out to be mastered, a process that Dalton is nervous about. It’s their first time sending songs out to be worked on by someone other than themselves. He tells me about the shows they just did in Worcester and Somerville. The Worcester show was at the WCUW radio station, where they sold a record number of tickets for the venue. That’s his third time playing there now, last time was last summer when we had the show there with Geskle and Keyboard Dog, which Dalton helped organize.
Seeing Dalton pull together successful local shows has me a bit disappointed that I’m out in the Berkshires, but I’m happy to see my friends create a healthy local scene. They just played in Somerville too, at the Union Tavern. Our hibachi cook comes over, introduces himself, and starts spraying down the grill with oil. Dalton explains that with this album, they mixed and mastered the whole thing themselves, but still sent it to a Boston-based producer to have the mastering finished to get it sounding real good. He tells me that the mix isn’t quite right yet for a couple tracks, but they're just doing the finishing touches at this stage. Our chef cuts up some zucchini, which he tosses over to us to catch in our mouths. Once he’s got everybody’s meat and vegetables going, he takes a bowl of rice and pours it onto the grill to fry it. Then takes a bottle, squirts some sauce all over the rice, looks up and asks, “What do you think this is? It’s a secret sauce, try and guess, you’ll never get it”. I take him up, “is it soy? Sesame?”. He smiles, “No. Diet Coke”. The mother of the family we’re sitting with shakes her head and the kids laugh.
Dalton asks me if I’ve ever heard of Guided By Voices. I tell him no, and he explains in great detail why they are his new favorite band. “Their album Bee Thousand has the greatest melody of all time, it’s so lofi that you have to squint your ears to hear it. They were all in their late 30’s, and did a bunch of albums themselves all on a four track before they ever got signed.” The chef throws some onion onto the grill, “Should I do a little volcano?”. He gets the kids excited and says “just be careful, don’t burn your eyebrows off like me”. He had a sliver of an eyebrow, about a half inch worth of hair on the right side of his face, nothing on the other.
Minutes later we all got our meals. Dalton pours yum-yum sauce all over his and I decide to do the same. In the past I’d always been a bit hasty with the yum-yum sauce, but he inspired me to go mad. We all get a bit quiet and so does the restaurant, it’s only us and the family we’re sitting with here now. We graciously thank the chef, and he wheels his cart back to the kitchen. As we’re eating Dalton and I talk about work, I’m working at a new restaurant in town and he’s at a sandwich shop. Both of us enjoy our new jobs and we’re happy for it. Dalton tells me that he’s been practicing with the band every day for the last two months; getting ready for shows and working on the next album.
We catch up some more as we’re eating the food and I convince him to show me a couple tracks from the album after dinner. The waitress comes back with the bill once we’re done and we make our way outside. It’s dark now, and cold for this time of year in Worcester. Usually in late July I’d be hot and sweaty most of the day, but the days have been mild and the evenings are cool. We take a drive around Worcester and Dalton plays me some Guided by Voices. Stephanie and Ayana are in the front seat of Ayana’s Toyota, and Dalton’s curled up in the middle seat queuing up songs. Afterwards, he shows me a song from the album, it’s got all of Dalton’s charms but it’s crispy and sharp. As we’re listening I’m thinking that it’s got a super cool mid-range sound, like some good 60’s or 70’s pop music. The song ends and Dalton says the very words I was thinking before I could get them out, saying that trebley California pop sound is a big inspiration. He’s hesitant to show me more, in caution of the surprise factor for the record; a decision which I can’t help but to respect.
Soon after, we head back to the restaurant lot where my car is parked and keep on chatting. I turn to Dalton as he’s scrolling through his phone for music, he asks me what I’ve been listening to recently. Glancing down at my Blues Brothers shirt, I tell him “I’ve really been settling into the same old stuff that I’ve always loved, same shit everyday”. Are there days where I might listen to the Blues Brothers soundtrack on repeat? Yes. Dalton laughs, “Isn’t that the same as non-ironically listening to Spinal Tap all the time?”. He says that he does that too, “but I have pretty intense musical FOMO, I’m constantly looking for new stuff because I wanna know what the people are listening to”. When I’m with Dalton I’m always trying to learn from the extensive collection of music knowledge that he’s got sitting up there in his head. We chat about what the Boston scene is like these days, and then move onto some older stuff. Both of us grew up on plenty of Motown and Dalton starts going into his love for The Temptations. “I knew all of the words for most of The Temptations by the time I was in sixth grade, they were just like the Beatles to me as a kid”. He’s playing his favorite tracks, reciting all the words and you can see the anticipation in his face when he knows what’s coming next in the songs. “It’s really hard for me to remember songs, I have to listen to an album like ten times before I can remember melodies or words to the songs.” It surprises me to hear Dalton say that, because I’m always shocked when he comes out reciting whole songs when we’re hanging out no matter how many times he does it.
After Motown we talk about Elvis Costello, who’s a big influence for Dalton on his songwriting these days. In a quiet moment, he turns and asks me if I like Joe Jackson. The question makes me laugh and I tell him that I’ve never quite found a time for it. “I get that, but honestly I’ll be in bed wiggling my toes in the air to some Joe Jackson from time to time”. Dalton’s widespread enthusiasm for music of all kinds always makes me smile, and reminds me not to be such a bastard about music. It gets later and some of us start to yawn. Stephanie turns back and asks if I’m ready to go. We all say our goodbyes and go our separate ways; I’m leaving feeling excited for Dalton and to hear the new album.
Dalton Moon's new album is out everywhere on October 5th, check him out on instagram @thedaltonmoon to keep up with him and the band.
See Dalton live tomorrow in Boston, or at some of their other upcoming shows:
- 09/09: Midway Cafe - Boston, MA - 09/14: The Stomping Ground - Putnam, CT
- 09/17: O'Briens Pub - Boston, MA - 09/22 New World Tavern - Plymouth, MA
- 09/30 The Raven - Worcester, MA
- 10/05 Starlite - Stockbridge MA
Writing by Conall Mannion. Thank you to Dan Gillooly check his photography out on instagram @dgphoto11 .
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