Music Scene Exhibition Set for 2016 Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair
By: BWW News Desk Oct. 06, 2016
David Bieber, formerly of WBCN and the Phoenix Media Group, will display a selection of highlights from his extensive archives of rock posters, albums, and ephemera chronicling 40 years of Boston's vibrant music scene-featuring items from supergroups such as Aerosmith, The J. Geils Band, and The Cars, as well as many quirky one-of-a-kind pieces.
Boston has always been known as a music town, giving birth to groups of all genres-rock, folk, jazz, blues-and a spate of legendary venues that hosted them-The Boston Tea Party, Paul's Mall and the Jazz Workshop, Club Passim, the Underground, and the Paradise, to name a few. That music scene was aided and abetted by WBCN, "the Rock of Boston," which dominated the airwaves, followed by other stations over the years which carved out different musical niches-WEEI, which virtually invented soft rock; WXKS, for disco and dance music; and WFNX, Boston's first radio station dedicated solely to alternative rock.
The items on view in this exhibition are a small selection of Bieber's extensive archives, offering viewers a deeper look behind the scenes of Boston's evolving music history over four decades. As a Boston music insider, Bieber has been amassing the collection since his days as Director of Creative Services at WBCN and later, as Director of Special Projects for the Phoenix Media Group. Bieber is the curator of a rock'n'roll memorabilia collection that is a permanent part of the décor of The Verb Hotel lobby.
"With this show I want to pay tribute to Boston music and acknowledge the many performers who have made the city a significant contributor to music history," Bieber says. "Coinciding with the 40th Anniversary of the Book Fair, this exhibition will uniquely place these selections from my collection within a broader historical context. "
"David has been a regular attendee at the Book Fair, and we have a shared history in the Boston music business," said Betty Fulton, show producer. "With the renewed interest in collecting vinyl, I thought that a look back at the Boston music scene through his collection would be appealing to both our traditional attendees and audiences unfamiliar with our event. That these items are now collectibles is a testament to the fact that the passage of time renders extraordinary value to ordinary things."
Other special events at this year's Fair includes The Typewriter Rodeo, a group of poets who create custom poems on vintage typewriters; a talk by Boston College English professor Paul Lewis on Edgar Allen Poe and the rediscovery of Boston's citizen poets after the American Revolution; the 15th Annual Ticknor Society Roundtable, a panel discussion of professional librarians from New York and New England talking about their own personal collections; and a Free Appraisals afternoon. Visit www.bostonbookfair.com for complete event listings.
The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston's beautiful Back Bay, October 28-30, 2016, is one of the oldest and most respected antiquarian book shows in the country. Whether just browsing or buying, the Fair offers something for every taste and budget-books on art, politics, travel, gastronomy, science, sport, natural history, literature, music, and children's books-that will appeal to the serious collector and the curious browser.
HOURS, TICKET PRICES & CONTACT INFORMATION:
Friday, October 28 5:00-9:00pm Tickets: $20.00 - Opening Night
Saturday, October 29 12:00-7:00pm Free Admission
Sunday, October 30 12:00-5:00pm Free Admission
Hynes Convention Center is located at 900 Boylston Street, Boston, MA
Visit www.mccahome.com for more information.
The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is sponsored by the New England Chapter of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the Boston Public Library and the American Antiquarian Society. Tickets will be sold at the show's box office during show hours and online at www.bostonbookfair.com.
For more information, call 617-266-6540 or visit www.bostonbookfair.com.
EVENTs at the Fair:
SPECIAL EXHIBITION! Collecting the Boston Music Scene: 1976-2016
On display all weekend
David Bieber, formerly of WBCN and the Phoenix Media Group, displays highlights from his extensive archive of rock posters, albums, and ephemera chronicling 40 years of Boston's music scene. View items from Aerosmith, The J. Geils Band, The Cars, and many one-of-a-kind pieces.
DISCOVERY: Starting Your Own Collection
Saturday, October 29 1:00pm
Panel Discussion - A rare opportunity to ask the experts the best way to start your own collection. Afterwards, shop the Fair and visit our "Discovery" exhibitors for items $100 and under to help you begin your collection.
Typewriter Rodeo
Saturday, October 29, 2:00-5:00pm
The Typewriter Rodeo poets will be on hand to write an original poem for you on any topic you choose on their eclectic collection of vintage typewriters.
Librarians Who Collect: Ticknor Roundtable
Saturday, October 29, 3:00pm
The Ticknor Society collectors' roundtable will feature Mindell Dubansky (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) on her collection of blooks (objects that look like books), Christian Dupont (Boston College), Silvia Dupont (Newton North High School) collection of 18th and 19th century Italian grammar books and Joshua Lupkin (Harvard University) on a collecting books about cats and dogs - discussing interesting collections outside of their institutional holdings
Adventures in Literary Archaeology - Edgar Allen Poe & Boston's lost poets
Sunday, October 30, 12:30pm
Paul Lewis, professor of English at Boston College and president of the Poe Studies Association, discusses his work on Edgar Allan Poe's relation to Boston's literati and on recovering a generation of poets who published in Boston during the early national period.
FREE Expert Appraisals!
Sunday, October 30, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Bring your books & ephemera to get expert free appraisals. You might find you have a valuable treasure!
Image: Asa Brebner Guitarra Demuerte (2012). part of the special exhibition "Collecting the Boston Music Scene: 1976-2016." Brebner was a member of the 1970s rock groups The Modern Lovers & Robin Lane and the Chartbusters. Photo by Betty Fulton.
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