<p>There’s no better day for a little comedy madness in Massachusetts than a Tuesday in February. That’s just science, we don’t make the rules. In terms of the mad scientist in charge of enforcing that rule? Well, that’s Chris Fleming, of course. Nestled in the cultural epicenter of the “Here be Dragons?” part of the state, Fleming makes his way to Northampton’s Academy of Music Theatre for a two-day homecoming starting tonight (February 10) to unleash his latest hour of […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://vanyaland.com/2026/02/10/micd-up-chris-fleming-brings-all-the-vibes-all-at-once-to-noho/">Mic’d Up: Chris Fleming brings the vibes all at once to NoHo</a> appeared first on <a href="https://vanyaland.com">Vanyaland</a>.</p>

Fred Smith, bassist for Television, has passed away. He was 77 years old. His passing was announced in a statement on Instagram by Jimmy Rip, who was the guitarist in Television from 2007-2023. The statement reads, ”The legendary bassist for Television, Tom Verlaine and many others, Fred Smith, was not only my bandmate for 46 years — he was my true friend. He was a great running buddy and exactly the guy you wanted around when road life got wearisome. His sense of humor, much like his musical voice, was dry, subtle, to the point, hilarious and always left you wanting a more. Yesterday, he left this world, leaving so many who loved him wanting so much more…of him. We met in 1980 playing, with Jay Dee Daugherty on drums, in The Eve Moon Band, and soon after, the three of us were the NYC version of Holly and The Italians with Holly Beth Vincent. In 1981 when Tom Verlaine was preparing to tour for his disc Dreamtime, which Fred and Jay had performed on, they recommended me as second guitar, leading to very long and rich musical, and personal friendships. If you are a lover of melodic bass lines and counterpoint, you could go to school on what Fred created so effortlessly. He was a natural — never flashy, always essential — always serving the song in ways that only the greatest musicians can… He fought his illness long and hard these last few years, looking always forward to new projects… we had big plans to play Tom’s music live this year… but it just wasn’t meant to be. Thankfully, we were able to say goodbye, “love you” were our last words to each other. I will miss him more than anyone can imagine.” Fred Smith was the original bassist for Angel and the Snake, which would become Blondie, and left in 1975 to join Television. He replaced Richard Hell and would play with the band until they broke up in 1978. He rejoined the band when they reunited in 1992. Fred Smith also played with The Roches, Willie Nile, Peregrins, The Revelons, The Fleshtones, along with playing on Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd’s solo records. Fred Smith also ran a winery his wife, Paula Cereghino, called Cereghino Smith. We send our condolences to Fred Smith’s family, friends, and fans.

American Football recently announced a string of 2026 tour dates for the US, Europe and UK. Tickets for this run of dates are already on sale. See below for the full details.

<p>Over the course of his career, Eugene Mirman has released a vast, hours-deep catalog of stand-up material that has delved deep into the ocean of absurdity time and time again. It’s hard to fathom how he does it, but after a beat away from recording, he’s managed to scour the deep blue again for new inspiration. Within the confines of his brand new album Here Comes The Whimsy, which dropped on February 5 via his own Pretty Good Friends Records, […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://vanyaland.com/2026/02/09/eugene-mirmans-magic-quirk-thrives-on-here-comes-the-whimsy/">Eugene Mirman’s magic quirk thrives on ‘Here Comes The Whimsy’</a> appeared first on <a href="https://vanyaland.com">Vanyaland</a>.</p>

New Jersey punks Banquets will be heading on a weekend forever bender this April in the northeast. Friends in ERRTH, Pressure Wheel, Massive Nightmares, Not Gorgeous, Pretty Out and Civic Mimic will be supporting on select locations. Banquets released Petty Relics this past October. Tickets for this run of dates will be available on the bands website. See below to check out the full details.