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Formed in Boston in 1992, Pooka Stew built a loyal following in New England with wild shows and great songs. After 5 years, three records, two Boston Music Award nominations ("Best New Local Rock Act" & "Best Debut Indie Rock Album"), a "Best of Boston" Award from Boston Magazine ("Best Local Songwriter"), the Finals of the 1995 WBCN Rumble--and way too much weird stuff to remember--they played their "last show" at The Attic in Newton, MA in September, 1997.
The band played three times after the "last show": at the Kendall Cafe in Cambridge, MA., on June 25, 1998; on October 3rd, 1998, at the Music Hall at (what was then) Aerosmith's Mama Kin in Boston, MA., and a sold-out show at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA on Friday March 12, 1999.
Band Members
Michael Barry - Guitar & Vocals
Bill Hansen - Bass & Vocals
Derek Hayes - Guitar & Vocals
Chris Glynn - Drums
Discography:
1992 - 2 song cassette "Everything Falls Down" (Self-release). Songs: Everything Falls Down • A Place on Earth. Also recorded "Run, Run, Rudolph" live to DAT at Ducky Carlisle's original Room 9 from Outer Space (right across the hall!) for Juanita's local Christmas show on WFNX.
1994 - 3 song CD "Pooka Stew" (Rocket Science Records RS9401). Songs: A Bump in the Night • Merchants of Death • Kathy. Sold all 2,000 copies in a few weeks, charted locally in Boston, and has never been reissued. All three of these tracks are on the "Reunion" CD.
1996 - 12 song CD "In Our Minds" (Rocket Science Records RS9601). Songs: In Our Minds • I Know You • Understand • Crawling Through Your Door • Stay The Same • Becky Last Night • The Room In Blue • Out Of My Head • Loving Someone Else • The Fools We Have Become • This God Above • Tantalize
Nominated in the Boston Music Awards for "Best Debut Indie Rock Album".
#1 on the WFNX/Boston Phoenix "Boston Rocks" chart.
Charted nationally on CMJ.
1999 - 18 song CD "Reunion" (MCS Audio). A compilation released at the band's 1999 reunion show at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA. Features songs from all three previous releases, some alternate versions of tracks, plus a live recording of the previously unreleased song "Dear John", performed live 'acoustic' on Shred's show on WBCN in Boston on March 19, 1996.
2000 - 12 song CD "Pooka Stew Live 5/19/93 'On the Town' with Mikey Dee - WMFO". A live performance on the legendary Mikey Dee's radio show. Also includes a new song written and recorded by singer Mike Barry for the Mikey Dee Benefit at The Kendall Cafe in Cambridge, MA on 5/4/01. Songs: A Bump in the Night • Rooftops • Everything Falls Down • City and Together • A Place on Earth (Acoustic) • Here Comes the Flood • Kathy • Merchants of Death • This God Above • Way More than Fun • Better in Time
Band Name
A "Pooka" is an invisible animal spirit that appears when you're lost or alone, and leads you astray. The most famous pooka is the invisible rabbit only the alcoholic Elwood P. Dowd can see in the play "Harvey", which was made into a movie starring Jimmy Stewart.
There was an English folk duo known as Pooka who released two records in the 90's. When "In Our Minds" was completed Rocket Science Records considered changing the name of the band to avoid confusion, but decided against it because odds were both acts would be gone before they could cause the other any difficulty. Pretty smart, huh?
The band has been told by a former employee of Pooka's management company that he played "In Our Minds" for the people in their office, and they ran screaming from the room.
Pooka Stew chose their name because it rhymed with "Husker Du".
Friends
"Rocket Science Records", which released most of Pooka Stew's music, was mostly the brainchild of Boston music attorney Albie Cullen III, who started the label while he was Vice-President for Legal Affairs at "Critique" records. Mr. Cullen felt the name he gave the label was appropriate because "this ain't rocket science".
Aiding, abetting and advising Pooka Stew was Boston attorney Joseph Doherty, Jr. A musician and songwriter, Mr. Doherty proved indispensable to the band in many areas, like posting bail.
Also involved with Pooka Stew was promoter/writer Greg Rolnick, now contributing music critic to CNN Online. Once consumed with the duties of being Pooka Stew's road manager, Greg still takes time from his full schedule to email us everytime he scores a goal in gym hockey.
For a more than complete history of Pooka Stew see their entry in the "History of Boston Rock A-Z" at www.DirtyWater.com
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