In this week's paper, Christian Schaeffer reviews Rough Shop's holiday album, Just Because It Was Christmas. He had this to say:
Amid the jingling bells and blinding lights, it's easy to forget that Christmas is a holiday of contrasts: darkness into light, cold into warmth, solitude into togetherness. This strand of earthly fatalism runs through the best carols: From "Silent Night" to "White Christmas," it's what makes the Christmas songbook some of the most resonant, emotionally loaded music around. Local trio Rough Shop understands the myriad joys and occasional heartaches that come around this time of year, and Just Because It Was Christmas outlines the season's promise and possibility with expertly played folk rock.
Read the rest here. The band's annual holiday extravaganza is Saturday night at the Focal Point. The show is at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10.
