The Stage IIs were formed as the live band for a theater musical, and stayed together originally so they could play other musicals. Then they found clubs liked them too—at least clubs that could handle a nine-piece ensemble with several banks of synthesizers and endless percussive devices. SIIs did showtunes sets for a while, but got bored so they found some off-copyright scripts and started performing those with vibrant ambient musical accompaniment. Classical scripts, mostly, but also some really obscure 19th and early 20th century stuff. These worked best at college basement gigs, but spread anyway down the hilll to the Bullfinch, where on Thursday the Stage IIs presented Messalina’s Muse. It was an odd production, staged deliberately so that you could barely conmprehend the words.

Tonight: Sweet Tart Slush and Quirk Jeep at the Bullfinch, with free slush while it lasts… Greenbash and The Humarocks at Hamilton’s inevitably closing with “Close Your Eyes”…  Drolleries’ is jam-crazy, with Blu’s Shower Door and Oakman Wayne…