Cheeseball

Vol. 2 Issue 1 $3
(510 Comm Ave. #123 Boston, MA 02215)
by Kerry Joyce

It was three summers ago that I first encountered Cheeseball. I liked the first issue so much I called up the editor/publisher Stacey Toon to wish her well. From the get-go, Cheeseball has always represented what I like best about ‘zines without any of the typical failings. Early on, Cheeseball covered the up-and-coming surf and lounge scenes at a time when the demand for this type of coverage in Boston exceeded the supply by the mainstream press, and even other ‘zines, and Cheeseball helped jump-start the live scene in Boston by sponsoring shows.

It’s okay to reach for the stars, but another thing refreshing about Cheeseball was that it seemed to be perfectly content being exactly what it was: A well-written, well-laid-out local ‘zine with an emphasis on a resurgent musical form. Got a problem with that? Neither did I. There is no layout credit, but I would love to know who does it. Even the advertisers seem to be in on this conspiracy of artful simplicity.

So now they’ve gone national with a glossy cover. Uh-oh, no stack of freebies at Disc Diggers? Well, it’s over to the magazine rack for me while my better half checks out every damn thing in the store. Maybe I’ll even buy one. Good luck to Cheeseball. They deserve lots.