Category Archives: concert reviews
Best Concerts of 2013
The time has come for me to reflect on the 128 concerts I attended in 2013 and determine the top ten. It was an extremely difficult task this year because I saw so many excellent shows.
I laid one ground rule for myself. I did not include sets at festivals for one main reason – there is generally a lot more energy at a festival than at a ‘regular’ concert and the musicians feed off that energy which produces a better show. Also, at festivals musicians from other bands tend to sit in with the act on stage so one is not always seeing the band as they typically perform. Read the rest of this entry
A Prince Among Men
In a word, WOW! Prince!!!
The entire show was a spectacle without going over the top.
The Crowd as Prince Took the Stage
An Evening of Excellent Downhome Blues Was Just What I Needed
I was in the mood for some blues last night – the holidays have been quite stressful this year and I hoped that hearing the blues would lift my spirits. It did that and more!
I first saw Sue Foley perform almost twenty years ago at Antone’s in Austin, Texas, and loved her. I saw her again at a blues festival in New Hampshire about eleven years ago and not since. I had never heard of Peter Karp, but figured since he and Sue have partnered, he had to be good. Johnny D’s is quite possibly my favorite venue in the Boston area and was the perfect place to host this terrific blues band.
Peter and Sue
A Night of Unexpected Enjoyment
You know how ‘they’ say that if you have no expectations, you won’t have any disappointments? I try, but don’t always succeed, to approach every art experience that way.
Last Thursday, I scored a couple of tickets to see Chris Trapper, who I have seen perform a few times, and other bands that were completely unfamiliar to me, at Red Star Union, a venue I first heard about a week ago.
The Music of Muscle Shoals, Alabama Socked it to Me!
Amy Black, a Boston-based singer-songwriter who I’ve seen perform several times, assembled a number of other Boston-based musicians for an evening called “Sock It To Me”, a celebration of the musical heritage of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, at Atwood’s Tavern.
I knew about Muscle Shoals, but didn’t realize how many amazing musicians had recorded there. Read the rest of this entry
Joseph Arthur, Musician and Painter! Who Knew!?!?!?
A week before the show, my concert buddy sent me links to a few Joseph Arthur songs, asking me if I knew of him. A friend of his had recently seen Joe and recommended him to us. There was an upcoming show at Great Scott so we got tickets.
Joseph Arthur
What a unexpected pleasure! Read the rest of this entry
Bombino is Da Bomb!!!
Seeing Bombino perform Sunday night at The Sinclair was an amazing way to end the long Thanksgivukkah weekend!
Bombino
This was not the first time I’d seen Bombino. Early last year, I saw him at Johnny D’s which was a fabulous venue for him, and last summer I caught a few numbers from his set at Newport Folk Festival. He just gets better and better, and I sense he’s becoming more comfortable in his role as an international ambassador of desert blues music. I will see him any time he’s in the area!
Great Big Sea Rocked My Weekend!
Admittedly, Great Big Sea is one of my favorite bands to see live. They are all excellent musicians who know how to engage their audiences with their wide-ranging songs – from ballads to sea shanties to folk to rock, they do it all!
This review combines two shows at very different venues, the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, New Hampshire, and The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, Massachusetts. The former is a 1,300-seat venue and the latter seats 280. Read the rest of this entry
Elvis (Costello) was in the Building!
And the audience was very glad he was!
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello is touring this fall, not in support of his current album with The Roots, but solo acoustic. I had seen Elvis only once, opening for Bob Dylan, and loved his short set, so I was excited to see him do a headlining show.
The Lone Bellow Delivers Their Trademark High-Energy Show
[Apologies up front – my photos of this show were not as good as the ones I took at a previous show, so I’ve shared some of those shots here.]
I was introduced to The Lone Bellow at the Newport Folk Festival this past summer, where they performed my favorite set of the three-day festival. Going to the show at The Dise (Paradise Rock Club, to us locals) on Wednesday night, I had fairly high expectations.
The Lone Bellow at Newport Folk Festival 2013
There was tremendous energy and anticipation in the sold-out crowd. I was prepared for an intense performance, and that’s exactly what I got! Read the rest of this entry
suze reviews the blues 