Category Archives: Uncategorized
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
Good Art Won’t Match Your Sofa – Fred Babb
This weekend has comprised mostly art, not music, and it’s one of my favorite weekends of the year.
Friday night, I traveled to Demarest, New Jersey for the 39th Annual Pottery Show and Sale at The Art School at Old Church. Saturday was the Holiday Sale by alumni of the Rhode Island School of Design. They are very different shows/sales with the same purpose – to put high-quality handmade objects in our hands and our homes.
More Concerts Announced!
The shows keep on coming!
Amanda Shires at Great Scott – Sunday, January 12
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe at The Sinclair – Wednesday, January 29
Phosphorescent at The Sinclair – Tuesday, February 4
Dr. John at Wilbur Theatre – Wednesday, February 12
Band of Horses (acoustic) at Somerville Theatre – Tuesday, February 25
Experience Hendrix Tour at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom – Thursday, March 27
Chick Corea at Wilbur Theatre – Sunday, April 13
Boz Scaggs at Emerson Colonial Theatre – Friday, May 9
Journey & Steve Miller Band with Tower of Power at Comcast Center – Friday, June 13
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!
Concert Announcements This Week
Happy post-Thanksgiving and Hanukkah!
Because of the holiday, this was a slow week for concert announcements. For your future listening pleasure, here are some of them:
Sue Foley at Johnny D’s – Friday, December 27
The Low Anthem (with the Felice Brothers) at Brighton Music Hall – Tuesday, December 31
Greensky Bluegrass at The Paradise – Friday, January 24
B.B. King at Lynn Auditorium – Saturday, April 13
Blind Boys of Alabama in Antrim, NH – Thursday, May 22
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
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Going Very Strong After 51+ Years
Wow, Preservation Hall Jazz Band gave us an incredible show at The Sinclair on Tuesday night! This show, presented by Grain Audio, was the fourth time I’ve seen the band in the past two years and it was quite possibly the best I’ve seen them.
Charlie Gabriel
Yes, I saw the band’s 50th anniversary show in January 2012 at Carnegie Hall in New York from sixth row center and it was amazing, but there was something about the energy in Tuesday night’s audience that made the band soar even higher than they normally do.
Ben Jaffe – more cowbell, please
suze reviews the blues 