text:
September 03, 2015
Weekend Ideas
One more cool festival for an awesome-weather Labor Day Weekend in Rhode Island's annual Rhythm & Roots (with the Mavericks, Los Lobos, Keb Mo and Della Mae) plus regional shows with the J. Geils Band, Fishbone and the David Wax Museum, as well as Swervedriver in Cambridge… More>
August 28, 2015
Live Review: J. Geils Band Back in Vintage Form
J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf defies his 69 years as a wondrous dervish on a good night -- and that's what a sold-out crowd certainly got at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion on Thursday… More>
August 28, 2015
Weekend Ideas
Summer's whittling away, but there are still some worthy shows to catch, from Lake Street Dive and Melissa Etheridge headlining back-to-back nights in Lowell to Speedy Ortiz rocking a Boston Harbor cruise… More>
August 25, 2015
Live Review: Phish Plunge into Magnaball Madness
In 1996, years before Bonnaroo, Phish hatched similar campout festivals packed with audio-visual goodies. Ten festivals later, some things haven't changed, evidenced by this past weekend's Magnaball in Watkins Glen, N.Y… More>
August 20, 2015
Weekend Ideas
You can choose from a range of styles and sizes this concert weekend, from mega-action with AC/DC and Phish to the more modest Starlabfest of local rockers, from the hip-hop of Earl Sweatshirt and Mykki Blanco to the country of Loretta Lynn and the blues of Buddy Guy… More>
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
It's a holiday weekend not without rocking concerts for those staying close to home, and the veteran jam-band moe. will rock for hours at House of Blues, where the Buffalo-born quintet (above) plays both Friday and Saturday. Expect entirely different shows with two sets each night, mixing the contrasting guitars of Chuck Garvey (think more Steely Dan) and Al Schnier (more Allman Brothers) around fluid Maine-based bassist Rob Derhak. With 25 years of forged chemistry, moe. ranks close to Widespread Panic, Umphrey's McGee and of course Phish, with consistently levitating flights that blend meat 'n' potatoes with clever turns.
Columbus Day weekend also means the colorful annual HONK! Festival, where activist street bands like this one roll into Johnny D's Uptown on Friday before hitting the pavement of Davis Square on Saturday and Harvard Square on Sunday. Here's the schedule and honk if you love free-roaming, horn-driven revelry – for free. Other concerts to consider on Friday including country-punks Lucero at Royale and Mark Knopfler at the Orpheum Theatre, where he'll be bound to resurrect this Dire Straits tune.
On Saturday, the Orpheum turns to Brandi Carlile, who proved she's just as dynamic in a stripped-down acoustic trio when she hit this year's Newport Folk fest. And Luna, fronted by ex-Galaxie 500 singer/guitarist Dean Wareham, plays the Paradise Rock Club. On Saturday, Carolina bluegrass band the Steep Canyon Rangers play the Eastham Elks Club down the Cape before holding court at the Brighton Music Hall on Sunday, while alt-country singer Chuck Prophet (who led California rockers Green on Red back in the '80s) plays Club Passim on Sunday. And Monday circles back to another group from Buffalo, alt-rockers Mercury Rev, who are likely to bring this seasonal offering to the Brighton Music Hall, closing out the holiday weekend with a bit of atmosphere.
Sound Ideas
Stage Review: Courtney Love Settles into "Kansas City Choir Boy" at Oberon
Todd Almond backs a subdued Courtney Love in "Kansas City Choir Boy" at Oberon. Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva. -----------------------
Once upon a time, Courtney Love would hit town with her grunge-pop band Hole and turn a large rock venue into an exhibition(ist) hall, making moments intimate through antagonistic exchanges with the crowd. This was mostly back in the '90s, before and after the death of husband Kurt Cobain, a time marked by drug abuse and tabloid fodder, before she turned to acting and eventually cleaned herself up.
But Love's stage debut in "Kansas City Choir Boy" casts a very different experience in the intimate cabaret-style space of Harvard Square's Oberon. Here the singer was truly close to the audience – and sometimes even in the audience, along with co-lead Todd Almond, six dancing chorus "sirens" and a mobile string quartet. But she remained immersed in her theatrical zone.
Almond's really the central character in "Kansas City Choir Boy," which continues through Oct. 10 at the American Repertory Theater's second stage. He wrote the music and lyrics and spends the most time onstage in the 55-minute production, unspooled as a flashback from a TV report that the girl he loved was found dead.
Still, all eyes focus on Love, from the moment she appears (classically) from a balcony as the character Athena and swoops into Almond's life onstage. Their initial fondling seemed a bit stiff as the couple navigated around Almond's keyboard during Friday's press opening, but their chemistry quickly grew more evident – and Love displayed an alluring sparkle in her eyes, pulling her into the role.
From there, it's a fairly straightforward boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-finds-girl story, if all largely implied with songs rather than dialogue. Love was never a great singer, but she settled into a slightly flat drawl a bit like Marianne Faithfull, conveying the right emotion and annunciation. And Almond projected his own winsome charm in singing as well as playing guitar, keyboard and a DJ-style laptop, as part of the score comes in lite electro to match pulsing LED lights that creep up the ceiling strip and backing wall of the tiny center-T stage.
Much of the appeal of "Kansas City Choir Boy" comes from the positioning of the cast on and around that Oberon stage under director Kevin Newbury and choreographer Sam Pinkleton. The surrounding audience is split into two tiers of seats to each side, leaving aisles and mezzanine steps for the cast to roam and serenade. Love chews some scenery when she strips to a bra for a disrobing early love scene and later appears in a black Zac Posen gown, but the Oberon's small runway fits a production that's modest yet engaging.
Sound Ideas
Live Review: Kraftwerk Immerses Wang Theatre in 3-D Visions
The men of Kraftwerk man the machines for an audio-visual travelogue at the Wang. Photo by Paul Robicheau. -------------------------
It's not enough that electronic-music pioneers Kraftwerk influenced everything from synth-pop to EDM, leading to Daft Punk, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode and the Cars, whose keyboardist Greg Hawkes was among those who filled the Citi Wang Theatre on Saturday to soak in the rare spectacle of a Kraftwerk concert.
Kraftwerk went beyond Nine Inch Nails' multi-layered video effects to present an immersive 3-D experience (via distributed cardboard glasses) that more closely evoked the sound and vision of '70s contemporaries Pink Floyd when that group played theaters back in the day. An exquisite surround-sound mix was perfectly synched to big-screen visuals as stunning as virtual spacecraft and skyscraper beams that hovered into the crowd much as Pink Floyd used plane and pig props. Kraftwerk even depicted a flying saucer landing outside the Wang marquee.
Granted, the onstage action seemed pretty static with the four band members (all wearing Tron-grid bodysuits that complemented onscreen line animations) poking away at podiums that suggested a high-tech game show. Kraftwerk even poked fun at the question over how much was being physically performed when mechanized-mannequin doppelgangers appeared at the podiums to recorded music and vocals for 1978 blip "The Robots."
Otherwise, vocals were handled live by Kraftwerk's remaining co-founder Ralf Hutter, bridging vocoder cool and Bryan Ferry-esque savoir faire. And for the most part, Hutter and his comrades busily synchronized the whole shebang from keyboards, samplers and computers, much of it indeed involving human hands. This was most evident when the players each soloed, bowed, and left one-by-one at the end. The last to leave was Hutter, who put his hand to his heart, then gestured thanks to the machines in lieu of any remaining humans onstage.
The machines certainly did their jobs as Kraftwerk clearly took advantage of advancements in digital equipment. The players forged rich synthesizer textures and hypnotic beats that climaxed in prog-rock swells rather than EDM drops when the group set the controls for the heart of the reactor in 1975's "Radioactivity."
For those who'd never seen Kraftwerk, which was probably most of the audience, the program worked near-seamlessly as a balanced catalog retrospective, with appropriate visuals also produced at the group's secretive Kling Klang studio. That entailed the throbbing numbers in songs from 1981's Computer World, the highway glide of extended 1974 highpoint "Autobahn" (with white lines also going the other way in a rearview mirror), archival bicycle-race footage for 2003's Tour de France Soundtracks (more wheels and motion from a band of avid bicyclists), and ghostly bullet trains in 1977's "Trans-Europe Express," with animated sequences tightly meshed to the musical rhythms.
Credit the precision of German engineering to coin a phrase from automobile ad copy (the Volkswagen Bug and Mercedes-Benz sedan depicted for "Autobahn" indeed suggested a car ad). Two hours had already passed, along with the best video tricks, by the time Kraftwerk flashed terms like "Electro" (in "Planet of Visions") and "Techno Pop" (in the song of that name) during a second encore. It seemed both obvious and unnecessary commentary on the band's influence by that point.
Sure, the program might have been edited a bit, so not to drone on like the travel machines, but the musicians kept the proceedings percolating from their posts. And the whole production proved that Kraftwerk not only stands as a band that was ahead of its time, but one that remains largely ahead of our time.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Kurt Vile heightened his profile with the slow-burning glide of Wakin on a Pretty Daze, one of 2013's best albums. On followup b'lieve I'm goin down, the laconic singer/guitarist strips back the textural guitar rock to muse a bit more on the folky side with banjo and piano. But one might still expect Vile and his band the Violators to stretch out on the guitars at the Paradise Rock Club on Friday.
Friday's busy as well, starting with the surprisingly sympathetic pop collaboration of Franz Ferdinand and Sparks in the band FFS, which launches a U.S. tour at the Orpheum Theatre. If you're not familiar with the cheeky humor of FFS, you can "Piss Off" with this live clip or click here to jump to my recent interviews with the band's dual singers. House of Blues kicks in the same night with the rootsy Railroad Earth, who just toured with Warren Haynes (who brings his own new Ashes & Dust band with drummer Jeff Sipe and ChessBoxer to the Orpheum on Tuesday). Other Friday picks would be Maine-bred Americana singer/songwriter Patty Griffin at the Somerville Theatre, Dispatch's Pete Francis with the fiddle-powered Nemes at new Union Square club Thunder Road, or poll-topping jazz vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant recasting vintage nuggets at Scullers Jazz Club.
Back to Union Square on Saturday, Bull McCabe's hosts its 5th annual Roots to Reggae Outdoor Music Festival in its parking lot from 3 to 9:45 p.m. with groups including regulars Dub Apocalypse, the Silks and the Tim Gearan Band. Saturday night's main event comes in the rare return of Kraftwerk, the '70s-born German electronic music pioneers, who perform a 3-D concert at the Citi Wang Theatre. That means techie, eye-popping visuals on a large screen behind the four men (including sole remaining co-founder Ralf Hutter) at their synthesizer posts. Next door at the Wilbur Theatre the same night, veteran indie-rockers Yo La Tengo (pictured above) support their new album Stuff Like That There, sort of sequel to 1990's Fakebook that features covers performed in a largely acoustic four-piece format. Shoegaze trendsetters Ride also rev up their guitars at the Paradise while rapper Talib Kweli rocks the Middle East Downstairs to top a busy Saturday night.
Sunday sports another seminal rock outfit with guitars in Television. New York's CGBG's-era band, featuring guitarists Tom Verlaine and newcomer Jimmy Rip as well as original drummer Billy Ficca and bassist Fred Smith, will showcase its 1977 debut Marquee Moon. Chameleons Vox, fronted by Chameleons UK singer/bassist Mark Burgess, also rolls into the Middle East Downstairs that night to play the UK group's entire 1983 debut Script of the Bridge on a purported farewell tour. Burgess is a showman with a great voice, but I'd personally prefer the whole original band performing Chameleons UK's 1986 gem Strange Times.
Sound Ideas
Live Review: Alabama Shakes Match Lunar Eclipse at Boston Calling
The cosmic conjunction of Alabama Shakes howling to Sunday's supermoon eclipse to cap the fall edition of Boston Calling not only set up the festival's highpoint. It forged the kind of moment that'll live in the memories of those present long after many of the weekend's bands fade into rock footnotes.
Yet as a last sliver of light rimmed the dark, reddish sphere over City Hall Plaza, the Shakes' own force-of-nature seemed to be letting the eclipse pass without comment. Singer/guitarist Brittany Howard commanded her own zone, from her raspy, Janis Joplin-esque exortations of "I know, I know!" in "Miss You" to soulful coos about dreaming in "The Feeling," as she slapped the strings of her Gibson SG.
Finally, Howard stopped. "We got ourselves a blood moon and a lunar eclipse," the singer told the crowd. "That means it's time to get weird."
With that, the Shakes briefly dropped into spacey noodling as the light show on City Hall's stone ediface rippled into slow oscillation under the eclipse (above, center) and the band slipped into "Gemini," amid Howard's ghostly vocal echoes and psych-fuzz guitar beams.
That song lends perhaps the most lunar-esque diversion from classic soul-rock on Alabama Shakes' eclectic sophomore album Sound & Color. But Howard, who hit Coachella and Bonnaroo in a bleach-tipped coif, returned to earth in fighting trim with short-cropped hair and a print dress, to pump her fist as she took the stage to the PA sounds of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." And she still percolated with old-school soul, evoking the Chi-Lites on "Guess Who," while "The Greatest" lent a Strokes-like punk rush with doo-wop edges (the band skipped its first hit "Hold On," despite it resurfacing at recent Canadian dates).
God knows the Alabama-bred long shot deserves to rule the music world, and you could say the same for Hozier (below), the nice Irish guy-done-great who impressed in his preceding Boston Calling slot on Sunday. The lanky singer/guitarist with the hair bun stirred up sing-alongs, from the gushing "From Eden" to gospel-ish closer "Take Me to Church." Like the Shakes, Hozier boosted his sound with backup singers, but his deep tenor stood out the most, making the best of the breezy "Someone New" and giving new import to the Beatles' "Blackbird."
Still, Hozier's palette covered similar soul-blues-rock ground, much like Ben Howard's set blurred at times as his band built epic, backlit atmosphere around the English singer's ghostly finger-picking. But especially after just-enjoyable pop from Nate Ruess, who leaned on hits from his band Fun as well as Prince and Elton John, the final night of Boston Calling took a deeper turn towards music with roots and emotion. And in that realm, the Shakes tested the boundaries, found the moon, and held their own. Brittany Howard proved equally unforgettable.
Photos (c) 2015 by Paul Robicheau
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
It's not all about Boston Calling this weekend, though that makes up the bulk of local concert action. There's even a Gillette Stadium show on Friday with English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, charming his largely age 15-25 demographic with his brave solo tour-de-force that incorporates vocal and guitar looping. Not so unusual, but certainly so for a stadium setting. Madonna hits the opposite end of the spectrum, as the matured Material Girl (above) brings her army of nattily attired dancers and musicians to TD Garden on Saturday. Her lavish Rebel Heart tour includes a cross-shaped ramp on the floor, a fair share of pole dancing, 2.5 million Swarovski crystals on Madonna's costumes alone, and a mix of hits and rarities.
Boston Calling nonetheless kicks in on City Hall Plaza with beautiful fall weather, starting Friday night with a pleasant pairing of Icelandic folk-pop band Of Monsters and Men and spirited folk-rockers the Avett Brothers. Saturday looks most interesting during the late afternoon with a stretch of ironic jammer Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks (who also play the Sinclair on Friday), smooth country outlaw Sturgill Simpson and sardonic folk-rock chameleon Father John Misty (who just covered Ryan Adams' take on Taylor Swift's 1989, but in the style of the Velvet Underground). Saturday night gets more electronic with Chromeo and Chvrches before alt-J faces the sprawling plaza. I like alt-J's oblique trip-pop on record but have found their shows a bit underwhelming. Still, it won't hurt to expand the British band's light show to the kaleidoscopic designs that grace the face of City Hall to make Boston Calling a cool experience at night. Along those lines, Boston Calling finally closes with a bang on Sunday thanks to the last trifecta of folky English dark horse Ben Howard, Irish folk-rock darling Hozier and soulful rockers Alabama Shakes, fronted by the dynamic Brittany Howard. Again, that alone stands as a great concert bill. You can jump to my recent chat with Shakes drummer Steve Johnson. And here are BC set times.
If jazz is more your style, there's also the Beantown Jazz Festival, making a free multi-stage street fair out of Columbus Avenue on Saturday afternoon, with a range of acts including R&B singer Ledisi, saxophonist Javon Jackson with drummer Jimmy Cobb (who played on Miles Davis' iconic Kind of Blue) and the Mosaic Project led by Grammy-winning drummer and Beantown artistic director Teri Lyne Carrington. Here's the Beantown Jazz schedule. And up in Newbury, Buffalo Tom also caps Saturday afternoon at the American Music and Harvest Festival at Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm. On the folk singer-songwriter side, Greg Brown plays Somerville's Arts at the Armory on Saturday, while Peter Mulvey returns to his old stomping grounds on Sunday with a free 12-hour concert on the street outside Club Passim in Harvard Square, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a 15-minute break every hour. And Canadian post-rock ensemble Godspeed You! Black Emperor gets darkly cinematic on Sunday at the Paradise Rock Club.
Looking ahead into next week, my top picks would be soul-folk vocalist Lianne La Havas at Royale on Monday and textural guitar-rockers Built to Spill at Brighton Music Hall for a three-night stand starting Tuesday.
Sound Ideas
Live Review: Diana Ross Shines at Citi Wang Theatre
Diana Ross summons memories of classic Motown hits with the Supremes, glamorous outfits, and her iconic persona as one of pop music's premier divas. But the 71-year-old Ross certainly didn't bring any diva's attitude to the Citi Wang Theatre on Saturday. On the contrary, the beaming singer -- who looked and sounded fabulous, regardless of age -- proved warm and generous to both the audience and her sublime backing musicians.
"I love when they turn the house lights up and I see your faces," Ross told her diverse fans. "You have no idea what that means to me." And she genuinely came across as a seasoned stage professional who's also happy and thankful for her long, successful career.
Sure, the spotlight was on Ross, who went through several costume changes of sequins, feathers and ruffles -- in a few colors, with matching hand-fans to cool herself down in style. Yet the show wasn't all about her, as lights shined into a sea of people dancing, singing along, and capturing the moment on camera phones.
From opening pride anthem "I'm Coming Out" to a rousing finale of the Gloria Gaynor standard "I Will Survive" (with standout solo turns across her tightly arranged five-man band and three backup singers), Ross threw an inclusive, hit-filled party.
She kicked in early with a stretch of the Supremes' '60s gems ("My World is Empty Without You," "Baby Love," "Stop, in the Name of Love" and "Love Child"). She dipped into jazzy blues phrasing for Billie Holiday nugget "Don't Explain" (without vocal backups, which she never relied on anyway). When an audience member hopped onstage to dance to "Upside Down," Ross not only rolled with it, she hugged him, then invited a guy up from the other side to test his moves. She heightened the sing-alongs with "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and she got all hands swaying to "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand) to complete the communal love-in.
The night's only downside was how quickly it all happened. Like clockwork, Ross hit the stage within moments of the show's 8 p.m. starting time and in less than 80 minutes, it was all over. Some fans might have preferred more of her early hits instead of "Ease on Down the Road" (from musical The Wiz) or covers like "Why Do Fools Fall in Love." Yet there was really no wasted time and no going through the motions. The Boston crowd was summarily thrilled and fulfilled, as Diana Ross came and conquered -- with heart, soul and precision.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
It's not a holiday weekend per past tradition, but New Jersey jangle-pop pioneers the Feelies (pictured above) head north for their annual Boston visit by bringing their taut, rhythmic, Velvets Underground-inspired rock to the Sinclair. Expect two sets there on Friday, the first more mellow/folky and the second more driving, capped by an encore with classic covers. Harvard Square's booming with two other events the same night. Golden-touch guitarist John Scofield and tenor-sax favorite Joe Lovano revive their co-led jazz quartet (also including fine drummer Bill Stewart) at the Regattabar. And Lake Street Dive's Bridget Kearney joins former New England Conservatory accomplice Benjamin Lazer Davis at Club Passim on Friday to celebrate the release of their EP Bawa, recorded in the African country of Ghana and inspired by its Bawa music.
The Brighton Music Hall's also cooking across the spectrum, with Eagles of Death Metal (co-led by Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Hommes on drums) on Friday, electronic ambient-house duo the Orb on Saturday and bluesy singer and guitarist Jackie Greene, best known for his stints with the Black Crowes and Phil Lesh. Rootsy garage-rockers the Heartless Bastards, another great live act graced by Erika Wennerstrom, hits the Paradise Rock Club on Friday. And soul-jazz singer Gregory Porter charms the Berklee Performance Center on Saturday.
MixFest 2015 takes over the DCR Hatch Shell on the Esplanade on Saturday afternoon with a free lineup that includes Rob Thomas, Third Eye Blind, Andy Grammer and Vance Joy. And if you want to take a last seasonal road-trip, consider the three-day FreshGrass festival at MASS MoCA in North Adams, featuring Dwight Yoakam, the Punch Brothers, the Del McCoury Band, Boston's own Ballroom Thieves and Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure's Touristes project with Berklee-bred guest vocalist Julia Easterlin, also both poised to mesmerize here Sunday in a World Music show at Johnny D's Uptown.
However, the biggest names hitting town – in dates seemingly a tad under the radar – are Diana Ross, bringing her Supreme hits, outfits and diva-esque presence to the Citi Wang Theatre on Saturday, and ex-Led Zeppelin golden god Robert Plant, settling into a cross-cultural zone with his Sensational Space Shifters at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion on Sunday, though they still love to reshape Led Zep nuggets. On Sunday afternoon, you can also catch modern country-outlaw Jamey Johnson at Webster's Indian Ranch, while guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. (best known as a member of the Strokes) thickens up his solo sound with his band at the Sinclair that night. Fans of live music must find something enticing this mid-September weekend.
Going Out
Welcome to the Thunder Dome
Somerville's Thunder Road is now open for business
It's been over a year since longtime local promoter Dan Millen of Rock On! Concerts and Charlie Abel, managing owner of the former Harpers Ferry, announced they'd be opening Thunder Road, a new music venue in the shuttered Radio space in Somerville. After some fits and starts—the opening has been pushed back several times—the club enjoyed a grand opening on Sept. 8 that kicks off a billing of already-slated shows including Jesse Malin on Oct. 8 and the Stone Foxes on Nov. 5. We tapped Millen for some deets about the new venue—as well as some insight into Boston's ever-changing music scene.
My partner, Charlie Abel, who was the managing owner of Harpers Ferry for 18 years, and I were looking to form a live music club together. We'd worked closely for five years at Harpers prior to him selling his half of the club in 2004 and we really developed a shared bond for presenting live music. Charlie was and still is a mentor to me, so working with him now as a partner is a joy. Owning a club had been a personal dream of mine. I've worked in the Boston scene as a promoter for over 15 years and packed other people's clubs full of thirsty revelers, I figured it was time to pack my own club, so I've saved up every nickel I've made for years to make it happen.
We have always intended Thunder Road to be a great space for fans of live music to enjoy, and bands to "strut their stuff" in a clean, friendly and fun environment. And, of course, now that there are so many other live music clubs closing [T.T the Bear's Place, Johnny D's, the recently announced closing of Church's music venue], as much as we are saddened about that, we are just glad that we are opening to fill some of the void left in the scene.
Absolutely. We didn't plan it that way, we thought we would be a great addition to a thriving music community, but now more than ever it seems like we will be needed. Our philosophy has always been one of the "rising tide lifts all boats" and that the more places in town that feature live music, the more bands can develop and build fan bases. We don't want to look at this as a good thing, though it will wind up being good for us and the bands that are losing places to play, to fill that void and, for want of a better phrase, to "carry the torch."
I think the best one, off the top of my head, is presenting a relatively unknown band called Maroon 5 in the middle of a snowstorm in February of 2003, I think. About half the people who bought advance tickets wound up showing up for the show, it wound up being a relatively packed house, and the band just blew us all away. Shortly thereafter they wound up on the radio, playing humungous domes, and the rest is history for them, but we get to say "we knew them when."
Spiritual Rez on a boat this past summer. No BS —I've never seen a band with more of a command of the audience, so many great songs, and people going crazy! They're another band from Boston that it's been a joy to help grow.
Aerosmith or the Joe Perry Project. I got my start in the business booking Aerosmith's old club Mama Kin on Lansdowne Street and have been fortunate enough to produce several smaller club "sneak a shows" with them. They're my all-time favorite rock band. Gents, if you're reading this, come play!
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Boston's veteran R&B-shouter Barrence Whitfield and his Savages remain on a roll with the garage-rocking momentum of new album Under the Savage Sky, but the best place to bask in the revitalized group's prowess remains the stage. And there are two shots to catch the action this weekend, with the singer and his gritty gang (pictured above) invading the Columbus Theatre in Providence, R.I., on Friday, then holding court on Saturday at the Brighton Music Hall, where Whitfield pulled off an Egyptian royal entrance on his last visit.
Other Friday options include the return of Mike Peters to Johnny D's, where he's bound to stir up fans with solo versions of favorites from his '80s rock outfit the Alarm. The same night, Death Cab for Cutie floats atmospheric pop introspection at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, though show-goers may want to arrive early for the cinematic post-rock guitar symphonies of Explosions in the Sky. The same venue flips on Saturday to the energized rock 'n' rap antics of 21 Pilots, who are likely to breach the crowd in the process (though not sure they'll want to launch a drum set across those rows of seats). Saturday also brings the JP Music Festival to Pinebank Field on Jamaica Pond with a lineup that includes the Upper Crust, Love Love, Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers, Cask Mouse and Rick Berlin. That night, soulful gospel-jazz singer Lizz Wright rides a fresh surge of deserved acclaim into the Berklee Performance Center. And Sunday brings soul-blues rocker ZZ Ward – whose charisma on harmonica matches her vocal charms -- to Royale.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Got room in the tank for one more cool festival on an awesome-weather Labor Day weekend, maybe even with a side trip to the beach? Head to coastal Rhode Island for the annual Rhythm & Roots soiree at Ninigret Park in Charlestown. It all starts Friday night with a Signature Sounds 20th anniversary celebration headlined by the popular Lake Street Dive, peaks on Saturday with a lively lineup that sports country eccentrics the Mavericks, roots-rockers Los Lobos, Louisiana piano queen Marcia Ball and bluegrass upstarts Della Mae (pictured above) with Jim Lauderdale, and closes out Sunday with crossover troubadour Keb Mo. Plus there are accordion workshops, kids' Mardi Gras parades, and Cajun and zydeco dance parties with Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys and Corey Ledet & his Zydeco Band. Here's the full schedule and rundown.
Other great takes to the South include the J. Geils Band (who just kicked ass in Boston) at India Point Park on the Providence waterfront on Saturday and punk-funk pioneers Fishbone the same night at the Beachcomber in Wellfleet down the Cape. To the north, Della Mae also hits Rockport's smartly designed Shalin Liu Performance Center on Friday, indie-folk combo the David Wax Museum holds court at Prescott Park in Portsmouth, N.H., on Saturday, and the Mavericks move on to Hampton Beach's Casino Ballroom on Sunday. Finally, back around Boston, you can catch country-rockers Little Big Town at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion on Friday, a bill of great local bands -- Parlour Bells, Band Without Hands, the Static Dynamic and the Rationales -- at Cuisine en Locale's ONCE Ballroom the same night, and veteran shoegaze rockers Swervedriver at the Sinclair on Sunday.
Sound Ideas
Live Review: J. Geils Band Back in Vintage Form
Peter Wolf cues Magic Dick and Duke Levine with the J. Geils Band on Thursday. Photo by Paul Robicheau
J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf defies his 69 years as a wondrous dervish on a good night -- and that's what a sold-out crowd certainly got at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion on Thursday. In strong voice, the ever-skinny frontman rarely stopped moving through a 100-minute lesson in rock 'n' roll showmanship, shuffling, high-stepping, spinning in place, and exhorting both the crowd and his bandmates.
Mates they were, as the classic Boston band has now truly congealed since its 2012 break from namesake guitarist John Geils, who reportedly wanted less stage-rocking and more trademark residuals. Lead guitarist Duke Levine, his backup foil Kevin Barry and drummer Tom Arey shared equal spotlight with the veterans, as Wolf even urged Worcester journeyman Levine to join him more at the front of the stage for solos.
Better yet, the bonds between the singer and his original mates only seemed heightened. Wolf was out to share his great mood, not only catching Flying V-pumping bassist Danny Klein with a false fist-pump in "Detroit Breakdown" but smiling at keyboardist Seth Justman as he tried to get him to swig from his wine bottle. And harmonica ace Magic Dick got plenty of high-profile mileage, capped by his showpiece "Whammer Jammer."
The fun and appreciation was contagious for the audience as well. "Thanks for your many, many years of loyal support," Wolf made the point to the packed-fair-and-square crowd before an encore of the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go?" And he looked touched when a young woman who won a contest through radio sponsor WZLX (celebrating its 30th anniversary) effectively mimicked his jive-taking intro to "Musta Got Lost."
From a revved-up "Hard Drivin' Man," through blues nugget "Homework" and the funky breakdown of "Give It To Me," to the confetti-blasted "(Ain't Nothing But a) House Party," the J. Geils Band hit all the bases in vintage form. Calling for one last song, Wolf still had the gas to toss a falsetto turn into "First I Look at the Purse."
A stage introduction injected the sense of humor to trumpet the group as a multiple "nominee" for the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame when a night like this only reminded how much the J. Geils Band deserves enshrinement.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Lake Street Dive continue to branch out in popularity, as the bubbly New England Conservatory-bred quartet plays Lowell's Summer Music series at Boarding House Park on Friday and headlines the Amourasaurus! festival at the Pines Theater in Northampton on Sunday. Yet the weirdest coup for the jazz-pop group comes next month when its powerhouse singer Rachael Price steps into the Grace Slick role in a Hot Tuna-led Jefferson Airplane tribute at Virginia's Lockn' Festival. Speaking of striking singers, this Friday as well, the Sinclair hosts four distinctive local bands in the glammy Sidewalk Driver, the soulful Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents, recent Improper cover star Ruby Rose Fox and rock outfit the Lights Out (who now ironically string LED-light chains on their instruments). And you can also watch all of those groups joining for this video of "Chain of Fools."
Melissa Etheridge moves into Boarding House Park with her charismatic rock on Saturday and Northampton's feisty, rising indie-rockers Speedy Ortiz change things up in playing Sunday afternoon aboard the Provincetown II's Rock and Blues Concert Cruise on Boston Harbor, leaving from the Seaport World Trade Center.
Sound Ideas
Live Review: Phish Plunge into Magnaball Madness
Fans cheer Phish's post-midnight secret jam behind a drive-in screen at Magnaball. Photos by Paul Robicheau.
In 1996, six years before the birth of Bonnaroo, Phish hatched similar campout festivals packed with audio-visual goodies. Ten festivals later, some things haven't changed, evidenced by this past weekend's Magnaball in Watkins Glen, N.Y. A load of people show up in a remote location, party down, and revel in tons of music by Phish and only Phish, which performed more than 11 hours of music in eight sets across the weekend.
Granted, the 70,000-strong crowds that showed up in the '90s (when I covered Phish festivals for the Boston Globe and Rolling Stone) have dissipated, settling into a relatively more comfy 30,000 sellout at Watkins Glen International. That's a hell of a lot more manageable than the record-setting 600,000 that showed up at the racetrack for 1973's historic Summer Jam with the Allman Brothers Band, the Grateful Dead and the Band.
In turn, Phish erects a skyscraping stage for lighting director Chris Kuroda to spin matrix-like magic, campsites are awarded thematic names (this year after defunct rock venues from the Wetlands to Boston Garden) and the grounds are filled with installations designed by Phish's visual-art friends. This year's oddities included a castle-like "laboratory" filled with sideshow-like oddities and assorted sculptures, like a field of green ears.
But the big surprise, even if it's not much of a surprise these days, was an unannounced Phish set on the grounds beyond the main stage -- in this case, a mock drive-in movie screen that sprawled across the bleachers under an illuminated Magnaball sign -- complete with some old cars lined up at the bottom. After midnight on Saturday, Phish slipped onto a tiny stage behind that partially opaque screen to improvise a dark, 50-minute ambient soundscape while fractal visuals floated upon the scrim, eventually teasing glimpses of the live band (in turn, too bad the group didn't activate standard screens for fans on the outskirts to view the weekend's main-stage action). That late-night music also didn't seem so novel after Phish had slipped into similarly abstract space during a few jams that emerged within three previous regular sets that long day alone. Still, exhaustion breeds the surreal.
That said, Phish has been on fire this summer, consistently jamming at a sophisticated level, fueled by guitarist Trey Anastasio's experience playing "Fare Thee Well" stadium shows with the surviving members of the Grateful Dead. Sure, Phish took staples like "Chalkdust Torture" and "Down with Disease" for extended rides, but songs like "Bathtub Gin" and even the largely pokey "Prince Caspian" surged upon waves of inspired improv, hovering near the 20-minute mark. Even new songs like the funky "No Men in No Man's Land" and bassist Mike Gordon's apt "How Many People Are You?" rocked the field with a surprising edge and energy. Fans responded in kind, not only tossing glowsticks during a "Harry Hood" jam per '90s tradition, but almost any moment they thought was appropriate, at times making the field look like it was under attack from swarms of neon grasshoppers.
Phish served a couple of favorite jams from the band's Halloween 2014 twist on the sound effects album Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House as well as such rarities as the sing-songy "Buffalo Bill," Gordon's "Mock Song" and the Jewish prayer "Avenu Malkenu," wrapped in Anastasio instrumental "The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday," the theme from his senior thesis at Vermont's Goddard College. Bluegrass was essentially omitted and covers were limited to five (most notably a soaring take on Lou Reed's "Rock and Roll") as Phish amazingly played 70 songs without repeats across the weekend while skipping such warhorses as "Piper" and "Fluffhead."
The band seemingly tried to round out its final set with as many touchstones as possible, serving "Mike's Song," "Fuego," "Twist," "Weekapaug Groove" and a torrid encore of "You Enjoy Myself" -- complete with trampoline bouncing and an a cappella jam to an extensive fireworks display. Keyboardist Page McConnell had the last word – and drew a last laugh from Anastasio – as the music came to an end and he cut through the fireworks with a Halloween sample that blurted "You thought there was going to be a huge explosion, didn't you?"
Earlier, Anastasio practically choked up when he thanked members of the band's crew while standout drummer Jon Fishman "sucked love" on a vacuum-cleaner hose for comic sonic effect in "I Didn't Know." But even though Phish has staged only three festivals since the band's 2009 return after a five-year breakup, the success of Magnaball gave the impression that this one probably won't be the last.
All photos (c) 2015 by Paul Robicheau
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
You can celebrate the anniversary of Woodstock with the Workingman's Band at Somerville's Arts at the Armory on Friday or snatch a bit of that spirit throughout the weekend with Phish at its three-day Magnaball festival in Watkins Glen, N.Y., the band's only Northeast appearance – and site of another historic show with bands including the Grateful Dead. Trey Anastasio and his Phish mates have been on fire this summer in the wake of his role in the Dead survivors' Fare Thee Well stadium shows – and the Vermont group's campouts always offer historic delights when it comes to both over-the-top music and art installations. Magnaball's sold out as well as far away, but Phish's also selling a live video webcast of the whole shebang in addition to its weekend-long free streaming (including the band's several live sets) on temporary radio station the Bunny, both linked here.
If you're ready for a stadium experience at another extreme, rock yourself silly with the return of AC/DC (above) at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, alas without the group's co-founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young (retired with dementia) and drummer Phil Rudd (retired at least temporarily on drug charges). At least the band has activated able replacements in nephew Stevie Young on second guitar and the imposing Chris Slade on drums, and it's really all about Angus Young's lead guitar shenanigans. The formula may be simple and repetitive, and the guys are getting older, but no band rocks like AC/DC.
Friday night also rocks with the hip-hop of mercurial rapper Earl Sweatshirt at the Paradise Rock Club and gender-blurring performance artist/rapper Mykki Blanco on the ICA's outdoor deck. On Saturday afternoon, the annual Starlabfest hits Union Square with bands including Zip-Tie Handcuffs and the Novel Ideas, and if you're Cape-bound, rock with the Sheila Divine and Dirty Bangs at the Beachcomber in Wellfleet that night. Country icon Loretta Lynn also makes a rare live appearance at Cohasset's South Shore Music Circus on Saturday night, while blues legend Buddy Guy lets rip on his guitar at Webster's Indian Ranch on Sunday afternoon.
From the Top
Team Player
The Patriots' quest for a fifth Super Bowl title began almost immediately after the fourth was won, which means Bill Belichick only had about a month to unwind this summer. But during his vacation on Nantucket, the famously private coach took a break from perfecting his golf game and graciously made time for our photo shoot—even helping us lug camera equipment and offering recommendations for sandwich spots on the island. It's a side of Belichick that might surprise those who've only seen his game face, and one Matt Martinelli gets to know in our cover story. Elsewhere, Noah Davis heads to the Boston HQ of DraftKings for a look at their fight to rule daily fantasy sports, an industry that didn't exist a decade ago but now has billions of dollars in play. Meanwhile, Jonathan Soroff chats with wide receiver Julian Edelman about his gameday routine and teammates' hidden talents, and Ezra Dyer offers his Patriots prognostications for the season ahead. Game on.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Conceptually and musically, you'd be hard pressed to find a more enchanting indie-pop combo than Lucius (above). Fronted by co-lead singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, who sport identical hair and outfits, the Berklee-schooled, Brooklyn-based band recasts girl-group vocals with sparse, fuzzy guitars and tribal percussion. After a couple of unexpected recent appearances at the Boston Calling and Newport Folk festivals, Lucius returns on its own terms – and in the best setting, alongside the harbor outside the Institute of Contemporary Art as part of the museum's Friday night Wavelength series. Lucius has been working on new material for a followup to 2013's standout Wildewoman, so expect a bit of a preview. Aaron Dessner and Lisa Hannigan are no longer on the bill, but Heather Woods Broderick will make a compatible opener on the deck outside the ICA.
Also on Friday, rambunctious roots-rockers Delta Spirit cap a two-night stand at the Sinclair with expected friends like Dr. Dog's Scott McMicken, Deer Tick's Ian O'Neil and the Parkington Sisters. And over at the Lizard Lounge the same night, outside-the-box virtuosos Dave Tronzo (slide guitar) and Mat Maneri (electric viola) sit in with jazz/world/groove collective Club d'elf. With all the buzz about Phish's Trey Anastasio taking the Jerry Garcia role in the recent "Fare Thee Well" stadium shows with Grateful Dead survivors, it's easy to overlook the role that Bruce Hornsby played on piano and vocals. But now Hornsby's likely to weave some Dead tunes into his own band the Noisemakers' Friday set at Boarding House Park as part of the Lowell Summer Music Series. On Saturday, guitarist/singer Warren Haynes – another star journeyman who's done time with the Dead, Allman Brothers and his own Gov't Mule – plays that park. And when it comes to surf-rock legends, Dick Dale is the first name that comes to mind; the 78-year-old, Quincy-bred guitar king returns to town despite health issues (gotta pay those medical bills) to fire up the stage at the Middle East Downstairs for an early show on Saturday night.
On the jazz front, there's the Rockport Music Festival at the state-of-the-art Shalin Liu Performance Center, highlighted by a trio featuring 12-year-old piano prodigy Joey Alexander on Saturday and guitarist Julian Lage's trio on Sunday, both in afternoon shows, while the festival closes with poll-winning clarinetist Anat Cohen's quartet on Sunday night. Here's the whole Rockport Jazz schedule. Also, not quite as far north, the Salem Jazz & Soul Festival takes over the Salem Willows with programming on Saturday and Sunday, closing out with Barrence Whitfield and the Grits & Groceries Orchestra. And here's the rundown on Salem's annual event.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
It'll be a triple-play for the Zac Brown Band, as that country-rock jukebox returns to Fenway Park this Friday through Sunday, bringing a fancy, three-tiered stage with hi-tech video effects. Lyle Lovett and his Large Band also hit the open air this weekend, with Lovett sharing his wry flair on Friday for the Lowell Summer Music series at Boarding House Park and on Saturday at the Cape Cod Melody Tent. And Mansfield's Xfinity Center rocks on Friday with Incubus and the Deftones.
Otherwise, the most interesting takes are indoors. Radiohead drummer Philip Selway fronts his fine solo project at the Sinclair on Friday, showing an affinity for picking a great drummer and floating moods and vocals akin to his main band. New York's funky, mostly female post-punk group the Bush Tetras resurface at the Sinclair on Saturday with A Band Called E (Thalia Zedek), Gene Dante & the Future Starlets, and a DJ set from Hugo Burnham, the former drummer for Gang of Four, who mined similar ground to the Tetras in the early '80s.
And the Middle East rocks into the weekend with Fuzzstival, stacking the Boston scene's many psych/fuzz/surf rock standouts, including the New Highway Hymnal and Barbazons on Friday upstairs and Creaturos, Drug Rug, Quilt, Vundabar and Zip-Tie Handcuffs as part of a downstairs two-stage extravaganza on Saturday. Here's the whole Fuzzstival lineup and you can read about a few of the bands from our recent music issue.
Remember the Canadian rock trio Triumph? Its singer/guitarist Rik Emmett rolls into Club Passim for acoustic duo shows on Saturday and Sunday. And Australian country-rock chanteuse Kasey Chambers (pictured above) returns to these shores behind her brooding new album Bittersweet at the Sinclair on Sunday.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
It's clearly a hot and beautiful weekend for outdoor concerts. For starters, it's the second of two nights with the hefty double bill of perennial favorites Steely Dan and Elvis Costello with his Imposters at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion. Saturday serves up the return of Van Halen down at Mansfield's Xfinity Center -- hopefully with David Lee Roth keeping shtick and singing in balance with rock guitar star Eddie Van Halen's family crew. At age 76, Gordon Lightfoot will resurrect his own hits the same night at the Lowell Summer Music series at Boarding House Park. And Sunday, Boy George plays the karma chameleon with his '80s-founded band Culture Club at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion (and get there early for an opening set from Boston's own fine Parlour Bells).
For those seeking a broad view of jazz, there's no better destination than lovely waterside Fort Adams State Park in Rhode Island for the Newport Jazz Festival. Friday warms up with the likes of Snarky Puppy, Christian McBride and Ambrose Akinmusire, while Saturday soars with Cassandra Wilson, Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Hiromi, Lisa Fischer (pictured) with her band Grand Baton, Maria Schneider Orchestra and Jack DeJohnette's Made in Chicago band. And Sunday serves another busy slate that includes Jamie Cullum, the Mike Stern/Bill Evans Band, Dr. John, Bill Frisell and Fred Hersch. Here's the entire Newport Jazz lineup. To the north, there's also the Tweed River Music Festival in Waitsfield, Vt., on Friday through Sunday, featuring Lydia Loveless as well as New England-born talent like Bow Thayer, Laurie Sargent (who also plays locally at Club Passim on Friday), Joe Fletcher, Jesse Dee, Tim Gearhan and OldJack. Here's the whole Tweed River schedule.
For those who prefer live music a bit more intimate and indoors, there are a few shows to note as well. Boston-bred, Nashville-based music journalist and guitarist/singer Ted Drozdowski leads his psyche-blues Scissormen into Johnny D's Uptown for an early Friday show. Guitar alchemist Thurston Moore cranks up his latest band that include his ex-Sonic Youth mate Steve Shelley on drums at the Sinclair on Sunday. And the same night, if you didn't catch her at Newport (or even if you did!), you won't find a better room than Rockport's Shalin Liu Performance Center to bask in the dynamic vocal palette of Lisa Fischer, who's best known for going toe-to-toe with Mick Jagger as a backup singer with the Rolling Stones. Here's a jump to my recent interview.
Improper Now
Live Review: Converse Rubber Tracks present Future Islands at the Sinclair
Pants were ripped.
It ain't a party until you dance your pants off. That was the sentiment at this past Thursday night's Future Islands show at the Sinclair—the latest in Converse Rubber Tracks' new series of killer free shows, most announced a week or two before—where frontman Samuel T. Herring made good on his promise to dance until he ripped his skinny jeans open.
There was a already a line of anxious young people snaking its way down Church Street and around the coner before opener Bad Rabbits, bringing the funk as usual, took the stage. T beauty and the beautiful agony of Rubber Tracks' free show programming is that they offer a limited amount of spots (via an online RSVP), in order to keep the shows intimate, and an RSVP doesn't necessarily guarantee admittance—so it behooves atendees to get there early.
Those who did so Thursday night were rewarded for their efforts. To underestimate Herring, who more closely remsembles a middle-aged accountant than a rock star, would be a grave mistake. Gifted with an inimitable, singularly strange and hypnotic set of pipes that alternate between throaty crooning to guttural howls that border on animalistic, Herring is a captivating frontman. His unassuming style belies an inner freak—in a good way—one who reveals himself in his onstage moves: Unfettered, uninhibited thrusting and jiving like a man possessed. All the better to rip one's pants open, my dear.
The Baltimore outfit gave the fans what they wanted, running through hits like "Balance" and "Seasons (Waiting on You)" to the roaring delight of a crowd whose herky-jerk dance moves sought to imitate Herring's. [Side note: Who knew so many Bahston bros were Future Island fans? A collective of flat-brimmed baseball hat wearing 20-something dudes hollered between songs, fists pumping their approval.]
Dripping with the sweat he'd flung out to the crowd as he jazzercized with abandon through a roughly two-hour set, Herring and company treated an amped-up crowd to not one but two encores. Running high on adrenaline and good vibes, and reluctant to leave, many showgoers paused to take advantage of the ever-present Rubber Tracks photo booth (this one outfitted with a tripy whale backdrop) before pouring out into the night.
Here's looking forward to the next installment of what's shaping up to be some excellent free programming from Bowery Boston and the Converse Rubber Tracks team.
Sound Ideas
Live Review: Newport Folk Only Adds to Its Prominence
(Abigail Washington, Bela Fleck, the Decemberists' Colin Meloy, Brandi Carlile and Newport Folk producer Jay Sweet watch James Taylor perform from the side of the stage on Saturday. Photos by Paul Robicheau)
Just when other New England music fests were starting to grab some limelight, the Newport Folk Festival raised the bar to another level over the weekend, with previously unannounced guests joining in its collaborative spirit.
Even before Sunday's finale saluted the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan going electric at Newport in 1965 with Al Kooper, Dawes, Robyn Hitchcock, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings leading the charge through Dylan covers, Newport delivered a front-loaded bang with surprise sets by My Morning Jacket and James Taylor.
After a rich turn heavy on its prog-ish new album The Waterfall, My Morning Jacket served as Roger Waters' band on Friday (below), giving textural muscle to Pink Floyd classics "Mother," "Wish You Were Here" and Dark Side of the Moon climax "Brain Damage/Eclipse," particularly sublime with Lucius on backing vocals. "And the sun is eclipsed by the moon," Waters sang to loving lunatics on the grass, and the moon parted rain clouds.
Those who found the Floyd mastermind's one-off appearance out of place may have been surprised, however, by warm tributes to John Prine, Levon Helm (with daughter Amy Helm also singing on "Wide River to Cross") and Dylan, whose "Forever Young" found Waters, 71, heartily relishing the chorus. Then, a classy move, Waters introduced each and every member of his ad-hoc band, which also including guitarist G.E. Smith.
That provided the climax for Friday, which also included the Sam Cooke-smooth vocals of Texas upstart Leon Bridges (above), the cathartic indie-folk of the Lone Bellow, the mariachi-tinged desert rock of Calexico, the rousing Strand of Oaks (below, partly evoking early My Morning Jacket), and crisp outfit the Tallest Man on Earth, featuring Dylan-influenced Swedish folk-rocker Kristian Matsson.
Saturday's buzz was all about James Taylor, who got beyond sound glitches with sweet chestnuts like "Sweet Baby James" and "Carolina on My Mind." He also introduced Newport founder George Wein as "the man who made this all happen" by inviting the Berkshires resident to the festival. Otherwise, credit for the fest's recent booking clout goes to producer Jay Sweet, who stood with many of the day's artists to watch Taylor's set.
Other Saturday highlights included laidback wordsmith Courtney Barnett (above, who flew in from Australia just for Newport and gained steam with her finger-brushed guitar leads), the likewise raucous Langhorne Slim, sassy songstress Nikki Lane, velvety-voiced country crooner Sturgill Simpson and sensitive indie-pop colorist Sufjan Stevens before the Decemberists wrapped things up with a guest-aided take on Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land."
Tommy Stinson (above) arrived late Saturday to storm the stage where North Mississippi Allstars guitarist Luther Dickinson (whose dad Jim produced Stinson's Replacements) and Puss 'n' Boots bassist Catherine Popper had been killing time, dropping dollars out of his pocket as he foraged for a guitar pick before grabbing one off Dickinson's amp. And Brandi Carlile (below) suggested she may be most potent as an all-acoustic act with flanking twins Tim and Phil Hanseroth, lighting up the stage with her beaming energy and clarion voice.
By the time Sunday rolled around with stars like Hozier, First Aid Kit, Lord Huron and Laura Marling, everything was gravy, with further nods to Newport's historic track record -- and the power of plugging in as a way to diversify the folk tradition. The festival has has reestablished itself as an international draw and near-instant sellout, at least for its long-held Saturday and Sunday lineups. But this year, even without unannounced stars adding to the glimmer, Newport Folk made Friday as essential as any day.
This weekend, the Newport Jazz Festival takes over beautiful Fort Adams State Park for another three days, though Saturday and Sunday still promise the most star power with Cassandra Wilson, Jack DeJohnette, Lisa Fischer, Jamie Cullum, Dr. John, and an encore appearance by Jon Batiste & Stay Human, whose future Stephen Colbert late-night bandleader also played Newport Folk. Still, you never know exactly what will happen, beyond this weekend's nod to the 60th anniversary of Miles Davis. Alas, unlike Dylan, who passed on the Newport Folk tribute, there's no chance of the late trumpeter showing up – again, beyond profound influence.
All photos (c) by Paul Robicheau
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
If you're a fan of live music, you must be busy this weekend, given the choice of four festivals (three of them free) as well as the final two nights of the Central Square landmark T.T. the Bear's Place and other great concerts around town.
It's been a glorious week of bands revisiting T.T.'s for the last time. On Tuesday alone, Evan Dando reconnected onstage with old Lemonheads mate Ben Deily, while the Thalia Zedek Band was joined by her Come guitar foil Chris Brokaw. Now that we're getting down to the final two nights of the farewell blowout, however, it's really starting to sink in how much the scene will miss this club. The Dogmatics and the Neighborhoods lead the honors on Friday, while Saturday closes down with Willie Alexander, Randy Black, O Positive and, finally, Scruffy the Cat and guests.
On the heels of the T.T.'s closing comes the likewise-sad word that Johnny D's Uptown will close early next year. But on Friday, that homey Davis Square club presents Steeleye Span, the venerable English folk-rock group fronted by Maddy Prior, amazingly back after cycles of personnel changes since 1969. And as seen in this Johnny D's clip, Old 97s frontman Rhett Miller holds court solo on Friday at Atwood's Tavern. Another veteran British band (subject of the 2014 documentary Revenge of the Mekons), the spirited roots-punk group the Mekons (pictured) close a rare U.S. tour at the Middle East Upstairs on Saturday with a full crew of principals, including singer/guitarists Jon Langford and Tom Greenhalgh, singer Sally Timms, violinist Susie Honeyman, strings ace Lu Edmonds and drummer Steve Goulding. Downstairs at the Middle East the same night, you can also catch a rare show by the locally sewn hip-hop supertrio Czarface (7L, Esoteric and Wu Tang's Inspectah Deck), seen here at their last Middle East show, or jump to my recent interview.
But most of the weekend's "folk" action will take place at festivals. Long sold out, Rhode Island's Newport Folk Festival carries the biggest profile, with a Friday bill sporting Pink Floyd guiding force Roger Waters as well as the Lone Bellow, Angel Olsen and Calexico, a Saturday throwdown with the Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens and Courtney Barnett, and a Sunday wrapup with Hozier, First Aid Kit, Lord Huron and a '65 Revisted finale (in keeping with an earlier presentation by Elijah Wald, author of the new Dylan Goes Electric). Here's the full Newport schedule. To the north, there's the free downtown Lowell Folk Festival and its plate of ethnic folk variations, this year with Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners, gospel group the Fairfield Four and Malian lute player Bassekou Kouyate. Here's the full schedule for Lowell. And in Boston, there's the free Summer Arts Weekend in Copley Square Park, which offers country-steeped duo Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, R&B survivor Bettye LaVette and New Orleans' Dirty Dozen Brass Band on Saturday as well as angelic Big Easy singer Aaron Neville and Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster. Here's the full schedule for Summer Arts Weekend.
Prefer jazz? If all that doesn't fill your schedule, on Sunday, drop by the University Park Commons on Sydney Street for the free Cambridge Jazz Festival with soulful vocalist Nneena Freelon, pianists Laszlo Gardony and JoAnne Brackeen, and Grammy Award-winning Latin percussionist Eguie Castrillo. Here's the full lineup for Cambridge Jazz. And over at Club Passim, Throwing Muses songstress Kristin Hersh performs on Sunday night.
Sound Ideas
Concert Review: Foo Fighters Rock Fenway, Bosstones pull double-duty at T.T.'s
Three punk-inspired bands – the Foo Fighters, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Mission of Burma – found glory at Fenway Park on Saturday with intersecting story lines, carrying on to T.T. the Bear's Place for at least one of the groups.
The headlining Foos, who put the Fenway bill together, played the beat-adversity card, with singer/guitarist Dave Grohl rocking out on a custom-made throne for his band's first U.S. stadium swing after breaking his leg last month in Sweden. "We're trying to make this stadium feel like the sweaty f---ing club down the street!" Grohl told fans who seemed to surprise him by howling back "Foooo!!"
That sweaty club would be T.T. the Bear's Place, which Grohl name-checked and provided the Bosstones with their second stop of the night, letting frontman Dicky Barrett get in the face of a fervent crowd to heat up that rock haven's final week.
For its part, Mission of Burma came the closest to Grohl's former band Nirvana as a bare-bones trio that laid out angular, textural post-punk, seemingly out of place to the slow-arriving stadium crowd. "One of the bands that made me want to play music in the first place," Grohl later gushed of Burma in thanking his opening acts (the Foos leader set a different guest plate Sunday with the Dropkick Murphys).
Grohl sure didn't let a loss of mobility temper his passion or energy as the Foo Fighters roared through more than two and a half hours of loud, tightly honed originals plus covers that included Queen's "Under Pressure" (a vocal showcase for whiplash drummer Taylor Hawkins) and a climactic rampage through AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock." Nonetheless, at one point, Grohl asked the crowd whether it wanted classic rock or Foo Fighters material and a "Foooo!" chant made the choice clear; the group responded with a dynamics-wrung detonation of "All My Life."
Grohl's throne, encrusted with guitar necks and a ring of swiveling lights around the Foo Fighters' emblem, did slide up a runway to part the middle of the crowd. But the singer also hobbled out there on crutches for acoustic versions of "There Goes My Hero" and "Times Like These," waving his crutches like battle shields. He also slid down the ramp on his throne for an indulgent solo of scrapping guitar strings across his boot cast in "Outside," a gambit that wore out its welcome, much like the long set exposed the Foos' rather same-sounding sonic palette.
Barrett was the first to stalk that runway, however, during a Bosstones set that included a walk-on by legendary oddball Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee and dropped favorites like "Where'd You Go?" and "Don't Worry, Desmond Dekker," though horns got lost in stadium acoustics except for Chris Rhodes' beefy trombone.
Those tunes were reprised at T.T.'s, where the ska-punk combo's longer, sweltering throwdown found Barrett and dancer Ben Carr shedding their military-styled suits. Grohl never showed up at T.T.'s as rumored, but he didn't need to. The night closed with a manic "Lights Out," a cover of punk band the Angry Samoans that even inspired a couple of stage-divers and provided a fitting nod to a Central Square landmark that Barrett hailed for serving as "A great place to hang around."
Dicky Barrett entertains the crowd that packed T.T.'s for the Bosstones. Photo by Paul Robicheau.
Sound Ideas
Concert Review: Billy Joel Takes '80s Turn at Fenway Park
Billy Joel gets help from Mark Rivera, Carl Fischer and Crystal Taliefero at Fenway. Photo by Paul Robicheau.
"Feels like I was here just a couple of days ago," Billy Joel told the sold-out faithful returning to Fenway Park for a concert on a picture-perfect Thursday night. "Hell of a year."
It's been just over a year since Joel, 66, last played Fenway. And the Long Island pop icon, who hasn't released one of his classic albums in years, has been busy on his own terms, scattering shows in his record-breaking Madison Square Garden residency, playing Bonnaroo and, only two weeks ago, getting married again. The pregnant Alexis Roderick, 33, took the stage for a kiss Thursday after a perfunctory "Piano Man," a song so expected and hallowed that fans didn't so much erupt at its first notes as hush and whip out camera-phones.
Luckily, everything wasn't quite so rehashed in Joel's Fenway reprise, as the singer dropped eight different songs than last summer's ballpark soiree. They included "Vienna," "Say Goodbye to Hollywood," the rarity "All for Leyna" and a stirring "Goodnight Saigon," with a choir of Air Force officers joining the "We will all go down together" chorus – and Joel shaking everyone's hands at the end. That song, along with the "Downeaster 'Alexa'" (about commercial fishermen) and "Allentown," nodded to his recognition of Americans in tough-job situations.
Alas, Joel got stuck in the '80s though, though late-innings songs that included "An Innocent Man," "My Life" (where Joel brushed off critics, saying "If I listened to you, I'd still be washing dishes at Nick's Luncheonette") and a Caribbean-tinged "Keeping the Faith." The main clunker came in a stiff, dinky-sounding "We Didn't Start the Fire," when whoever was in charge of impressive big-screen visuals froze images of lyric-matching characters until the singer caught up from a lapsed line. Indeed, a misstep is rare for Joel and his professional crew. His tight eight-piece band, spiced by the veterans Mark Rivera (sax) and Crystal Taliefero (percussion, sax), actually sounded studio-punchy on "Sometimes a Fantasy" and pulled off the backing harmonies to "The Longest Time" like a well-honed a cappella group.
One could still marvel at Joel's impeccable songwriting flair with "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and even "She's Always a Woman." Well, "Uptown Girl," not so much. But for his age, Joel still knows how to deliver a show, even twirling and tossing his mic stand during "It's Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me." And you couldn't argue with a more-fitting final encore than the winking "Only the Good Die Young."
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
The free Outside the Box Festival has taken over Boston Common this week -- without the sweltering weather of its 2013 debut. And it's finishing strong with country upstart Kacey Musgraves headlining on Friday, Boston boys-done-good Guster on Saturday (much warmer than on the band's tribute day in January, when Guster busked outside an Allston donut shot) and a Sunday rich with local notables like Ruby Rose Fox, Air Traffic Controller, Will Dailey and Bad Rabbits. And that's not including all the other bands, dance and theater offered at this multi-stage fest. Here's the full OTB schedule, and may I remind you, it's free!
There's also free live music by great local acts to absorb at Somerville's ArtBeat Festival, capped on Friday night by Club d'elf with Duke Levine, while Saturday afternoon offers the Soft Pyramids, Eternals and Mount Peru. Here's the whole ArtBeat schedule.
Other shows on Friday include the eclectic, swinging roots ensemble Dustbowl Revival at the Regattabar and Chris Robinson Band spreading the jam at lovely Boarding House Park for the Lowell Summer Music series north of town (after the CRB hit the South Shore last weekend for Levitate). If you're on Cape Cod, you could check out the groovy bluesman G. Love on Friday or lively ska veterans Bim Skala Bim on Saturday at the Beachcomber in Wellfleet. And jazz singer/pianist Diana Krall getting interpretive at the South Shore Music Circus on Saturday and the Cape Cod Melody Tent on Sunday.
But the weekend's two biggest shows come at Fenway Park with the Foo Fighters, who hit the ballpark with leader Dave Grohl performing from a crazy throne while his broken leg heals after a fall from a stage in Sweden. Here's a clip from a recent concert where Grohl explains his escapade in a song intro. He and the Foos are showing love to Boston musicians at Fenway with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Mission of Burma opening on Saturday and the Dropkick Murphys joining Royal Blood on Sunday.
That T.T.'s swan song also continues on Friday with the Upper Crust, (the aptly named) Last Stand, the Bristols and Reid Paley, Saturday with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones (a hot ticket coming from Fenway), and Sunday with the Daily Pravda, Bearstronaut, Spirit Kid and the Sterns among the bands lining up to pay respects to that venerable Central Square club.
Sound Ideas
Live Review: U2 Divide and Conquer TD Garden
U2's Larry Mullen Jr., the Edge and Bono make a splash at TD Garden. Photo by Paul Robicheau.
Signs leading into U2's current iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE tour weren't promising. First there was the public blowback over the Irish supergroup's 2014 album Songs of Innocence popping up in people's iTunes accounts like a free but unsolicited serving of processed food. Then came frontman Bono's slow recovery from a serious November bicycle spill that left him unable to play guitar, although guitarist the Edge fared better two months ago when he blindly stepped off a ramp into a security pit at the tour's first stop in Vancouver.
So what a pleasant surprise that U2's return to town showed the quartet revitalized -- physically, musically and technologically – in Friday's first of four shows at TD Garden. U2 proved once again that its charismatic connection with fans and its ability to revolutionize stage design remain unparalleled at the arena level. The thematically cohesive, two-and-a-half-hour concert provided both an intimate rebound from 2009's overscaled 360° tour at Gillette Stadium and the band's most satisfying program since the Elevation tour in 2001.
This was Boston, after all, a hotbed for U2 since the group opened a show at the Paradise Rock Club in 1980. "You weren't all there," Bono chided Friday's soldout crowd, designating the Garden a "hometown show." Not only did a person on the floor hoist a sign for rare oldie "11 O'Clock Tick Tock," but another sign called for "Snippet of Acrobat," begging for even a piece of a never-performed tune.
U2 wasted no time in reaffirming its prowess. Bono confidently strode the runway up the center of the arena floor to launch "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)," the Songs of Innocence opener coming off stronger live with fans joining its "Whoa!" chant before Bono sent a large hanging lightbulb swinging over the main stage as his bandmates kicked in. The whiplash jolt of "The Electric Co." (from U2's 1980 debut Boy, with the "Send in the Clowns" serenade that Bono once famously served in at the Orpheum Theatre after climbing into an upper box to fetch a fan's white flag) and the 2004 raveup "Vertigo" made sure that U2 began with a career-bridging knockout. After those three punches, the singer hopped in place, adopting the stance of a cocky boxer.
That's when U2 began to unveil the breadth of its staging. The group has always been a unifying force in concert, conveyed Friday in later sing-alongs as the anti-violence "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (the four members stretched along the ramp behind Larry Mullen Jr.'s marching drum to cry "We can be as one tonight!" over a reggae pulse) and "One," when fans even carried the verses. So how novel for U2 to split the crowd with a massive two-sided LED wall that stretched over the floor-spanning walkway and contained an upper catwalk that let band members climb inside images flashed to separate sides of the arena. The see-through wall still drew the focus of fans from either side, while speakers suspended from the arena ceiling better distributed the sound. In turn, there wasn't really a bad seat in the house (at least on the lower level) to watch the ever-mobile band, though dead-center bowl seats negated the impact of the screens.
An early Songs of Innocence sequence that tracked the band growing up in Dublin provided the first wow when Bono virtually walked down an animated street in "Cedarwood Road" (even disappearing behind opaque cars), while an animated version of the younger rocker wandered out of a bedroom sporting posters of the Clash and Kraftwerk during "Song for Someone." His bandmates' cyclical shuffle, however, paled next to later nugget "Bad," where Bono rode a similar rhythmic motif to an emotive, full-throated climax.
Perhaps the coolest effect came in the apocalyptic "Until the End of the World." The Edge soloed inside the screens while Bono precisely positioned himself in front of a camera on the satellite stage to project his giant image spitting a stream of water on his lilliputian guitar foil, even holding him in his palm. Amusingly, for all the technology, when Bono handed a presumed iPhone to a woman from the crowd to live-stream a stripped-down yet rousing "Elevation" on the second stage via a Meerkat app, reception cut out to audio only. So much for that.
U2 loves to contrast conflict and redemption in its music and kept toggling that tension in concert. Bono held his microphone stand like a spear opposite the Edge's scorching slide solo in "Bullet the Blue Sky" before he strode the ramp with a megaphone to gasp, "I'm an American. I can't breathe." That segued into the MLK tribute "Pride (In the Name of Love)," which Bono dubbed "A song for the peacemakers" as he rattled off the names of recent racial hotspots Baltimore, Ferguson and Charleston, then recognized Boston Marathon bombing survivors.
The frontman wandered a bit in a spiel to touch on activist causes that U2 has supported, including Amnesty International and the (RED) campaign to wipe out AIDS (with a shoutout to supporter Tom Brady before a snippet of Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion"), but this remained one triumphant night.
"Thanks for standing by us," Bono said. And Friday's concert ended like many classic U2 shows, with the Edge and bassist Adam Clayton switching their instruments for "40," a hymn-like lullaby dedicated to U2's recently deceased tour manager Dennis Sheehan, the crowd chanting "How long to sing this song" as the band members waved goodbye one by one. As usual, Mullen extended the beat and departed last. But as he exited the runway, the drummer stopped to accept a flower from a fan to his right and hand it to another on his left, bringing those ingenuously split sides together with a symbolic final gesture.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Who will Bono invite onstage for a song during U2's first pair of four TD Garden shows on its Innocence + Experience tour? A U2 tribute band even matched riffs with its Irish rock heroes in Toronto. We'll find out on Friday and Saturday; U2 has been serving fairly consistent sets with a few rotating nuggets from its early albums and several songs from last fall's Songs of Innocence and high-tech video walls that even stretch along the floor-spanning catwalk to a second stage. Other Friday shows to consider include Club d'elf with guitarist Van Martin and ex-Zappa percussionist Ed Mann (both seen in this clip) at the Lizard Lounge and feisty scion siren Martha Wainwright at the ICA as part of its Wavelength outdoor shows on the waterfront. There's also an outstanding Saturday night hip-hop festival at the Middle East with local stars EDO.G, Slaine, Rite Hook, Dutch ReBelle, Termanology, Acrobatik, Reks, STL GLD and Latrell James.
But two festivals also grace this summer's first seasonably hot weekend. West of Boston, the Green River Festival takes over the grounds of Greenfield Community College, primarily on Saturday and Sunday, boasting an eclectic lineup that includes Milk Carton Kids, Punch Brothers, Rubblebucket, tUnE-yArDs (pictured), Red Baraat and Steve Earle (who moves on to his own Tuesday show at the Wilbur Theatre). Here's the full schedule. But don't forget to catch Green River's signature experience: hot-air balloons that hover at one end of the field around sunset while the bands play at the other end. South of Boston, there's also the Levitate Music & Arts Festival, a Saturday soiree at the Marshfield Fairgrounds that sports Big Easy favorites Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Galactic plus Dr. Dog and the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, whose Neal Casal made the intermission music for the Grateful Dead's Fare Thee Well simulcasts last weekend. Here's a jump to my recent Robinson interview.
On Sunday afternoon, in a different outdoor context, locally born rock sensations Kingsley Flood and Americana band Parsonsfield play the Rock and Blues Concert Cruise aboard the Provincetown II that leaves from the World Trade Center pier. And Sunday night, the venerable punk band Stiff Little Fingers plays the Sinclair, a rousing end to the weekend, especially if you need an alternate jolt of Irish rock.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
The July 4 weekend's usually pretty dead (pun to follow) on the live music scene, though there are a few things to consider. Boston's early '90s shoegaze pioneers the Swirlies reunite at Great Scott with Kudgel on Friday, part of a tour that's the Swirlies' first with guitarist/singer Seana Carmody since 2001. Earlier in the night, Ruby Rose Fox gives a rare solo performance at the Institute of Contemporary Art on the Seaport waterfront as part of the museum's First Fridays series.
Sadly, Friday also marks 16 years since local icon Mark Sandman died of a heart attack onstage in Italy with Morphine, an event sure to lend extra resonance to Vapors of Morphine's usual Saturday residence at Atwood's Tavern with Dana Colley and Jerome Deupree. Of course, there's also the Boston Pops at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade on Saturday (with Friday warmup). And on Sunday up in Rockport, blues-swing revivalist Pokey LaFarge leads his group at the beautiful Shalin Liu Performance Center.
For many folks, however, this weekend means the final joint concerts by Grateful Dead survivors Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart (with Trey Anastasio, Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti) in Chicago. For those without the time/inclination/cash/luck to attend the "Fare Thee Well" shows in person at Soldier's Field, there are local options to catch a live video feed via home webcast, limited movie theaters and, perhaps best of all, simulcasts at the Sinclair for only $5 a night. It's been 50 years for the Grateful Dead (though Jerry Garcia died in 1995) and 30 years since Anastasio played Dead covers with Phish in Vermont bars; now he's channeling Garcia licks on a stadium stage with the Dead clan. Here's a taste of that "Fare Thee Well" band from last weekend's two-show tune-up in Santa Clara, Calif.
Sound Ideas
Converse Rubber Tracks Opens Free Boston Studio
Studio manager Evan Kenney shows the recording console of Boston's new Converse Rubber Tracks facility (photo by Paul Robicheau)
Boston bands can apply for a free day with an engineer in a professional recording studio starting today with the opening of a permanent Converse Rubber Tracks studio next to that sneaker giant's new world headquarters at Lovejoy Wharf.
That shiny new studio between the TD Garden and the Charlestown Bridge will host daily eight-hour sessions. Bands will typically either record and mix one song, live-track several songs (possibly to film), or use the facility to mix existing tracks, says Brad Worrell, manager of Converse Rubber Tracks' similar studio in Brooklyn.
Best of all, the bands retain all rights to the music they make at Converse Rubber Tracks, which the company presents as its way to give back to a music community that's been supportive of the brand. This follows pop-up sessions held since December 2013 at Q Division in Somerville, where Converse Rubber Tracks has hosted such groups as Mellow Bravo, Barricades and Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion!
The 1,100-square-foot studio at Lovejoy Wharf boasts a 32-input Neves Design recording console, plus microphones, amplifiers, guitars, keyboards and drums that bands have the option of using in the space with windows overlooking the Zakim Bridge. Musicians also can tap into Converse Rubber Track's extensive free sample library.
The studio complements the Converse Rubber Tracks Live in Boston series, which climaxed with a dazzling five-night April run at the Sinclair that was headlined by the Replacements, Passion Pit, Slayer, Chance the Rapper and Descendents, with opening sets by bands that have recorded at the company studios. Last week, Matt & Kim headlined another free Sinclair show to celebrate the studio opening.
Bands can apply for free time at the Converse Rubber Tracks facility at Lovejoy Wharf via this link.
Off The Bench
NBA Free Agency: Celtics Preview
Danny Ainge's goal should be to sign as many players as possible.
When the clock strikes midnight this evening, the smartest move the Celtics can make is the most straightforward: Sign talented free agents.
It doesn't need to be Kevin Love (although he'd be nice) or Greg Monroe—both talented big men in their mid-20s who would immediately be the alpha dog on this team. If the Celtics walk away with a couple of guys who are ranked —oh, say 25 and 38 on top free-agent lists—it's a good thing regardless of the contract amount or the contract years.
Despite being a playoff team, the Celtics only had two players who would've been in an eight-man rotation on a championship team: Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas. It's likely that Marcus Smart's improvement will make that three next season, but they're still five guys short. Sure, Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Zeller have shown sparks at times, Evan Turner can hit some big shots, and Jae Crowder can energize the entire arena with his defense—but none of them are rotational players on a title team. And that's OK because the Celtics can be patient enough to see if any of them will take the next step. But aside from developing their own players—which coach Brad Stevens and his staff been great at during the past 24 months—this team just needs talent.
Two years into the rebuild, the Celtics have no other way to get better in the foreseeable future than signing free agents, regardless of whether they're max-contract guys. They've been down the other roads, and none of them led to surefire talent. In Year 1 of the rebuild, they tried "tanking," only to have the lottery balls bounce against them once again. With two years under his belt as an NBA coach, it's now inconceivable to envision a Stevens-led team winning fewer than 30 games in a season. So we can officially shut the door on the tanking path.
Last week, the Celtics went another route in the rebuild—try to package as many of your picks as possible for the best available asset. After two years of hoarding picks, they offered six picks to Charlotte for Frank Freaking Kaminsky (well, actually to pick Justise Winslow). After Charlotte said no, those picks are officially worth less than the ninth pick in the draft. So, the idea that the Celtics might be able to later trade these picks for something of value seems farfetched.
The other route is to lure a big free agent to Boston, but LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan seemingly have no interest in playing for the Celtics, while LeBron James, Marc Gasol, Kawhi Leonard and Love (yes, even Boston vacationer Kevin Love) are rumored to stay with their current teams. So the Celtics must settle for the next tier of players, many of who are restricted: Khris Middleton, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green. All these guys likely will sign for the mini-max contract (4 years, $60 million) and will have that contract matched by their teams. But all of them would instantly be the best player on the Celtics. Two other players closely linked to the Celtics in rumors are Robin Lopez, the rim protector the Celtics need, and Tobias Harris, the scoring swingman the Celtics need. Even at about $15 million per year for each of them, they still represent the Celtics' best chance for improvement as a team and organization.
A lot of the reasonableness of those deals has to do with the skyrocketing salary cap, whereby a $15 million contract in two years will look like a $7.5 million contract from 2013. But it also has to do with the basic concept of talent. In the worst-case scenario, those guys—and about 30 others like them—are free agents who give the Celtics more assets for trade talks this season or next. If you're the Sacramento Kings looking to trade away DeMarcus Cousins next offseason, what's a better haul: Tobias Harris, Marcus Smart and the 2016 Brooklyn pick or Kelly Olynyk, Marcus Smart and the 2016 Brooklyn pick. In the best-case scenario, this guy is right about Harris, and neither player is traded.
It's simple: the Celtics can't afford to be picky in free agency. They need to get as much talent as possible. For an asset accumulator such as Danny Ainge, that shouldn't be too hard to understand. Forget about what tier the free agents are in, there's dozens of free agents who can upgrade the Celtics roster. There's no reason to shy away from them.
Sound Ideas
Live Review: Solid Sound Skews Broader, Younger
If poor weather presents a potential damper on any summer festival, Solid Sound put everything into perspective this past weekend at North Adams' MASS MoCA. The fourth year of the Wilco-curated Berkshires festival faced a few hiccups in the forecast and cancellations by King Sunny Ade and Taj Mahal. Yet the event served surprises as pleasant as better-than-expected weather, furthering a mix of artistic disciplines and appealing to younger fans with rockers like Mac DeMarco and Parquet Courts.
"Who was here in the second year?" Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy asked a crowd of close to 9,000 that stuck through Saturday night's building waves of drizzle to hear glorious renditions of "Art of Almost," "Impossible Germany" and "Ashes of American Flags," with its emotive Nels Cline guitar coda. "This is child's play."
In turn, Wilco enjoyed perfect conditions in also headlining Friday's opening night with its first-ever, all-acoustic set. Tweedy and co-founder John Stirratt (above) shared a center microphone with clear vocals, though the music's tonal palette was more limited with only acoustic guitars, dobro, banjo, piano and drums. Nonetheless, Wilco dipped into two-plus hours of favorites that included "Misunderstood," "Hummingbird," "She's a Jar," Uncle Tupelo's "New Madrid," "Passenger Side," the Billy Bragg/Mermaid Avenue collaboration "Airline to Heaven" and "I'm a Wheel."
Friday also flipped to multi-media contrast. Dreamy pop-rockers Real Estate delivered a late-night set in a courtyard ringed by giant screens of artist Clifford Ross' 3D-ish geometric animations, while guitarist Bill Frisell's bluesy, atmospheric jazz quartet with cornetist Ron Miles accompanied Bill Morrison's film The Great Flood (above). That black-and-white (in more than one unsettling way) archival footage of people dealing with the historic Mississippi River flood of 1927 made an ironic entrance to a weekend with comparatively trivial weather concerns.
Frisell seemingly kept pace with Wilco's Nels Cline in terms of busy scheduling at Solid Sound, playing in a rootsy duo with Sam Amidon, doing a pop-up solo set in one of the museum galleries, and joining saxophonist Charles Lloyd's quartet for a spiritually emotive courtyard performance (above) as light rain continued Sunday.
For his part, Cline dove into gonzo-style guitar with wife Yoko Honda's art-punk rockers Cibo Matto (above) and defined the extremes of Solid Sound's cross-discipline approach with the project Stained Radiance. In that abstract, improvised matchup, Cline tinkered with pedals, delays and effects (including howling into his guitar pickups) while live painter Norton Wisdom morphed haunting figure drawings on an illuminated plastic canvas projected to a larger screen (below). As David Letterman would say, that was something, even if it didn't seem much in sync beyond pantomime-styled dancers who made sweeping motions in time with Cline's sonic swipes.
Other Wilco members took advantage of Solid Sound for side projects, from Jeff Tweedy's Wilco-like side project Tweedy to drummer Glenn Kotche's gallery duets with cellist Jeffrey Ziegler -- including an orchestral piece that gave about 50 pre-registered audience members a role in playing color-coded snare parts (below).
However, while MASS MoCA's sprawling galleries offered many artistic diversions, most of the musical action took place on outdoor stages. Shabazz Palaces' lively electro-hip-hop and Ryley Walker's jazzy full-band psychedelia both fared better on the small courtyard stage than the hushed, melancholy folk of Jessica Pratt (below), lost amid the crowd chatter by that entrance to museum grounds.
The main field stage eventually gave way to damp grass – and earlier set times to dodge heavier rain. But it yielded sure-fire sets by folk-rocker Richard Thompson (below), whose electric trio kicked butt while its leader mimicked predecessors in "Guitar Heroes" from his Tweedy-produced Still, and DeMarco, at least until his psych-pop turned into a shambolic jam of Steely Dan's "Reeling in the Years."
The best sets, however, split the middle on the larger courtyard stage, from folk duo Luluc and rollicking roots-rockers NRBQ to Cibo Matto and Lloyd. But the best of the bunch were Parquet Courts, the young Texas-gone-Brooklyn punks who balanced taut drive with noisy, careening guitars and attitude-spiked vocals.
"You guys gonna stick around for Wilco tonight?" Austin Brown, one of Parquet Courts' twin singer/guitarists, asked fans in a playfully snide tone. "Sometimes people change their minds." Thankfully, most people stuck it out through a little rain to bask in child's play at New England's most broadly unique music fest, set to return again in two summers.
All photos (c) 2015 by Paul Robicheau
The Making of Boston's Best
The 2015 Boston's Best Judging Dinner ǁ Held at Post 390
FRONT ROW: Betsi Graves, director of Urbanity Dance; Dean Bragonier, founder of NoticeAbility; Aman Advani, president of Ministry of Supply; Sofi Madison, owner of Olives & Grace; Tara Foley, president of Follain
SECOND ROW: Allyce Najimy, CEO of the Foundation to Be Named Later; Stacy Cogswell, sous-chef at Liquid Art House; Tiffany Ortiz, board member at the David Ortiz Children's Fund; Sally Taylor, president of CONSENSES; JC Monahan, news anchor at WCVB-TV (Ch. 5); Jonathan Soroff, feature writer/social columnist at The Improper; Bill Eppich, general manager at The Improper; Wendy Semonian Eppich, publisher at The Improper; David Wade, news anchor at WBZ-TV (Ch. 4); Jacqueline Houton, editor at The Improper
THIRD ROW: Joseph Heroun, design director at The Improper; John Spooner, contributing editor at The Improper; Tina Burgos, owner and creative director of Covet + Lou; Janet Goff, director of special events at New England Conservatory; Emiley Lockhart, general counsel and policy director at the office of state Sen. Eileen Donoghue; Evan Saunders, CEO of Attract China; Asia Mei, chef/owner of Moonshine 152; Laura Sceppa, CFO/VP of administration at The Improper;
Kurt Steinberg, acting president of Massachusetts College of Art and Design; Merinda Pattullo Salsky, production director at The Improper; Meghan Kavanaugh, assistant editor at The Improper; Mitch DeRosa, co-founder of Living Proof
BACK ROW: TJ Douglas, co-owner of the Urban Grape; Hadley Douglas, co-owner of the Urban Grape; Jesse Brackenbury, executive director of the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway; Emily Reichert, CEO of Greentown Labs; Andrew Rimas, executive writer at Northeastern University; Nina MacLaughlin, carpenter and author of Hammer Head; Nicole Popma, photo director at The Improper; Todd Maul, co-founder of Cafe ArtScience; Matt Martinelli, managing editor at
The Improper; Rhonda Kallman, founder and CEO of Boston Harbor Distillery; Stacey Shane, director of marketing/public relations at The Improper; Lee Nguyen, soccer player for the New England Revolution; Alexandra Cavallo, deputy managing editor at The Improper
Not Pictured: Jackson Blue, DJ at HOT-FM (96.9); Jeanne Johnson, store manager at Bottega Veneta; Shawn LaCount, artistic director at Company One
"Best" is a small word that makes a big claim. How do we decide on the top pop-up restaurant, theater troupe or purveyor of party dresses in a town with so many excellent options? We start by gathering a panel of judges of intimidating talent and diverse expertise: academics and artists, fashion and media mavens, kitchen and bar stars, nonprofit pros and entrepreneurs (including one, we discovered mid-cocktail, who passionately blogs about club sandwiches on the side—hence that new award category). Taking over the second floor of Post 390 on a fine spring night, we sipped, supped, table-hopped and, most importantly, fiercely debated. From there, we tabulated their ballots, added nominations from staff, contributors and readers like you, and got to work vetting the finalists—the doughnut category alone probably added 10 pounds to the editorial team. Tough work, but someone's got to do it.
The end result features standouts old and new, from a bar that's been welcoming patrons for centuries to a haberdashery that's been open just a few months. There are booming businesses that are expanding their local empires along with tiny indies that work magic in a few hundred square feet. And there are both hidden gems and familiar favorites that may have made the cut for unexpected reasons (you knew the bivalves were top-notch at Row 34, but what about that beer program?). Each has helped make our 24th annual Boston's Best issue the best yet—and, we hope, your field guide for urban adventuring in the year ahead.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
It's a big weekend for Wilco's eclectic Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA in North Adams, but there are also options closer to town, both indoors and out, starting with locally rooted act on Friday. Deb Talan plied her trade as a singer-songwriter around Boston for years before she met kindred spirit Steve Tallen at Club Passim. They launched the folk-pop duo the Weepies, married and relocated to California, so their Friday show at the Wilbur Theatre is like a local victory lap in the wake of Talan beating breast cancer last year. Sudbury native Mike Gordon's best known as the quirky bassist for Phish, the monster jam-band that plays its only Northeast summer date at its August Magnaball festival in Watkins Glen, N.Y., but Gordon also leads his sympathetic solo band at Lowell's Boarding House Park on Friday. Buffalo Tom never really went away, though shows are rarer these days for the alt-rock trio, which plays the Sinclair on Friday and Saturday, with a complete reading of the group's 1992 landmark album Let Me Come Over that second night.
Saturday's nearby options include singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter's band at the South Shore Music Circus, while the funky Bad Rabbits rock the Paradise Rock Club. And Sunday offers jazz-pop chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux (who began her career busking on the streets of Paris) at the Berklee Performance Center, while country-pop favorite Dwight Yoakum hits Webster's Indian Ranch.
But really, for the intrepid music fan, it's all about Solid Sound at the other end of the state, starting Friday with an all-acoustic headlining set by host band Wilco, but also offering Real Estate, Mac DeMarco, the Richard Thompson Trio, Jessica Pratt, NRBQ, Parquet Courts and the Charles Lloyd Quartet across the weekend. King Sunny Ade has unfortunately cancelled his Sunday appearance (along with the rest of his tour because of State Department computer problems with visas) and the forecast appears to be growing rainy the second half of the weekend. But Solid Sound has the advantage of MASS MoCA's courtyards and indoor galleries and theater spaces that can offer refuge in a downpour as well as performances by Bill Frisell's group and Wilco lead guitarist Nel Cline's Stained Radiance improvisations with maverick painter Norton Wisdom among many Wilco side projects. Here's the Solid Sound website for more info.
Sound Ideas
Live Review: Rush Digs Deep at TD Garden
Rush just graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, an honor that follows the Canadian power trio's 2013 induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. So if the band's current 40th anniversary tour turns out to be its last full campaign as hinted (in the wake of personal preferences and health limitations), Rush might be going out with a bang.
Rush fans were surely hoping to get bang for the buck Tuesday at the TD Garden, the tour's sole New England date, completely packed despite pricey tickets. And hopefully the trio will not retire from the stage after its members showed that, given rehearsal, they can still execute their prog-rock fusion with skill and finesse.
It doesn't hurt that Rush conjured a vintage dream set for the second half of its near-three-hour retrospective, which began with recent material and wove back in time. Not that the first set was lackluster, with songs from 2012's surprisingly vital Clockwork Angels, rarity "How It Is" -- driven by singer Geddy Lee's knotty bass curls, which evoked Chris Squire from prog icons Yes (who are yet to make the Rock Hall) -- and "Subdivisions," which proved the men of Rush have aged better than that synth-laced song's original video about high-school outcasts.
Rush embraced its own geeky image with intermission videos that showed the trio in goofy skits, cameos by actors such as Paul Rudd and Eugene Levy, and a South Park countdown that led into "Tom Sawyer" – Rush's most popular song -- to open the second set. Second quick hit "The Spirit of Radio" bridged the longer, moodier pieces "The Camera Eye" and "Jacob's Ladder," with its spray of lasers. But the gags wore thin when stage hands in red jumpsuits randomly adjusted fake '70s-style amplifier stacks during drummer Neil Peart's cascading fills on the second set's like-period kit (complete with chimes, cowbells and an impossibly high rack of upper toms). The revered Peart made good use of it all during an astounding solo in "Cygnus X-1," a dark, two-part sci-fi concept piece surrounded by other late '70s nuggets, including the textural fantasy "Xanadu" (with Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson riffing on their old double-neck instruments) and a 13-minute take on the "2112" suite.
That's when Rush truly abandoned raw, Zeppelin-esque rock for higher ambitions, lyrically and musically. So an encore of simpler early tunes (down to single amps perched on chairs) seemed anti-climactic. Nonetheless, the finale of "Working Man" pointed up the band's ethic for a job well done, built across 40 years of evolution.
Sound Ideas
Live Review: Pixies Honor T.T. the Bear's in Surprise Show
The singalongs were certainly more vociferous than the last time that the Pixies played T.T. the Bear's Place in the '80s. The Boston-bred band's surprise show on Thursday at that soon-to-close Cambridge rock club (announced earlier in the day and quickly sold out after a long line at the Orpheum for tickets) lived up to its hype -- in a sense, befitting a tiny club show for a major act. It brought to mind the Replacements' recent Converse Rubber Tracks show at the Sinclair as well as Aerosmith's 1994 set for the opening of its Lansdowne Street club Mama Kin.
Of course T.T.'s is smaller than both of those rooms with a capacity of about 300. And the Pixies played it up-close-and-personal like back in the day -- no security pit, stripped down equipment, and the T.T.'s-monogrammed cityscape mural behind the band instead of the mirror wall from May's Boston Calling, the Pixies' largest-ever local audience since breaking from the clubs and opening for U2 at the Garden in 1992. Personal is also a relative term for the Pixies, who took the stage with their typical laissez-faire attitude and played for an hour and 45 minutes with nary a word about T.T.'s or anything else and eschewing eye contact except for (Kim Deal replacement) bassist Paz Lenchantin, who took it all in with a beaming gaze and sported a red flower atop her bass in contrast to the band's mostly black outfits.
In turn, the Pixies casually opened with a few lesser-known songs from their 1987 debut Come On Pilgrim, including the expletive-spiked "Nimrod's Son," like any alt-rock garage band playing T.T.'s on a Thursday night. But the energy began to rise with "Break My Body," its lessened arena-show dynamics replaced by fans chanting the "Hold my bones" chorus. The buildup continued with a loping, extra-slow "Wave of Mutilation," sing-along "Here Comes Your Man" (with fans drowning out Lenchantin's "So long, so long" chorus) and the woozy blues "Mr. Grieves," all from 1989's landmark Doolittle. Frontman Black Francis even broke into smiles, first at his bandmates, then at the microphone to a sustained ovation. Finally, 45 minutes into the group's career-spanning set, Francis switched from acoustic to electric guitar to unleash the night's double-barreled highpoint in "Gouge Away" (with lead guitarist Joey Santiago lending bent-string cries and drummer Dave Lovering crashing into cymbal fills) and "UMass," a nod to the two guitarists' Amherst roots with the full-bore chorus "It's educational!" And the pace picked up with punk intensity in tunes like "Something Against You" (no surprise there that Nirvana cited the Pixies as inspirational) and "Tame," as Francis got his full scream on, offset by more melodic nuggets "Monkey Gone to Heaven," "Caribou" and "Debaser."
The Pixies whipped up an aptly named "Planet of Sound" to close the set, the band members finally looked the roaring crowd in the eyes -- with Francis even standing on the monitors – and waved. But an encore that began promisingly with Lovering adding a lead vocal on a well-placed "La La Love You," plus a "Where is My Mind?" that had the room reverberating with the crowd's adoption of the song's "Woooo!" chant, things unraveled when the Pixies dove into "Vamos." Santiago seemed frustrated that his feedback showpiece of tapping his thumb on his unhooked guitar plug didn't carry anywhere near the sonic oomph of a sound system the size of Boston Calling. So after a half-hearted solo of waving his guitar through the air and rubbing its strings on his chest, Santiago packed it in early and the group sputtered to an unexpectedly anticlimactic finish. Not that it mattered on a triumphant night that was surely miles better than in the Pixies' fledgling days at T.T's.
The Central Square club promises a week-long farewell blowout to its 30 years of rock before closing on July 25, as owner Bonney Bouley couldn't come to lease terms with new building owners at the Middle East. And while it's doubtful that any other bands will come forward on the level of the Pixies (only a final-night appearance by Scruffy the Cat has been announced thus far), it's looking like a sad but glorious home stretch. Tomorrow offers a flea market of T.T.'s memorabilia from 1 to 6 p.m. Not sure they'll be anything quite as special as Thursday's rapidly sold-out comemorative T-shirts with the Pixies' logo over T.T.'s trademark bear paw.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
A rocking weekend for shows, indoors and out. Gogol Bordello ranks among the world's most robust, eclectic rock bands, which means the gypsy punks led by the charismatic Eugene Hutz deserve better than a co-headlining turn with the more pedestrian Celtic rockers Flogging Molly. But a good time should be had by all when the two groups team up at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion on Friday. The atmospheric Wisconsin indie-pop group Phox hits the Brighton Music Hall the same night to make up for a snowed-out February date. Here's Phox live and here's a jump to my interview with singer Monica Martin.
Actually, it's a real girls' night out Friday with Miss Tess & the Talkbacks at Johnny D's Uptown and the second of three nights of Girls in the Garage – Boston! at the Lizard Lounge (including Petty Morals, the Charms and the Dents on Friday, then Saturday sports the Downbeat Five, Andrea Gillis Band, Axemunkee and Cujo with Jen Trynin).
Saturday's even stronger. Local rockabilly legend Sleepy LaBeef celebrates his 80th birthday with a bill including Gillis and Marc Pinansky at Johnny D's. British folk-rock pioneer Richard Thompson holds court with his electric trio at the Wilbur Theatre behind his Jeff Tweedy-produced new album Still before joining Wilco the following weekend at the Solid Sound Festival at North Adams' MASS MoCA. Up at Lowell's Boarding House Park, Ani DiFranco dazzles with her own pointed songcraft and acoustic guitar sparks, while the eccentric country-soul band the Mavericks return mid-state to Indian Ranch on the lake in Webster. Perhaps Saturday's best road-trip catch, however, will be orchestral indie-rockers San Fermin (which recently sold out the Sinclair) with Aussie indie-folk duo Luluc at the Cape Cinema, a cozy movie-seat theater in Dennis with stars on its curved ceiling. It last hosted great concerts a few years back with the likes of Bon Iver and Dirty Projectors. Here's my recent San Fermin interview with the group's locally raised leader Ellis Ludwig-Leone.
If you prefer to cruise the Boston Harbor on Saturday evening, roots reggae stalwarts John Brown's Body team with the local Ethiopian-rooted Debo Band to kick off the Rock and Blues Concert Cruises, setting out from the World Trade Center pier in the Seaport. Jazz pianist Bill Charlap charms fans with his trio at the Regattabar the same night as well. And if you're road-tripping near Portsmouth, N.H., on Sunday, you can catch California songstress Jessica Pratt at that quaint city's new 3S Artspace before she hits Great Scott on Tuesday and Solid Sound the next weekend. You can jump to my interview with Pratt here. Mission of Burma also plays the 3S Artspace next Wednesday as a tuneup to its opening slot with the Foo Fighters at Fenway Park next month.
Sound Ideas
Pixies Return to T.T. the Bear's TONIGHT
The Pixies will play T.T. the Bear's Place tonight to bid goodbye to that club before it closes next month, going from the band's largest-ever local crowd at Boston Calling in May to its smallest since breaking out of town in the late '80s. Tickets go on sale today at 2 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre with a two-ticket limit ($55 each) and a wristband system for entry into the 18+ show (both parties must be present to get wristbands at purchase).
"T.T. the Bear's is one of the clubs that broke us," Pixies lead guitarist Joey Santiago said in a statement, "and we played there many, many times. And all the great bands that we saw there, we have a lot of wonderful memories of the place."
The 300-capacity club, which has rocked Central Square for 30 years and hosted other rising bands from Jane's Addiction to the Strokes, will feature a week-long farewell blowout capped by a closing night set by Scruffy the Cat on July 25.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Amy Black knows how to reach down to the soul and change course to what feels right. She didn't really try her luck as a singer/songwriter until the start of this decade in her mid-30s. Now Black's putting aside her career in marketing, leaving Boston for Nashville, and hitting the road this summer. And she's touring behind The Muscle Shoals Sessions, a third album that trades her country-folk style for the kind of earthy soul made back in the day at Muscle Shoals' FAME Studios. That's where Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett recorded (right near Black's own family stomping grounds) and she did the same with legendary keyboardist Spooner Oldman. She mixed classics like Sam Cooke's "Bring it Back Home," Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody" and the spiritual "You Gotta Move" (which the Rolling Stones cut for Sticky Fingers) with a few kindred originals, and she'll perform them all in a going-away party of sorts at Johnny D's Uptown on both Friday and Saturday nights, backed by Sarah Borges and a Berklee-rooted band.
Friday's also busy at the Paradise Rock Club with Best Coast, the LA pop duo of singer Beth Cosentino and guitarist Bobb Bruno, who add a psychedelic glaze to their garage/surf/girl group grounding on third album California Nights. And the Avett Brothers bring their rootsy roadshow to Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion on Lake Winnipesaukee in Guilford, N.H., before hitting Boston Calling in September.
Saturday's the really big night though. The Dave Matthews Band plays an acoustic opening as part of the two-set format that DMB launched last summer when the group hits Mansfield's Xfinity Center, possibly with a special guest (Warren Haynes and Branford Marsalis respectively made recent dates). And while Boyd Tinsley fiddles with DMB, dancing violinist Lindsey Stirling mixes classical and dubstep (you can jump here to my recent interview) when she grabs the spotlight at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion with Boston pop duo Karmin. British rock veteran Paul Weller also continues to shake expectations on his sonically diverse new album Saturns Patterns, though he's liable to pull out a chestnut from his past bands the Jam or the Style Council as well at the Paradise. And Ex Hex, the power trio led by Mary Timony (Wild Flag, Helium), returns to play the Sinclair on Saturday, while Boston's treasured soul shouter Barrence Whitfield celebrates his 60th birthday at Arlington's Regent Theatre with a bunch of friends including James Montgomery and Charlie Farren.
Sunday offers two different options in post-Britpop rockers Starsailor, returning from a long hiatus to perform at the Sinclair, while the Vermont folk collagist and multi-instrumentalist Sam Amidon plays Somerville's Arts at the Armory with Berklee-bred Celtic harp player Maeve Gilchrist (Amidon then appears with Bill Frisell at the Solid Sound Festival in North Adams on June 27).
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
It's an especially intriguing Friday night to catch local music – or even vaudeville in the process. That's what Doom Lover – a great rock band that boasts three singers (and even a theremin) – offers at the Middle East Upstairs; the night includes a contortionist, a comedian and fellow eclectic music acts Cordelia & the Buffalo and Matthew Connor, while Tad McKitterick from Sidewalk Driver emcees the odd festivities. Meanwhile, over at the Lizard Lounge, Peter Moore and Sarah Rabdau sing with their art-rock outfits Count Zero and Self-Employed Assassins as well as in an opening duo set "A Thing Like That," likely to include this Beck cover. Friday's also a great night to settle in at Atwood's Tavern for guitar ace Lyle Brewer, while the Tweed River Music Festival presents a birthday bash show for Dan Nicklin, featuring his roosty soul band OldJack and Vermont's Bow Thayer, founder of the Tweed River fest and a 2012 Rumble winner, at Cuisine en Locale in Somerville.
Friday also cooks with other great cross-genre offerings from out of town. Folk-rocker Conor Oberst can be counted on for his personal, passionate songs, which he'll bring to House of Blues. Jazz organist Larry Goldings leads a sharp trio with guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart at the Regattabar, and blues harp icon James Cotton plays Scullers Jazz Club. And for a real change-of-pace, the new-music group So Percussion plays chordsticks (a freshly invented instrument) on "Music for Wood and Strings," a piece by guitarist Bryce Dessner of the National, at the Museum of Fine Arts' Remis Auditorium on Friday night.
Saturday starts off with a great showcase for local arts at the Cambridge River Festival, starting about noon around Central Square, including numerous rock groups such as Dirty Bangs and Ruby Rose Fox as well as jazz vocalist Meli Bermejo. Here's the whole rundown. Speaking of local roots, Della Mae (pictured above) may have moved its base to Nashville, but the bluegrass/pop group salutes "Boston Town" on its fine eponymous third album, which builds on its wonderful This World Oft Can Be, suggesting a promising night at the Sinclair on Saturday (Della Mae also plays Newburyport's Belleville Church on Friday). Meanwhile, Michael Franti and Spearhead share good vibes at House of Blues on Saturday. And while Oasis reunions come and go, its crusty guitarist/songwriter gathers no moss as Noel Gallagher brings his High Flying Birds to the Opera House the same night. On Sunday, blues legend Buddy Guy nicely rounds out the weekend at the Wilbur Theatre and the enticing French/Finish indie-pop group the Do plays the Brighton Music Hall.
Being Alyssa Naeher
Q&A with Boston Breakers and U.S. national team goalie
Boston Breakers goalie Alyssa Naeher will fulfill a lifelong dream this month, when she joins the U.S. women's national team June 6-July 5 for the Women's World Cup in Canada. She chatted with The Improper about that magical 1999 team, playing her twin sister and getting ready for the world stage.
Matt Martinelli: What was going through your mind when you found out you made the national team?
Alyssa Naeher: I was just really excited. The past year-and-a-half has been a lot of training and a lot of evaluation. So to finally hear, "Congratulations, you've made the team.' Just put a huge smile on my face. I was really, really excited to get that phone call. And I'm starting to get excited now for getting to Canada.
Were there any points during the process where you had your doubts about making it?
Yeah. It's been a very long process, so obviously there were ups and downs. I never take anything for granted. Nothing's guaranteed, so it was definitely a long year-and-a half of different challenges. I also at the same time, was confident. You just never really know until you actually hear them say you've made it.
What's changed for you since you found out you made it?
To be honest, not a lot has. It's been kind of the same routine. There's a bit of an atmosphere now, where we're getting into camps and during these past two weeks in California for these past two sendoff games. There's more buzz about it now that it's getting closer. People are more excited about it around the country. But outside of that, not a whole lot has really changed.
Was this always a goal of yours growing up?
Yeah, I'd say so. I was in the stands of the Meadowlands when I was 11 years old for the opening game of the 1999 World Cup. Since then, it's kind of always in the back of your head. Like, this is really cool and maybe someday I can be doing this too. So it's kind of cool to realize that it all has come true.
Did that 1999 World Cup motivate you any further?
I was young, but that World Cup in general ignited the nation in some ways. The following that the women's team got and the publicity and the attention really was a huge step for the women's game. Myself and many of other girls at the time were really inspired by that group and wanted to be in their shoes and doing what they were doing.
Which teammate on the national team are you most excited to play with?
There are a few. I've played with Lauren (Holiday). She's a good friend who played in Boston as well. It's been fun to play again with her. Players like Tobin Heath, Kelley O'Hara, Meghan Klingenberg. We've kind of all been playing together since we were 14, 15, 16 years old. To be able to play at this level with players like that who you grew up playing with, as well as Heather O'Reilly, who I played with in Boston. And Ali Krieger who I went to college with. To experience this with players like that will be really fun.
What's your mindset going into the World Cup as a backup?
It's about staying focused and being sharp. You never really know what's going to happen. If I'm needed, I want to make sure that I am 100 percent ready to go, so I can step in. Outside of that, it's keeping a good training environment with me, Hope, Ash and Graham as the coach. And making sure our unit is clicking and doing well. Just being a good group.
Will your family be there for the tournament?
My twin sister will be there for the first game along with my parents. My little sister is pregnant and due in that time period, so she can't travel.
Does your twin sister still play?
She does. She plays in Charlotte with the Charlotte Eagles.
Do you go head to head with each other?
We definitely grew up doing that. Every once in a while when we're in the same place we kick it around a bit. Unfortunately, that's few and far between these days.
What's the highlight of your career to date?
I would say winning the 2008 under-20 World Cup was one of the best experiences of my life. It was really, really fun. Also being named to the roster for this World Cup is way, way up there.
Is there anything that you still want to achieve in soccer?
I think being named to the roster was a goal, and now I'd want to bring home the gold medal. Next summer, with the Olympics, it's a goal to make the Olympic team and win a gold there. I just want to keep playing as long as I still love it and am able to. I just want to stay at this level for as long as I can.
What's your routine on offdays?
I usually just like to relax and hang out with friends. Or just do my own thing, grab a coffee, go for the walk. When it's nice weather I like to read a book or do a crossword outside.
What do you like most about playing in Boston?
I just think it's real cool to play in the epitome of a sports city. I think since I've lived in Boston every one of the four major teams have won a championship. So it's a really fun sports town. To be able to play soccer in this city is really fun.
Is there anything you're looking forward to once you return to the Breakers?
I think it will be fun to just play with my teammates. The team has been off to a pretty good start this season. I expect that they'll continue to play well in the next few weeks before I get back. It will be nice to get back in the mix.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
May closes out with a full plate of live music. Seinabo Sey has already made waves in her native Sweden, where she was Best New Artist at her country's equivalent of the Grammy Awards and performed at the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo. But now the Gambian-bred soul singer is ready to tackle the U.S. with her resolute voice and electronics-rooted delivery, playing the Brighton Music Hall on Friday. The same night, congas ace Poncho Sanchez brings his seasoned Latin jazz grooves to Scullers Jazz Club. And gonzo slide-guitar virtuoso Dave Tronzo graces the Lizard Lounge with a solo set sure to tap his tackle box of odd slide implements before he joins adventurous local institution Club d'Elf for a late set of Moroccan/dub/jazz fusion grooves.
Saturday yields the Awesome Day Festival, a celebration of Allston "Rock City" with 27 bands at four venues, including Rock 'n' Roll Rumble winners Zip Tie Handcuffs and Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys at Great Scott, Kudgel and Guillermo Sexo at O'Briens Pub, Freezepop and Petty Morals at Wonder Bar and even a Model Café matinee with Sarah Borges and Dan Nicklin. Here's the full, awesome lowdown. Saturday also offers the cinematic spell of Montreal's experimental cabaret-pop singer/band Patrick Watson (pictured above) on a cool double bill with the Low Anthem at the Sinclair, savvy jazz-blues chanteuse Catherine Russell at Scullers, and raw-and-rowdy LA punks Fidlar at the Paradise Rock Club (before they attack Boston Calling in September). And on Sunday, Detroit's Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas stir up Great Scott with their sultry, sizzling amalgam of rock, R&B, gospel, psych, garage and Latin music.
Sound Ideas
Boston Calling Goes Big, Broad and Balmy
Pixies triumphantly blasted the biggest Boston crowd they'd ever drawn. Tove Lo seductively lifted her top for a quick flash. Jack Black's Tenacious D spoofed rock with surprising passion and precision. And bands spanned a scattershot spectrum from Americana to dance-pop, psych-rock and hip-hop, giving the near-50,000 people who invaded City Hall Plaza over the three-day weekend a full potpourri of Boston Calling.
"That's the most psychedelic City Hall I've ever seen," Beck said as kaleidoscopic lights sprayed that concrete edifice on Friday's opening night. "That's the way it should be." And Beck matched the mood with a masterful mashup, eschewing his Grammy-winning Morning Phase in favor of a greatest-hits festival set, from the grungy "Devil's Haircut" to the falsetto-soul of "Sexx Laws" and a "Where It's At" spiced with classic-rock teases. He even reinserted sitar into "Loser." So kill me, baby, but Beck slayed with a show that wasn't topped all weekend.
Not that the 22 other acts were short of trying though, starting with space-rockers Tame Impala that first night. Good weather got ever better as the weekend wore on, and Boston Calling shuffled the deck to satisfy various tribes with a favorite band/style one set, only to introduce them to something entirely different next.
Saturday afternoon wove a dance-pop vibe with female-fronted acts like Tove Lo and Marina & the Diamonds, who built momentum sealed by the pumping "How to Be a Heartbreaker." Yet those sets were contrasted by the topical, double-barreled raps of Killer Mike and El-P of the fun and fiery Run the Jewels (pictured above) and the fashionably bratty alt-pop of Gerard Way. St. Vincent's Annie Clark (pictured below) cranked up her lead guitar to serve notice that she was the day's most impressive shredder -- as well as a coolly enigmatic vocalist who broke her façade to jump into the crowd. That's not to take away from singer/guitarist Ben Harper's incendiary lap steel, used sparingly in a more somber, melodic set with his revived Innocent Criminals, sparked by Roxbury percussionist Leon Mobley. Or the dual guitar textures of My Morning Jacket, its unusually insular set weighted toward its adventurous new album The Waterfall before the Kentucky rockers finished with the wound-up stomp of "One Big Holiday" – a fitting selection for Memorial Day weekend.
Southeastern-bred Americana instead surfaced as Sunday's afternoon center, with two past and pending Newport Folk favorites. The Lone Bellow (pictured below) served emotive three-way vocals and guitar riffing – well, two guitars and one mandolin -- and Jason Isbell's country-shaded songcraft shared his skill for earthy observation and slide-fueled guitars in new and old material.
In turn, Lucius – replacing Chet Faker before returning to play the harbor-side ICA on Aug. 14 – delivered a gospel-esque new song between its art-pop fare. Jess Wolfe also feted her Lucius vocal partner Holly Laessig with a cake for her 30th birthday – 11 years since they started out here at Berklee. Aussie troubadour Vance Joy (pictured below) shared pleasant shuffles capped by earworm hit "Riptide" on his way to charm Taylor Swift's stadium crowd in Foxboro on July 24-25, before sonically fidgety alt-rockers TV on the Radio finally provided a welcome, chaotic jolt in a tour-capping set that peaked with "Wolf Like Me."
"I love the energy of this – it's a nice thing to have," TV on the Radio's hyperactive frontman Tunde Adebimpe told the City Hall Plaza crowd. Even the Pixies seemed to get that, lining up at the stage edge to wave at the hometown masses both before the band crunched into "Bone Machine" and after Joey Santiago's noise-guitar acrobatics in set-closer "Vamos." Yeah, they miss original bassist/singer Kim Deal's voice and personality, but with Paz Lenchantin assuming those chores on tour, the Pixies have tightened up in a different way, seemingly sounding better than ever.
Before the Pixies struck a note, Boston Calling was already looking ahead, with the on-site announcement of its Sept. 25-27 edition, headed by the Avett Brothers, alt-J, Alabama Shakes, Hozier and Of Monsters and Men. Here's that full lineup.
All photos by Paul Robicheau (c) 2015
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Prog-rock is alive and well in the hands of Steven Wilson, who plays the Berklee Performance Center on Friday in support of new album Hand. Cannot. Erase. Opening his U.S. tour at the Worcester Palladium on Tuesday, the British singer/guitarist unspooled dynamic, lushly layered songs that mulled loss and regret to backing films and animation, a darkly atmospheric package that evoked Pink Floyd, Rush, Genesis and Tool. Wilson lent his own winsome voice and melodic sensibility with a robust band that included guitarist David Kilminster, last seen atop The Wall with Roger Waters. Elsewhere on Friday, on a contemporary jazz note, the Chicago-bred pianist Ramsey Lewis rolls into Scullers Jazz Club to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his album The In Crowd!
Otherwise, the weekend's all about the heavyweight rock fest Boston Calling, which opens Friday evening with a triple bill of Beck, Tame Impala and Sharon Van Etten on City Hall Plaza. I particularly love Boston Calling at night, when the sun and wind disappear to offer less distraction and improved acoustics, and light shows dot the face of City Hall. However, there's plenty to see the rest of the weekend, with near-continuous music from two alternating stages starting about 1 p.m. – and the ability to skip a band or two for a break. Saturday highlights include Boston's own skewed rockers Krill, hip-hop shakers Run the Jewels, coolly efficient art-rocker St. Vincent and heady rock headliners My Morning Jacket, while Sunday offers the Lone Bellow (jump here for my recent interview), Lucius (filling in for the ill Chet Faker before the band returns to play the ICA in August), alt-rockers TV on the Radio and Boston's own triumphant Pixies. Here's the full lineup with set times.
Speaking of a break from Boston Calling, Sunday also offers a nearby diversion at Ned Devine's in Faneuil Hall with Listen Local, a free program of great local bands that was formerly given the playful tag Boston Clawing. Among the bands working the stages at the Irish pub between 5:30 p.m. and closing will be Tigerman WOAH (a Boston Calling alumnus), Le Roxy Pro, Feints, Reverse, Band Without Hands and Rumble finalist the Static Dynamic. Memorial Day will be a day of rest -- except for the end to the traditional four-day Campfire Festival (with dozens of performers including Rose Polenzani, Dietrich Strause and the Novel Ideas) at Club Passim.
Oh, and if you can't wait until an Oct. 29 TD Garden date, the Who brings its greatest-hits farewell tour to Mohegan Sun in Connecticut on Sunday. Just don't blow marijuana smoke near Roger Daltrey's sensitive voice – he just stopped a show on Long Island over that.
Sound Ideas
Rock Institution T.T. the Bear's Plans Closing
Jane's Addiction, PJ Harvey (pictured), the Strokes – those were just a few of the rising rockers I first saw at T.T. the Bear's Place (still kicking myself for missing the Arcade Fire there). Plus all the great local bands, many of them showcased in recent years at the Rock 'n' Roll Rumble, at that Cambridge nightspot.
The announcement that the Central Square club plans to close July 25 -- made by owner Bonney Bouley on the club's Facebook page -- is sad news, bringing to mind the closure of likewise-foremost Boston rock institutions the Rat and the Channel. Bouley says she could not agree on a lease arrangement with the owners of next-door club the Middle East who recently bought the building housing both venues.
No matter the eventual fate of the space, it's the end of an era for a rock club that over 30 years -- in addition to Bouley – has been run by such scene mainstays as standout booker Randi Millman (now at Atwood's Tavern) and the late, great bartender Jeanne Connolly as well as current general manager Kevin Patey.
Patey just reported that Stephen Stills of CSNY fame dropped by T.T.'s last night to see his daughter perform; Stills won't be the only one dropping by over the next couple of months to pay last respects to the club.
Improper Now
Somer Lovin'
Local flavors at the 17th annual Taste of Somerville
In case you missed it: Somerville has been quietly but steadily establishing itself as a powerhouse dining and drinking destination over the past few years. With relative newcomers like La Brasa, River Bar and Aeronaut Brewing Company bolstering an already eclectic scene, Somerville has officially put area foodies on notice.
So, we're stoked about Taste of Somerville, now in its 17th year and taking over a lot in Davis Square on June 3 for an evening of tasty eats and drinks from the aforementioned spots as well as Bergamot, Bronwyn, Highland Kitchen, Somerville Brewing and more than 30 other purveyors. Proceeds benefit elderly support nonprofit the Somerville Home, so grab your tix while they last.
Taste of Somerville runs from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on June 3 at 50 Holland St., Somerville. $50; $75 VIP. tasteofsomerville.com.
Sound Ideas
Boston Ballet Broadly Entertains with "Thrill of Contact"
The Boston Ballet has a spring in its step – and a mischievous penchant for stylistic juxtapositions in dancing, costuming and music – in recent programs. And that's especially true in "Thrill of Contact," which closes the season in crowd-pleasing fashion this Thursday through Sunday.
The company had already kicked into May with "Edge of Vision," a program with music spanning Ravi Shankar, Bach and the Chieftains' Paddy Maloney, whose Uilleann pipes flavored "The Celts," a lively piece that Boston Ballet turned into its own vision of "Riverdance." It was proof that these professional ballet dancers seemingly have the skills to pull off just about anything.
How about comedy as well to balance the drama? "Thrill of Contact" dashes what the average person might expect from a ballet program, potentially to entertain a wider audience -- yet with a challenge to absorb the extremes.
Sure, "Thrill of Contact" begins with the traditional delights of the George Balanchine-choreographed "Theme and Variations," a classical ballet where dancers elegantly weave in cyclical lines to the music of Tchaikovsky. But then "fremd," choreographed by company dancer Jeffrey Cirio, takes a fractured modern turn. Starkly dressed dancers mix sweeping contortions and slow-motion movements (with flicked fingers lending subtle details) while the contrasting soundtrack spookily alternates electronic music (led by the sparse twitching of Aphex Twin) and solo classical piano to the largely detached visions.
However, after William Forsythe's "The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude" (visually bright with dancers in contrasting yellow and purple outfits to the brisk sounds of Schubert), the program closes with the Broadway-esque farce of the Jerome Robbins-choreographed "The Concert (Or, the Perils of Everybody)."
There's some great dancing amid visual props, including a somberly beautiful passage that involves people raising and lowering umbrellas. But nearly every sequence of the Chopin-scored "The Concert" is sweetly timed to comic effect, from onstage solo accompanist Freda Locker dusting her piano keys to a group of ballerinas falling out of sync to a running, gag-laced storyline with a Groucho Marx-ist husband lured by a free-spirited dancer, before everyone turns into butterflies.
If audiences have open minds to stretch from the traditional to the contemporary, plus humor for good measure, "Thrill of Contact" provides theater-goers with a broad slice of entertainment.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Bassist/singer Esperanza Spalding embraces a restless creativity, having shifted from small-combo Brazilian samba and string-stoked chamber jazz to big-band electric funk and jamming with Prince since she won a Grammy for Best New Artist over Mumford & Sons, Florence + the Machine, Drake and Justin Bieber. Spalding's not about to stop, slipping into the Paradise Rock Club on Saturday with her latest project, Emily's D+Evolution, where she's made herself over with glasses and braids and incorporated poetry and movement into her new band. And there's more jazz in store on Friday with great pianists commanding each of the city's main jazz clubs. Berklee-trained Yoko Miwa gets elegant and fluid with her trio at the Regattabar while the venerable Donal Fox brings his classical/jazz blend to Scullers with his Inventions Quartet featuring vibraphonist Warren Wolf.
UK rock fans get a double dose as well this weekend with energetic crowd-pleasers Kaiser Chiefs at the Paradise on Friday and the Bobby Gillespie-fronted Primal Scream at Royale in support of its first album in five years, More Light. On the local-band front, HarpoonFest takes over the seaport Harpoon Brewery both Friday and Saturday with a sweet lineup including Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents, Nemes, the Rationales, Sidewalk Driver and Bearstronaut. Here's the full music lineup for HarpoonFest. And Mastodon pumps its ambitious metal roots at House of Blues on Sunday.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
The weather's getting warmer, but the shows are still inside -- with a few hot ones to consider this weekend. On Friday, the Icelandic pop ensemble Of Monsters and Men, best known for casting its co-ed charms in "Little Talks," plays the Orpheum Theatre behind its new album Beneath the Skin. The same night, chamber-pop group San Fermin plays the Sinclair (with local duo You Won't replacing Natalie Prass as opener). Here's a taste of San Fermin live and here's a jump to my recent chat with its locally raised keyboardist-composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone.
Saturday brings Boston-launched soul-folk troubadour Martin Sexton to House of Blues while Sunday brings young jazz guitar hotshot Julian Lage to acoustic roots at Club Passim and Lo-Fang – the pop stage project of classically trained strings player and singer Matthew Jordan Hermerlin -- to Brighton Music Hall.
Improper Now
Mary Pawpins
Entitled Cat Boston provides luxury cat-sitting services in your home
Cat owners go to great lengths to keep their feline masters (er, friends) happy. That explains the success of Entitled Cat Boston, a new luxury cat-sitting service that opened late February, but is already racking up some rave online reviews from some satisfied kitty owners. Owner, sitter and self-proclaimed cat lady Katherine Bergeron—who also co-owns alternative art space Torrent Engine 18—attributes that to her service's special attention to detail and care.
"There are a lot of people whose cats are like their kids," she says. "It's not just, 'oh, you know, we'll dump food in a bowl and she'll probably be fine.'
Entitled Cat's sitting services extend far beyond dumping food in a bowl. For the price of $39 per half hour visit—though Bergeron says she almost always ends up staying with the cat for far longer because "I want to be there, because I actually enjoy their company!"—Bergeron will come to your home and make sure your cat is taken care of from nose to tail.
That care includes nail clipping, grooming, one-on-one playtime (she's been known to make a play "kitty tunnel" out of paper bags to keep her charge stimulated and engaged if the owners are gone for more than a few days), feeding and even some less pleasant jobs.
"I don't really put this in my literature, but I actually wash out the cat box, which almost nobody does," she says. "I mean, I'm almost wondering if maybe I should tell that to some people, because they hardly ever do even if they get dumped out regularly."
It's a dirty job, but Bergeron says she's more than happy to do it. She'll also administer medications (free of charge if it's a simple matter of giving a cat a pill with its food, for a reasonable extra charge if it's a more complicated process) and accommodate special requests. Bergeron makes a personalized house call before accepting any job, to meet both the cat and their owner and to deliver a questionnaire outlining any needs or wants.
"I had one client who asked that I have a fresh Brita water in a regular ceramic cup for her cat because her cat thought of herself of a person," she laughs. "She was an only cat so she drank out of a regular water bowl, but she also liked to drink out of a ceramic cup. She would just hop up on the table and drink out of her ceramic cup because she thought she was a person!"
Bergeron tends to think of her four-legged clients as little people as well. And, she says, she's never met a cat she hasn't liked.
"I like all cats. I'm good with very shy cats, [but] I'm good with more gregarious cats. I am fairly adapted to a lot of the personalities of different cats," she explains. "There are cats that will bounce right up to you and meow at you and are ready to get pet. And there are some cats who will hide under the couch. Either one is fine with me. I think that's all part of their owner's personality. If they really care about the cat, they've probably raised it long enough that they're able to give it a personality so they trust people. Something a lot of people don't know about cats is that you actually have to raise them to trust people, they're not like dogs where they're automatically trusting."
With so many positive reviews just a few months in business, Bergeron hopes Entitled Cat will continue to grow, but, no matter how big it gets, she plans to remain just as hands-on.
"I really like doing it. It's a passion project, because I really do love cats," says Bergeron, who doesn't own a cat of her own, because her partner is allergic. "When I was in junior high, we would have a classroom show where we would have a format where people would read the news at the front of the class. I had an animal show and I answered questions about animals. I was a pretty dorky kid. I brought my cat in for show and tell!"
For more info about Entitled Cat Boston visit entitledcatboston.com.
Sound Ideas
Zip-Tie Handcuffs Wrap Up Rumble
Zip-Tie Handcuffs accented their punk side in rightly winning the 2015 Rock 'n' Roll Rumble at T.T the Bear's Place on Friday. The power trio narrowly edged out Nemes – an Americana-shaded band delivering its own genre-smashing energy flavored by fiddler Dave Anthony – and the Static Dynamic, its bombastic enthusiasm topped by flame-haired vocalist Jess Collins.
On the surface, Zie-Tie Handcuffs evoked Nirvana with shambolic combustion, navigating tight changes with oddly punctual harmonies just when its loud, bass-heavy songs were about to fall apart. Bassist Ian Grinold (pictured) and guitarist Matt Ford even tossed/swapped their instruments for one equally effective song and later added a cover of "Rain," a Beatles surprise coincidently played on occasion by Boston avant-punks Mission of Burma (though Burma didn't throw in that hardcore-tempo shift in the middle).
Grinold accepted a sparkly winners' crown adorned with antlers and feathers on a champagne-sprayed stage after a guest set by the Gravel Pit. The annual Rumble, coordinated by WZLX "Boston Emissions" host Anngelle Wood, began with 24 of the area's best bands.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
The first weekend of May explodes with live music – and good weather to follow! Boston's best local bands highlight Friday night. Dark chamber-pop group Jaggery performs a song cycle inspired by Leonardo da Vinci at the Museum of Fine Arts' Remis Auditorium, while glam-rockers Sidewalk Driver get theatrical at Emerson's Black Box Theatre, upstairs from the Paramount Theater downtown. And while judges tally their votes in the Rock 'n' Roll Rumble, the Gravel Pit rocks T.T. the Bear's Place at 11:45 following finals sets by the bombastic Static Dynamic (9:30), folk-fusion animators Nemes (10:15) and grunge detonators Zip Tie Handcuffs (11 p.m.). Should be a wild and wooly battle; I'll go with the Handcuffs. Friday night also brings the lively, eclectic Australian multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd & the United Nations to the Paradise Rock Club.
Electric bebop guitarist Mike Stern leads an all-star band at the Regattabar both Friday and Saturday with trumpeter Randy Brecker, bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Dennis Chambers, a lineup that should even rock more than this one with Stern and Brecker. Also on Saturday, Western-shaded folk-rockers Lord Huron hold court at the Paradise, the impressionistic indie-folk Great Lake Swimmers settle into the Sinclair and the Dave Wakeling-led ska-rockers the English Beat return to Johnny D's Uptown. And for a difference experience, Morphine-associated saxman Dana Colley joins percussionist/clarinetist Ken Winokur (Alloy Orchestra) and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan LaMaster (ex-Cul de Sac) to convene their Psychedelic Cinema Orchestra and improvise a live soundtrack to Ken Brown's '60s film work at the Institute of Contemporary Art on Saturday.
Sunday, the 32nd annual MayFair takes over Harvard Square with multiple stages that include sets by local rockers the Sheila Divine, Freezepop, Bent Shapes, Air Traffic Controller, Parks and Hallelujah the Hills. And the weekend rounds out that night with Canadian folk trio the Wailin' Jennys (pictured) at the Somerville Theatre, gonzo funk-rock veterans Fishbone at Royale and ambitious the prog-pop icon Todd Rundgren, winding up his latest multi-media presentation at the Wilbur Theatre.
Sound Ideas
Replacements Rock Sinclair's Converse Series
Monday's line outside the Sinclair foretold a rocking hot-ticket event like Harvard Square hasn't seen since Dan Ackroyd called his buddies to the 1992 opening of the original House of Blues a few blocks away. For this night, the first in a diverse five-night music series presented by Converse Rubber Tracks Live, former Sinclair headliners Dinosaur Jr. was merely an opener act for the Replacements, the iconic '80s Minneapolis garage-punks whose reunion trek has been mostly festival-size.
Yes, on the one hand, this should have been a bigger venue. Free tickets for the series (which continues with synth-pop headliners Passion Pit on Tuesday, speed-metal kings Slayer on Wednesday, Chance the Rapper on Thursday and the punk Descendants on Friday) were distributed by lottery, which left many fans empty-handed. Dozens of late-arriving winners with wristbands were even left on the sidewalk, waiting for people to leave to make room in the 525-capacity club.
Inside, the Sinclair was packed more than usual, partly to accommodate an extra soundboard and a security/photo pit. But once Dinosaur Jr. followed local band Young Leaves, with J. Mascis stoking his scuzzy guitar leads through the arc of three Marshall amp stacks behind him, the anticipation built for a special night.
Then the Replacements hit the small stage like Lone Rangers in black eyemasks and proceeded to blow off steam with scrappy rock 'n' roll made for rooms like the Sinclair. There were a few sloppy moments like an aborted song launch while singer/songwriter Paul Westerberg fumbled to light a cigarette. At another point, bassist Tommy Stinson, the band's other original member, piped, "Finally got that one down. Thanks for shopping." And the middle of the quartet's 85-minute set wandered into blues that goofed on Whole Foods and a T. Rex cover spot where the ever-youthful David Minehan (from Boston's own Neighborhoods) got to sing "20th Century Boy" with aplomb while he and Westerberg ripped away on their guitars.
But mostly, the Replacements – now anchored by drummer Josh Freese -- were tighter and more professional in their duties than during their famously drunken heyday. Westerberg was focused and intense in the chorus to "Anywhere's Better than Here." And the homestretch – with fans on the floor hopping with fists in the air to anthems "Can't Hardly Wait," "Bastards of the Young" and "Alex Chilton" – delivered a transcendent payoff. "Are you satisfied?" Westerberg sang in an encore of "Unsatisfied," and for the crowd, that answer had to be affirmative.
Just make sure if you're going to another one of these Converse Rubber Tracks Live Boston shows (promoting Converse's new global headquarters on the city's waterfront), get in line early to ensure you don't miss out.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Wild Flag existed – sadly – for only one great 2011 album. But we can consider ourselves blessed that while Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss revived Sleater-Kinney, singer/guitarist Mary Timony hatched her own spunky all-woman power trio Ex Hex, which plays Great Scott on Friday (as well as the Sinclair on June 13). Also Friday, fiery Welch alt-rockers the Manic Street Preachers make their highly anticipated return at the Sinclair, while Boston's long-excellent jazz/groove/world collective Club d'elf brings back original drummer Erik Kerr as well as violist Mat Maneri for an old-school night at the Lizard Lounge. Psych-prog rockers Ghosts of Jupiter (now with the Ryan Montbleau Band's Jason Cohen on second keyboard) retool at the Davis Square Theatre in advance of a new album. And here's the lineup for the Rock and Roll Rumble semifinals, which conclude Friday at T.T. the Bear's Place.
On Saturday, Johnny D's Uptown rumbles with the invigorating Afro-Cuban grooves of New York's renowned Pedrito Martinez Group, led by the conga virtuoso of the same name, presented by World Music/CRASHarts. And Boston-bred acoustic guitar/cello trio Tall Heights charms with an early show at Brighton Music Hall.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Spring's in the air with a hodgepodge of diverse shows that includes a Boston-bred jamband that's rising above the radar. Dopapod has both the heady grooves and gall to spend the whole weekend at the Sinclair, and has already sold out its three-night ticket package toward that end. Nice openers too, with Soule Monde (featuring keyboardist Paczkowski and Salem-rooted drummer Russ Lawton from Trey Anastasio's band) on Friday and the slinky reggae jammers Dub Apocalypse on Saturday. Another local veteran fringing the jamband scene, Ryan Montbleau brings his soulful rock to the Paradise Rock Club both Friday and Saturday night. On Friday and Saturday, the Rock 'n' Roll Rumble preliminaries also round out at T.T. the Bear's Place. Here's the schedule.
On Saturday, eclectic roots singer Rhiannon Giddens steps out from string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops at the Somerville Theatre in support of her aptly named, T Bone Burnett-produced solo debut Tomorrow is My Turn. In turn, the opera-trained Giddens was drafted for Burnett's new "Basement Tapes" project with Elvis Costello, Jim James and Marcus Mumford. On Sunday, local nylon-string guitarist Juanito Pascual leads his fluid New Flamenco Trio in afternoon shows at the Museum of Fine Arts, the Juliana Hatfield Three returns to rock Cuisine en Locale, and English guitar legend Jeff Beck holds court with his instrumental band at the Orpheum Theatre. When it comes to six-string masters, especially how he coaxes vibrato cries from his Stratocaster, there's no one that sounds like Beck.
Improper Now
Converse and Bowery Present Killer Lineup of Free Shows
Slayer, Passion Pit, The Replacements, Chance the Rapper and more...
Holy crap, you guys. Just when you thought Boston Calling was the biggest music event of the year, Coverse and Bowery Boston dropped this on us: A killer five-night lineup of shows, kicking off April 27, that includes—wait for it—Cambrdge-bred Passion Pit, Slayer, The Replacements, Chance the Rapper, Dinosaur Jr. and more. And it's all totally free.
We'll wait while you pick your jaw up off the floor.
Good? Tickets will be doled out through a lottery (we're guessing competition is going to be a little fierce) through an online registration process starting this Monday at noon. Registrants cant sign up for a chance to win two tickets for the show of their choice. The hardest part, as we see it, is going to be choosing which night to play for.
Peep the full lineup and register here. And godspeed.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Nothing like a true rebirth of spring to mark the return of the Sonics, the seminal garage-rockers from Tacoma, Wash. Long before Nirvana -- or even Jimi Hendrix -- broke out of the Northwest, the Sonics delivered hard, raw and highly influential rock. Now the band has released This is the Sonics, its vital-sounding first album since the '60s – in fact, 50 years since its debut – and plays an early show at the Brighton Music Hall on Friday with Boston's compatible, incendiary soul-rocker Barrence Whitfield & the Savages, plus Muck & the Mires. And with Gerry Roslie (lead vocals, keyboards), Larry Parypa (guitar) and Rob Lind (sax) still in place five decades later, the Sonics appear poised to shake up the place. Speaking of resurgence, '70s-bred British folk-rocker Joan Armatrading will perform solo with love and affection on guitar and piano for her last major tour at the Berklee Performance Center on Friday, while the hypnotic Tal National – the most popular live group in the African country of Niger – debut locally at Johnny D's Uptown, with both shows presented by World Music/CRASHarts. The Soft Moon unleashes its psychedelic rush at Great Scott, and the hootenanny-happy Spirit Family Reunion – steeped in Hank Williams and Bob Dylan – holds court at the Sinclair to help round out a hopping Friday night.
Polymath jazz pianist/composer and Harvard professor Vijay Iyer brings his virtuoso trio with bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore to the Regattabar both Friday and Saturday, likely to mix reconfigured standards with material from acclaimed recent album Break Stuff – boundaries likely included. Also, when it comes to malleable jazz on Saturday, vocalist Cassandra Wilson dips into the Billie Holiday songbook at Berklee to celebrate Lady Day's 100th birthday. Back to another seminal group along more unusual lines, the French progressive rock group Magma gets choral with its own invented language in its 45th anniversary tour stop at Brighton Music Hall. And Swedish indie-folk singer/songwriter Jose Gonzalez floats back into the spotlight, bringing his feathery acoustic touch to the Paradise Rock Club on Saturday.
Sunday explodes with the boisterous fun of married keyboards/drum duo Matt & Kim at House of Blues, promising a mix of piano pop, EDM dance moves and frisky crowd interaction. On the more sophisticated side at Symphony Hall, jazz giants Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock go face-to-face on dual pianos in a Celebrity Series concert. Dweezil Zappa recreates his father Frank's 1975 album One Size Fits All with his repertory group Zappa Plays Zappa at Berklee, and the Icelandic electronic band GusGus invades the Sinclair on Sunday. Not to mention that Sunday marks the opening night of the 2015 Rock 'n' Rumble preliminaries, which take place the entire week (except for Wednesday) at T.T. the Bear's Place with 24 great area bands. Support local rock!
If Fish Steps Aside, Boston 2024 Should Look to the Red Sox
Larry Lucchino would be a perfect fit as the face of the bid.
The hits just keep on coming for John Fish, the chair of Boston 2024. The past week has seen Mayor Marty Walsh's support of him questioned, his previous anti-Olympics criticism dredged up, and Fish once again going after anyone who dares to question the Olympic bid.
The appearance of a construction magnate such as Fish heading up the bid—even with Suffolk Construction's recusal from the project—will simply be too much for the voting public to swallow come November 2016. If the proposal to host the games wants any chance to be passed, it's going to need a new face behind it. Richard Davey, who has valuable experience as transportation secretary and previously at the MBTA, was a smart pick to lead the charge as the CEO, but there needs to be someone as the face of the bid who's able to add excitement and project a vision for the 2024 Olympic Games. And it needs to be someone other than Fish.
As I've called for on multiple occasions dating back to last spring, Fish needs to step aside. Even if Suffolk stays away from any projects, his company would certainly benefit from any increase in construction and development. A bigger and bolder Boston is only a good thing for John Fish. And while we might think a bigger and bolder Boston is in everyone's best interests, is it really going to help a middle-class couple in Hyde Park that simply wants a good education for their kids and safe streets at night? What do they get out of the Olympics? And that's the hitch in the entire argument, right? But it's one that Fish fails to acknowledge.
But who should fill Fish's shoes? There's one answer that initially seemed farfetched when I pitched it early this year, but it seems like an idea that could have some legs. Larry Lucchino should head the Boston 2024 campaign.
Lucchino can certainly take a lot of criticism, but he's done a masterful job with the Red Sox on the business side of things. His biggest fault in the eyes of some might be middling with the roster, rest assured that he won't be picking the fourth member of Team USA's 4x100 relay, and I don't think Coach K (or maybe coach Stevens by then) will ask him who should be the 12th man for the U.S. basketball team. He will be in charge of the business side of things, and there's simply no debating the job he's done with the Red Sox, turning what was mostly a potential goldmine into something very close to an actual goldmine. He hired Janet Marie Smith to oversee Fenway Park's renovations, and having connections to such a renowned stadium architect, who built such gems as Petco Park and Camden Yards, is only a plus in the Olympic process. Sign me up for a Janet Marie Smith-designed Olympic stadium. I might not even want that to be temporary.
His ability to sell every square inch of stadium space to sponsors and advertisers would be a plus for the Olympics, as would his ability to monetize the Olympic experience. How much would you pay for a replica torch? Or a brick on the torch runway? The Yale-educated lawyer would likely find out.
Lucchino's availability is certainly in doubt, but coming on the heels of a spring training report (that was since debunked) that he's less involved in the Red Sox organization than in the past, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he take an indefinite leave from the Sox to head up the Boston 2024 bid. If it fails at the polls in November 2016 or is shot down by the IOC in 2017, then it's back to the Sox. But if it succeeds, then he can move forward, cementing a legacy akin to what Peter Ueberroth left with the 1984 Summer Olympics in L.A.
Maybe Fish knows he'll need to step aside and he's waiting till closer to the referendum to do so. If he waits till next spring to hand the reins over to a new chairperson, they can sell the voters on the promise of transparency and the hope for change in an Olympic process that has so far been a sour experience for most of the city's residents. Lucchino turned the Sox history of 86 years of heartbreak into a cash cow and a franchise that is admired across the country. Surely, he can help lead a turnaround of Boston 2024 after a bunch of rough months.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
It's a Good Friday to catch a show, starting with Twin Shadow – aka onetime Bostonian rocker George Lewis Jr. – cranking up the more anthemic/synthetic moods of his debut major-label effort Eclipse at the Paradise Rock Club. The Decemberists (pictured) share their spare-to-ornate, folk-to-rock range on What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, a worthy complement to the group's older catalog at House of Blues both Friday and Saturday. Brazilian pianist Elaine Elias also does the same two-night stand at Scullers Jazz Club.
On Saturday, a one-night supergroup that includes Gov't Mule/Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes, Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke, Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson and Extreme singer Gary Cherone and bassist Pat Badger pays tribute to rock greats such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse who lost their lives to substance abuse at age 27. Proceeds from that show at the Berklee Performance Center go to local recovery program Right Turn, which has roots in the music community. The same night, singer/guitarist Benjamin Booker, whose self-titled debut was my favorite album of 2014, brings his sparse but adrenalized garage-blues to the Sinclair.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more dynamic, delightful talent than Lisa Fischer, the Grammy-winning R&B soloist who's become an A-list backup singer from the Rolling Stones to Nine Inch Nails, leading her band Grand Baton at the Wilbur Theater on Sunday. Here's her stunning take on Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll," which I reference in a recent interview that you can jump to here. And later on Sunday night, vintage soul-influenced producer-turned-performer Matthew E. White brings his band to Great Scott behind his fine new album Fresh Blood. Here's another jump to my interview with that Virginia-based singer/guitarist.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Thirty years strong, its evolving ranks still fronted by horn veterans Tom Halter, Charlie Kohlhase and leader Russ Gershon, local treasure the Either/Orchestra makes a rare stop at the Regattabar on Friday for a night spanning modern jazz originals, an Ethiopian traditional song and a cameo by singer Gabrielle Agachiko. The same night, Blackberry Smoke brings its jamming blues and country-tinged brand of classic rock to House of Blues, while the Nile Project brings musicians from 11 African countries together for a hypnotic mash of instruments and cultures at Boston University's Tsai Performance Center, presented by World Music/CRASHarts.
Free-jazz enthusiastists have a treat in store Friday through Sunday at the first Brandeis Improv Festival, which takes over that Waltham campus with interesting programs that are free and open to the public, including performances by drummer Milford Graves, pianist Tim Ray, guitarist Dave Tronzo and the collective Club d'elf. Here's the full rundown.On Saturday, in another World Music/CRASHarts show, the nine-piece Heritage Blues Orchestra bridges blues, jazz and gospel from the country to the urban landscape at the Somerville Theatre. Shoegaze rockers Swervedriver crank up the guitars once again at the Sinclair. But Saturday's most eye-catching bill pairs the gritty, impressionistic Texas singer/songwriter Shakey Graves (pictured) and sassy, eclectic country singer Nikki Lane -- whose All or Nothin' remains one of my favorite 2014 albums – in an early show at Royale.
Sunday, however, may offer the most potential for surprise. The coy, charming Texas chanteuse Kat Edmonson shares her unique voice at Scullers Jazz Club, for a 4 p.m. matinee as well as an evening show. Tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain brings his Celtic Connections ensemble to the Somerville Theatre in a third program by World Music/CRASHarts. And the under-the-radar indie supergroup Diamond Rugs, including Deer Tick's John McCauley and Los Lobos' Steve Berlin, stokes its swinging party tunes at the Sinclair to cap the weekend.
Sound Ideas
Boston Ballet Finds Contrast in "Shades of Sound"
Boston Ballet's current program "Shades of Sound" is all about striking contrasts, from minimalist white-to-black stage sets to music that ranges from Tchaikovsky to the White Stripes. There's no other way you'd hear the melody of Jack White's "The Hardest Button to Button" played on tuned cowbells in a percussion section spread through the side boxes of the Opera House, heightening a sense of stereo in opening piece "Chroma" as part of the Boston Ballet's largest-ever orchestra.
Of course the music by Jody Talbot and White -- iced by that satellite menagerie of drums and mallet instruments – complements the facile, fluid movement of the dancers, briskly stretching and dipping in graceful contortions choreographed by Wayne McGregor and staged within a white box. George Balanchine's "Episodes," evolving to a grey backdrop for dancers in black-and-white, came off more static (by comparison) yet playful in a pas de deux by Dusty Button and Lasha Khozashvili in the Saturday matinee of the program's first weekend.
Finally, in its Boston Ballet debut, the closing Hans van Manen-choreographed "Black Box" cast its title's shade in both its backdrop and costuming. The women sported party dresses with high heels rather than pointe shoes and paired off in frisky ballroom and tango steps to a range of classical pieces. Later, with champagne flutes in hand, the couples devolved into movements of drunken frivolity, complete with staggering toward a waiter for hopeful refills – and a toast to the audience. A dash of humor to top off the occasionally rocking attitude and music of a ballet program well suited to a general audience with spring in its step.
"Shades of Sound" closes out with performances this Thursday through Sunday. Tickets at Boston Ballet.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Spring arrives with a slew of concert options. Perfume Genius highlights Friday's palette at the Sinclair, as frontman Mike Hadreas sings and plays piano with an atmospheric and lyrical tension that draws power from his perspective as an out gay man. Perfume Genius' third album Too Bright ranked among 2014's best pop albums. The same night offers the New Orleans funk-fusion of Galactic at House of Blues and the '80s-bred power pop of the Smithereens at Johnny D's Uptown.
Saturday's the busiest night. Lou Barlow's band Sebadoh returns to action at the Brighton Music Hall, passionate indie-rockers Cold War Kids hit House of Blues and the socially rooted folk-punk group Andrew Jackson Jihad roll into Royale. Roots-rock enthusiasts shouldn't miss a chance to catch the spirited ex-Blasters brothers' team of Dave & Phil Alvin with the Guilty Men at the Sinclair. On the jazz side, guitarist John Abercrombie leans to lyrical ballads with his quartet of pianist Marc Copland, bassist Drew Gress and frisky drummer Joey Baron at the Regattabar. And if you're up for a Saturday road trip to the other end of the state to toast spring, Goyte (yes, the "Somebody That I Used to Know" guy) joins kindred indie-pop experimentalists Zammuto at MASS MoCA's Hunter Center in North Adams.
On Sunday at Club Passim, tough and tender singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier shares tales of heartbreak from her recent album Trouble & Love with fellow country-shaded artist Allison Moorer, who sorted through her own personal struggles (including her divorce from Steve Earle) on her own Down to Believing. And across Harvard Square at the Sinclair the same night, singer Georgia Nott and her multi-instrumental brother Caleb of the New Zealand electro-pop group Broods seal their introduction.
Sound Ideas
Rumble-Ready Lineup 2015
It's about time for another 24 local bands to square off in the annual Rock 'n' Roll Rumble at T.T. the Bear's Place. Rumble organizer and WZLX "Boston Emissions" host Anngelle Wood has announced the nightly lineups for the event's six preliminaries in mid-April.
Long run by WBCN, the Rumble has served as a rite of passage (win or lose, because nobody really loses) for decades of Boston bands, from the Neighborhoods and 'Til Tuesday to the Dresden Dolls and last year's winning Goddamn Draculas -- or the Drax for short. After the week of preliminaries (including a traditional Wednesday off for rest), the semi-finals kick in on Thursday and Friday, April 23-24, followed by the finals on Friday, May 1. Here's the preliminaries schedule, with nightly set times for each band:
Preliminary Night #1
9:00 – Mister Vertigo
9:45 – The Rare Occasions
10:30 – Band Without Hands
11:15 – Nemes
Preliminary Night #2
9:00 – Drab
9:45 – Eternals
10:30 – Raw Blow
11:15 – Duck & Cover
Preliminary Night #3
9:00 – Le Roxy Pro
9:45 – Salita
10:30 – The Static Dynamic
11:15 – Psychic Dog
Preliminary Night #4
9:30 – Mercury on Mars
10:15 – Dan Webb and the Spiders
11:00 – Dirty Bangs
11:45 – Protean Collective
Preliminary Night #5
9:30 – Nate Leavitt Band
10:15 – The Dirty Looks
11:00 – Murcielago
11:45 – Zip-Tie Handcuffs
Preliminary Night #6
9:30 – New City Ghost
10:15 – Yale, Massachusetts
11:00 – Soft Pyramids
11:45 – The Warning Shots
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
It's almost St. Patrick's Day, so it must be time for the Dropkick Murphys to take over House of Blues. This year, Boston's Celtic-punk favorites will actually spend the holiday performing in Ireland, but the band will still pack House of Blues this Thursday through Sunday. It's been three decades since jazz guitarist Pat Martino suffered an aneurysm that took away his memory and ability to play, but at age 70, he's seemingly on an upswing with his fluid, spidery, post-bebop facility and back at the Regattabar with his organ trio on Friday. Willie Nile settles in over at Club Passim the same night. He's best known as a veteran rock 'n' roll songwriter (who's joined onstage by Bruce Springsteen on occasion), but he's also trading guitar for piano to sing some of his newer material this tour. And speaking of guitar, Singapore-bred and Boston-based acoustic virtuoso Shun Ng pops into Club Passim for a 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon show that promises special guests (J. Geils harmonica ace Magic Dick being likely for starters). Check out Ng's recent solo cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" that drew online praise from Queen's Brian May.
When Saturday night rolls around, the annual Reykjavik Calling concert at the Middle East Downstairs presents the rising Icelandic bands Kaleo and Beebee & the Bluebirds opposite Boston-based outfits Love in Stockholm and George Knight with Pablo Palooza for some cross-cultural collaboration. It's free but with an RSVP through www.eventbrite.com). Over at the Brighton Music Hall the same night, Scott Weiland (of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver fame) fronts his new band the Wildabouts. And the Airborne Toxic Event commands the Paradise Rock Club both Saturday and Sunday, performing its more experimental, synth-based recent album Dope Machines as well as old hits led by "Somewhere Around Midnight" in a relatively intimate space for that LA band. And Sunday offers two fine sax encounters, in the jazz realm with Either Orchestra leader Russ Gershon leading a trio at Somerville's new space the Green Room, while ex-James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic alto king Maceo Parker gets funky up at Rockport's intimate Shalin Liu Performance Center.
Seriously Funny
Mary Lynn Rajskub may be best known for her signature scowl, which she donned on television thriller 24 as Chloe O'Brian, the right-hand woman to Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer. However, Rajskub's certain set of skills includes bringing the laughs on shows like 2 Broke Girls and the recent revival of Arrested Development. She sets her sights on Laugh Boston for a series of stand-up shows on March 12-14. / Hannah Landers
Tell me about your Boston shows. What can audiences can expect to see?
Well, it's stand-up comedy. [Laughs] It's a lot of me talking and being ridiculous and not too dirty—a nice amount. And it's a live show so anything can happen. Most of my material is personal.… Also a lot of people recognize me from 24 so that creates quite a bit of material, usually up top at the show. Sometimes people look at me not knowing what to expect because a majority of people know me from a very serious show, so that's always fun.
That actually goes into what I was going to ask about. A lot of people know you best from 24, a serious drama. Do you think your stand-up side surprises people?
Absolutely, and it took me a while to understand that.… I see myself as always doing more comedy, but I get so many people that don't know what to expect. There's always the couple that's like, "See? I told you she was funny!" "Well, I don't know. I've never saw her smile." The way I finally started to understand it is if I went to a comedy club and Walter White came out and was standing in front of the microphone.
You mentioned a lot of your comedy is autobiographical. Do you have a topic or subject you like to touch on during every stand-up show?
I talk a lot about my family. I have a husband and a kid. And… we actually got pregnant three months into dating. So usually at the top of my show, depending on who's in the audience and how much I feel like they're into 24 or not, I will address that because sometimes people just really want to talk about that. And then I kind of segue into this stuff that is very candid and comes from living life by the seat of your pants type of situations.
You've been a part of so many ensemble casts on shows like Arrested Development, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Modern Family. Who would be in your dream ensemble cast?
Oh my gosh, that is a really tough question. I hate questions like that, where they're like, "What is your favorite all-time whatever?" And you're like, "I don't know! Don't put me on the spot!"
We can come back to it if you need some time to think about it.
Yeah, that might be some homework for me.… There's certainly tons of funny women right now, which I love. It seems like every year there's somebody new and unique.… Like that Ghostbusters cast that they announced? I'd love to work with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy or Amy Schumer or Maya Rudolph. I'd love to do something with a bunch of funny ladies.
Which role has been the most fun for you to identify with?
I really like Gail the Snail [from Always Sunny] because she's disgusting and I like that I was forced to identify with that. I had to dig deep inside of me and find the grossest version of me that I could possibly be and that was very liberating.
Have you always known that you wanted to be a performer?
No, not at all. I went to school for painting and I didn't like the critiques that people were giving me so I just started speaking and doing live performance. Although I did do acting when I was a kid and in high school, but I never thought it was anything that I could go into. I just did it because I enjoyed it.
How did you initially become interested in painting?
Looking back—and even now—I would be in trouble if I had to anything other than something artistic.… My parents signed me up for a watercolor class. It was all older women and I was like 15 and we just recreated greeting cards. So you'd take a greeting card and you'd take your piece of paper and recreate the flowers from the greeting card. And I just loved it. And then when it was time to go to college… I just kind of looked up and I was like, "Oh, I don't really want to go to school and I don't want to get a job. I'll go to art school!"
Between painting, stand-up and acting, what would you say is your favorite creative outlet?
I like to be able to go back and forth. Painting is definitely more solitary and more inward. I think stand-up has been a really good training ground because you have to be aggressive and I'm not really an aggressive person. So learning how to do that has been really, really, really good for me.… You have to learn how to command the stage and be really clear about what you're talking about. And also have a good time because if you're not having a good time, everybody else isn't having a good time. So stand-up is tough but it's also kind of a party. It's gotten me out of my own head.… And acting would probably be the in-between of both of those worlds.
What would your dream role be?
My dream role would be to… almost be in a comedy where I'm a mom who's just a regular person and then by the end becomes a crazy vigilante warrior fighter. That would be my dream, is to be able to kind of do a little bit of everything. Maybe have something that seems like a totally normal situation that ends up in a fight for life or some kind of spy situation or some kind of showdown.… So at the beginning you see me making breakfast and everything's okay but everything's not what it seems and then I gotta throw down. Like some movie cuts on my face and a metal bikini by the end.… That would be the dream role.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
It's feast or famine with live music, and this weekend offers one those ridiculously rich spreads. Let's start with Friday. Roxbury-bred drummer Roy Haynes reigns as one of the jazz greats, having served with John Coltrane, Charlie Parker and Sarah Vaughn, and the 89-year-old icon brings his Fountain of Youth band into Scullers Jazz Club for the first of two nights. Chris Thile returns from his Nickel Creek reunion to front the Punch Brothers' inventive contemporary bluegrass at House of Blues. Joan Osborne takes a break from new band Trigger Hippy to float solo hits like "One of Us" and this one in an acoustic duo at Johnny D's Uptown. Guitarist Andy Gill remains the only (though most crucial) original member of the great Gang of Four when that British post-punk band hits the Paradise Rock Club. Cross-cultural party band Red Baraat celebrates the Hindu holiday of Holi with its Festival of Colors at the Sinclair; here's a snatch of a recent show and a jump to my recent interview. And Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist Will Butler (brother of that band's frontman Win) brings his solo project to the Middle East Downstairs.
Atmospheric rock returns to the intimate Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre at Emerson's downtown Paramount Center with a spirited double bill of Hallelujah the Hills and psych-rock terrors New Hymnal Highway on Friday and a night of more somber, elegant folk-tinged music with Marissa Nadler, Damon & Naomi (ex-Galaxie 500, Luna) and Glenn Jones on Saturday. Looking at the rest of Saturday's options, beginning down the street at the Wilbur Theatre, Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford hits the road with his '80s pop alternative Mike & the Mechanics. Alloy Orchestra performs one its live soundtracks to the film The Son of the Sheik at the Somerville Theatre and G. Love & (his original) Special Sauce return to rock House of Blues with their rappy blues. Over in Harvard Square, Rockport's own Paula Cole surfaces at cozy Club Passim to revisit her catalog, likely to include this old hit from back when Katie Holmes was a TV teenager on "Dawson's Creek." And around the corner at the Sinclair, Maine native Aly Spaltro returns as Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, delving into more open-hearted material from her new album After, a shift in tone from her brilliant if sometimes harshly passionate past fare. And Great Scott rocks on Saturday with the psychedelic sounds of Moon Duo.
Sound Ideas
Solid Sound Broadens Summer Outlook
Solid Sound has announced a typically diverse lineup for its June 26-28 music and arts festival at MASS MoCA in North Adams. In addition to two nights with host band Wilco (plus its side projects), Solid Sound vies to lure young indie-rock fans with Parquet Courts (SPIN magazine's 2014 Band of the Year), Mac DeMarco and Real Estate, expand its jazz pedigree with sax veteran Charles Lloyd's quartet and guitarist Bill Frisell, and solidify its folk/roots audience with Taj Mahal, the Richard Thompson Trio, NRBQ, the Felice Brothers and enchanting newcomer Jessica Pratt. Eclectic pop group Cibo Matto will join in, while Shabazz Palaces add experimental hip-hop. And as a most promising wild-card booking, 68-year-old Nigerian pioneer King Sunny Ade & his African Beats should get the grounds jumping with their hypnotic big-band juju grooves.
No word yet on whether Wilco will resurrect its all-covers request night from 2013. John Hodgman will return to anchor a comedy revue, this time with Tig Notaro, Paul F. Tompkins and The Daily Show's Jessica Williams, and storytelling troupe the Story Pirates and Vermont's Circus Smirkus should entertain the kids. Solid Sound takes over the main field, courtyards and auditorium of MASS MoCA every two years, with festival-goers free to roam the Berkshires contemporary art museum's sprawling galleries. More information on the lineup and tickets can be found here at its website.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Maybe nothing as grabbing as last weekend's stunning Sleater-Kinney show, but plenty of cool, diverse concert options to rock your world. For starters, jazz-fusion fans might want to submerge into the dark, psychedelic jams of DRKWAV, an all-star trio with keyboardist John Medeski, saxophonist Skerik and drummer Adam Deitch, celebrating their new album The Purge at the Regattabar on Friday. The same night across Harvard Square, the Juliana Hatfield Three resurrects her '90s-born guitar pop at the Sinclair on the heels of the trio's comeback debut last month. Boston's gonzo Americana-rockers Tigerman WOAH strike up a record release party at Somerville's Cuisine en Locale, while fans of Louisiana music who are up for the road trip can catch the Cajun outfit BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet in Rockport's striking Shalin Liu Performance Center on Friday as well.
More roots music, this time on the Celtic side, when World Music/CRASHarts presents the traditional Irish group Altan at the Somerville Theatre on Saturday. And the Florida-born band Hundred Waters, fronted by vocalist Nicole Miglis, brings its heady swirl of organic and electronic music to the Sinclair the same night. Sunday boasts two other young, women-fronted rock bands on the rise. Sydney Sierota and her brothers in the LA pop quartet Echosmith strive to build on the success of their hit single "Cool Kids" at the Paradise Rock Club while the grungy London rockers Wolf Alice stir the pot at the Middle East Upstairs. And California indie-rockers the Dodos round out Sunday's slate at the Brighton Music Hall.
Red Sox Spring Training Preview
Breaking down what to watch for at each position.
Spring training started this week for the Red Sox, and games at JetBlue Stadium in Florida will soon follow.
No Boston month has ever been as snowy as this February. And very few months have ever been this cold. But hope is on the doorstep. It comes not in the five-day forecast, but rather in the three-word refrain: Pitchers and catchers. Yup, spring training is here, and all position players have arrived for the Red Sox. Here's a positional preview of what to keep an eye on amid the glorious goings-on in Fort Myers, Florida.
Catcher (Christian Vazquez, Ryan Hanigan)
Entering last season, many Red Sox fans would've been happy to see Boston pick up Hanigan as the primary catcher. But the former Andover standout was brought to the Sox this season to backup Vazquez. The pitch-calling, pitch-framing and overall defensive impact of Vazquez, 24, is not in question at all. He is elite in those categories, and—knowing how important a good defensive catcher is—that will let him keep his starting spot. But questions remain about his bat. He has eventually hit at every minor-league level, and if he improves to even league average then he'll be an All-Star. Keep an eye on how he's progressing offensively, as well as if Hanigan can raise his anemic BABIP levels from the past two years. This position is not only strong at the major-league level, but top Sox prospect Blake Swihart will be waiting in the wings at Pawtucket. Where to play Swihart, a power-hitting catcher who's good defensively when you already have Vazquez? Let's just say that's a problem of the One Percent.
First Base (Mike Napoli)
The only question with Napoli is how much a good night's sleep will help his performance at the plate. An average fielder and above-average hitter, he had surgery to correct his sleep apnea this offseason. There are not many other question marks with Napoli. At age 33, he is what he is, so there's not much to track with this position. One minor thing to keep an eye on is if Daniel Nava, Garin Cecchini, Allen Craig—or even Hanley Ramirez or Pablo Sandoval play any innings at first base. It'd be nice to know who might play there in a pinch—especially if Craig is ultimately traded.
Second Base (Dustin Pedroia)
A negative presence at the plate last year, the former MVP struggled to find any power after years of hand/finger injuries. He's 31 years old, and second basemen have a history of aging poorly, so questions about a drop in productivity are normal. But if his power rebounds, he will rejoin his spot among the MLB elite. So keep an eye on if Pedroia hits any homers in Florida. Now, if he can just replicate the career-best defensive year he had in 2014.
Shortstop (Xander Bogaerts)
The would-be franchise player struggled in his first full season—or more specifically, for three full months in the middle of his first full season. He arrived to Florida this year, attributing last year's slide to poor conditioning (and not his midseason move to third base), something he says he fixed in the offseason. He's going to hit at the major-league level, something proven by his three months of above-average productivity. The long-term question is can he be an average defender. Listening to defensive guru Brian Butterfield, he can. But keep an eye on how Bogaerts moves toward grounders up the middle and to his right. If he's snagging a bunch—even if he can't get the runner out at first on his throw—then it shows improved lateral agility. And that will go a long way to helping him be the Sox shortstop for many years to come.
Third base (Pablo Sandoval)
Spring training hadn't even started before Sandoval was in the crosshairs of fans and media for his supposed weight problem. The controversy soon died down, but after he signed a five-year deal at nearly $20 million a year, he will be target for some. He's most likely going to hit and field well—he has every year during his career. But keep an eye on how Sandoval handles the media/fan spotlight. It's weird to think that such a happy go-lucky guy could be anything but loved in Boston, but guys like Carl Crawford and John Lackey got off to a bad start in Boston and almost never recovered. The three-time World Series winner who's only 28 should be a big hit in Boston. But he needs to set the tone in spring training.
Outfield (Hanley Ramirez, Rusney Castillo, Mookie Betts, Shane Victorino, Daniel Nava)
There's a lot of talent in this group, which doesn't even include defensive ace Jackie Bradley Jr., who certainly could be a factor if he relearns how to hit. (The fact that he struggled at Pawtucket late last season was encouraging since it meant he had developed a massive flaw in his swing rather than was overmatched by major-league pitching. He had a .374 OBP in Pawtucket in 2013. He previously could hit.) But this current crop also comes with a few questions. Ramirez has never played the outfield, and while he actually projects to be a passable leftfielder, taking on a new position could theoretically affect him at the plate. For all of the injury concerns, the only seasons in which he's played fewer than 125 games were 2011 and 2013. Since breaking into the league in 2006, he actually has played more than 150 games five times. But staying healthy in spring training would help his adjustment to a new league and a new position. Castillo is penciled in to start in center after the Sox committed more than $70 million to bring him aboard last season. While he performed well during his short stint in Boston, as well as during winter leagues, he still only has 40 major-league plate appearances. His defense and speed were as advertised, but his power really popped during that short sample size. Can he keep it up this season? Moving to right field is where the real questions come into play. On paper, most forward-thinking people would rather start Betts and relegate Victorino to the bench. But is that really forward-thinking? What if Victorino can replicate his 6 WAR season from 2013? But if Betts had played a full season last year, he was projected to post a 6 WAR as well. The free-agent-to-be Victorino wouldn't want to be buried behind Betts on the bench, so he'll put up a stink if that's the case. Farrell has already backed Victorino as his starting right fielder. But where do you play a dynamite young player like Betts? Perhaps everywhere. They could use him to give players an occasional day off in the infield or outfield and when there's a long-term injury. Keep an eye on how many different positions Betts plays during spring training. Does he even get spot starts at third base and shortstop? That would be one way to know the Sox are serious about Victorino playing right field and not simply bluffing to drive up his trade value. Meanwhile, Daniel Nava, written off after a bad April last season, was actually the team's second-best position player according to WAR in 2014. He's currently this team's fifth outfielder. And a perfect fit among a righthanded-heavy bunch. That's an embarrassment of riches.
Designated Hitter (David Ortiz)
Three-time World Series winner. The Improper's 2014 Boston's Best cover boy. In honor of the Royal Rooters: 'Nuf ced. Keep an eye on him, but only to savor the greatness.
Utility (Brock Holt)
If everyone's healthy, somebody is going to get traded or sent to Pawtucket among Holt or Craig. Holt can play every position aside from catcher, and he was valuable last season filling in when needed, but he tailed off at the plate in the second half of the season. He's a guy who will have a long career a utility player, but that's hardly a stable career path. And at 26, he could learn that tough lesson this spring—especially if the Sox envision a super-utility role for Betts this season. However, Holt would have to get bumped by Craig. The former St. Louis player was the epitome of clutch (if such a thing exists) until last season. Not only was he not clutch last season—but he was not good at baseball. At all. Some rumors have floated about him taking reps at third base, which would allow him to fill a corner outfield/corner infield role with the Sox this season, while they hold onto him to see if he can take over full time at first base in 2016. If he rebounds to his previous levels of production, then he's a bargain at an average salary of $8.5 million the next three seasons. Keep an eye on if Craig hits at all in spring. If he does hit well, the Sox will likely explore a possible trade—or perhaps find a way to squeeze him onto the major-league roster.
Starting Pitching (Rick Porcello, Clay Buchholz, Wade Miley, Joe Kelly, Justin Masterson)
Ace, ace, ace. All the chatter that surrounds the Sox goes back to the question of who they would start in Game 1 of the ALDS. It's a bit presumptuous, no? If they get there, it will likely be because one of these five guys really stepped up. They all possess No. 1 starter upside. Porcello is 26 and has improved nearly every year. Miley has gotten worse every year since his great 2012 debut, but he did pile up 183 strikeouts last season, so he's got some swing-and-miss stuff in addition to durability. (Plus this photo! Please let this be on the scoreboard for every start at Fenway.) When you think about Clay Buchholz, are the first three months of 2013 what do you think of? Because he was the Cy Young front-runner till he was injured. And speaking of Cy Young contenders, Kelly pronounced himself a candidate for the award this winter. He was quite effective in 2012 and 2013, although far from a No. 1 starter. He's still only 26, however, and the amount of raves about his raw stuff could fill War and Peace. The fifth member of the rotation is Masterson, who was a top pitcher in 2011 and 2013, but struggled last season amid shoulder and arm injuries. So, to sum up the Red Sox starters, there are five solid guys, four of which (aside from Porcello) are coming off seasons in which they performed below their career averages. It's safe to say the Sox bought low on a few of them. Keep an eye on how they all pitch—and their postgame comments on how they feel—this spring. Yes, it's a lot to keep an eye on, but from this group could come a couple of No. 1 guys and three No. 2 performers. Or there could be three guys who are sporadically hurt all season, forcing the Sox to tap into their promising group of minor-league starters (Matt Barnes, Steven Wright, Henry Owens, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brian Johnson and Edwin Escobar).
Relief Pitching (Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa, Alexi Ogando, Edward Mujica, Craig Breslow, Anthony Varvaro, Robbie Ross)
This could be an area of weakness for the Sox. Signing Uehara to a 2-year, $18 million deal was one of the more underrated moves of the offseason, considering his recent, historical dominance—and the fact his poor performance late last season was injury related. And Tazawa will be back in his setup role, likely contributing the same stability he has for two straight seasons. Aside from that, however, I wouldn't be surprised to see anyone else who I slotted into the bullpen falter and not make the team. Ogando has the most potential and a proven track record, but he's far from a sure thing after his injury-filled 2014. Supporters of Mujica always mention that he improved late last season, but that's a bit of a false narrative considering his xFIP in the second half of the season was worse than in the first half. Varvaro was a solid reliever for Atlanta for the past two seasons, and he's got the best chance of being the guy you see on the mound in May and ask, "Where'd they get this guy from? I trust him more than Mujica." Breslow had a poor 2014, which he blamed on his long 2013, but he's shown a pattern of decline for a few years now. Ross suffered from the Daniel Bard Illness last season, being yanked around from starter to reliever and never recovering. Just as likely to grab any of the final bullpen spots are: Tommy Layne, Zeke Spruill, Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman. Keep an eye on Ogando in camp. If he's healthy and producing, the Sox could use him as a relief ace this season, a weapon that could come in handy with so many rotation questions.
Winter Games
Mayor Marty Walsh captured the spirit of the city when he spoke out about this winter's record-breaking snowfall: "I don't know what to say to anybody anymore. Hopefully it will stop eventually." To say everyone is ready for this winter to be over would be an understatement.
In the meantime, here's something fun—even if it is a little outdoorsy—for us cabin-fever-stricken and snow-bound Bostonians to do: support local businesses by playing Boston Bingo, and you may get something in return yourself. Enter completed cards to win tickets to see the Bruins or even a chance to sip lattes with the Mayor himself.
And while it may be hard to get to your favorite restaurant when the wind chill is 20 below and you're stuck in between two disabled trains, you've probably already finished some of the squares today: hit the gym, order something "large" (espresso, please), and snack on a croissant. Or go for a whimsical option: treat your furry friend to something nice, visit your local bookstore or snag something spicy. Besides, some activities are long overdue. When was the last time you treated yourself to a blowout or mani/pedi? Your winter-worn hands and split ends will thank you.
Spring can't come soon enough, but picking out flowers for a loved one might speed up the wait.
Off The Bench
Red Sox Seize Rare Opportunity
Why Signing Yoan Moncada is a Smart Move.
On the surface, the Celtics and Red Sox seem similar only in their Boston location. One is in the stages of a multi-year rebuilding project, while the other is a year removed from a championship and favored by oddsmakers to return to the World Series this season. But although Celtics president Danny Ainge has garnered lots of attention for his asset-accumulation strategy, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington has been doing the same thing. The latest example: Yoan Moncada agreeing to a contract with the Sox for $31.5 million, which will cost the Sox twice that after you factor in a 100-percent tax.
The initial reaction is to wonder where he fits. When you scroll through the Sox lineup, almost every starting position player is under team control for at least three more years. The only players who aren't are Mike Napoli and David Ortiz (and Shane Victorino if you count him). Not to mention, the prospects such as Garin Cecchini, Devin Marrero and Blake Swihart, who are all currently blocked by other young talented players. It's an overflow of talent, but that didn't deter Cherington when he signed Hanley Ramirez to play left field in November or when he signed Moncada this time around. Ramirez is an outstanding hitter, who you worry about position with later. If scouting reports on Moncada are true, he's also an outstanding talent, who you worry about position with down the line.
By signing him, the Sox have to pay the $31.5 million tax, but they don't have to forfeit a draft pick (like signing a player in free agency) and they don't have long-term financial implications that come with going over the luxury tax (loss of revenue sharing, repeater tax). They had already exceeded their international budget to sign two of the top three international pitching prospects in August, so the penalties of not being able to go over the international budget for the next two years were already in place. The Sox have oodles of money coming in these days from national and regional TV deals, not to mention sponsorships. Spending each year to the $189 payroll limit before a luxury tax kicks in would leave them with a large amount of profit. Going over that limit can take a financial toll in the long run. But the chances to spend money outside that tax are very limited, and they were already going to be even more limited with the international budget penalty looming regardless of this signing. So, they paid an extra $31.5 million now to take a chance on Moncada. He's young and the chances any team has to simply sign young, talented players in the current system are close to nill. Those types of players never hit free agency until they're near the end of their prime. They'll figure out where to play him later, but they'll be satisfied they have him as an asset in their organization right now. It's about accumulating talent. Danny Ainge knows it. And based on his past few moves, Cherington does, too.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Sturgill Simpson brings new life to an old sound, the classic country of '70s-era Waylon Jennings, and infuses it with his own perspective and sound, including touches of psychedelia. Simpson hints at that in his light show, as he leads his quartet into the Paradise Rock Club on Friday (before he returns this summer for the Newport Folk Festival), supporting one of 2014's best albums in Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. The same night, gospel-soul legend Mavis Staples will take you there at the Shalin Liu Performance Center up in Rockport.
Saturday brings the rare chance to catch Midge Ure, best known as the singer for Ultravox and a co-organizer of Band Aid and Live Aid, who plays Johnny D's Uptown on a solo acoustic tour likely to include his take on this Ultravox gem. And commanding singer/songwriter Mary Fahl branches out from her former group the October Project, playing intimate Club Passim on Saturday. Watch for Ariel Pink to hit the Paradise stage the same night in his glammy high heels, animating his oddball retro-pop with his playful showmanship, while the Sinclair hosts Maine-based veterans Rustic Overtones, renowned for live shows that jam together soul-funk and psychedelic garage-rock.
Sunday brings perhaps the weekend's most anticipated show to House of Blues: the return of Sleater-Kinney (pictured), which burst out of the Pacific Northwest's riot grrrl scene in the '90s to become one of American's best bands before disbanding in 2006. The buzz has since grown, fueled in part by Carrie Brownstein's newfound celebrity as the co-star of the comedy show "Portlandia." But more importantly, she and fellow guitarist/singer Corin Tucker and drummer Janet Weiss have reignited their spunky chemistry on Sleater-Kinney's worthy new album No Cities To Love (they just dropped this rad video of one of its songs) and now they're taking it to the next stage.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
With the Black Crowes broken up again – perhaps even for good, given the latest impasse with his brother Rich, singer Chris Robinson has turned full energies to the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, a band that loves to jam in the tradition of the Grateful Dead. CRB, where the singer plays a guitar opposite foil Neal Casal, certainly should be stretching out in a two-night stand at the Paradise Rock Club on Friday and Saturday.
CJ Chenier also draws on family legacy, that of his late father Clifton, as he makes zydeco rock at Johnny D's Uptown on Friday. Bright, edgy LA indie-rockers Bad Suns hold court the same night at the Brighton Music Hall, where the textural Wisconsin indie-folk group Phox follows on Saturday (you can also jump to my recent interview with Phox frontwoman Monica Martin here). UPDATE: Phox show is POSTPONED to a later date.
George Clinton conducts his extended funk jams with the latest, sprawling edition of his institution Parliament-Funkadelic at House of Blues on Saturday. And NOW POSTPONED TO MARCH 7 due to weather, Shaun Wolf Wortis will host his 22nd annual Mardi Gras Ball, this year at Cuisine en Locale, a health-care benefit for the New Orleans Musicians Clinic. Ex-Slide frontman Wortis will be backed by his Legendary "Vudu" Crew led by sax man-about-town Paul Ahlstrand, with guest singers including Jen "Jenny Dee" D'Angora, Peter Moore, Andrea Gillis and Amber Casares, who proves in rehearsals that it should be a night to remember.
Sound Ideas
Sam Smith Smiles in Grammy Snoozer
Sam Smith was the big winner at Sunday's Grammy Awards, taking four golden gramophones with polite charm that fit a largely droopy night and came with his observation that it was "only until I started to be myself" that he found success. But the British crooner who captured the Best New Artist, Song, Record and Pop Vocal Album categories was also overshadowed by an Album of the Year surprise and tons of performances, topped by Annie Lennox, Beyonce, Madonna and Sia.
Beck's surprise win for Album of the Year with Morning Phase, beating both Sam Smith and Beyonce, even drew a self-curtailed bum rush from Kanye West, hinting at his infamous Beyonce-was-robbed VMAs interruption of Taylor Swift. It seemed like a joke until West later spouted off to E! News, suggesting Beck should have given the trophy to Beyonce. Beck took it all politely, as surprised as anyone, having already snatched Rock Album of the Year from the Black Keys, U2 and Tom Petty, who wins anyway for shared future royalties on Smith's "Stay With Me."
West got to perform twice on the show, even joining Paul McCartney (who you couldn't really hear anyway) and Rihanna on "FourFiveSeconds." Other successful collaborations included Smith with MJ Blige and a ubiquitous gospel chorus, Tony Bennett going "Cheek to Cheek" with a classily gonzo Lady Gaga, country standout Brandy Clark with harmonizer Dwight Yoakum, and best of them all, Hozier with Annie Lennox, who didn't seem quite in step with his "Take Me to Church" but brought down the house with her zesty take on "I Put a Spell on You."
For her part, Beyonce (who still won three Grammys) hauntingly sang "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" like a bridal angel, amid black men in white suits who raised palms in a subtle reference to the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" movement. The oddly bellhop-attired Pharrell Williams made the same visual commentary with dancers in hoodies raising their hands in his chaotically recast "Happy," a classical piano solo poorly shoehorned into the production as a weak attempt to broaden the musical styles offered on the telecast. But presenter Prince dropped the most obvious yet clever line in "Like books and black lives, albums still matter."
Much like Beyonce stood in contrast to her sexy "Drunk in Love" romp at last year's Grammys, Katy Perry followed her Super Bowl prop party with divorce ballad "By the Grace of God" after moving words against rape and domestic violence from President Obama (on video) and assault survivor Brooke Axtell.
Madonna showed she still pushes enough buttons, beyond the fountain of youth, to dance like a matador among men with bull horns and masks on her new "Living for Love" and ultimately (if it was indeed her) ascend toward the heavens. It could have been a rousing introduction to the night, but Madonna had done that before. So the kickoff honors when to classic hard-rockers AC/DC, which could use the boost since it was the band's first live appearance in four years. With drummer Phil Rudd facing drug charges in New Zealand, shaven-headed replacement Chris Slade was back behind the kit, flanked by hanging bass drums for "Highway To Hell," a worthy follow-up to the lame new song "Rock or Bust" that had attendees donning light-up devil horns.
More devilish fun would have improved the rest of the three-hour-plus show, which was mired in too many dull performances, including "The Voice" coaches Adam Levine, Gwen Stefani and Usher, perhaps lucky that their show is on the same promo-shameless network. And the shy Sia perhaps trumped everyone with a "Chandelier" performance-art piece where the singer apparently faced a wall while wigged doppelgangers (including former "Saturday Night Live" star Kristen Wiig) enacted a dramatic dance as head-scratching as much of the night.
You Won, Rob!
Patriots' Rob Ninkovich Basks in their Super Bowl Victory.
Rob Ninkovich sacks Russell Wilson in Super Bowl XLIX. (Photos by David Silverman / New England Patriots)
Rob Ninkovich awoke on Super Bowl Sunday to an alert on his iPhone: "You're old, Rob!"
It was his 31st birthday, and he'd set up the automatic alert years ago. Hours later, he was still old, but he was something else, too: A Super Bowl champion.
It had been 10 years since the Patriots won a Super Bowl, coming oh-so-close a couple times in the ensuing decade. And it'd also been years since the Patriots' defense had been the focal point of the team. But this season was different. This Patriots team had sealed two previous victories (against Oakland and Baltimore) with interceptions late in the game. The defense had stepped up long before Malcolm Butler muscled his way to infamy with a play that was so memorable it's simply known, for now, as The Play.
Ninkovich will never forget The Play. Among the 11 players on the field for the Patriots, two were undrafted, four more had been cut, and two players had suffered career-threatening injuries. Ninkovich was one of the guys who'd been cut. And, while all of New England's fans had been sent into a panic a minute earlier thanks to a miraculous Seattle catch, he and his teammates drew on that same focus and guile that helped them overcome adversity before. Ninkovich was only focused on what the play call would be.
"I was thinking that they were going to do something to move the quarterback in the pocket, like a dash. Or some type of [play with Russell] Wilson rolling to his right. In those situations, quarterbacks can throw the ball away if they don't see what they like," Ninkovich recalls. "He stayed in the pocket, the ball came out really quick, and so I engaged with the tackle, and once I saw the ball release, I flipped back around to see where the ball was going. I saw Malcolm jump in front of it and catch it. I just threw my arms in the air in complete excitement and disbelief that this just happened. That we just did this. It was awesome."
Cue the Duck Boats. But none of it happens if not for Ninkovich making two defensive stops earlier in the second half. The first was a stuff of Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch on third-and-1: "I looked at the tackle's eyes, and I saw him looking down from me, so I knew he wasn't coming to block me. … I just went right for Lynch, and I was going to tackle him no matter what. If he had the ball or didn't have the ball." He followed that up a few drives later with a sack of Wilson on third down that set the stage for the first of Tom Brady's two fourth-quarter touchdown throws.
An hour later, Ninkovich embraced his wife and 19-month-old daughter as they arrived on the field to celebrate. As his daughter played with confetti, his wife, full of emotion, said to a teary Ninkovich: "You did it, babe."
As Ninkovich was still soaking up the victory the next day, he saw a far friendlier message on his phone than the previous day. It was from another relative who had been on the field to celebrate: "I had the time of my life," his dad wrote. "My chest could explode right now. I'm so proud of you."
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Break out of the cold. John C. Reilly might be best known for his comedy films with Will Ferrell ("Shake and bake!"), but he's also an American roots music enthusiast. John Reilly and Friends -- including singer Becky Stark, singer/guitarist Tom Brosseau and bassist Sebastian Steinberg -- dig into folk, country and bluegrass in an Arts at the Armory concert in Somerville on Friday. Also on the acoustic side the same night, indie-rock singer/songwriter Damien Jurado plays an early show at Brighton Music Hall. And the Paradise Rock Club finds drummer Joe Russo's Almost Dead (with guitarists Scott Metzger and Tom Hamilton and keyboardist Marco Benevento), diving into its exploratory take on the Grateful Dead repertoire that Russo plied as a member of Furthur.
Newly signed to Nonesuch Records, UK folksinger Olivia Chaney (pictured) will release her debut album later this year, but brings her haunting voice and multi-instrumental skills to the Lizard Lounge on Saturday for an early showcase. Jazz saxophonist Chris Potter -- who's played with Dave Holland and Pat Metheny and once trailed only Sonny Rollins on tenor in a DownBeat readers' poll -- plays two shows at the Regattabar the same night. Chris Potter's Underground group will feature guitarist Adam Rogers, bassist Fima Ephron and drummer Nate Smith. The Rumble-winning Goddamn Draculas celebrate their hard-rocking debut album The Drax at the Middle East Downstairs on Saturday, while LA-based rockers Grizfolk bring electro-tinged Americana to the Middle East Upstairs on Sunday.
Super Bowl XLIX Preview
Five Pro-Patriots Thoughts And Five Pro-Seahawks Thoughts
Even before Super Bowl XLII, with their team favored by more than two touchdowns, most Patriots fans could still see that the game could go either way. Sure, the Pats had won 18 games in a row, but the win over the Giants to end the regular season was closer than most games (38-35). And starting with Roosevelt Colvin's season-ending injury against Philadelphia in Week 11, the 2007 Patriots defense turned from among the NFL's best to average. There is always a road to victory and a road to defeat. Here are five observations that could lead to a Patriots victory, and five observations that could turn the game in Seattle's favor.
Five Thoughts That Favor the Patriots
Rob Gronkowski is Healthy: This is perhaps the most obvious advantage that the Patriots have that everyone is overlooking. He's never been healthy for an entire postseason since his rookie season. He was hurt during Super Bowl XLVI. He's healthy now, and while he might not post a 100-yard game, he's still going to require double coverage from the Seahawks. That means someone else will be open. He's the queen of the chessboard and the best player who will take the field on Sunday. (Rob Gronkowski photo, courtesy of New England Patriots)
Patriots Offensive Adaptability: No running back carries in the second half vs. Baltimore. A 148-yard game from LeGarrette Blount vs. Indianapolis. Yup, those were two very different game plans. But it goes deeper than that, especially if Bryan Stork returns to the Pats on Sunday. With him, they can run or pass out of their normal alignment. Without him, the only way they're running is if Cameron Fleming comes on the field as an extra blocker. But Stork provides the versatility that the Pats will need. Gronkowski can catch or block. Same with Brandon LaFell. And running back Shane Vereen can catch (52 catches), run (4.1 yards per carry) and block. It's conceivable the Patriots could play with most of the same personnel all game: Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, Vereen, Gronk, LaFell and the five offensive linemen could fill 10 of the 11 spots for the majority of plays. If you see those guys on the field, are you selling out to stop the run or the pass? You just don't know. That's what makes the Patriots truly unpredictable.
Are We Sure the Seahawks are Great? This is a toss up. Yes, they've won 11 of their past 12 games. But the only teams with a winning record that they beat during that run were the Cardinals with their backup and third-string quarterbacks, and the Eagles with their backup quarterback. Oh, and the Packers. In Seattle. After only scoring on a fake field goal in the first 55 minutes of the game. But they beat the teams that they had to in order to get the No. 1 seed in the NFC. And they got healthier along the way, getting guys like Kam Chancellor back up to speed.
On to Seattle: Fans saw a glimpse of the Patriots' strategy to move past Deflategate last Saturday when coach Bill Belichick praised his team as the best in the league. It was reminiscent of his "On to Cincinnati" rallying cry, which came with a strong defense of his team during that week. It also brought to mind his reportedly stirring pregame speech against the Carolina Panthers in 2004, when he said: "Everybody's talking about the how Panthers are similar to us. They're not us. They'll never be [expletive] us. They'll never be champions. We're the [expletive] champions, and the trophy is coming back where it belongs." If there's ever a time to bring out a similar emotional pregame speech, Sunday is that time. Players don't need any extra motivation before a game as big as the Super Bowl, but it can't hurt, right? And a little extra motivation during practice always helps too.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick: This needs no explanation. They've been in five of these things together and they've won three.
Five Thoughts That Favor the Seahawks
The Seahawks Defense: Sure, they lost a few players from last year, but the sheer volume of playmakers that this team employs on defense is staggering. The Patriots really shouldn't make a habit of throwing the ball toward Richard Sherman or Earl Thomas or Kam Chancellor. And Seattle's front seven is just as good, with a run defense that was phenomenal this season. For all of the adaptability that the Patriots offense has, the Seahawks can match it on defense.
The Patriots' Run Defense: Marshawn Lynch is good. But if the Patriots had a stout run defense, they could likely stop him. The problem is the Patriots' defense has been below average, especially of late. Even during a dominant performance against the Colts, Indy still used its mediocre running backs to average 4.4 yards per carry. And Baltimore went for nearly 5 yards a run during the divisional playoff game. The Patriots could load up against the run, and I expect to see run-stuffing safety Patrick Chung provide a lot of help. But they could have done that against Baltimore as well, and they didn't during the first quarter.
Russell Wilson: The Seattle quarterback really might have the "it" factor. He's got a leadership quality and fearlessness that allowed him to rally from a two-score deficit with 5 minutes to go. Plus he has the ability to beat teams with his arm and his legs. Those types of players have often hurt the Patriots, and they were defenseless against Wilson running the read-option when they faced him in 2012.
The Crowd: Seahawks fans are reportedly coming to Arizona in droves to watch the game. Sure, most of the Super Bowl tickets go to nonfans, but Seattle is far closer to Arizona than New England is, so it's easy to see that 12th Man making an impact on the atmosphere. If that's the case, it could disrupt the Patriots with any pre-snap movement or audibles.
The Improbability Factor: How did Seattle beat Green Bay? They were outplayed on both sides of the ball for more than three quarters. They were down two scores with less than 5 minutes to go. It was a complete ass kicking. And yet they still won. If they can win despite getting so outplayed, then imagine if they actually play well? All bets are off, and the Seahawks won't simply have won back-to-back Super Bowls. They might have won back-to-back Super Bowl blowouts.
After sorting through the good and the bad, it's hard to predict how the game will go. It's difficult to envision Seattle putting up a big point total, so if they don't score more than 21 points, will the offensive-minded Patriots have a chance? Sure. But the recipe for all postseason Patriots losses since 2007 has been that the offense never gets going. They haven't scored more than 21 points in a postseason loss since the AFC Championship defeat in Indianapolis. If they bank 21 or more on Sunday, they'll win. More likely, however, they'll need to find a way to win a 16-13 or 12-10 Super Bowl. In cases like those, it's nice to know the Patriots have a special teams edge (5th in DVOA to 19th for Seattle) since field position could mean a valuable field goal here or there. The defense can likely hold up against the one-dimensional Seahawks. But the question remains whether the Patriots can score on Seattle. A simple look at the Packers game shows they likely can score a little bit (and Green Bay left a lot of points on the board settling for field goals). So the guess here is the Patriots pull out a squeaker: 20-16.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Kingsley Flood finds the sweet spot between the Clash and the Beatles on To the Fire, the first of three EPs that the band plans to drop in 2015 and a convincing follow-up to 2013's winning Battles. The Boston-bred sextet fronted by DC songsmith Naseem Khuri cranks the energy even higher onstage, a reputation that won't change with new fiddler Eva Walsh. Yet when Kingsley Flood fires up the Sinclair on Friday, they're also likely to switch it up with Khuri on piano for rootsy new ballad "Cavalry." In terms of another Boston-groomed talent, soul singer Ingrid Gerdes holds court at Johnny D's Uptown the same night, while the Indiana-bred instrumental jamtronica outfit Lotus blooms at House of Blues. And jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove leads his quintet at Scullers both Friday and Saturday.
Like Kingsley Flood, Dr. Dog has earned its stripes onstage, so the veteran Philly group's new album Live at a Flamingo Hotel seems overdue as a live document of Dr. Dog's adventurous rock/pop churn, on full display Saturday at House of Blues. Cape-bred "American Idol" alumnus Siobhan Magnus, who toured as a guest vocalist with classic rockers Boston last year, brings her band at Johnny D's the same night. And platinum-coifed punk survivor Billy Idol hits the Orpheum Theatre on Saturday to animate '80s hits like "White Wedding" and "Rebel Yell" as well as material from Kings & Queens of the Underground, his first studio album in a decade – with guitar foil Steve Stevens still aboard.
Finally, for a Thursday Throwback, if you missed Israeli folk-pop singer Asaf Avidan's astonishing local debut last year, here's a close document of what you missed. Good reason not to miss him next Thursday at the Paradise Rock Club (this time with a band) behind his intriguing new album Gold Shadow.
Going Out
Game Plan: We mapped out your Super Bowl menu
Ballin' eats.
Super Bowl Sunday is all about the game, of course, but that doesn't mean you can fumble when it comes to the food. Whether you'll be out on the town or down on the couch, you can cheer on your hometown heroes without going hungry. / Grace Rasmus
Craigie on Main
Satisfy pork-loving guests with Craigie's Swanky Super Bowl Party Package. $75 gets you 4-6 servings, including a slow-roasted baby pig's head, tortillas, black beans, guac, salsa, cornbread and fried pigs' tails.
Extra point: Add a rack of crispy, spice-crusted heritage pork ribs for $20.
853 Main St., Cambridge (617-497-5511) craigieonmain.com
The restaurant is offering a six-person Super Bowl Feast To-Go ($49) consisting of an 18-piece square Sicilian pizza, balsamic garlic chicken wings and pepperoni-flavored popcorn.
345 Congress St., Boston (617-345-0005) pastoralfortpoint.com
Rosa Mexicano
Rosa Mexicano is offering a Guac-to-Go Party Pack ($5 per person), a take-out version of their signature guacamole en molcajete with housemade tortillas and corn tortilla chips.
Extra point: Don't miss out on the pre-game—Rosa Mexicano delivers right to your door.
155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston (617-476-6122) rosamexicano.com
Area Four
Order up one of Area Four's Super Bowl specials, such as their tuna taco pizza pie with lime chili sauce, plus brown bean barbecue pork ribs.
500 Technology Sq., Cambridge (617-758-4444) areafour.com
Battery Park
Snack on shareable plates like pulled pork tacos and cheesesteak egg rolls among a sea of 17 HD TVs.
Extra point: At the end of each quarter, expect gift card giveaways, along with raffles for T-shirts, hats, liquor bottles and a tailgate grill.
33 Batterymarch St., Boston (617-350-7275) batteryparkboston.com
BOKX 109 American Prime
Work up an appetite for all-you-can-eat baked mac and cheese, seven layer dip and chicken wings in flavors like barbecue, Asian, hot and hotter.
Extra Point: Get a pitcher of draught beer for $10.
399 Grove St, Newton (617-454-3399) bokx109prime.com
It'll be first-come, first-served at Bronwyn with specials including wagyu sauerbraten chili, paprika chicken wings, coriander-garlic kielbasa and foot-long bratwursts with haus mustard.
Extra point: Make game day an all-day affair with brunch from 11 am–2:30 pm and bar snacks from 2:30-5 pm.
255 Washington St., Somerville (617-776-9900) bronwynrestaurant.com
Ride the Patriots' coattails at Papagayo. If they take home the Lombardi trophy, guests will get all their food for free. There are only two small catches: sit down with a reservation by kickoff at 6:30 pm, and purchase a beverage.
Extra point: Even if the Pats lose, you'll still get 50 percent off your total food bill.
283 Summer St., Boston (617-423-1000); 15 West St., Boston (617-423-3600) papagayoboston.com
Restaurant dante
In addition to complimentary pomodoro bruschetta at the bar, the chefs will send around arancini with porcini risotto, mozzarella and truffle honey every time the Pats score.
40 Edwin H. Land Boulevard, Cambridge (617-497-4200) restaurantdante.com
Sweet Cheeks Q
Sweet Cheeks hosts an all-day Pig Skin Pig Out buffet, where $30 buys signature biscuits, barbecue meats, hot and cold sides and non-alcoholic beverages.
Extra point: If you're looking for more of a kick, stop by the Bloody Mary or mimosa bar.
1381 Boylston St., Boston (617-266-1300) sweetcheeksq.com
The Tap Trailhouse
The Pats Pairing special ($15) includes a Noble Dog—a baked bean-topped half-pound beef hotdog poached in brown sugar and Freedom Trail Ale—along with one of three New England craft beer flights in a dark, light or seasonal brew.
Extra Point: If the Patriots win, each table will get a gift card for the dollar amount equal to the team's final score.
19 Union St., Boston (617-367-0033) thetaptrailhouse.com
Why Tom Brady is a bad bet to be the Super Bowl MVP
History Shows Young Players Win More Than QBs
Confession: In our eyes Tom Brady can do very little wrong. He's the definition of not only a living legend, but a living legend still playing. Tom Brady's Super Bowl MVP odds stand at 8/5. Not a bad bet for the quarterback of the Super Bowl favorite, right? Wrong. He might be the favorite, but it's a bit of a bad bet.
While the Super Bowl MVP has the reputation of being a quarterback's award, it's actually even more of a young man's award. And despite Brady's otherworldly conditioning regimen, he's still 37 years old. If he were to win the award, he'd be the second oldest Super Bowl MVP, behind only the 38-year-old John Elway in Super Bowl XXXIII. In fact, no other player older than 34 has ever won it. (Tom Brady photo, at right, courtesy of the New England Patriots / David Silverman)
Of course, football itself is a young man's game, so simply stating that there hasn't been an MVP older than 31 in 15 years doesn't tell you too much. Aside from Brady, the only player of consequence on either team who is older than 31 is 32-year-old Vince Wilfork. As a defensive tackle, he isn't even individually listed on Odds Shark's odds. But looking at the AV-adjusted average age of Super Bowl winning teams and comparing it to the Super Bowl MVP gives some better perspective. (H/T: Football Perspective, which uses the approximate value of each player and calculates that into the team's average age; otherwise every team would skew younger with undrafted rookies filling third-string roles.)
If you look at the previous 48 Super Bowls, even including the days when impact players played longer (think Bart Starr and Len Dawson), the MVP skews to a young player rather than a quarterback. There have been 26 quarterbacks named MVP in the previous 48 Super Bowls. But there's been 29 players named MVP who were younger than or the same age as their team's average age.
When you narrow the focus into a more current time period, such as the past 25 Super Bowls, 16 MVPs have been younger than or the same age as their team's average age. During that same time period, 15 MVPs were quarterbacks. The past 15 years? Same slight edge for younger players: Young guns with 10 of 15 MVPs, while quarterbacks were 9 of 15 MVPs.
A quarterback is actually more likely to win the season MVP than the Super Bowl MVP. One simple explanation is that the quarterback's greatness is likely to even out during the entire regular season more than during one fluky game. But consider another reason. Former Patriots offensive lineman Matt Light told The Improper last week that the bigger your family, the more responsibilities you have during the lead up to the Super Bowl.
"It's a real rat race to get everything figured out. If you're married, it's a whole other set of circumstances because you've got your wife's family and your family. And you've got to make sure your wife has everything she needs," Light says. "If you've got kids, god forbid you got little criminals running around like I did, you've got to make sure they're all taken care of."
If that were true, then it would hold true that single players with no kids were more likely to have less outside distractions before the Super Bowl—and possibly have a better game. But there's no real data available for players' familial status. The closest you can get to breaking out single nonparents is to generalize that younger players are more likely to be single and without kids—unless you're Antonio Cromartie.
So rather than thinking the quarterback is the favorite to win the award, it's actually slightly more likely that the MVP crowned on Sunday is a player who is younger than his team's average age. Knowing that, you might want to look past Brady in the MVP betting odds on Sunday. One player who still falls in the young'uns category? Twenty-five-year-old Rob Gronkowski.
Going Out
Agenda: 'Point Break' live at The Sinclair
Vaya con Dios, brah
Can't wait for the summer release of the Point Break remake? Keanu Reeves fans can get their nostalgia fix at Point Break Live! at the Sinclair.
For one night only, the rock club will transform into a movie set—on which the audience plays the "extras"—for a parody of the '90s action flick about a gang of bank-robbing surfer bros and the rookie undercover cop investigating them. Billed as the first "reality play," Point Break Live! stars an audience member—chosen in an on-the-spot "Are U Keanu?" contest—as Reeves' Johnny Utah. The insta-movie star reads his lines from giant cue cards provided by a "production assistant." Hilarity and chaos obviously ensue. Essentially a live, messy, beer-fueled reproduction of the making of Point Break, the show has been called "a remake so bad, it's outright homage" by The New York Times. Endorsement enough for us, brah.
For more info visit sinclaircambridge.com.
Q&A: Super Bowl Champ Matt Light
Former Pats Lineman Gives Peek Into How N.E. Prepares for the Super Bowl
Matt Light went to five Super Bowls during his time with the New England Patriots, winning three of them. The former left tackle is still working hard, only now it's to help youth gain different outdoor experiences through the Matt Light Foundation. To that end, Light's foundation is helping fulfill a couple more dreams thanks to its Super Bowl raffle. He's giving away a Super Bowl package, including two tickets, to the winner of a raffle. All you have to do is buy a $2 ticket (five minimum) at lightraffle.org before the entry deadline on Thursday at 4 pm. Light chatted with The Improper on the giveaway and his past Super Bowl experiences.
So what's included in the Super Bowl package?
We're doing two tickets to the game. They'll be great seats. We're doing airfare through JetBlue. And a hotel stay for Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. We're throwing in VIP tickets to the Taste of the NFL, which is a very cool event, where they pair an NFL legend or player with a local chef from each city. All 32 teams are represented. There a lot of great names involved and they put on a whole show the whole night. So they'll have two tickets to that as well for Saturday night.
It's just this concept is really starting to take off now. We've done it for five years, but you really see it starting to take off now. Anybody can have the opportunity, instead of the traditional, auctioning something off and whoever has the most money in the room gets it. This is something where everyone can participate, either on an entry level, or if you want to up your chances, you can buy a lot more chances. The person who just won the one we did for the AFC Championship Game bought 25 tries and she won. I think it's a great model where anyone can win. What this will do for our foundation is huge. We typically have a lot of people who say, 'Hey, I wanted to support the foundation but it was cool because I gave the printout of the tickets to my niece. She waited the day of the drawing by the phone and it was cool for her to be a part of it because she learned something about your foundation.' (Photo of Matt Light, courtesy of the NFLPA)
How much did you raise for the AFC Championship Game?
For that one, we raised $130,000, which was phenomenal. What that does for us, is it puts us years ahead when it comes to having the ability to expand certain things, add a little more programming and bring on more people that we didn't think we'd have the ability to do. It's a huge win for the foundation. We've been around since 2002, working with kids from all over the country. Our goal now is to try to sustain this thing forever, and this is going a long way in helping us reach that goal.
How different is it for you to see the Pats make the Super Bowl as an onlooker?
It's great. I've really enjoyed watching them this season. The first couple of years, I was too busy hitting a lot of things on my list to really focus on the team. I kind of needed to step away from the game and get back to the real world. I definitely did that. I definitely took advantage of a lot of things I had to pass up while I was playing. Bill always had a unique way of telling us it. He said, 'If there's a drawer in your house somewhere and everything the outside world throws at you, you deal with that some other day. You put it all in that drawer. Once the season's over, you can get to all those other things, but until that day, you've got a job to do.' I've been going through that drawer for the past couple of years. And then this year, being able to watch what these guys have done at a lot of positions, and a lot of people have stepped up and contributed. It has been great. I've got enough guys on the team that I can still live through because I've played with them and spent a lot of time with them. It's been fun to see the differences. Really in this playoff run, having home-field advantage and earning the right to play at home was such a key thing. It was great for me because I got to go to the games, and be there for it. To feel the excitement of the playoffs, especially the AFC Championship Game, it brings up a heck of a lot of good memories.
Speaking of home-field advantage. You do the narration now, for that pregame video, right?
Ha. I've never actually heard that live, which is a good thing. Like most people, I tend to want to hurl myself off the nearest cliff when I hear my voice.
Well, maybe you can fill James Earl Jones' shoes some day. You played in five Super Bowls. Did that experience help by the fifth one?
Well, I think these two weeks leading up to the game are some of the more intense days as a player that you can ever go through. No matter how many times you go through it, you still have the same inputs, the same people. Typically, it's magnified. It's a real rat race to get everything figured out. If you're married, it's a whole other set of circumstances because you've got your wife's family and your family. And you've got to make sure your wife has everything she needs. If you've got kids, god forbid you got little criminals running around like I did, you've got to make sure they're all taken care of. It's an amazing feat to be able to mobilize an NFL football team, let alone all the hangers-on and the family who want to go. So, it never gets any easier each time when it comes to prepping for the trip down, taking all your family and trying to make sure all the arrangements are made. And you've got a million or 2 million fans wanting to be there right alongside you, so they're scrambling to get anything there. It's definitely a difficult thing to navigate the Super Bowl experience as a player. But I would say the organization—from Bill, the player personnel people, the administrative people in the Patriots organization—is well equipped to handle something like this. They're as regimented and detail-oriented as any person on Earth. Bill's been there and done that, and he knows how to keep these guys focused and on track. It's just not an easy thing to do.
Does any moment stick out more than another from playing in the Super Bowls?
Everything sticks out. They were all so unique and different. I can remember going down to New Orleans and you had all those security concerns with 9/11. And of course, the city of New Orleans being as wild a place as you can be. You had Mardi Gras mixing with 9/11 security concerns, and they're trying to tell us, 'There's places in New Orleans you don't want to go to.' You always get these debriefings from the local police and the FBI. It's really unique, and all those were always pretty wild. Each city and each town is so different. We were fortunate. You go to a place like Houston for the Super Bowl and it's an hour and a half to get from one place in Houston to the other since it's such a sprawling area. Contrast that to New Orleans, where you have about 4 billion people in one small, little area. To Jacksonville. To Phoenix. The good thing about this is, they've been in Phoenix before for the Super Bowl. They kind of know the lay of the land and they've spent time out there. They've already been through this, and I think they're going to be great and taking advantage of everything they can.
Does anything change in the preparation from Bill? Do the players notice anything different in his approach?
Well, I think everyone feels it. We're creatures of habit. People have talked about that in the past. You never really can fully understand it unless you lived it throughout a season or 11 seasons. Because we take advantage of every single second, and we have a schedule that we keep, and because we're so programmable as players, when you introduce something as big as the Super Bowl, it changes everything. Everybody's a little bit on edge and uncertain as to what to expect. That takes the preparation from the coaches, and everybody can sense that something is different. So Bill really has to emphasize what's most important and try to keep people on track. I think the week is definitely something that's completely different on many different levels for many different reasons. Overall, Bill's always trying to take it back to: What is it that's going to give us an edge. How can I get these guys to focus less on the distractions and more on the game plan? The little tiny things that will make this game seem more approachable. He's going to be talking this week about halftime. You never talk about halftime. But he's going to talk about it because halftime is going to be so different than any other game these guys have played that if he doesn't make note of it, it's going to seem like things are way off. He's going to talk about the pregame, and how you shouldn't get too amped up too early. There's a ton of time between when you leave the field for warmups and come back on. And even when you're back on the field, it's three or four or five times longer from the time they get back on the field to when the actual kickoff is. This will be a real test for how you manage the expectations that the coaches have, the players have, and really educate them on what to expect leading up to this game.
What were the actual tips for halftime and pregame? Was it spent making more adjustments or extra time staying loose?
Typically for halftime, you run into the locker room, and offense and defense each take their side of the locker room. Coaches all convene as quickly as they possibly can. The coordinator will go over some keys. If the head coach wants to say something to one side or the other, he'll do it. Then the position coach gets to you. All that happens one after the other after the other. Before you know it, very quickly you're out the door and back playing the second half. In the Super Bowl, it's a little more laidback. They're going to get in, take their time. Coaches are going to spend a little more time talking about what they've seen, and the guys upstairs and what they'd like to see done. They're going to have a much more relaxed feel. Everything will slow down, and there's a lot more time for one-on-one conversation and Bill will have plenty of time to address them. And they're going to give them a heads-up on what it all looks like. And they'll know exactly what to expect.
In your view, do you think this deflated ball controversy will be distraction or motivation? Or neither?
I don't know. It's crazy to me. I don't think it'll be a motivator by any means. The guys are going to be motivated to go out there and win a championship. They're not going to be motivated to get people to forget about something as meaningless as the amount of air put in a football. The bottom line is, I think it's really disrespectful to Indianapolis. To think that their coaches and players place the amount of air in the ball as the reason for their loss is crazy. Those guys lost the game—and they know this, and they don't need anybody to say it was air in the football. They lost the game because they didn't execute to the level that the Patriots did. And that's the end of the story. I think the National Football League does a really good job of feeding into these types of issues. I think the National Football League—and the people who speak on behalf of them—could have very easily said this is an issue that we'll deal with and look into, end of story. They could have easily handled this better and not fed into the hype. I'm not sure if they don't realize the sport is as popular as it is. But if they go look around and check ratings, I'm pretty confident in the job they've done so far. They don't need to have this as part of the overall fanfare of the Super Bowl.
Did you have any doubts about the Patriots' offensive line after those first few games, or did you think they might pull it together?
I had my doubts when they let Logan go, and that's not to be disrespectful to the guys there. The team rallies around certain things, and when you've got a guy who has been there as long as he has been, that's a tough adjustment for anyone to make. Not just the guys filling his shoes, but for that entire offensive line to function together and have an attitude and an edge. I was actually concerned when they let Logan go, but they've got a lot of guys who have experience. Sebastian (Vollmer) and Nate (Solder) are two great tackles. They both did a great job all season long, even with some of the people who said there were games where they struggled. You're going to have that. I never worried about the one or two plays a game. It's the whole body of work. If you look at the season as a whole, they had to get some guys some work to fill some gaps. Look at what (Brian) Stork did. Guys like Kline, who has been asked to do everything he can. Ryan Wendell going from center to guard.
It's not an easy thing to do, and they did it all with a new coach with a drastically different approach to coaching the offensive line than Dante Scarnecchia. If you look at it all—the criticism and the praise—you'll see you had a group of guys who performed at a high level throughout most of the season. And they got better week to week. I think they're going into the final game of the year with a lot of confidence. They should. They should be a very confident group. And hopefully they'll be a little healthier. If they can get a guy like Stork back on the field, it gives you a bit more options when it comes to players. You just never know what's going to happen in the last game of the season. These guys have been taking a beating all year, and you want to have depth and have experience, so hopefully they'll have that.
Any game plan that you think the Pats need to execute to get a win?
There's a million things, and Bill will have his keys to the game offensively and defensively and with special teams. You can get real specific in that. Nobody knows how they're going to attack them. They've got so many different ways in running their offense and defense that they'll be able to keep Seattle off balance. He's going to want to throw some wrinkles in there. He's going to want to start the game a certain way. That game will prove itself out early.
From my perspective, I think that they have to be the aggressor, the team that's taking it to Seattle. They've got to play with a ton of energy. They've got to come out and hit them in the mouth. They've got to set the tempo of that game early, and they've got to be able to sustain it throughout the game to come away with the win. Seattle, I would imagine is going to have the same approach. They live and die with the big plays and that defense hitting you in the mouth. And they get after quarterback, and make those types of plays. New England has to set that tempo early because they can play the same type of game. There's only a couple of things that Bill really wants out of his team. He wants them to play a physical game and win those battles on the offensive and defensive line. And I think he wants a smart team. So, he'll want them to be aggressive early and sustain that. That'll be crucial to winning the championship.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
An eclectic spread of rock, jazz and country this week. First, Garth Brooks dipped his toes back in the water at Las Vegas, now he's returned from retirement to hit the road. He's in Boston for the first time in more than 17 years, rounding out a four-night stand at TD Garden with two shows on both Friday and Saturday and another on Sunday. And Brooks must enjoy the chance to share the bill with his singer-wife Trisha Yearwood. On another front, ArtsEmerson dips into a double night of localized rock at the Paramount's Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre. Rootsy rabble-rousers Tigerman WOAH and the atmospheric Faces on Film take over the intimate downtown stage, followed by psych-folk charmers Quilt and loop-savvy soloist Julia Easterlin on Saturday. All great artists casting uniquely textured spells in a fresh, welcome setting.
On the other hand, jazz artists who are pushing the sonic parameters of their craft dominate this weekend's landscape. That's clearly what Bill Frisell does, making his distinctly processed electric guitar swell, sigh and sting across genres. On his cozy new Guitar in the Space Age and tour that includes two Friday shows at Scullers Jazz Club, the Berklee graduate takes a rubbery ride through surf, pop and folk chestnuts of the '50s and '60s with empathetic pedal-steel ace Greg Leisz, bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Kenny Wollesen. Even more adventurous in terms of covering classic material, the Bad Plus (pianist Ellen Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson and drummer David King) tackles free-jazz renegade Ornette Coleman's 1972 landmark Science Fiction on Saturday at the Berklee Performance Center. In that quest, the trio will be augmented by Tim Berne, Ron Miles and Sam Newsome on horns (as pictured above).
Back to rock – and the covering of an entire album, the Tragically Hip revisits its 1992 favorite Fully Completely in the course of the Canadian band's Saturday show at House of Blues. New Orleans' iconoclastic roots-rockers the Iguanas blend R&B and Tex-Mex with Cajun and zydeco in an early show at Johnny D's Uptown the same night. And it's also a busy week for New Hampshire-bred singer Laurie Sargent. She and drummer Billy Conway recently lost their Montana farm house to fire (there's a crowdfunding campaign to replace lost items and defray rebuilding costs). She's spending this weekend at Club Passim, opening for Kris Delmhorst on Friday and Saturday and Caitlin Canty on Sunday before Sargent hits the Lizard Lounge on Thursday to perform Carole King's Tapestry, another classic album given an unexpected reading.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
A real grab bag of styles and settings grace this week's concert options. LA collective the Dustbowl Revival blows into the Brighton Music Hall on Friday with horns, fiddle and accordion in tow, nodding to the early 20th century with its playful blend of folk, jazz and roots originals and covers. From earth to space, an opposite experience might be the late French composer Gerald Grisley's "Le Noir de L'Etoile," a contemporary classical piece for six percussionists and electronics that echoes the rhythmic effect of a pulsar. It'll be presented by local outfit Sound Icon in a free concert at Somerville's Arts at the Armory, with the musicians surrounding the audience. More spectacular is "The Long Count/The Long Game," an abstract multi-media piece at the ICA featuring vocalist Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), guitarists Aaron and Bryce Dessner of the National, and Kelley Deal from the Breeders, inspired by the Mayan book of creation. Also on Friday, bluesman Joe Louis Walker fires up his guitar at the Regattabar, David Lowery does annual double duty with his slyly rocking Cracker (pictured) and Camper Van Beethoven at the Middle East Downstairs, and veteran ska favorites Bim Skala Bim call the gang back to town for a rousing late show at Johnny D's Uptown.
Saturday brings the wry old-school country crooner and guit-steel ace Junior Brown to Johnny D's. However, acoustic-string fans might start their day early with "Extraordinary Afternoon of Guitars," a 1 p.m. show at Club Passim with fingerstyle virtuoso Shun Ng (who just tackled a one-man version of "Bohemian Rhapsody"), harp guitarist Dan LaVoie and Trevor Gordon Hall, who plays a guitar fitted with a kalimba. Saturday's big event is skyrocketing pop singer Sam Smith, holding court with fans who want to stay with him at Agganis Arena -- a huge jump from his Sinclair gig last year. Just down the street the same night, the Vaselines, the resurrected Scottish pop group once revered by Kurt Cobain, play the Brighton Music Hall. And the cozy Plough & Stars between Harvard and Central squares presents the reunited Dirt Merchants – back for an encore after rocking one of the better sets in last fall's wonderful Pipeline! anniversary series – with the Thalia Zedek Band.
Sound Ideas
Festivals Calling
The first wave of summer festival lineups are dropping just as Boston Calling has announced another blockbuster slate for Memorial Day weekend on City Hall Plaza, headlined by the Pixies, Beck and My Morning Jacket.
Early-bird tickets go on sale at noon (promo code BOSTON) for the May 22-24 downtown music festival, also highlighted by the return of Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Jack Black's comedic rock duo Tenacious D, space-rockers Tame Impala, St. Vincent, TV on the Radio, Marina & the Diamonds and lauded hip-hop duo Run the Jewels. "Riptide" hit-maker Vance Joy, Jason Isbell, Gerard Way, the Lone Bellow and Sharon Van Etten, as well as local bands Krill and the Ballroom Thieves, help round out Boston Calling's two stages of 23 artists with non-overlapping sets.
The Boston Calling lineup comes right on the heels of details from traditionally mammoth festivals to the South. Tennessee institution Bonnaroo's massive June 11-14 spread includes Billy Joel, Mumford & Sons, Deadmau5, Kendrick Lamar, Florence + the Machine and Robert Plant. And the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival will overlap weekends between April 24-May 3 with a sprawling lineup that boasts Elton John, the Who, Jimmy Buffett, Ed Sheeran, No Doubt, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Meters within its seven-day schedule.
On a smaller scale, the Newport Jazz Festival has announced its July 31-Aug. 2 lineup for Fort Adams State Park on the Rhode Island waterfront. Its three-stage mix of artists includes Chris Botti, Cassandra Wilson (celebrating Billie Holiday), Jamie Cullum, Dr. John (making up for his health cancellation last year), Snarky Puppy, the Bill Frisell Trio, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Fred Hersch and Ambrose Akinmusire. Ironically, the Newport Folk Festival, which is yet to announce any artists for its widely anticipated July 24-26 event at Fort Adams, just sold out the bulk of its ticket packages within two days, leaving only Friday and Sunday tickets available for that weekend.
Add the June 26-28 return of Wilco's wonderful Solid Sound Festival (also yet to name other artists) at MASS MoCA in North Adams after a year off, and a stacked Mountain Jam just over the New York border on June 4-7 with Plant, the Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, Gov't Mule (including a Dark Side of the Moon set) and Lake Street Dive, and it's shaping up to be another hot summer for outdoor music.
Improper Now
This American Dance: 'Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host' hits Boston
Checking in with Monica Bill Barnes and Anna Bass pre-show
As the longtime host of "This American Life," Ira Glass has tackled diverse material, from a trip to the country's biggest party school to a look at life as a Muslim family in post-9/11 America. But he's taking on a totally new challenge with Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host, which brings radio stories to the stage through modern dance in a unique collaboration with Monica Bill Barnes & Company. Glass met Barnes when they were cast in a So You Think You Can Dance parody in New York; soon after, Glass invited Barnes & Co. to perform in a film version of "TAL." That experience spawned Three Acts, which mixes mediums on Jan. 24 and 25 at the Citi Shubert Theatre. We talked to dancers Barnes and Anna Bass pre-show.
What initially drew you to this project?
Anna Bass: I've been working with Monica for 12 years now, dancing with her. She was the one that really conceived and directed and sort of had the initial idea about the project and I was just lucky enough to be pulled into it as her dancing partner. But we worked with Ira in May 2012 on "TAL Live," the cinema version of his show. And after that experience of seeing him put that show together we were both so drawn to him as a showman. We had never seen him perform before and he was such an amazing mastermind of that even that we said 'we've got to do something else with him.'
I assume you were both longtime fans of "This American Life"?
Bass: Oh yes, we both were.
Did you have any favorite episodes, coming into this?
Bass: I love the cars one that he did, the care salesman one. Anything with David Rakoff. I love the fiasco one—have you listened to that one? It tells a story about a production of Peter Pan and everything going terribly wrong. It's fantastic. There's one that he did about going to camp, where he interviews kids.
I like the ones he does with kids.
Bass: Me too. He has such a sincere and sweet way of interviewing them.
So, how do you go about translating radio stories to a stage, through dance?
Monica Bill Barnes: Yeah, like, what the heck? [laughs] Honestly, it was mostly trial and error, trying to find our way into what the show would be. I feel like the only rule that we all had was that we never wanted the dancing and the talking to be redundant or representative. We always wanted them both to be relevant and to be able to stand on their own. And the hope is that the combination of the two adds meaning to both. Not illustrating each other, but actually running parallel. And I feel that, ultimately, the pieces of the show all have that theme in common. They're definitely related, there's no sort of randomness to it, but they're bringing their own intentions. So, as an audience member, you have the opportunity to make the meaning, it's not being handed to you on a silver platter. And that's what ended up making the collaboration work, is that common thread.
Bass: And every story has a different way of being translated onstage. Some bits are just dancing, some bits are just Ira talking, there are two sections in which actually hear Monica and I talk, on a recording. But the translation is different for every story. Sometimes the dance is overlaid on top of it, sometimes it's really juxtaposed. And we found that it really made sense for every story to have a different translation. And what works best is when there's sort of connection where they overlap in an unexpected way.
How did you choose the stories that ended up in the show?
Bass: It was very collaborative. Ira came into the very first rehearsal with a list—because he remembers every episode he's ever done—and so he pulled from all those episodes…the way we began was with stories that involved performers. And then the show really developed from there. But Monica had a lot of thoughts on stories too. She's a longtime fan as well, and knows a lot of episodes by heart, so she brought a lot of stories to the table.
Barnes: You know, it's interesting—I think the amount of material, over the whole process, would be enough to fill three shows. And I think that there's something about the actual stories and the dances that are in the shows that sort of rose to the top and ended up feeling relevant in the way that the rest of the material, no matter how fun, or interesting, or hard to dance….I just think that, at the end of the day, it sort of comes back to the idea of they added up to more than just the combination of the two. And we've been performing the show for a while, so luckily we've had the opportunity, like a new play would, where there was sort of a preview process. We were able, basically, over a year or so of touring, to shape and understand the show in front of audiences. And that I feel really lucky about. I think we didn't understand—or I didn't, I'll say—things that we thought worked well in the studio and then we'd see them on stage and be like 'ooh, that doesn't quite feel as good.' And I feel like, in a way, that's common of every process and every show, that there's a learning curve, once you get it in front of people.
Were there any stories that you really wanted to get in, that just didn't translate?
Barnes: Oh my God, yes. Totally. That's so great, nobody has actually ever asked me that question! Yeah, there was this one story that I still feel, in the back of my mind, that I'm trying to figure out how to mash it into the show. It's this totally, utterly charming story that Ira had about an actor who is just a good, solid working actor. Not famous, but has done film and television and a lot of theater. And he's actually seeing a show and somebody comes up to him and asks him if he wouldn't mind taking a picture. And he's flattered and he's just feeling like 'gosh, I've really arrived and this is so extraordinary,' and it turns out, of course, that the people wanted him to take a picture of them. [laughs] Not to be in the picture! And between Ira interviewing him, he's just such a charming storyteller—and that sentiment, there's a piece of that sort of feeling of mild but deep humiliation that really runs in everything that I choreograph. And I just kept thinking 'oh, I'm going to be able to figure out how to make this work.' And I never did. I choreographed three different versions of it, but no, I just couldn't smash it in to save my life.
How would you describe the show to someone who had no idea what it was about?
Bass: I would say it's a 90 minute extravaganza of storytelling that's sort of pulled out of a suitcase, kind of like a magic trick, that takes you on a ride about what it's like to be a performer, all the different relationships we have in life and how those affect our lives, and sort of the journey of life. And there are a lot of surprises and unexpected twists and turns. And we hope it's a fun time—we have a great time doing it!
Since we're on the topic of "This American Life," I have to ask: Did you listen to "Serial?"
Bass: I did. I listened obsessively.
Barnes: Yes.
So...do you think Adnan did it?
Bass: I don't think he did it. I think he's innocent. I believe him. I don't think Jay did it, I think it was somebody else, and they're all just covering. I think that Adnan got wrapped up in it, the wrong place at the wrong time. I loved it though.
Bass: You know what's so interesting? My husband and I were just talking about this, again, because we listened to the last part of it together. Truthfully, I don't know, but I did feel so utterly sure that whether he did or didn't do it, if I were on that jury, there was not enough to convict. That, presuming he's innocent, there was not a case to prove his guilt. And I almost feel like that was one of the really brilliant turns that Sarah took in the whole podcast. Which was to sort of take the attention away from the actual event and to turn it onto an examination of the way we think about guilt and innocence, and sort of a larger examination of our own way of dealing with justice. I'm honestly not sure but I'm sure that he shouldn't be in jail.
Think you could ever bring "Serial" to the stage through dance?
Barnes: [laughs] I think that we would really be pushing our luck with that. You gotta know when to stop. No, no "Serial: The Kickline."
Buy tickets and get more information at celebrityseries.org.
Boston Olympics: 24 on 2024
Breaking down everything you need to know about the Hub's bid.
The announcement that Boston was the USOC choice to bid on the 2024 Olympics sent shockwaves through the city yesterday, but it wasn't all that surprising if you've been paying attention to the bid process for the past two years. Here are 24 thoughts, hypotheticals and opinions about it as the city preps for the 2017 IOC decision.
1. NBC last year agreed to pay nearly $8 billion for Olympics rights from 2020 through 2032. The company has a massive amount of sway with the IOC, and you're nuts if you don't think there will be pressure to have the Olympics in the U.S., so that NBC can reap two-and-a-half weeks of ratings primetime gold. Sure, the Olympics are a ratings behemoth on tape-delay, but imagine the numbers they'd do for live events on the East Coast. A Boston Olympics will also allow some of the day events to be broadcast live in primetime in Europe. The IOC knows this, which is why any U.S. bid was always going to be the favorite this time around. Just follow the money.
2. Don't be fooled by all this talk of Boston being an underdog bid. Sure, it's not exactly on the level of L.A. or Washington D.C. as a city, but there were negatives with all other three cities. Washington always had greater security concerns because of the White House. San Francisco could barely handle the America's Cup, and Olympic events are held all day. Can you imagine a javelin event being delayed because of fog? That leaves L.A., whose motto was, "We've done this before." So have Paris and Rome, so that's not exactly a great selling point.
3. The rumors of a combined California bid (S.F. and L.A.) or a Bay Area bid (S.F. and Oakland) came together too late, but if the austere Olympics doesn't work, perhaps it's worth revisiting in a couple decades. If the Olympics are just one big TV show, why does it need to be broadcast from the same city?
4. Kudos to No Olympics Boston, which formed the only organized protest to any U.S. bid. It managed to push Boston 2024's lack of transparency and accountability into the spotlight. Here's hoping the group manages to continue its fight for the next 30 months or even the next decade, helping to add some accountability and pushback to the Olympic bid process. The Boston 2024 committee isn't accountable otherwise, and an organized opposition could provide the checks and balance needed along the way.
5. Speaking of Boston 2024, it's time to clean things up a little bit. Forget a press conference, how about more timely public meetings? Why is there a month between each of them?
6. Not only that, but even if they manage to keep the cost of the Olympics at $5 or $6 billion, it's still awfully fishy having a developer lead the process. It's time for John Fish to step down from his position, something I called for in the summer. There was a time when an unknown guy named Corey Dinopoulos was putting the Boston 2024 bid forward, and then Fish took over to rally the business and political leaders behind it. Now it's time for him to step aside.
7. An intriguing replacement gaining steam in online forums? Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino, who has shown great vision with Fenway Park and marketing the Sox during the past dozen years. (h/t: SoSH) The pregame ceremonies that Lucchino and righthand man Charles Steinberg have cooked up at Fenway gain their fair share of ridicule, but they'd be right at home at the Olympics. And Lucchino has far less of a connection to developers—although he worked for John Henry, who's married to Linda Pizzuti, whose dad started Pizzuti Development. Oh, and not to mention the Henrys have a big parcel of land on Morrissey Boulevard that might be prime property for some sort of Olympic-related development. But that's a bit tangential and it's a lot less of a connection than being an actual developer. We know Lucchino can take a lot of heat in whatever position he's in, and he can provide results. Plus, can you imagine the smear campaign he might lead against say the women's volleyball coach if they fail to live up to standards? Make it happen.
8. Media lodging at the universities is really a key to the bid. While the media might balk or snicker over living in "dorms," have you seen the Student Village at BU? It's not really dorms. It's more like luxury apartments. And the toilets all flush and the lights all work. Consider this an upgrade in media accommodations, especially after Socchi. And it would avoid a bunch of hotels being built for the extra population crunch and then being left unused in later years.
9. And making the Olympic Village something that could be turned into UMass Boston dorms not only is smart (the city's branch of the state university can stand to be far more prominent), but also will provide the state a way to funnel cash to the Olympics effort without going directly to it. They can just send it to UMass Boston. See the tricky accounting here? It's why we need a good watchdog group around.
10. If the worst occurs and accommodations are tight, Boston can also bring in big cruise ships like Barcelona did in 1992 to lodge thousands of people. This would be tough, however, if the harbor was being used for events. But taking advantage of the fantastic Harborwalk with more docks and a far more convenient (more times and more stops) public water transportation system could have a positive effect on the city. With climate change commissions already pushing for changes and better barriers for the Harborwalk to fight rising sea levels, you have a non-Olympic impetus to get this done right.
11. Since the Boston Marathon route doesn't qualify as an Olympic course, perhaps the route along the Emerald Necklace, which is used for the half-marathon, could be worked into a full marathon course. It'd be a great way to revitalize Frederick Law Olmsted's grand vision, which has fallen into disrepair in some locations. It's a necklace: it should be a shining part of the city.
12. While current plans don't call for a new basketball arena, by 2024 the TD Garden will be nearly 30 years old. The Celtics were clamoring for a basketball-only stadium last decade, and—while the renovations to TD Garden are nice—this would be a way for them to get their wish. And holding the women's basketball events at the very small Conte Forum, while the men's hoops are at TD Garden seems a little odd in the Title IX world. Holding men's hoops at a new Celtics arena and women's hoops at TD Garden feels a bit more equitable.
13. And while the rumored Revs stadium in Boston is not tied to the bid, it would certainly benefit from the bid. The Olympic stadium would be right next to it, thereby guaranteeing improved infrastructure near the site (including more work on the I-93 underpass project).
14. Building a temporary Olympic stadium is a good way to force the IOC to pay for it, considering the IOC pays for all temporary structures. But then, what do you do with the land after the stadium is razed? Well, if the Krafts have a soccer stadium next door, and there's an empty parcel of land next door, could they build a football stadium next door by 2030? Think Patriots Place North. Sure, Gillette seems state-of-the-art now, but so did all those Astro-Turf cookie-cutter stadiums that were built in the 60s. They were gone fewer than 40 years later. It's not that Gillette will age like that, but it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to be thinking of a new stadium a decade from now.
15. Also, there are plenty of sites—Suffolk Downs, anyone? Castle Island, maybe cap the Mass. Pike between the South End and Chinatown—that could certainly handle an event or two that are not involved in the bid. Hopefully that changes.
16. It's a shame that a decision is not made until 2017. With all that needs to get decided, built, etc., it's hard to accomplish all that in 7 years. While, there's a lot still to be hashed out about Boston's bid (thanks again for no public meetings yet!), learning if Boston were the host in 2016 would make things a little easier. The IOC is almost asking for construction struggles and cost overruns because of the way the process is currently set up.
17. The reasons for opposition to Boston are all quite strong and valid, but there's a few that are a bit bothersome. The first is traffic. It's 10 years away, so this assumes we're all still using regular cars and haven't switched over to driverless cars, which are expected to cut way down on traffic jams. But let's say we are. The events don't all occur at 7 pm. Many events would be during the day, and the traffic crunch would be spread out over time. Of course, the streets in Fort Point can't even handle traffic from the governor's inauguration ball at the BCEC, so who knows. But the traffic crush is a bit overblown during a time of the year when the city is without 250,000 students.
18. That lack of a student presence in the summer is why Boston is likely a better bet for the Summer Olympics than if they had made a bid in conjunction with New Hampshire for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Although the Winter Olympics are a far smaller event, the city simply wouldn't have enough room to hold media, athletes, spectators AND college students.
19. The second irksome argument is the provincial view that the city can't handle the development or the actual event, or that it would change the city's footprint too much. The city's footprint needs to change anyways because the demand for housing is going through the roof. There's a shovel in the ground on more than 10,000 housing units across the city right now, and nobody's blinked an eye over that construction. We can handle a little construction, and change is coming no matter what. They're not tearing down historic structures to put up an aquatics center. They're building over/around rail yards and tearing down eyesores.
20. Now, should we be spending $6 billion on middle- and low-income housing instead of the Olympics? Sure, but developers aren't lining up to build those, and the city's OK with raking in higher property taxes from the luxury units instead of middle-income units.
21. One part of the Boston bid that's popped up in the past 24 hours is the use of Boston Strong, which feels a bit misguided. It's odd to tie the bid to a terror attack on the city or even to tie it to the city's spirit shown after the attack. While the city should continue to remember and support all the victims of the attack, holding an Olympics here won't help those victims directly—and linking the Olympics to resiliency after an attack will only serve to make the Olympics more of a target if they are held here. We can be Boston Strong without touting it. In fact, that might make us stronger.
22. The effect of a bid on tourism is also a valid negative, as London reportedly saw a dip in tourists leading up to the 2012 Olympics. The summer is usually boom time for tourists, so that's a strong negative against any Boston bid.
23. Comparisons to the Big Dig are almost why holding the Olympics here would be a good idea. Shouldn't the city want to show that it can get things done efficiently? And put to rest the tired Big Dig punchline? Yes, it was over budget and a massive headache that also had construction flaws. But connecting the Seaport, Fort Point and North End to the rest of the city has been a positive. Just not a $22 billion positive.
24. But with billions up for grabs in any Olympic bid, it's hard to trust non-elected officials to divvy it up in a fair manner. The mistrust comes from citizens' experiences, not just their cynical views. There are no mechanisms for the public to hold the Boston 2024 committee accountable. That's a recipe for trouble. If done precisely the correct way, the 2024 Olympics could work—but what are the odds of that? It's something we'll all be grappling with for the next 30 months at least.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
On a weekend that's dominated by football playoffs, a Red Sox-aligned concert stands out. But there's other musical action in store as well. Guitarist Johnny A, who was just inducted to the Boston Music Awards' Hall of Fame, flashes his chops at Johnny D's on Friday. The same night brings resurgent jam-tronica outfit Particle to the Sinclair with guest drummer Allen Aucoin of the Disco Biscuits. And Kansas-based YouTube star Kawehi brings her looped mashup skills to the Brighton Music Hall on Friday in advance of a Kickstarter-funded new EP in March. Hopefully Kawehi can build her reputation beyond covers like this viral Nirvana reinvention.
Punk-Americana outfit the Devil Makes Three charms House of Blues on Saturday, although Hot Stove Cool Music offers the main event at the Paradise Rock Club. That annual benefit arranged by ex-Sox GM Theo Epstein and his brother Paul for their Foundation to Be Named Later charity usually provides a chummy blowout with sportswriter Peter Gammons and Hub-launched rock notables Kay Hanley, Bill Janovitz and Tanya Donelly. This year, they've sweetened the party with the Juliana Hatfield Three's first show in nearly 20 years, reunited garage-pop favorites the Cavedogs, the Hold Steady's effusive frontman Craig Finn, and legendary producer and Somerville resident Al Kooper, best known for his signature organ lick in Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone." The scorecard's filled out with the likes of Eli "Paperboy" Reed, Will Dailey, the Gravel Pit, Jen Trynin and the Figgs' Mike Gent, making it a night worth extra innings. And it'll kick into gear after the Patriots game. Likewise, after Sunday's football matchups, DC rapper Wale drops his populist rhymes at the Paradise to wrap up the weekend.
Sound Ideas
NYE/Weekend Ideas
Perhaps it's no surprise that New Year's Eve is hopping with more music than the upcoming weekend. First Night presents Hoboken indie-rock heroes Yo La Tengo, celebrating their 30th year at the Hynes Convention Center, Ballroom B (with $10 First Night buttons, though $35 reserved seating improves chances of securing a spot), preceded on that stage by seasoned alt-rocker Thalia Zedek's band. Meanwhile, Carolina Chocolate Drops' Dom Flemons takes his folk-rooted solo act to the Berklee Performance Center, followed by the great songstress Patty Larkin. And Emmanuel Church on Newbury Street hosts notable Vermont singer/songwriter Anais Mitchell, preceded by Wax & Gold, the dynamic duo of saxophonist Danny Mekonnen and drummer Adam Clark, breaking down the Ethiopian pop of their group Debo Band with other originals and improvisations. For a full-scale lineup and info, here's the 2015 First Night site.
The clubs are just as busy on Wednesday, primarily with locals-done-good in 2014, beginning with fierce new jack funk-rockers Bad Rabbits (with Moe Pope's hot new hip-hop group STL GLD as an opener) at the Paradise Rock Club and jazz-pop dynamos Lake Street Dive at the Sinclair, capping their three-night stand with a prom theme. The Brighton Music Hall presents reunited DC rockers the Dismemberment Plan on a perfect occasion to bust out "The Ice of Boston," a crowd favorite that references New Year's Eve in the Hub. Veteran troubadour Ellis Paul follows an afternoon First Night set at the Hynes with two shows at Club Passim as part of his traditional year-end stand. Vapors of Morphine, which teams Morphine saxman Dana Colley and drummer Jerome Deupree with guitarist Jeremy Lyons, closes out the year at its favored haunt cozy Atwood's Tavern before launching a Saturday residency in 2015. Likewise, Bull McCabe's spiritual regulars Dub Apocalypse raise the reggae roof at that intimate Union Square outpost. And just south of town in Milton, the warehouse-fashioned restaurant Steel & Rye offers an inclusive NYE bash with spirited local punk-Americana outfit Tigerman WOAH, whose exciting year included a set at Boston Calling.
Finally, note two highlights for this upcoming weekend. Rocking organ trio Soulive (who recently sat in with the Tedeschi Trucks Band at House of Blues) keep it grooving at the Paradise on Friday -- with Dub Apocalypse as opener. And the Sub Rosa Songwriter's Retreat invades Club Passim on Sunday to open a two-night stand with an all-star collective that features Jocie Adams, David Champagne, Rose Polenzani, Sean Staples and Miss Tess amid the sprawling cast.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Christmas barely fades in the rear-view mirror before the Mighty Mighty Bosstones kick into their traditional Hometown Throwdown with three nights at House of Blues this weekend. It could be the ska-punk heroes' last local shows before opening for Foo Fighters at Fenway Park next summer, and Dicky Barrett and the Bosstones especially sweeten the pot on Friday with Fishbone and Sunday with Andrew W.K. as part of their supporting casts.
Friday also sports seasoned local folk-rocker Melissa Ferrick at Club Passim. And the Lizard Lounge keeps busy with eclectic jazz/groove collective Club D'elf on Friday (with a lineup that includes guitarist Randy Roos and keyboardist Alain Mallet) and soul-rocker Christian McNeill & Sea Monsters on Saturday with notable Martha's Vineyard cohort Willy Mason as an opener.
Sunday rounds out with a pair of troubadours of different ages and audience. The venerable Tom Rush resurrects memories of his old Club 47 days with his annual Symphony Hall show, this year featuring vocal trio Red Molly and sax hotshot Grace Kelly among his guests. And Northampton favorite Stephen Kellogg brings his folk-pop craft to Somerville's Arts at the Armory, juggling the song list on his Every Night's A Little Different Tour.
Improper Now
What's in a name?
Seth Cohen is a man on a mission.
Seth Cohen is on a mission to meet every other Seth Cohen in the world. No, not that Seth Cohen, though yes, he gets that a lot. "A couple times a month, I'm asked, 'Have you ever heard of that show The OC?' Well, of course I have," Cohen says. "I can't escape it!" But a new Seth Cohen might come to the top of your Google search results, thanks to the Seth Cohen Project, which has the Bedford-bred Cohen traversing the country and soon, he says, the globe. Cohen started the project a couple of months ago, on a bit of a whim. "I was at a place in my life where I wasn't sure 'what's next,' and I had always wanted to go on some great adventure—chasing windmills or hunting unicorns," he says. "So this search for my namesakes seemed as good as an excuse as any to venture out into the world, find some adventure and perhaps find myself in the process." And he's already had adventures aplenty. From a competitive bridge player to a high school dropout turned body builder turned WWF wrestler turned law school grad, all the Seth Cohens he's met have led incredibly interesting, rich lives, Cohen says. And one of the best parts? "They have also, without my prompting, started to reach out to each other and connect," he says. "Cool!" We caught up with Cohen in between stops on his journey to talk about his project.
How have you been finding all these Seth Cohens?
By all means necessary. I started on LinkedIn, because people use their real name on LinkedIn. The issue is that you can't communicate with people until they have 'connected' with you, so I can't tell the Seth Cohens why it is I am trying to connect. The same issue exists with Facebook, and Facebook is also littered with fake profiles for the fictional Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) as well as people who for whatever reason (particularly internationally) use "Seth Cohen" as their screen name, almost 10 years after The OC. So Facebook is only so-much help. I then started just calling people up from the online Whitepages and/or Pipl.com, but literally 90 percent of those numbers are out of date or just plain wrong. I have also used Google, but for the most part you just get page after page of 'Why Seth Cohen is the perfect boyfriend' and 'Seth Cohen is my spirit animal' — all referring to the fictional Seth Cohen. But if you use qualifiers like "Dr Seth Cohen" or "Seth Cohen, Body Builder' you can eventually uncover some that way. Now that the project is getting out there a bit, they have started finding me, which is the best way!
Have you been surprised by the number of Seth Cohens willing to meet with you?
No. I'd be more surprised if they weren't willing to meet.
Have any Seth Cohens declined your request to meet?
Two. One was quite rude about it. He said "Well that's your project, I don't see why I should get involved." I explained to him that the Seth Cohens I have met have all found it to be a fun and even enlightening experience, but he didn't care. He was a cranky old guy. The other was really nice about it, but seemed to have some serious identity issues wrapped up in his name.
Who has been the most interesting — or surprising — Seth Cohen you've met thus far?
Each and every one has been amazing in their own way. There was one who grew up as a severe stutterer, but has gone on to overcome it and become the best type of overachiever. He is a successful businessman, his own boss, loving family man and has visited 77 countries! I myself grew up with severe dyslexia, and so we bonded over facing extreme adversity early in life and how it shapes you going forward.
Then there was one who appeared to be a mild mannered, conservative Manhattan tax attorney. He sat down and said "I don't think I have the typical Seth Cohen story to tell." Turns out that he was a high school drop-out turned electronic salesman turned body builder turned WWF wrestler (Yes! Seth Cohen was body-slammed by The Hulkster!) turned strip club bouncer turned bar owner and then finally a later in life GED recipient, college grad and then, finally, law school grad. He was also the happiest most content guy you will ever meet. He has lived five lifetimes already and is now a happy family man and successful tax attorney. He told me it's not so scary sitting across the table from a bunch of power-lawyers once you have been body slammed by Hulk Hogan. Never judge a Seth Cohen by his cover.
And there was one who is a competitive bridge player. I went to the National Bridge Tournament and I can tell you one thing for sure — the world of competitive bridge is not what you think it is. Not at all.
Those were the most interesting/surprising - but I can't stress enough - each and every Seth Cohen meeting has been a fascinating experience and I have learned so much, and had so much fun, from and with each.
Where is the farthest you've traveled, so far, to meet a Seth?
I've only been meeting them for about a month. So, not far...yet. They have all been in the North East (New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts). But I have been talking to ones from the Dominican Republic to New Zealand and beyond, and am gearing up to visit each and every one of them.
Have you met any Seth Cohens that you think you'll keep in touch with?
All of them. Almost every single one has asked me to get in touch next time I was in their town — a few have even offered me a place to crash next time I am in town.
What do the other Seths think of the project?
They all think it's really cool. It's not every day that you get to sit down with a perfect stranger and have a chat. They all seem to understand that it's not so much about meeting my namesakes as it is about connecting with people I would never otherwise connect with, visiting places I would never otherwise visit and experiencing things I would never otherwise experience. And to a lesser degree, the same is true for them. It's a new experience for them — obviously — and life is all about new experiences!
Ultimately, what are you hoping to get out of all this?
The meaning of life. And to inspire others to follow their dreams.
Last question: Did you watch The OC?
Yep. ... When Facebook first became popular I reconnected with many old friends who promptly told me "I've been looking for you for years, but all I could find is some kid named Adam who was on some show called The OC. Damn you Adam Brody. Damn you.
Rajon Rondo's Connect Four
Revisiting the Events That Led to the Celtics Trading Their All-Star Point Guard.
Rajon Rondo's career with the Boston Celtics lasted 3,096 days (that's 74, 304 hours or 4,458,240 minutes or 267,494,400 seconds, if Rajon is counting at home). Acquired in a draft day deal for straight cash, he made four All-Star teams, won an NBA title, racked up triple-doubles galore and added even gaudier stats on national TV and in playoff games. His pass-happy mindset energized the fans, and evoked memories of past Celtics playmakers such as JoJo White and Bob Cousy. But, with free agency looming, his time was clearly at the end in Boston. It's not because he broke his hand in the shower during the preseason. It's not because he got benched this month at the end of a game against Washington. It's not even because he's shooting only 33 percent at the free-throw line, which has lead to him shooting less in the lane, a malady that can be career-ender (just ask Andris Biedrins). It's because of a series of events during the past two years, which—if any of them went the other way—might have led to Rondo still being a Celtic today. In honor of Rajon, let's play Connect Four, and connect these four events to Rondo's departure.
Jan. 25, 2013: Rondo tears his ACL – Not only did he tear his ACL, but he played in the final 12 minutes of the game after the injury. His toughness was never questioned, and when his injury was diagnosed two days later, that was the true end of the latest Celtics era. Before the injury, there was a chance—based upon the Celtics' moves in the preceding offseason—they could rebuild on the fly. They brought back Brandon Bass and Jeff Green, signed Courtney Lee and had Avery Bradley and rookie Jared Sullinger around the core of Rondo, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Although the team had struggled until Rondo's injury, there was hope. But Sullinger got hurt soon after Rondo, and the Celtics bowed out in the first round of the playoffs. By the time Rondo returned from injury in mid-January of 2014, Lee, Pierce, Garnett and coach Doc Rivers had all been traded, and the chance to rebuild on the fly was gone.
May 21, 2014: Celtics get the sixth pick in NBA Lottery – If the Celtics had gotten the No. 1 pick, perhaps they would have traded Rondo anyways and gone with a long-term rebuild around one of the franchise players available in the draft. If they had gotten a Top 3 pick, perhaps it would've been enough to lure the Timberwolves into trading Kevin Love to Boston. But the sixth pick in the draft simply didn't have enough value for the Celtics to make a godfather offer to Minnesota, a move that would have paired Rondo and Love together in Boston. Most Celtics' fans have the team's lack of lottery luck in the back of their minds as Boston enters a looong rebuild.
June 26, 2014: Celtics select PG Marcus Smart – The Celtics picked sixth and snagged the best player available. That happened to be a point guard. If the injured Joel Embiid doesn't go third overall, does he fall to the Celtics at No. 6? If the Celtics pick a center, could Rondo have coexisted with him? For all the talk of Smart playing as a shooting guard, or the Celtics playing two point guards together, sometimes the easiest solution is the most obvious one, and from draft day on, most people figured Rondo would be traded to allow Smart to play his natural position.
July 11, 2014: LeBron James returns to Cleveland – LeBron's decision had ripple effects that were set in motion the day he signed. In his letter announcing his return to the Cavaliers, he never mentioned Anthony Bennett or Andrew Wiggins, the two key pieces to a future trade for Kevin Love. It became obvious that Love would be traded to Cleveland, thus finally closing the door on any Rondo-Love speculation in Boston. And with Love off the board, there were no other available superstars for Boston to acquire. Just one to trade away.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
The holidays are here -- and this weekend's shows follow in that spirit. To begin, Matisyahu celebrates Hanukkah with his annual Festival of Light tour at House of Blues on Friday. A few years since the once-Orthodox reggae rapper shaved his beard, Matisyahu has broadened his sound into slicker rock directions on his latest album, Akeda, and he promises a duet with opener Judith Hill. She's a powerhouse best known as a past contestant (who should have won) on "The Voice" and backup singer featured in the documentary "20 Feet From Stardom," with her debut album due next year. Speaking of mainstream, Chris Issak channels his smooth baritone for a Christmas show at the Wilbur Theatre the same night. And over at the Sinclair, Boston's latest synth-pop export Magic Man returns home to host an all-ages "holiday party" with friends Gentlemen Hall and the Novel Ideas. Here's a jump to my recent interview with co-founder Sam Lee and here's a clip of Magic Man live. And Northampton's noisy indie-rockers Speedy Ortiz round out their three-week Friday residency at Great Scott.
If the holidays are a time for giving, there's also a great cause at House of Blues on Saturday with Chadwick Stokes' seventh annual benefit for Calling All Crows, an organization that unites musicians and fans in activist partnerships. In addition to the Dispatch/State Radio frontman, the night sports a full set from Brooklyn's stellar art-pop group Lucius (featured on one song of Stokes' broad upcoming solo album The Horse Comanche, which sounds mighty fine on advance listening) and an early slot for loop-savvy vocalist Julia Easterlin. Stokes will also perform at a pre-show reception for VIP ticket buyers, part of a weekend of Calling All Crows events. The same night brings the melodious husband/wife team of Johnnyswim to the Sinclair for a Christmas show. And over at the Brighton Music Hall on Saturday, Brazilian-born vocalist Bebel Gilberto returns in support of Tudo, her first studio album in five years, serving a more relaxed, less electronic extension of her bosa-nova roots.
Saturday and Sunday present another Christmastime tradition with multiple Club Passim shows by acclaimed Stoughton singer/songwriter Lori McKenna, who plays with her band the first night and solo the second night. In addition to penning hits for artists from Faith Hill to Hunter Hayes, McKenna sketches deft character studies on Numbered Doors, which Rolling Stone magazine listed within the Top 20 of the year's best country albums.
Sound Ideas
Boston Music Award Winners
Will Dailey
Will Dailey, National Throat
Lake Street Dive, "Bad Self Portraits"
When Particles Collide
Bad Rabbits
Hallelujah the Hills
Dutch ReBelle
Bad Rabbits
Cask Mouse
Gracie Curran and the High Falutin'
DJ Frank White
St. Nothing
Dan Blakeslee
Los Rumberos de Boston
Lake Street Dive
The Hotelier
Lori McKenna
Ruby Rose Fox
Jesse Dee
Ed Valauskas
Hallelujah the Hills, "I Stand Corrected"
"Heroes" at T.T. the Bear's Place
The Sinclair
Louie Bello at Abby Lane
Allston Pudding
Randi Millman
Johnny A
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Holiday preparations include some cool live music this weekend. Boston's the last stop in a banner year of touring for the Tedeschi Trucks Band, a year in which slide guitar ace Derek Trucks put the Allman Brothers Band in his rearview mirror. Especially given singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi's local roots, the married couple's 11-piece soul/roots group promises a hearty celebration on Friday and Saturday at House of Blues. Tickets are scarce, the Friday show will be webcast, and both nights promise special guest openers not to be revealed until show time. Also expect mid-set "unplugged" segments along the lines of this TTB take on a Rolling Stones tune.
Meanwhile, across town in Arlington on Friday, the Regent Theatre hosts its Rock 'N' Soul Holiday Concert. That annual local extravaganza features the bluesy James Montgomery Band, soul shouter Barrence Whitfield, rock vets the Fools and Charlie Farren, Cars keyboardist/ukulele songman Greg Hawkes, surf-rockers Tsunami of Sound and Gary Hoey, and dream-pop newcomers All Eyes on Me.
On Saturday, World Music/CRASHarts presents the edgy, eclectic jazz of the Brad Mehldau Trio at the Berklee Performance Center. The pianist will be performing with his empathetic, long-term trio of bassist Larry Genadier and drummer Jeff Ballad, bending originals and standards known to include tunes by Radiohead or this one by Sufjan Stevens. Indie-rockers Cymbals Eat Guitars also pull into the Brighton Music Hall the same night behind their new album LOSE, where the group delves into nostalgic echoes of their New Jersey upbringing.
Even if you didn't catch Lisa Fischer's prominent role in "20 Feet from Stardom," the Oscar-winning documentary about popular backup vocalists, you've possibly seen Fischer perform with the Rolling Stones or Nine Inch Nails. Now the versatile singer's hitting Scullers Jazz Club under her own name, as Fischer fronts Grand Baton for Saturday and Sunday shows that mix rock, jazz and R&B.
Sunday's also the night for star-studded casts. On the mainstream national pop stage, there's the KISS 108 Jingle Ball at the TD Garden with Iggy Azalea (and her "Fancy" friend Charli XCX), 5 Seconds of Summer, Calvin Harris, Jessie J, Lil Jon and the locally launched Meghan Trainor and Keisza. And downtown at the Revere Hotel, stars of the local scene represent at the 2014 Boston Music Awards, which includes performances from Will Dailey, Dutch ReBelle (August's Improper music issue covergal), Johnny A, Tigerman WOAH, Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents, Goddamn Draculas, STL GLD, Dan Blakeslee , Creaturos and Sidewalk Driver.
Sound Ideas
Rock For Safety
Wednesday's Keep Safe Boston benefit for Planned Parenthood at the Brighton Music Hall presents strong, diverse local bands that include Parlour Bells (one of my 10 picks in the Improper's annual summer Music Issue), Corin Ashley, the Color and Sound, and the Rationales.
But that lineup scratches the surface of companion digital album Keep Safe Boston, a compilation of songs from 50 artists that represent the cream of the hometown rock scene. The above bands are joined by the likes of Petty Morals, Hallelujah the Hills, White Dynomite, Eddie Japan, OldJack, Muy Cansado and the John Powhida International Airport. And if that sounds like a prime slice out of recent Rock 'n' Roll Rumble history, consider that the driving force behind Keep Safe Boston is Rumble organizer and WZLX DJ Anngelle Wood.
In turn, the album serves as a great warmup for this Sunday's annual Boston Music Awards at the downtown Revere Hotel, where Powhida's Airport, Hallelujah the Hills and Ruby Rose Fox will even perform.
Women, in particular, represent on the compilation with Fox's boldly stylish "Die Pretty," Apple Betty's bracing "Skin of My Teeth," When Particles Collide's crunchy "Constant Disaster," Jennifer Tefft's spooky "Breathe" and Kingdom of Love's swoony electro-pop cut "Two Souls." But highlights also span the head-swirling emo uplift of the Color and Sound's "Back to Me," the thoughtful honky-tonk of Nate Leavitt, the dashing levity of Ad Frank's "French Translation" and the proggy rush of Protean Collective's "Caldera."
Keep Safe Boston -- initially launched as a way to honor the women lost 20 years ago in Brookline clinic shootings -- promises future digital releases for various local causes. Meanwhile, click here to scroll and listen to some of these great songs and pay-what-you-can to download the whole album on Bandcamp, with proceeds going to Planned Parenthood.
Off the Wall
The titans of 20th-century art didn't confine their work to canvas. That's clear from the fashions and furnishings featured in Artist Textiles: Picasso to Warhol, a newly opened exhibit at Lowell's American Textile History Museum. On loan from the Fashion and Textile Museum in London, it gathers 200 rarely seen pieces—skirts and scarves, rugs and bed sheets, ties and tablecloths—that brought modern art to the masses. Here's a sample: See if you can match the master to his textile design.
A. Andy Warhol B. Pablo Picasso C. Henri Matisse D. Salvador Dalí
1. 2.
3. 4.
Artist Textiles: Picasso to Warhol is on view through March 29 at the American Textile History Museum, 491 Dutton St., Lowell (978-441-0400) athm.org
Scroll down for answers...
Chung's Jamz
The Patriots safety picks his top karaoke songs.
Patrick Chung's been following in the footsteps of a few legendary Patriots defenders during his two stints in New England. Now, he's going to be following in the footsteps of Larry Izzo (Larryoke) and Zoltan Mesko (Zolioke) as he hosts Open Mic Holiday Party, a celebrity karaoke fundraiser on Mon., Dec. 15 at 7 pm at Showcase Live in Patriot Place. The Patriots safety, who funded a six-week summer music program for teens through his Chung Changing Lives charity, has an affinity for music. His mother, Sophia George-Chung, was a Jamaican reggae star in the mid-80s. A raffle, auction, photo booth, DJ and desserts will all be part of the karaoke event, which will begin with a performance by Chung and Boston Children's Hospital patients. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at chungchanginglives.org. Chung shared with The Improper his top karaoke songs, and his reasons for picking them. Enjoy his list on Spotify, above!
1. "As She's Walking Away," by Zac Brown Band
Patrick Chung: Lyrically, I love this song.
2. "Live Your Life," by TI (featuring Rihanna)
PC: You only live one life, so you have to live it to the fullest. It's a great song for the crowd to sing, and it's a great duet song.
3. "You Remind Me," by Usher
PC: This is an oldie but goodie. It's a song you might struggle to hit all the notes with, but it's a perfect song that the crowd will know.
4. "Bump 'n Grind," by R Kelly
PC: This is pretty much a song you can serenade the crowd with, attempting to hit each high note correctly, while you give 100 percent effort. Its an oldie, but it's a song the crowd will remember and enjoy.
5. "Rude," by Magic!
PC: This is another song that will get the crowd singing along, and I love how it has a little reggae fusion to it.
6. "We Dem Boyz," by Wiz Khalifa
PC: This song gives everyone energy, and it's a great song selection to do with all my teammates. Of course, crowd participation means everything for this one.
7. "Latch," by Disclosure
PC: I love the sound and beat of this one. This is definitely a Top 40 hit that everyone knows.
8. "Jingle Bell Rock," by Bobby Helms
PC: Since our event is holiday themed, I wanted to put my favorite holiday song on the karaoke list. "Jingle Bell Rock?" Why not.
9. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
PC: Another holiday classic.
Sound Ideas
Summer Tickets Onsale for Foos, U2 and Wilco's Solid Sound
Got next summer's rock plans nailed down yet? The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and the Dropkick Murphys respectively add more hometown power to the Foo Fighters' July 18 and 19 Fenway Park shows that go on sale today at 10 a.m. through this link. That's on top of Boston art-punk legends Mission of Burma on the first night (a cool but curious choice, though Dave Grohl was way into underground punk back in the day), while night two has the British duo Royal Blood joining the Dropkicks.
Also, U2's July 10 and 11 shows at TD Garden (a thankful step down from Gillette Stadium) go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. here. The Irish mega-rockers coincidently announced their 2015 tour on the heels of Rolling Stone bizarrely naming U2's free iTunes-launched Songs of Innocence the No. 1 album of 2014. The so-called iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE tour promises two different nights – and presumably a healthy Bono, who's recovering from surgeries after a serious bicycle tumble in Central Park.
And on the festival front, a limited number of early-bird tickets are also available today at 10 a.m. for the return of Solid Sound at MASS MoCA in North Adams. The June 26-28 festival will again include headliner Wilco and its side projects, a comedy cabaret hosted by John Hodgman and a cast of other bands soon to be announced. Past participants (who have also collaborated with Wilco at the unique multi-stage event) include Neko Case, Lucius, Yo La Tengo and the late Levon Helm. The link for tickets and info is here.
Sound Ideas
Weekend Ideas
Best known as the red-haired captain of Vermont jam-kings Phish, guitarist/singer Trey Anastasio also regularly sets sail with his own band, a groove machine that's expanded from a trio to group with horn section over the past 15 years. The Trey Anastasio Band opens a two-night stand at the Orpheum Theatre on Friday with a repertoire of shared Phish tunes as well as its own covers and originals, including a taste of upcoming album Paper Wheels and TAB standards like this. In a similar vein for an after-show, the funky Berklee-spawned, Brooklyn based ensemble Turkuaz lets loose at the Middle East Downstairs. Trombone Shorty also wraps up a two-night visit to House of Blues with his funky, high-powered New Orleans rock fusion. And over at Great Scott, Northampton's noisy indie-rock upstarts Speedy Ortiz open a residency of three consecutive Friday nights.
Saturday brings charismatic, crowd-pleasing English rockers the 1975 to House of Blues with a sleek, dark but dance-y mashup that more closely echoes the decade after the band's name. North Shore soul-rockers the Ross Livermore Band, on a recent tear to release a video a month like this one, plays Great Scott the same night. And the short-lived if somewhat legendary '70s Cleveland art-punk combo X_X (pronounced Ex-Blank-Ex), which was recently profiled in the Sunday New York Times, has regrouped behind founder John Morton for a limited tour that slips into the Midway Café in Jamaica Plain on Saturday. Morton, formerly of proto-punks the Electric Eels, tends to balance the weird and the abrasive, at times manipulating a theremin as well as throttling a guitar.
Sunday brings the certainly legendary Cat Stevens (now named Yusef Islam) to the Citi Wang Center to Boston for the first time since the '70s troubadour known for songs like "Wild World," "Peace Train" and "Father & Son" converted to Islam and left the secular music business. On his short American tour, with paperless tickets to cut down on scalpers, Islam/Stevens has been performing his hits (which also include this one) as well as a chunk of his bluesy new album Tell 'Em I'm Gone. The same night, fans of both jazz and jam-bands can celebrate the reunion of Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood at House of Blues. It's a chance for guitarist John Scofield to mesh fun, gnarly grooves with MMW, a group that has its own avant-jazz roots at New England Conservatory. Here's MSMW performing a track from its new album Juice, a more accessible effort from the all-star improvisers.
Sound Ideas
Live Review: Bob Seger and J. Geils Band Rock TD Garden
"Say I'm old-fashioned, say I'm over the hill," Bob Seger sang at the TD Garden on Saturday. "Today's music ain't got the same soul. I like that old time rock and roll."
The soldout crowd agreed, at least with the part about the music. Seger's Silver Bullet Band and Saturday's opener the J. Geils Band ruled their respective home strongholds of Detroit and Boston (and vice versa) in the late '70s and early '80s, animating earthy blues-based rock that appealed to a working-class ethos. So it made perfect sense for both to return to the (new) Garden on the same bill.
Of course much has changed over the past 30 years. Seger's closer to the supposed relic he sang about in 1979's "Old Time Rock and Roll." Now 69, a step ahead of Geils Band elders in age, the grey-haired Seger appears happy to live at his own pace. He surfaces every few years to tour behind a new album (though there's word this may be his last ride), his Silver Bullet Band down to sax foil Alto Reed and bassist Chris Campbell as original members. And the Geils Band's national profile has slid up and down under a part-time rebirth without new music, though frontman Peter Wolf maintains a fine solo career. An acrimonious split with namesake guitarist Jay Geils didn't help, even if local axe heroes Duke Levine and Kevin Barry join drummer Tom Arey in punching the right notes.
So this was Seger's tour, with the Geils Band merely in support. The hometown icons did their best, packing 10 tunes into their 45 minutes. If not the dervish of old, the dancing Wolf flashed showmanship and finesse as he worked the larger stage in a sparkly jacket, while Magic Dick still blew his stratospheric harp licks. The pace slipped into mid-tempo for hits "Give It To Me" (boosted by its closing jam), "Centerfold" and "Love Stinks," but raveups like "Detroit Breakdown" and "Looking for a Love" helped keep the Geils Band's houseparty on track.
For his part, Seger more than held his own across his two-hour, 21-song set, beaming that megawatt smile and pumping his fists in the air, while his grainy voice still rang true (if at times overpowered by his 14-piece band or fans singing along). Granted, after the opening stretch, Seger sat down for nearly every other song. He strummed acoustic guitar on tunes like "Mainstreet," "Like a Rock" (resuscitated live with Rob McNelley's neat slide guitar), the Wilco/Woody Guthrie cover "California Stars" and the inevitable "Night Moves." And he played piano for the stripped-down "We've Got Tonight" (which drew a big ovation and a bigger grin) and "Turn the Page," one of the most affecting songs about life on the road. "Here I go, playing star again. There I go, turn the page," Seger sang, and his folksy rapport with the crowd suggested that he's not in the business for the star turn anyway.
However, rather than a mere concession to age, Seger's balladeer mode was part of the dynamic fabric woven by his large band of moveable pieces, echoing Bruce Springsteen's likewise-cushioned E Street reboot. Driven by drummer Don Brewer from Grand Funk Railroad (particularly on nugget "Travelin' Man"), the group often included three female backup singers and a four-man horn section. They peaked on rockers like "Hollywood Nights" and "Detroit Made," a John Hiatt cover that opens Seger's new album Ride Out, fitting for a mostly Michigan-born, now partly Nashville-based, touring band.
Seger, whose music could partly be seen as a precursor to modern country (making his recent TV pairing with Jason Aldean a natural match), added a fiddler for other songs, including "The Fireman's Talkin,'" about his brother-in-law who's a Phoenix firefighter. That was another down-to-earth touch, as was a Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute (even if Seger mistakenly called the late guitarist's band the Fabulous Thunderbirds) with the new, closely manufactured "Hey Gypsy." Detroit's old-time rocker, who weaves back to Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Arena with the J. Geils Band again this Saturday, covered the bases with humility and personality for any age.