A few weeks ago, Bon Iver teased something on Instagram that got a lot of people excited. Including myself.
I first heard Bon Iver at a get together in college. I visited my friend at his school in New Hampshire and there was an option of Jack Daniels whiskey or marijuana. I was not a whiskey guy. I knew what I liked and didn’t like. I got high and then Bon Iver came on and everything changed forever. OK, maybe that is a little dramatic. But I have said that I want to create a bumper sticker that reads: Bon Iver was my therapist before I was in therapy.
I was obsessed. I still am. My ex had bought me a biography of his and I never got around to reading it because I didn’t feel like I really needed to. I could tell you everything about Justin. How he came up with the name for the band. The three original members. Every side project of his. Every project that his former band members and current band members have gone onto form. I even went to Eau Claire Wisconsin back in the day to see the festival that they put on with The National.
Justin recently announced a new EP, Sablet. The three-track album will come out on October 18th. The first single, “S P E Y S I D E,” has been released accompanied with a music video. The other two songs, “Things Behind Things Behind Things,”and “Awards Season,” will be released soon. The EP marks a return to Justin Vernon’s acoustic roots, reminiscent of For Emma, Forever Ago. The decision to strip back the sound comes after years of experimentation with a fuller band. Collaborators on the EP include producer Jim-E Stack and Rob Moose, who contributes viola.
Only 16 more days until we are blessed with three new tracks from one of the best musicians in history.
I grew up with Duncan. He graduated a few years ahead of me and I have been following his music career since my early teens. I have watched his music genres change, blend, and evolve of the years and found his lyrics only more relatable the older I get. He is a great singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist who can make a great sounding album with his own skills and talents.
I listened to this album from start to finish on a drive to New Hampshire recently, which seemed to just make sense. My son, who turns four soon, listened along and didn’t ask for Spider-Man the whole 10-song, 34 minute album. When I asked him what he thought, he said it was, “Great.”
The whole time I was listening to this album I had one thought: It reminds me of John Mayer’s Born and Raised mixed with the guitar licks of his other albums. This album seems like Pelletier’s Born and Raised. His dive into country music during a time in his life filled with changes.
About: Maine-based singer/songwriter Duncan Pelletier has been making music for over a decade in various capacities. As a solo artist, studio musician, and live theater composer, Pelletier tactfully weaves together elements of soft rock, blue-eyed soul, and traditional pop, resulting in a sound that benefits from influence while feeling uniquely his own.
“More Drugs” is a great song about mental health and just needing a little bit more time and more chemicals to figure everything out. I love the line about trying to get the codes right inside of you. And the organ in the bridge gives the whole song a southern feel.
“Nothing More” to come is another fun song about something ending. I really enjoy the bells in this one.
Up to Me” sounds like it could be a theme song to a 1990s television show. Did they still do that with modern television? If so, someone send this to Hollywood. I love the these lyrics, “Start feeling the pressure. Don’t dig in the dirt. I never felt better after I got hurt.”
“Nowhere At All” is a very reflective song filled with some twang and palm muted guitar and chorus that claims “I am everywhere, but nowhere at all.” And who hasn’t felt like that before?
“For a While” is the most country song on the whole album. Sounding like it was written on a rocking chair in Montana. Great guitar solo.
Start Right Here” also sounds like a theme song to a sitcom and I really love when the Oregon hits in this one.
I actually went ahead and added “Up to Me” to the Full House opening and it kind of works perfectly!
Band Members: Jaret Reddick – lead vocals, guitars, Chris Burney – guitars, backing vocals, Gary Wiseman – drums, percussion, occasional studio backing vocals, Rob Felicetti – bass, backing vocals.
Review: I have been to a lot of concerts and checked a lot of bands off of my list, but Bowling for Soup is one of the bands that has been on my list forever and I had never seen them. That all changed on Saturday when I not only got to see them live, but I got to see them on an anniversary tour. I love anniversary tours.
I qhave been a fan of them for over 20 years and they have been a band for 30. I will never forget hearing “Girl All the Bad Guys Like” in 8th grade and really digging their sound. I have always read about how fun they were to see live, and even with a band member down, they put on a great show full of the hits, a full album, jokes, a wheel to select a random a song, conversations about how old we have all gotten, and more.
City and Colour:• Dallas Green – Vocals, Guitar • Jack Lawrence – Bass • Dylan Green – Drums • Matt Kelly – Pedal Steel, Keys, Guitar • Doug MacGregor – Drums
Band of Horses:• Ben Bridwell – Vocals, Guitar • Ryan Monroe – Keyboards, Vocals • Creighton Barrett – Drums • Matt Gentling – Bass • Brett Nash – Guitar
Review: I had never been to this venue before. Probably because I don’t really drink beer, but also because it is so far away. The drive wasn’t bad and the parking wasn’t either. We parked around the corner at the Yankee Candle store and a shuttle took us to and from the event. The shuttle was a school bus full of people ready for a great night of music.
What I like about this venue is that they encourage you to bring chairs and blankets. And they don’t question you with the size of them when you get there. I thought I had a big chair until I saw some of the others around me.
When we got to the venue, we walked through the brewery and outside. A few of the walls are decorated in organized and aesthetic cans from releases of the brewery. There was someone giving out free samples of their vodka. There was a line for their pizza that you can get quickly and bring outside. With a two-piece maximum. There’s also also a bar and bathrooms inside.
The outside of the venue is beautiful. For some reason, I pictured a very, very large far away field. Everything is in close proximity, which made me happy there a porta potties outside, food trucks, and a fast moving beer line. And if you would like to go inside for the pizza, indoor bathrooms or more options of alcohol, it is a short walk.
For those that get there early enough, you might not even need to bring a chair. The outside has a large section of Adirondack chairs that you can watch the show from.
My friend and I set up our chairs in the back when we got there. We felt very comfortable, leaving our chairs where they were and walking around.
I had seen City and Colour before at a festival in Denver. Because it was a festival, he didn’t play any of his sadder, slower songs. I was hoping to hear more of these tonight, but the set list was a lot more full band, upbeat, rock songs. That being said, I love Dallas and will see him regardless, and really enjoyed watching his whole band play together.
I really enjoyed hearing “The Love Still Held Me Near,” “Lover Come Back,” “Sleeping Sickness,” and “Sometimes (I Wish).
In between co-headliners, my friend, and I sat in our lawn chairs and chatted. Everyone at the venue was very chill from attendees to staff.
I only knew three or four songs by Band of Horses, but I knew that I was going to stick around for them. I wanted to go up for one of their first few songs that I recognized and my friend and I wound up staying up front for the rest of the show.
Band of Horses put on a fantastic show. Not only did the band sound the same as they did on album, but the singer sounds the same and is great.
I was, of course, very excited to hear “The Funeral” live, but they played my other favorites, “Is There a Ghost,” “No One’s Gonna Love You,” and “The General Specific,” which they ended the set with. “The Great Salt Lake” was a song that I wasn’t familiar with, but it quickly became a new favorite.
Band Members: Devan Glover – Guitar, keys, lead vocals, Khalid Yassein – Guitar, lead vocals, Andrew Oliver – Lead guitar
Review: This was my second time seeing these guys live. They quickly became one of me and my girlfriend’s favorite bands after I discover them on an Instagram ad. They were playing “Amsterdam” on the ad and I instantly fell in love with their music. The song was relatable as I visited this magical city in my early 20’s.
We saw them last year at The Royale, which is a better venue. The Paradise is a classic venue and I have seen many shows there, but sold out shows are a little too packed. There is a piece of tape that runs along the venue and you can’t cross it. There are also podiums and wires across the venue that can block the views.
This all being said Paradise is in a beautiful location, with accessible parking, shows there are actually affordable, and the staff is nice. There is plenty of access to water at the bars for those who aren’t drinkers or those who could use a little water before the end of the show.
Wild Rivers put on such a fun show. For a band that only makes break up, sad songs they really know how to have a fun time on stage. They introduced their songs talking about the background behind them and tell funny stories and anecdotes around them. That makes them a little more entertaining before playing them.M
They played all of the songs that I want to hear from their discography and then mentioned that they already have a new album coming out. They just realized “Never Better,” but recorded so many songs that they liked, that are now releasing a follow up, “Better Now” within the next week.
Band Members: Margot Liotta on bass and vocals, Carrick McCullough – keys, Rafa – Guitar, Wojtek Deregowski – Drums.
Review: I wound up going to this concert myself. I got tickets for $25 during National Concert Week. I showed up right after the first song. I had seen Porter before, years back. During his tour with Madeon. That show was an absolute blast. However, as someone who plays some instruments, I really enjoy seeing a full live band. I was so excited to see what these songs were like done with a live band and I was not dissapointed.
The first act of the set was the new album, Smile :D. This whole album is filled with instruments, including a lot of acoustic guitar. The album is pretty emo, and not in a bad way. Hell, I just saw New Found Glory and Something Corproate. The album is filled with very emotional songs, including one about coming out of a depression slump and all of the things to live for.
It was really cool to see Porter sing and play guitar. And his band is unreal. Margot Liotta is unbelievably talented. She played bass, backup vocals, and even lead vocals. And you could tell how much fun she was having up there. Carrick McCullough played keys and it was cool watching him switch between the keyboard, supplying piano and keyboard sounds, and his other keyboard which supplied the heavier bass and beats to the songs played later in the setlist. Rafa on guitar was really fun to see, as you get to hear songs from “Nurture” and “Worlds” now on guitar. And the drummer, Wojetek Deregowsi, provided great percussion throughout the set.
The set design was super cool. There was a massive cat on stage and a billboard that Porter played guitar and sang from every few songs. And during the later set, we got to see a lot of cool anime on the billboard and screen behind it.
As much as I loved hearing all of the songs from “Smile :D,” which I can’t stop listening to in my car, hearing “Worlds” was my favorite part of the set. This is the album that got me into Porter. I am not huge into DJ/electronic music. But I fell in love with his music the first time I heard it. Probably because I love ambient music, including making some on my own, and to hear it mixed with electronic was something new and innovative.
The whole third act of songs from “Future” was especially cool because it felt like one continuous songs. The songs flowed together and it felt like one, giant encore.
I am very excited to have gone to the opening night of this world tour. And, if I wasn’t busy the next night, I would have easily seen him again.
MGM at Fenway is a fantastic venue. Go for floor seats, if that is your thing. Hit up the merch during the opener or during a song of the headliner’s that you are alright with missing. I ducked out during a Porter song and got a poster in about 3 minutes.
Note: Dan O’Connor from Four Year Strong and Dave Knox from Real Friends are filling in for Chad on guitar, as he continues his fight with metastatic pheochromocytoma.
Review: I am elder emo enough to have now seen this album played twice in it’s entirety. In 2017, New Found Glory did a tour where they played three nights in each city, playing two albums each night, completing their discography. Ironically, this tour was called, “20 Years of Pop Punk.” I went for night three and saw them play both “Catalyst” and “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/new-found-glory/2017/marquis-theater-denver-co-1be6c1ac.html
This band has been going strong for over two decades and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. They continue to release their movie soundtrack cover albums, release new albums, and tour their previous albums. Seriously, what band does six albums in three nights? Wild.
This was my second time at Roadrunner in Boston. The venue is newer and holds about 3,500 people. I have only had floor seats there and that is the place to be. There is a massive bar along the back wall and bathrooms to your left and right. I went upstairs during the show to wait in the merch line and was very impressed by the upstairs. There is seating up top, a really nice bar, private bathrooms. The works. I told my girlfriend that is where the wealthy people with bad backs go. I only have a bad back.
It sucked not seeing Chad on this tour. He was still at home recovering, but Dan O’Connor and Dave Knox were great on guitar and backup-vocals. When I saw New Found Glory on their last From the Screen to Your Stereo tour, I was able to see William Ryan Key play guitar for them, which was neat.
New Found Glory played this album from start to finish and then played the hits, including their cover of “Let it Go” and their newest cover, “Part of Your World” off of an upcoming Disney pop-punk album.
I really fell in love with Catalyst as I think it was a different sound for the band. It was very well-written, had some really beautiful slow songs, and also had some heavier songs that foreshadowed their side band, International Superheroes of Hardcore.
Check out their upcoming tour dates and see them when they come to your city. You won’t see another band with more energy who are just a bunch of best friends on stage living their dream and having a good time together.
Review: My dad grew up a fan of Bob Marley. He saw him twice back in the day. Once, at Harvard. He loves to tell the story of how high the smoke was in the crowd that day. My dad also went to Jamaica a few times and even saw Peter Tosh play down there. We got tickets last summer to see The Wailers at The Range and were very disappointed when it got rained out.
Since last year, we have been counting down the days until the show and we were not disappointed. We have been going to The Range for decades. The place had always been great for hitting golf balls and enjoying seafood and ice cream. Over the past few yers, the establishment starting putting on concerts. The lineups that have been put on there over the years have really been incredible. Bands I remember were announcing shows at Red Rocks when I lived in Colorado. But this was the first concert I ever attended here.
I went up front for the last few songs by the Dis-n-Dat band. Holy talent. The band is fronted by a brother-sister duo, ‘Sista Dee’ and 4 time grammy nominated ‘Rangotan.’ ‘Sista Dee; is sang lead vocals, played steel drums, eyboard, and drums And her brother played drums and sang backup.
The Wailers came on around sundown. Mitchell Brunnings is a great frontman. He knew how to get the crowd pumped. Including changing the lyrics of “No Woman, No Cry” to ‘Cause, ’cause, ’cause I remember when we used to sit / In the government yard in New Hampshire’. Brunnings was discovered on Holland’s version of The Voice where he auditioned with “Redemption Song.” Aston Francis Barrett is the drummer and leader of the band. He is one of the many children of “Family Man,” the former bassist and bandleader of The Wailers. Wendell “Junior Jazz” Ferraro plays lead for the band and also supplies back-up vocals. During one song, Junior Jazz took on lead vocals and Brunnings moved his microphone stand to the back. I found this super respectable, as he let Junior Jazz have the spotlight, front and center.
The band played everything you would want them to: “Is This Love,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “I Shot the Sherriff,” “Three Little Birds,” “Jamming,” “Get Up, Stand-Up,” with an encore including “Buffalo Soldier” and “Could You Be Loved.” I also loved hearing the beautiful, slower “Exodus” and “Redemption Song.”
The band already announced an upcoming show in Boston at City Winery and I want to see them again.
This summer, Hootie & the Blowfish has reunited and is touring with Edwin McCain and collective soul on a tour called. When I saw the lineup, I thought it would be a fun throwback show to go to, but didn’t have a ton of interest. Then, Barenaked, ladies who happens to be one of my favorite bands, announced that they would be joining the tour for this one stop at Fenway Park. It would also be there only Boston stop on their own summer tour. I bought tickets almost immediately after this was announced.
I had seen Barenaked Ladies at Red Rocks and the summer before at Leader Bank in Boston. This would be the third time that I would be seeing them and would be the third person I would bring to see them who would tell me that they are now a big fan. it is kind of like the hotdogs at target. Which actually kind of relates to this, as this concert was at Fenway. Some Target locations have a Pizza Hut inside of them with the best hotdogs you will ever have. I know everybody likes Costco hotdogs because they are cheap and the foot-long and they aren’t wrong but the ones from Target are the best ones you will ever have. They taste just like a ballpark Frank. Anytime I am with somebody at Target, I mentioned to them how good the hotdogs are and they tell me that I am disgusting. I told them that I will buy them on and if I am wrong, I will buy something in the store. I have never had to buy anything in the store for anyone. Now I want a hot dog. Even though it is only 10:00 AM.
Anyway. Fenway puts on a lot of concerts throughout the summer. Two of the ones that I wanted to go to this year or Noah Con, and then Green Day with the Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and the Linda Linda. But both shows were just too expensive. But the Hootie show was reasonably priced. I wasn’t on the lawn, but got good seats at $75 each.
My friend and I unfortunately missed Edwin McCain and Collective Soul as the concert started pretty early. It surprisingly didn’t take me long to get into Boston after work, though even though this was the same day as the Celtics parade. I was driving against the traffic the whole time.
When we got to the show, it started to rain. Barenaked ladies were just about to take the stage or delayed for about 30 minutes. my friend and I decided to go grab some food while we waited. Everyone in line watch the rain, as well as the broadcasted Red Sox away game they were showing in the stadium. We waited in line for about 10 minutes just to find out, it was only for alcohol.we then got into one of the two lines. I was presently supplies surprised at how affordable the food was there. I think it came out to around $36 for a Red Sox hat, memorabilia cup filled with french fries, hotdog, a pretzel, and two waters.
While at our seats and waiting in line for food, I struck up a conversation with a few strangers. As I do. I asked who they were here to see and was excited to hear how many people were also there for BNL. That’s what the true Barenaked Ladies heads call them.
The Canadian rockers kicked off their set with “The Old Apartment” For so long now, I thought that was a perfect break up song. But I learned earlier in the day that it is not a breakup song. As usual, Barenaked Ladies did an improvised rap song. When they did this at Red Rocks a few years back, they had bought an expensive drone to fly around and film. Immediately, they broke the drone and made up a whole rap song about it. The band played all of the hits including “Lovin’ Life,” the single off of their latest album, “In Flight.” The Barenaked Ladies were there to get the crowd pumped and they did just that. The last song, or songs, they played was a massive of medley of Vampire / Flowers / As It Was / Take On Me / Climb Ev’ry Mountain / So Long, Farewell / Rock of Ages.
Hootie came on at 9:25 PM and played until 11:00 PM. I wish he played for so much longer. After seeing them, I am a total Hootie head now. They played a bunch of covers including “For What It’s Worth,” “Wagon Wheel” and “Losing My Religion.” They played the hits. They played on Darius Rucker song.
At one point, I looked out at the crowd of people singing along to Hootie and I totally understood the hype around country concerts and festivals. Not saying that this is in my future, but damn, was this a fun time.
