Music explored. All photos and text by Boston-based longtime music journalist Nate Dow (unless otherwise noted).
Kevin Harvey belts out the blues during last night's show at the Fallout Shelter in Norwood. SHOW REVIEW: When the Durham County Poets hit the stage at the Fallout Shelter last night, you could count five players. By the time the band from Quebec was halfway through the Extended Play Sessions live show and filming, … Continue reading Durham County Poets have it all down chapter and verse
LOCAL LIVE SHOW PICKS: • Sunday, Irish Variety Show, Burren Backroom, Somerville, 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. — What else do you expect for St. Patty’s Day? Tommy McCarthy, Louise Costello, Robert Elliott & Seamus Noonan lead the celebration of Irish song, stories and dancing, all complemented … Continue reading Picks for Week of March 17
New Balance World Headquarters is the anchor for the Boston Landing development, which is soon to include addition of a 3,500-capacity music hall. OPINION: It may be hypocrisy for an advocate of the arts to find fault with adding more music venues in a city that is having trouble keeping ones it has. While I … Continue reading The down side of upsizing Boston’s music venues
Duke Amayo sings during the Antibalas 20th anniversary tour stop last night at the Sinclair in Harvard Square. SHOW REVIEW Antibalas has had the kind of staying power that few bands enjoy. Last night, when the 20th anniversary tour of the Afrobeat ensemble hit the Sinclair in Cambridge, it was obvious why: Antibalas keeps attracting … Continue reading Antibalas celebrates 20th year forcefully, masterfully
SHOW REVIEW: The newest addition to weekly artist residencies around greater Boston is a pairing of two unique talents — singer-songwriters Christian McNeill and Tim Gearan. It has resulted in a beautiful intertwining of voices and styles, perfect for a relaxing respite on a Tuesday night.I never considered Sally O’Brien’s in Somerville to be a “listening … Continue reading Tim Gearan-Christian McNeill residency pure listening gold
Kelly Knapp and Jamie Walker perform “Wheels” during the annual Wall of Grass benefit at Club Passim on Saturday. SHOW REVIEW: There are genre-specific music festivals that bring a galaxy’s worth of stars to the stage. There are charity fundraisers with bands and solo acts pulling together. Then there is Wall of Grass, in which … Continue reading Strong communal roots make Wall of Grass
• Sunday, Habib Koite, Somerville Theater, 7:30 p.m. — World Music/CRASHarts brings one of Mali’s biggest stars, an exquisite singer and guitarist, to the big stage. South African guitarist Derek Gripper and African Strings open.• Monday, Andrea von Kampen, Club Passim, Cambridge, 8 p.m. — The fast-rising Nebraska-based songwriter, touring behind release of the sparsely … Continue reading Picks of the Week, March 10
The ineffable Mina Kim beams during her doctoral recital last night at NEC's Brown Hall. OPINION: Most of my Shrove Tuesdays are spent draped in beads and feathers, parading with a brass band somewhere in musical observance of Mardi Gras. Yesterday, I opted for a far different but no less celebratory evening: going to Brown … Continue reading A classical gas (and the road here)
At the Boston Herald, the time and the resources ran out on the music writing role of Nate Dow — and every other full-time staffer at the two Boston daily papers. OPINION: A not-so funny thing happened on the way to this forum. … When I joined the Boston Herald in 1994, there were two … Continue reading At the art of the matter …
• Sunday, Bull Run, Shirley — Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. The incomparable pianist bring New Orlaans north for carnival week, 7:30 p.m. • Monday, the White Owls, Toad — Riding the momentum of its new release, the Dennis Brennan-led blues band brings high energy and great musicianship to the Toad stage. It … Continue reading Picks of the week, March 3