Music explored. All photos and text by Boston-based longtime music journalist Nate Dow (unless otherwise noted).
Jocelyn Arndt is moved by the spirit of the music as she performs last night in Norwood. SHOW REVIEW: Nobody told them explosions aren’t meant to rock the Fallout Shelter. Or at least Massachusetts-based brother-and-sister act Jocelyn and Chris Arndt paid that no heed last night during their Extended Play Sessions broadcast and filming. And … Continue reading Jocelyn and Chris Arndt making their mark uniquely
Jeffrey Foucault performs in the 2nd Shift Music Series last night at the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation in Waltham. SHOW REVIEW: During his performance last night at the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation in Waltham, Jeffrey Foucault joked that he once got a gig on a Scandinavian Christmas show with … Continue reading Jeffrey Foucault show is poetry in emotion
Dennis Brennan performs during his band's long-running residency at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge. For lovers of Boston music, Hump Day is about to become more like Harumph Day. For an extended time at least, we will no longer be able to depend on the midweek medicine that is the Dennis Brennan Band residency at … Continue reading Dennis Brennan Band hitting pause button on this LP
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
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
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 …