3 BIG shows and a Country Artist.
Belle and Sebastian played at the Blue Hills Pavilion, which is an outdoor venue right on the water in downtown Boston's financial district) a couple of weeks ago. I remember being introduced to them by my sister back in the late '90s, thanks in large part to her involvement with her college radio station. Their albums "The Boy with the Arab Strap" and "If You're Feeling Sinister" were in constant rotation back then. I loved the acoustic, folk sound from this Scottish band. Although, I do have to admit, they sort of fell off my radar for a few years, even though they seem to consistently put out albums every other year or so. I knew when my friend Courtney mentioned going to see them, I had to because despite enjoying their music for years, I had yet to see them in concert. They certainly did not disappoint, either. Their set included a plethora of songs throughout their long career, and lots of "danceable" songs, in fact, before the encore, the singer came down into the crowd and started a sort of conga line that followed him through the crowd and back onto the stage for quite a finish to the show, something I'd honestly never seen before!
Belle and Sebastian setlist:
Opening act- Andrew Bird (formerly of the Squirrel Nut Zippers)
I was not too familiar with his music and he played for about an hour and 15 minutes, which seemed crazy to me, as opening acts are usually given about 45 minutes, but his set was incredible. I definitely became a fan of his that night after watching and listening to his very riveting set of beautiful songs.
And before Andrew Bird, there was another opening act, a band called Porches, which I had no previous knowledge of them and they were a pleasant surprise.
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Dashboard Confessional played at the Blue Hills Pavilion last weekend and after buying tickets to their show in Gilford, NH which was canceled very last minute the night before (and thankfully getting my money refunded), I decided to buy tickets to this Boston show, even though I was on the fence because it felt like a shitty move for a band to cancel a show for what was most likely because they did not sell many tickets at the venue (which is in the middle of nowhere mountains of New Hampshire). Despite the ill feeling I had for a few hours, I knew my girlfriend had really been looking forward to seeing them, after I introduced Dashboard to her a few weeks prior to the show, so I ponied up and bought the tickets. Dashboard Confessional never really disappoints and always has a good crowd that interacts and sings along. Tonight was no exception. They started strong and just kept going with full band versions of songs.
The All-American Rejects opened for them and actually surprised me with how great they were, live at least. I never really gave them much of a chance when they first came out. They seemed like just another Maroon 5-type of band. Sure, they have some good hit songs and I'll admit that he certainly knows how to write hit songs. Their live show on this night definitely changed my mind about them, though.
Emo band, The Maine, were another opening band. I had never listened to their music before seeing them at this show and I was not too impressed with them, to be honest.
The Social Animals are a band from Minnesota that I first discovered when they opened for Twin Forks (a Chris Carrabba side project) back in like April or May at the Middle East in Boston. They were surprisingly great that night and I wished they had gotten a bit more time on this night because I was looking forward to seeing them. They pull off a pretty incredible cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" as well.
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Guster w/MYRO
This past weekend, I saw quite an amazing spectacle of locally grown talent right here in Portland. Two local artists, Spencer Albee (formerly of Rustic Overtones fame) and an amazing alt-country/folk/roots band The Ghost of Paul Revere played opening spots for Guster at Thompson's Point. Not only have I had the pleasure of seeing both artists on separate occasions multiple times, but seeing them come together and play was amazing. Spencer Albee recently released a great new album, with a sound very similar to The Beatles (clearly an influence of his, especially since he was also been doing a Beatles tribute show for the past 15 years here in Portland- definitely worth checking that show out as well). And with the Ghost of Paul Revere, it's hard to describe their great performances other than to say it's very reminiscent of old country western shows/sounds as well as perhaps a band more relevant to now- The Felice Brothers and the likes.
And then, Guster came on stage and played for about an hour, performing crowd favorites and rocking out, loud and proud. Then, came the moment the entirety of the crowd (which was surprisingly filled with rather young people, like kids that were not even born when Guster first came out and burst onto the scene in the late '90s). The Maine Youth Rock Orchestra (an amazing group of local musicians, aged from 12-18, accompanied Guster on several songs and added flair and a beautiful sound to familiar Guster tunes. This was very clearly the highlight of the night. It could not have sounded any better, on a beautiful summer night.
Spencer Albee--
The Ghost of Paul Revere--
And then, there was Guster!
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Being a fan of concerts, in general, I often bring someone to a show in the hopes that I turn them on to new music, or music that I love. I just enjoy sharing the experience with someone and I enjoy sharing my love for something, musically, especially. My girlfriend brought me to a show she was interested in recently, and it definitely would not have been one that I went to on my own, but in the interest of sharing something she really liked, I wanted to join her and go with an open mind, as country is not necessarily something that I generally listen to. Phil Vassar was a name I recognized from my days working at Bull Moose circa 1999-2002. I did not even know he was still kicking around and making music. His stage presence was formidable, as it was mostly him playing piano, swaggering back and forth across the stage with the microphone making sure the crowd stayed with him through the whole set and interacting with his band. He certainly had a lot of energy and I almost question whether or not he did cocaine before the show because of how much energy he had. It was a decent show and I'm glad my girlfriend enjoyed it; and I'm glad I went with her and we shared the experience together.
Belle and Sebastian setlist:
Opening act- Andrew Bird (formerly of the Squirrel Nut Zippers)
I was not too familiar with his music and he played for about an hour and 15 minutes, which seemed crazy to me, as opening acts are usually given about 45 minutes, but his set was incredible. I definitely became a fan of his that night after watching and listening to his very riveting set of beautiful songs.
- (Unknown)
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- (Unknown)
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And before Andrew Bird, there was another opening act, a band called Porches, which I had no previous knowledge of them and they were a pleasant surprise.
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Dashboard Confessional played at the Blue Hills Pavilion last weekend and after buying tickets to their show in Gilford, NH which was canceled very last minute the night before (and thankfully getting my money refunded), I decided to buy tickets to this Boston show, even though I was on the fence because it felt like a shitty move for a band to cancel a show for what was most likely because they did not sell many tickets at the venue (which is in the middle of nowhere mountains of New Hampshire). Despite the ill feeling I had for a few hours, I knew my girlfriend had really been looking forward to seeing them, after I introduced Dashboard to her a few weeks prior to the show, so I ponied up and bought the tickets. Dashboard Confessional never really disappoints and always has a good crowd that interacts and sings along. Tonight was no exception. They started strong and just kept going with full band versions of songs.
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(Justin Bieber cover)
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(The Cure cover)
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- Encore:
The All-American Rejects opened for them and actually surprised me with how great they were, live at least. I never really gave them much of a chance when they first came out. They seemed like just another Maroon 5-type of band. Sure, they have some good hit songs and I'll admit that he certainly knows how to write hit songs. Their live show on this night definitely changed my mind about them, though.
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(Pixies cover)
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Emo band, The Maine, were another opening band. I had never listened to their music before seeing them at this show and I was not too impressed with them, to be honest.
The Social Animals are a band from Minnesota that I first discovered when they opened for Twin Forks (a Chris Carrabba side project) back in like April or May at the Middle East in Boston. They were surprisingly great that night and I wished they had gotten a bit more time on this night because I was looking forward to seeing them. They pull off a pretty incredible cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" as well.
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Guster w/MYRO
This past weekend, I saw quite an amazing spectacle of locally grown talent right here in Portland. Two local artists, Spencer Albee (formerly of Rustic Overtones fame) and an amazing alt-country/folk/roots band The Ghost of Paul Revere played opening spots for Guster at Thompson's Point. Not only have I had the pleasure of seeing both artists on separate occasions multiple times, but seeing them come together and play was amazing. Spencer Albee recently released a great new album, with a sound very similar to The Beatles (clearly an influence of his, especially since he was also been doing a Beatles tribute show for the past 15 years here in Portland- definitely worth checking that show out as well). And with the Ghost of Paul Revere, it's hard to describe their great performances other than to say it's very reminiscent of old country western shows/sounds as well as perhaps a band more relevant to now- The Felice Brothers and the likes.
And then, Guster came on stage and played for about an hour, performing crowd favorites and rocking out, loud and proud. Then, came the moment the entirety of the crowd (which was surprisingly filled with rather young people, like kids that were not even born when Guster first came out and burst onto the scene in the late '90s). The Maine Youth Rock Orchestra (an amazing group of local musicians, aged from 12-18, accompanied Guster on several songs and added flair and a beautiful sound to familiar Guster tunes. This was very clearly the highlight of the night. It could not have sounded any better, on a beautiful summer night.
Spencer Albee--
The Ghost of Paul Revere--
And then, there was Guster!
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- Encore:
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Being a fan of concerts, in general, I often bring someone to a show in the hopes that I turn them on to new music, or music that I love. I just enjoy sharing the experience with someone and I enjoy sharing my love for something, musically, especially. My girlfriend brought me to a show she was interested in recently, and it definitely would not have been one that I went to on my own, but in the interest of sharing something she really liked, I wanted to join her and go with an open mind, as country is not necessarily something that I generally listen to. Phil Vassar was a name I recognized from my days working at Bull Moose circa 1999-2002. I did not even know he was still kicking around and making music. His stage presence was formidable, as it was mostly him playing piano, swaggering back and forth across the stage with the microphone making sure the crowd stayed with him through the whole set and interacting with his band. He certainly had a lot of energy and I almost question whether or not he did cocaine before the show because of how much energy he had. It was a decent show and I'm glad my girlfriend enjoyed it; and I'm glad I went with her and we shared the experience together.
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(with "Stay a Little Longer" snippet)
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(with "Come Sail Away" snippet by Styx)
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