Concert Reviews

Watson's no rookie

December 9, 2024 - There is a healthy skepticism about whether Willie Watson's very strong recent self-titled CD release is his debut solo album. After all, Watson, who once upon a time was a founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, has already released "Folk Singer, Vol. 1" and "Folk Singer, Vol. 2. ...

From now on, Wilson Jr. needs no introduction

December 8, 2024 - At the start of every Stephen Wilson Jr. concert, the bespectacled singer with an ever present baseball cap, comes out and proudly states, "I am Stephen Wilson Jr., and I am my father's son." That figured prominently for Wilson, who sold-out the club with an enthusiastic fan base singing ...

Simpson goes out in a blaze of glory

November 24, 2024 - It may have been the closing night of his touring for the year, but lest anyone think that Simpson was ready to dial it in, head home and call it a year, no. Nope. No way. On the second of two quick sell-outs at the venue, Simpson and his utterly supple backing band seemed to suggest that they were ...

Pride works wonders for Godwin

November 21, 2024 - Charles Wesley Godwin is West Virginia proud. He made that clear during a charged, engaged outing at a sold-out show where just over two years ago ,he was opening for his musical compadre Zach Bryan in the very same venue. After all, the red bandana-ed singer came out of the gate with the opening ...

No need to dream, Gossett's got it

November 13, 2024 - One might assume that Dylan Gossett is living the dream. After all, the 25-year-old singer from Austin never had played Boston before in his ultra-short career, and here he was with an excited, sold-out crowd of 2,500 singing along in song after song – even one released just two weeks ago. ...

Lenker makes herself heard

November 12, 2024 - At first glance, Adrianne Lenker may not have seemed like the most dynamic performer. Staying seated for most of the 100-minute show could have sucked the energy out of the room for the singer-songwriter's. However, that was far from the case in an engaging, warm, at times low-key set at the first ...

Hubbard shows there's life after FGL

November 7, 2024 - Tyler Hubbard showed that there indeed is life after Florida Georgia Line. In a show that at times rocked before moving more and more into country territory, Hubbard is making a go of it on his own, apart from Brian Kelley. Playing a smaller venue (capacity 2,500, but it was not filled) than arenas ins ...

Guyton has the vocal chops. No matter what.

November 4, 2024 - To say that Mickey Guyton was unnecessarily hard on herself would be an understatement. Part way through her show as part of the CMT On Tour, the singer told the crowd of about 200 that she had been battling a cold since Oct. 9. Making her Boston debut, Guyton would apologize to the crowd more than ...

Vocals rule for Little Big Town, Sugarland; Halloween, less so

October 31, 2024 - Considering that it was Halloween, maybe it was the costumes or lack thereof that went to the heart of the performance by Little Big Town, headlining the big arena. The opening act, The Castellows, smartly were decked out in American Revolutionary soldier costumes. Well done, considering they were in ...

Defying convention, Hitchcock brings the joy

October 29, 2024 - Robyn Hitchcock would not be accused of being your traditional performer – not that that detracted from his mainly solo outing before presumably longstanding fans. With a new album of covers, "1967," under his belt, the British musician living in Nashville might have been expected to ...

Millsap stays consistent, and that's a good thing

October 19, 2024 - Parker Millsap's been at it for more than a decade and six albums. He's had a presence on the Americana scene, played the prestigious Newport Folk Festival (though he rocked out more that day) and received a few nominations for Americana Music Awards. The hour-long show demonstrated why. ...

Dasha keeps on walking beyond "Austin"

October 9, 2024 - Dasha is not one of those artists who has been plying her trade in Nashville for years waiting to be discovered overnight a decade later (are you reading this Lainey Wilson)? The California native spent some time in Nashville going to Belmont University, a great place for musicians, before going back home. ...

For The Sheepdogs, fairness be damned

October 8, 2024 - Concerts like the one from Saskatoon, Canada's finest, The Sheepdogs, make you want to scratch your head and wonder about the seeming lack of fairness in music. Of course, that doesn't truly exist. One artist or band's success is not necessarily tied to how good they are on a recording or stage. ...

For The Red Clay Strays, buzz + hype are well deserved

October 5, 2024 - Was it deserved buzz or overhype about The Red Clay Strays? After all, the band sold out the Boston venue (holding about 3,500) weeks ago just after putting out their first major label disc. Ask around, and people who are keen on the type of music the band plays – somewhere between Southern Rock, ...

Church of Jelly Roll offers redemption (and a lot of fine music too)

September 27, 2024 - The Church of Jelly Roll operated at full throttle last night in a sold-out show. If you were feeling down in the dumps, Jelly Roll was there to give you a big boost. If you wanted to hear his music, that, of course, was also part of the night in what certainly could have been a spiritual reviv-al for many. ...

Daniel brings the Bakersfield Sound to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley

September 19, 2024 - Hailing from Ben Lomond in California's San Lorenzo Valley, Jesse Daniel is a torchbearer for the Bakersfield Sound and one of the few gigging artists keeping that genre alive and kicking. Touring in support of his new album, "Countin' The Miles,"Daniel and his merry band of ...