Concert Reviews

Hayes does it his way

November 30, 2023 - To say that this was not your typical Hunter Hayes outing would be a huge understatement. This was just Hayes out on his own (for the most part). No band. A set list with flexibility in taking a few random audience requests. "This is not how I normally do this," Hayes announced. ...

O'Donovan does The Boss

November 28, 2023 - Aoife O'Donovan performed Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska," in the exact order these 10 songs appeared on the album, to a quiet, attentive audience. In fact, after this crowd gave O'Donovan hearty applause once she hit the stage, she pointed out how it was probably a good thing to ...

Stewart rides high after tackling life's ups and downs

November 28, 2023 - What started for Amanda Stewart by playing music during the cocktail hour at a wedding of a Boston-area couple in Montana this summer turned months later into the Americana/country singer's most welcome Beantown debut. But Stewart, a native of Bozeman, Mont., acquitted herself in a very generous 2 ...

For Raised Southern, blood wasn't enough

November 19, 2023 - Family bands can be a thing of beauty. There is nothing like family harmonies and a sense of direction from a band simply because of their bloodlines. That was not always the case, however, for the bluegrass band Southern Raised in a sold-out show. The playing was there for the quartet with fiddle ...

Prine stands on his own two feet

November 18, 2023 - This concert could have been all about the elephant in the room, Only it pretty much wasn't. After all with a surname like Prine, there were reasons why the 130-person club sold out weeks in advance for this show and an earlier show was added. That was the fate of Tommy Prine, the 27-year-old son ...

Slaughter Beach, Dog knows what it's doing

November 16, 2023 - If Slaughter Beach, Dog had paid a lot of attention to the size, they may have been disappointed. But there's a lot to be said for looking beyond the numbers (there were about 1,100 in the house at a venue holding 3,500). And that was the case with the Philly-based band. Slaughter Beach, Dog is ...

White shows his musical personalites - all of them good

November 14, 2023 - When Drake White began his set, he appeared to be a lot like those musical partiers, Kenny Chesney and the late Jimmy Buffett. Dressed casually and looking super relaxed, he came off like a jovial party host, exemplified by the upbeat "Livin' The Dream." However, the night took a sharp ...

Flores rides the wave in one great night

November 13, 2023 - The wake of Zach Bryan may just be turning into a tidal wave. One obvious disciple was his frequent touring mate Charles Wesley Godwin. And now we have Wyatt Flores among new artists waving the flag. And if Flores' headlining gig was any indication, Bryan and Godwin will be in excellent company. ...

Real deal Munsick keeps the country pledge

November 11, 2023 - "Don't you think country music needs more fiddle in it?" Ian Munsick questioned the crowd ending the comment that was more like a statement with emphasis, before pledging, "I promise you Boston as long as long as I'm playing country music, there will be fiddle in country music. ...

No radio play for The Cadillac Three? No problem live

November 9, 2023 - Four songs into their set, The Cadillac Three 's lead singer Jaren Johnston opined something to the effect that's why "you don't hear us on country radio right now." Johnston presumably – it was a bit hard to tell – was referring to the band's decidedly lack of ...

For Cobb, the dream comes alive

November 6, 2023 - Brent Cobb may be a good ole' son of the South at heart, but that does not limit him either. Cobb may sing of cicadas and kudzu as he did on this night with the title track of his CD, "Southern Star," but there's no pigeonholing the Georgian. As in musically. ...

For Evans, the night could have lasted forever. Or at least even longer

November 2, 2023 - Morgan Evans bounded on stage filled with his very warm smile and good cheer, not to mention an anthemic, acoustic-based singalong, "Young Again." The song is ostensibly about a quick developing relationship, but a few lines could have easily been applied to what was to come: "This night ...

Lowe, Los Straitjackets stay on track

November 1, 2023 - Early on during the first show of his new tour, Nick Lowe told the sold-out crowd, "Tonight is the first show (of the tour)...Who knows what is going to happen? The wheels could come off." Lowe, the veteran British singer of pop and Americana music, was his affable self, joking with the crowd. ...

Cauthen has an up night

October 29, 2023 - Paul Cauthen tells it like it is. As he sang in the second song of the night before a packed crowd, "Country As Fuck" (one of two songs that would have the F word on this night), "I was driving tractors before it got sexy/Real cowboys don't rock to Kenny Chesney. ...

Hiss Golden Messenger engages start to finish

October 26, 2023 - Hiss Golden Messenger had yet to play a note or sing one word before a fan asked lead singer MC Taylor if he went to the bookstore. And Taylor, knowing that he was in the shadow almost literally of the Harvard Bookstore said, "Yes, I did" with a touch of laughter. He then proceeded to tell a ...

Marlowe may be a star in the making

October 26, 2023 - Kameron Marlowe brought his "I Can Lie" tour to Los Angeles (his first time playing this big city) and proved in concert how he's one of the best new mainstream singers in country music. With a full-bodied vocal tone similar to Cody Johnson, Marlowe came off like a star in the making. ...