No matter what genre you choose, Boston's cozy neighborhoods have you covered
Enjoy live music in a more intimate setting? Here are 12 shows organized by genre at smaller venues in the greater Boston area. (Venues include Paradise Rock Club, Royal, Middle East, The Wilbur, Big Night Live, Sinclair, Brighton Music Hall, and Arlington's Regent Theatre—check out our guide to great venues here.)
Best rock concert:
Barnes Whitfield and the Nervous Eaters Savages at the Regent's Theater
One of Boston's most popular and enduring rock musicians of the past 40 years will join forces for an unforgettable night. Nervous Eaters' new album 'Monsters + Angels' contains songs that will resonate with fans who remember them as Rat House. (Here are my 2019 Q&A with singer Steve Cataldo.) Singer Barrence Whitfield began his recording career in 1984 and has released five albums since retiring in 2011. He also sang on the "Native Sons Los Lobos' 2021 Grammy Award Winner" album. (My Q&A with Whitfield in 2015 is here.) So their next show together will be anything but a nostalgia trip. Saturday, December 16, admission 7:15 am, Regent Theatre, 7 Medford Street, Arlington, $25-$35.
John Spencer and the HITmakers in the Middle East
John Spencer, who grew up in Hanover, New Hampshire and attended Brown University for several years, is best known as the front man for the John Spencer Blues Explosion, which formed in 1991. This trio can be accurately described. A combination of the title and the 2010 combined title "Dirty Shirt Rock 'n' Roll". Spencer In early 2022, he released The Blues Blast and later launched his new band The Hitmakers. In April, the foursome released "Spencer Gets It Lit," the author of which said, "This is the darkest album I've ever done!" Tuesday, January 24 at 6:00 pm Middle East Down, 472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge $20 (25-day show)
Best Alternative/Indie Concerts:
Lemonheads at Heaven Rock Club
Ivan Dando's musical tour for more than 15 years is sporadic and does not consist of new material. Luckily, he has a huge catalog that guarantees him a worldwide audience when he decides to spend a few months on a tour bus. The best reason for this is the recent Lemonheads 30th anniversary edition of "It's a Shame About Ray". Dando will join former bandmate Juliana Hatfield as she performs each of the 13 tracks from her debut album over two shows at Paradise. Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18 at 7:00 pm, Garden Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, $37.
Amy Mann and Ted Leo in Wilbur
Amy Mann and Ted Leo gave their first Christmas concert together in 2014, the same year they recorded an album together. Since then, the event has been filled with guest stars from various shows over the years. Joining the couple in Boston were Buffalo Tom Bill Janvoitz, Liz Fire and Suzanne Hoffs. In addition to holiday favorites, performances included dark and instantly recognizable rock songs, seasonal Man-Leo originals, and non-Christmas artists taking the stage throughout the night. Tuesday, December 27, doors at 7:00 pm, Wilbur, 246 Tremont St., Boston, $59-69.
Ride on Charlatans UK and Big Night Live
Among the albums listed in the alternative/indie shoegaze subcategory, Reid's 1990 debut album 'Nowhere' ranks with My Bloody Valentine's second and third albums in terms of overall importance. However, its two other pop sequels proved that Ride was no ordinary pony. Charlatans UK, on the other hand, includes a collective called Madchester, top pundits in Manchester, England, as they were apparent in the early '90s and later developed during the Euts and 2010s (unlike Red). Airing Thursday, February 2, 7:00 pm, Big Night Live, 110 Causeway St., Boston, $37.50.
House in Sinclair
I hope last year's Boston.com preview of the Royale made it clear that my enthusiasm for New Zealand quartet The Bethes knows no bounds. Fortunately, frontman and songwriter Liz Stokes has been generous with what the band has released. While I recommend newcomers start with 2016's "Warm Blood" EP and work their way up, I'm certainly not dissuading anyone from jumping straight into this year's expert in a dying field. This is equivalent to the previous attempt. Don't let the fact that two of his Sinclair shows are sold out discourage you from trying to see at least one; This is a rare group that guarantees a guaranteed repeat sale. (Here's an overview of their 2021 live album.) Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February at 7 pm, The Sinclair, 52 Church Street, Cambridge, $22/$25.
Best Electronic Concerts:
Magic Heart at Brighton Music Hall
Jaadu is a male and female duo consisting of favorite divas: Sachi Jeffrey and Alex Hedford. They first collaborated at the British Irish Institute of Contemporary Music, where they were both students. Since then, according to their current record label, they have "gone from electronic shoegaze to psych-rock to lo-fi grunge with two EPs and two albums…" Two digital singles were released in 2022, and they recently shared a couple. The song is from the upcoming album Derealised , which will be released on January 20 Boston $17
Best Rap Concert:
Glory to Paradise Rock Club
2022 has been an amazing year for Gloriala, especially for the Hotkidd NSFW-produced "FNF (Let's Go)," which won the 2022 BET Hip Hop Song of the Year award and gave Pitchfour a No. 1 debut. songs of the year Later that year, the EP was released in November, "Anyway, Life's Greatest…" Thursday, February 23 at 7:00 pm, Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, $35.
Best Male Singer in Concert:
Cass McCombs to Sinclair
2022 marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Cass McCombs' debut mini-album Not The Way and her 10th LP Heartmind. In a 2016 New York Times article titled "Think of Beckett as a Whimsical Singer-Songwriter," music journalist Ben Ratliff called McCombs "one of the greatest songwriters of all time." Given the accolades he's received throughout his career, it's unlikely the 45-year-old Ratliff is alone. In fact, Heart Mind, starring Winona Judd and Daniel Haim, among many others, may be McCombs' most famous work to date. Sunday January 15, admission 7pm, The Sinclair, 52 Church Street, Cambridge, $19-$22.
Suki Waterhouse at Paradise Rock Club
In her teens, Suki Waterhouse honed her talents as a model, photographer, film and television actress, businesswoman, and musician. Having released several singles since 2016, the 30-year-old Londoner will release her debut album, I Can't Let Go, on May 6, 2022 via Subpop, followed by the Milk Teeth EP in November. . And for those wondering, Waterhouse has been filming with Robert Pattinson since 2018. Doors at 7pm on Sunday, January 29. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, $22.
The best folk and country concerts:
502 in reais
502 is named after Florida Sextet founder Ed Isola's childhood address. In addition to electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and drums, the band uses banjo, saxophone, trumpet, and keyboards to deliver their unique sound. Their discography currently comprises two LPs and two EPs, including this year's Just Another EP, and they are regular music festival goers, featuring high-profile bands like Mumford & Sons and Jason Isbell. Sunday, February 26, doors at 7:00 pm, Royale, 279 Tremont St., Boston, $20.
Margo Price at Paradise Rock Club
Thirty Two is definitely above average for a debut release. However, this album can be found just as strong as Margo Price's production debut, "Midwest Farmer's Daughter", which is gaining momentum. By the end of the year, and its 2017 follow-up All American Made had appeared on the charts of more than a dozen music publications. Sturgeon Simpson's "This Is How Rumors Start" debuted in 2020 and now Price Strike will be released on January 13, 2023, starring Mike Campbell, Sharon Van Etten and Lucious. Tuesday, February 28, doors at 7:00 pm, Garden Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, $28.
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