Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
If this is a sign of how this weekend is going to go, we’re in for a real treat. Will Dailey and his cast of merry men are killing it on The Beachcomber stage to kick off the two-night Letters To Cleo Clambake.
A Tugboat Annie reunion was something I never thought I’d see. I’m so happy I did. Their show at The Lilypad was an emphatic reminder of what a great band they were. Are? Perhaps.
Hey! Sidewalk Driver played an afternoon show in support of the good folks over at Zumix. Family fun time! Of course I had to hand cameras to my boys to see what they see. Apparently they see Tad. Up close. Real close. Need proof? I didn’t take the last photo…
Sidewalk Driver played TD Garden.
I should probably mention that they opened for Bon Jovi. That part seems unimportant now. This is a band that has been bringing the joy of arena rock shows to small stages for years. That they’d eventually find their way into an actual arena shouldn’t have surprised anyone. It seemed almost inevitable, despite how intangible it may have felt at any given moment along the way. When opportunity presented itself they were magnificent. Just as they always are. Just on a bigger stage. In a bigger building. In front of more people. With the same amount of joy.
Sidewalk Driver played TD Garden. Finally.
I’ve seen Letters To Cleo a bunch of times. In college it seemed like every time my friend Brian came to visit they’d be playing one of the Providence clubs. He came to visit a lot. We saw some fun shows. None sounded as good as the other night when Letters To Cleo played Wholesale Meats and Fish in its entirety (and then some). Very nice.
Despite being a fan of the band and its members, I had never seen the Blake Babies until this past Friday night at The Paradise. The songs were worth waiting for. The full on denim put the night over the top.
A quick trip up to Portsmouth found Eric Ott showcasing his songwriting skills while opening for Matthew Caws of Nada Surf at The Music Hall Loft.
Tim Gearan and his stellar cohorts notched another genre-defying night of his residency at Atwood’s.
Perhaps you saw my photos from the Boston Stands with the ACLU benefit show at The Paradise and thought to yourself “That’s unusual. Johnny is usually right up front when he takes pictures, but most of these photos are from the back. Was it crazy crowded and he couldn’t get up front? Was he trying out some new perspectives? Was there something else going on that prevented him from standing in one spot for 6 hours?” Well, I have answers to these imaginary questions you may or may not have asked yourself! Yes, it was sold out! Yes, but only because it was so crazy packed I couldn’t get up front! And yes, because I was also busy taking all of these photos!
Some really wonderful people were involved with putting this show together. The night raised $24,800 for the ACLU. The musical lineup was unbelievable. Seriously. Did that really happen? Jokes were told. Songs were sung. My head is still spinning. I’m going to take a nap. Right after I leave these here…
Check out performance photos from all of the acts on this amazing night:
Ken Reid
Bill Janovitz
The Gravel Pit
The Sheila Divine
Evan Dando
Belly
Juliana Hatfield
Nada Surf
What was the best part of Juliana Hatfield’s set at Boston Stands with the ACLU? Tough to say. Maybe it was hearing the growling new tunes from her upcoming Pussycat album. How about the first live electric performance of Minor Alps’ “I Don’t Know What To Do With My Hands” with Mathew Caws and The Gravel Pit’s Ed Valauskas and Pete Caldes? That was pretty great, too. I refuse to decide!
Check out performance photos from all of the acts on this wonderful night:
Ken Reid
Bill Janovitz
The Gravel Pit
The Sheila Divine
Evan Dando
Belly
Juliana Hatfield (You are here)
Nada Surf
