It took me longer to get into this band then it should’ve. They are right up my alley. Like right up it.
I had heard the name, especially at two weddings over the past few years. Two years ago, I watched two good friends get married on the top of the mountain in Colorado and the bride walked down the aisle to one of their songs and their first dance was to another.
I then not only attended, but was the wedding officiant last year at another wedding where a song by Caamp was played as their first dance song.
I enter to win concert tickets all the time, thanks Do617 for these ones, and when I won tickets for Caamp at MGM in Boston I knew that I had to go.
I went into super prep mode, looking up their recent set lists and getting familiar with their songs.
I knew the fun covers they were doing on this tour, but needed to learn their own music.
The folk band sold out MGM Music Hall in Boston on both Saturday and Sunday. And Sunday was quite a night of energy and talent.
The band is fronted by one man, but every single person in the band sings, providing backup vocals and harmonies. Not only that, some members also trade off instruments or trade instruments with one another. There is a lot of talent to this band.
Review: This was the first Jack’s Mannequin tour in a decade. They have played some one off shows on the cruise and at festivals but they haven’t tour since this 10 Years in Transit tour in 2016.
I saw Something Corporate almost exactly a year ago at the same venue and that was their first tour in 20 years! Nothing say the start of warmer weather like an Andrew McMahon show. Like the SoCo tour last year, this tour only featured songs by the band. Jack’ Mannequin played a 21 song set list featuring all songs by Jack’s Mannequin spanning from their three albums.
The show opened and closed with video footage of the band from their early days and making the whole crowd feel nostalgic. I went to dinner across the street before the show. I loved seeing all of the shirts of my fellow emo aquantinces. The old Something Corporate Rolling Rock and Piano movers shirts. The Drive-Thru records shirts with the rectangular logo taking me back to the good old days.
Upcoming Tour Dates: https://andrewmcmahon.com/pages/tour-dates
Review: I love my anniversary shows. A Time Machine that takes me back to a time where life was easier and our country wasn’t on fire all the time. Literally and metaphorically.
I was very excited to hear that The Used were going on tour to celebrate 25 years as a band by playing their first three albums. The first album was a big piece of my childhood. It came out when I was 13, which was the start of my emo phase. One that would go on for the next 20+ years! I was way more into emo then screamo, but there were some screamo bands that definitely stuck out for me. Senses Fail, Silverstein, and The Used.
I had a Burt is My Homeboy shirt in high school that I wore too much and I remember watching him jump from the speaker out into the crowd at Warped Tour. They always had a lot of energy and that didn’t go anywhere!
I have been a NEEDTOBREATHE fan since high school. I have seen them play sold out shows at Red Rocks a few times. I saw them with OneRepublic at Xfinity center. And I most recently saw them play at MGM. I learned recently that Bear had a side project and I am so glad I went to go see them play.
But first off, I must correct myself. Wilder Woods is far from a side project. It is a full forced music entity. Bear just released his 3rd album, Curioso, and is currently on the road touring it. He has a full band on stage comprised of a lead guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, bassist, guitarist/percussionist, and a fantastic back-up singer. The whole band is incredibly talented. I felt like I was watching a band that was being inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame.
Bear is a great storyteller. And he is a naturally funny guy. He is an all around great performer. He played lead and rhythm guitar, harmonica, and even just took the mic for a few songs. The band played a 17-song setlist, playing for over an hour and a half. Bear walked through the crowd, sang along with the crowd, and performed a few stripped down songs with his lead guitarist and backup singer.
I can’t wait to see Widler Woods every time they come to town. I have listened to all three albums by now but I can’t wait to listen to them even more. And discover other music of his not from the albums.
I can’t recommend seeing them enough. It was one of the best concerts I have been too in a while.
Opener: Narrow Head, co-headlining tour with Saves the Day who is playing the 20th anniversary of “Through Being Cool.”
Band Members:
• Buddy Nielsen – vocals
• Gavin Caswell – guitar
• Jason Milbank – guitar
• Steve Carey – drums
• Daniel Wonacott – bass
Review: Senses Fail has got to see the band I have seen the most. I have been seeing them since high school at Warped Tour and I try to see them every time they are in town. I have seen them on many anniversary tours. I saw them play “Life is Not a Waiting Room” and “Still Searching” on anniversary tours. When I was at s conference in Atlanta in 2019, I hopped on Bands in Town to see who was playing and got last minute ticket to the “From the Depths of Dreams” tour. And last month I saw “Let It Enfold You” for the 20th anniversary. And this wasn’t even the first time I saw it played for an anniversary! In 2014, I saw them play it for the 10 year anniversary. It is my favorite album of theirs and I hope to see it in another decade for the 30th anniversary.
The show was at the House of Blues in Boston, a venue that I surprisingly haven’t been to in a long time except for seeing Bowling for Soup there a month prior when they played their second album, “A Hangover You Don’t Deserve” in it’s entirety. It is a great venue of a 1000 people. It is right outside of Fenway and the MGM, a new favorite menu. It’s a lot of fun coming out of the show there at night and seeing all the bright lights. They have the downstairs floor and upstairs balconies, which I imagine cost a little more. It’s pretty quick and easy to get a drink there. I just wish that the only option for water was not Liquid Death. I don’t know how that company has monopolized the concert industry, but it really doesn’t taste good enough for a seven dollar canned water.
There is something about an anniversary tour. A Time Machine back to simpler days. Seeing a favorite album of yours from when you were a teen and being instantly transported back to those days.
My friend and I got there for most of Saves the Day set. We hadn’t really listened to them and hadn’t seen them since high school. We had a memory of seeing them playing an acoustic set at Work door and met them after. Nothing will ever be quite like Warped Tour again. Especially the one they’re doing next year.
Anyway, Saves the Day put on a super fun show with really trippy background visuals. I go to a lot of concerts and the bands mostly have a giant backdrop and that is the background of the show. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that both Saves the Day and Senses Fail had different videos during each song of their set lists.
Senses Fail played my favorite album, with the audience singing along to every lyric. The bonus songs were Bloody Romance, Calling All Cars, Can’t Be Saved, and the final song was a cover of My Chemical Romance’s Helena with Chris Conley, the singer of Saves the Day.
Band Members: Jaret Reddick – lead vocals, guitars, Chris Burney – guitars, backing vocals, Gary Wiseman – drums, percussion, occasional studio backing vocals, Rob Felicetti – bass, backing vocals.
Review: I have been to a lot of concerts and checked a lot of bands off of my list, but Bowling for Soup is one of the bands that has been on my list forever and I had never seen them. That all changed on Saturday when I not only got to see them live, but I got to see them on an anniversary tour. I love anniversary tours.
I qhave been a fan of them for over 20 years and they have been a band for 30. I will never forget hearing “Girl All the Bad Guys Like” in 8th grade and really digging their sound. I have always read about how fun they were to see live, and even with a band member down, they put on a great show full of the hits, a full album, jokes, a wheel to select a random a song, conversations about how old we have all gotten, and more.
City and Colour:• Dallas Green – Vocals, Guitar • Jack Lawrence – Bass • Dylan Green – Drums • Matt Kelly – Pedal Steel, Keys, Guitar • Doug MacGregor – Drums
Band of Horses:• Ben Bridwell – Vocals, Guitar • Ryan Monroe – Keyboards, Vocals • Creighton Barrett – Drums • Matt Gentling – Bass • Brett Nash – Guitar
Review: I had never been to this venue before. Probably because I don’t really drink beer, but also because it is so far away. The drive wasn’t bad and the parking wasn’t either. We parked around the corner at the Yankee Candle store and a shuttle took us to and from the event. The shuttle was a school bus full of people ready for a great night of music.
What I like about this venue is that they encourage you to bring chairs and blankets. And they don’t question you with the size of them when you get there. I thought I had a big chair until I saw some of the others around me.
When we got to the venue, we walked through the brewery and outside. A few of the walls are decorated in organized and aesthetic cans from releases of the brewery. There was someone giving out free samples of their vodka. There was a line for their pizza that you can get quickly and bring outside. With a two-piece maximum. There’s also also a bar and bathrooms inside.
The outside of the venue is beautiful. For some reason, I pictured a very, very large far away field. Everything is in close proximity, which made me happy there a porta potties outside, food trucks, and a fast moving beer line. And if you would like to go inside for the pizza, indoor bathrooms or more options of alcohol, it is a short walk.
For those that get there early enough, you might not even need to bring a chair. The outside has a large section of Adirondack chairs that you can watch the show from.
My friend and I set up our chairs in the back when we got there. We felt very comfortable, leaving our chairs where they were and walking around.
I had seen City and Colour before at a festival in Denver. Because it was a festival, he didn’t play any of his sadder, slower songs. I was hoping to hear more of these tonight, but the set list was a lot more full band, upbeat, rock songs. That being said, I love Dallas and will see him regardless, and really enjoyed watching his whole band play together.
I really enjoyed hearing “The Love Still Held Me Near,” “Lover Come Back,” “Sleeping Sickness,” and “Sometimes (I Wish).
In between co-headliners, my friend, and I sat in our lawn chairs and chatted. Everyone at the venue was very chill from attendees to staff.
I only knew three or four songs by Band of Horses, but I knew that I was going to stick around for them. I wanted to go up for one of their first few songs that I recognized and my friend and I wound up staying up front for the rest of the show.
Band of Horses put on a fantastic show. Not only did the band sound the same as they did on album, but the singer sounds the same and is great.
I was, of course, very excited to hear “The Funeral” live, but they played my other favorites, “Is There a Ghost,” “No One’s Gonna Love You,” and “The General Specific,” which they ended the set with. “The Great Salt Lake” was a song that I wasn’t familiar with, but it quickly became a new favorite.
Band Members: Devan Glover – Guitar, keys, lead vocals, Khalid Yassein – Guitar, lead vocals, Andrew Oliver – Lead guitar
Review: This was my second time seeing these guys live. They quickly became one of me and my girlfriend’s favorite bands after I discover them on an Instagram ad. They were playing “Amsterdam” on the ad and I instantly fell in love with their music. The song was relatable as I visited this magical city in my early 20’s.
We saw them last year at The Royale, which is a better venue. The Paradise is a classic venue and I have seen many shows there, but sold out shows are a little too packed. There is a piece of tape that runs along the venue and you can’t cross it. There are also podiums and wires across the venue that can block the views.
This all being said Paradise is in a beautiful location, with accessible parking, shows there are actually affordable, and the staff is nice. There is plenty of access to water at the bars for those who aren’t drinkers or those who could use a little water before the end of the show.
Wild Rivers put on such a fun show. For a band that only makes break up, sad songs they really know how to have a fun time on stage. They introduced their songs talking about the background behind them and tell funny stories and anecdotes around them. That makes them a little more entertaining before playing them.M
They played all of the songs that I want to hear from their discography and then mentioned that they already have a new album coming out. They just realized “Never Better,” but recorded so many songs that they liked, that are now releasing a follow up, “Better Now” within the next week.
Band Members: Margot Liotta on bass and vocals, Carrick McCullough – keys, Rafa – Guitar, Wojtek Deregowski – Drums.
Review: I wound up going to this concert myself. I got tickets for $25 during National Concert Week. I showed up right after the first song. I had seen Porter before, years back. During his tour with Madeon. That show was an absolute blast. However, as someone who plays some instruments, I really enjoy seeing a full live band. I was so excited to see what these songs were like done with a live band and I was not dissapointed.
The first act of the set was the new album, Smile :D. This whole album is filled with instruments, including a lot of acoustic guitar. The album is pretty emo, and not in a bad way. Hell, I just saw New Found Glory and Something Corproate. The album is filled with very emotional songs, including one about coming out of a depression slump and all of the things to live for.
It was really cool to see Porter sing and play guitar. And his band is unreal. Margot Liotta is unbelievably talented. She played bass, backup vocals, and even lead vocals. And you could tell how much fun she was having up there. Carrick McCullough played keys and it was cool watching him switch between the keyboard, supplying piano and keyboard sounds, and his other keyboard which supplied the heavier bass and beats to the songs played later in the setlist. Rafa on guitar was really fun to see, as you get to hear songs from “Nurture” and “Worlds” now on guitar. And the drummer, Wojetek Deregowsi, provided great percussion throughout the set.
The set design was super cool. There was a massive cat on stage and a billboard that Porter played guitar and sang from every few songs. And during the later set, we got to see a lot of cool anime on the billboard and screen behind it.
As much as I loved hearing all of the songs from “Smile :D,” which I can’t stop listening to in my car, hearing “Worlds” was my favorite part of the set. This is the album that got me into Porter. I am not huge into DJ/electronic music. But I fell in love with his music the first time I heard it. Probably because I love ambient music, including making some on my own, and to hear it mixed with electronic was something new and innovative.
The whole third act of songs from “Future” was especially cool because it felt like one continuous songs. The songs flowed together and it felt like one, giant encore.
I am very excited to have gone to the opening night of this world tour. And, if I wasn’t busy the next night, I would have easily seen him again.
MGM at Fenway is a fantastic venue. Go for floor seats, if that is your thing. Hit up the merch during the opener or during a song of the headliner’s that you are alright with missing. I ducked out during a Porter song and got a poster in about 3 minutes.
