Paul Robicheau
So yeah, mortality was a heavy theme in Bruce Springsteen’s passion play – or what he could still impressively summon at 73 after rocking oft-mythical local shows for five decades.
The 11-piece group frontloaded its 90-minute set for immediate impact, answering the biggest challenge — replacing the vocal charisma of David Byrne — with a communal approach.
Both jazz combos, The Bad Plus and Marc Ribot, sport connections to rock, which might have contributed to the sold-out room.
Jeff Beck didn’t play the fastest runs but wielded dynamic emotion in every deftly spaced note – and didn’t even use a pick.
This is a band as capable of being as spry and unpredictable in its 12th year as it was in its first.
The Smile grew in stature at Roadrunner on Wednesday, the second date of its first U.S. tour. It didn’t take long for the band to flash shades of Radiohead-like intensity.
Damn straight, English singer/songwriter Beth Orton was back in the room – after a six-year absence.
Surprisingly, for a band whose hypnotic music throughout the documentary provides a continuum with menacing and meditative extremes that mesh with near-mathematical discipline, it’s the human elements that leave the greatest impressions..
At House of Blues, Fontaines D.C.’s brooding, bristling music was offset by shifting swatches of amber and purple lighting amid the shadows, casting the musicians in mysterious terms.
Rock Remembrance: Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine will be most remembered for Marquee Moon, both the album and title track, which alone would be enough to seal any legacy.
Read More about Rock Remembrance: Tom Verlaine