by Jeremy Goodman

Boston's Pride Week kicked off with day of music and dance at Faneuil Hall on Saturday. But let’s face it...it wasn't exactly a rousing success. I'm not quite sure when Pride became a week instead of a parade and a night at the bars; apparently, I'm not the only one. When a friend and I arrived, the only gays in sight were the Moving Violations Motor Cycle club, which is strictly for the ladies and I'm sure you can develop a mental picture for yourself. [ Read The Rest ]

Jesus Christ Superstar
The Opera House
Boston, MA
May 17, 2008

Somewhere in America, two men in business suits approach the outer doors of a vault. The first man knocked gently and called out quietly, "Mr. Neeley?" as if not completely sure whether to disturb the rest of the cryogenically frozen superstar. The second man, more confidently, called through the door, "Mr. Neeley, we were wondering if you would be interested in playing Jesus in a touring revival of Jesus Christ Superstar?"

Muffled moans could be heard. The men exchanged glances mixed with fear and uncertainly. Finally, after another minute of uncomfortable sounds filtering through the doors, a voice asked, "Is he still crucified at the end?" [ Read The Rest ]

They Might Be Giants
Somerville Theater, Somerville, MA
March 28, 2008

Honest, I didn't know that the ticket I had to They Might Be Giants was the front row. I don't remember specifically buying a ticket in the front row. But there I was, marching down the aisle of the Somerville Theater (a intimate venue, and a complete death trap - I guess you could always escape backstage) all the way to the stage to take my seat.

I'm not stranger to the front row. I had front row tickets to a wide variety of artists from Nanci Griffith (folk) to the Dresden Dolls (caberet punk) and have been within four rows from Axl Rose, Debbie Harry, Adam Gardner and now John Linnell and John Flansburgh. A pleasant surprise. Nothing quites beats walking past all the shlubs who have worse seats than you and triumphantly taking your place in the front row while they all (so you think) watch in envy. [ Read The Rest ]

by Jeremy Goodman

Currently playing at Boston’s Opera House, Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s Wicked makes for an enchanting evening at the theater. Even seeing the performance on what appeared to be understudy night, the actors transported the audience into a fantasy world in which politics and information manipulation can make or break a person’s reputation and career and friendship is a precarious thing. Well, maybe not much of a fantasy after all. [ Read The Rest ]

by Jeremy Goodman

MixFest 2007, the annual concert held by radio station Mix 98.5 FM in Boston, lived up to its name. The show offered both great and mediocre entertainment from five acts whose music crossed a variety of styles. Held at the Agganis Arena at Boston University, the concert seemed to fill up about 90% of the available seats in this venue that fits a few thousand. The show attracted a wide variety of concertgoers, with children under 10 joining adults over 60. In fact, I was surprised that so many in the audience were much older than my 31 years. Despite this, the crowd was definitely ready to rock. [ Read The Rest ]

Matchbox Twenty
Agganis Arena, Boston University
September 29, 2007

Just minutes before Matchbox Twenty took the stage as headliners of MixFest 2007, the song Jungle Boogie blared out from the speakers. The song spun itself out and the band nonchalantly took the stage and launched into Long Day. It was a laid-back reunion, the first of a handful of tour dates in promotion of their greatest hits set Exile on Mainstream. [ Read The Rest ]

Annie Lennox
Songs of Mass Destruction
release date: October 2

Songs of Mass Destruction, despite the lofty title, is no where near the heavy-handed diatribe that might be implied. Sure, it leads off with the clearest political message, Dark Road, also the album's lead single. But the rest of the way, this album is more about a message of hope than a call to Armageddon. And for that matter, there are some pretty damn upbeat tunes. If this is really the end of the world, we might all be going out with a smile on our faces. [ Read The Rest ]

Random News

Van Halen announces U.S. Tour with David Lee Roth and Wolfgang Van Halen. That's right. Because what gets lost in all the conversation about the least relevant mega band of this century (sorry Axl, at least Geffen is still holding out for Chinese Democracy) is that bassist Michael Anthony is no longer with the band - which let's face it, features 3 Van Halen men and one David Lee Roth. So really, the band should be called The Van Halens.

But does anybody care? [ Read The Rest ]

Out this week:

Saving Jane One Girl Revolution
I wonder how Saving Jane will be able to distinguish themselves besides being fronted by a rocker chick. One Girl Revolution is their third album, so it's not like their brand new on the scene. But the album stops short of breaking any new ground, and at that, will they be able to pick up momentum from their (relative) hit single Girl Next Door? [ Read The Rest ]

Stuck on Random is taking a look at artists who leave the band behind for a solo career. The common denominator in every band member turned solo act is that you run the risk of either making the band irrelevant or becoming irrelevant yourself. But who says you can't go solo?

Garbage vs. Shirley Manson Shirley Manson's solo career hasn't taken off yet but rumors of its impending launch have been rampant since the band last toured. The band's on again, off again relationship (always calling every break-up "permanent" until they are back together again) has long made a solo album likely.
[ Read The Rest ]