Mountain Goats Mix Catharsis and Humor at Pearl Street
John Darnielle’s Mountain Goats fanbase is so devoted that when he said something onstage Tuesday at Pearl Street in Northampton about having recently written a bunch of Mountain Goats songs that will...
View ArticleJay Farrar Spans Career in Acoustic Iron Horse Show
Such is Jay Farrar’s preference for opacity that the veteran singer and songwriter makes a subtle lyric change in concert to his most revealing song — on the rare occasions when he performs it.One of...
View ArticleBeck Returns to Western Massachusetts With Mass MoCA Show
Beck doesn’t often perform in western Massachusetts. In fact, the last time he played a show around here was in May 2003, when he squeezed into the Iron Horse in Northampton for a warm-up gig a couple...
View ArticleBand of Horses at the Calvin Theatre
It started with one woman. Three songs in to Band of Horses’ performance Monday at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, she popped out of her seat toward the front to dance. (Update: Or, according to two...
View ArticleWhy Boston Calling Is Bad for Live Music in New England
Watching the Replacements tear through their set Sunday evening in City Hall Plaza at the Boston Calling Music Festival was a first-rate concert experience, no question. With raffish charm, the band...
View ArticleTweedy Heckler Attempts to Wreck Concert for Everyone
It’s not a good idea to heckle Jeff Tweedy. For one thing, the Wilco frontman is not shy about interacting with crowds, and though he usually shows good humor, he has a sharp side to his wit. He’s also...
View ArticleDom Flemons Delves Deep Into American Songbook at Iron Horse
There’s no question that Dom Flemons is deeply steeped in Americana. The former Carolina Chocolate Drops guitar and banjo player is well versed in the blues, hokum, various folk styles and even...
View ArticleAlvvays Leaves It All Onstage at the Iron Horse
The old show-biz adage “always leave them wanting more” wasn’t a problem for Alvvays Thursday night in Northampton. The Toronto band played pretty much everything it had during the quintet’s late set...
View ArticleLake Street Dive Tries Out New Songs at the Parlor Room
Lake Street Dive last week released “Call Off Your Dogs,” the first song from their upcoming album “Side Pony,” and that’s dandy. But the Brooklyn-via-Boston band is one of those groups whose live show...
View ArticleKurt Vile Brings Out J Mascis at Pearl Street in Northampton
When he was first coming up as a solo act, Kurt Vile seemed like the musical embodiment of Gertrude Stein’s famous epigram about visiting her hometown, Oakland, Calif., years after having moved away:...
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