Tag: "Comcast Center"

In June, OurStage partnered with John Mayer to sponsor the John Mayer Side Stage Warfare Competition, giving up-and-coming artists the opportunity to play side stage gigs on select dates of his Battle Studies Tour. Hartford natives Bronze Radio Return were selected by John Mayer and his team as winners of the Boston Channel and recently performed their set at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA. We sat down with the members of Bronze Radio Return prior to their performance to learn a little more about the band, their music, and their live show among other things.

Listening to their songs, it’s evident that the band does not easily fall into one genre of music. We asked the guys to fill us in on their  influences and how they define themselves. “We all come from pretty diverse musical backgrounds, describes lead singer Chris Henderson. We try to incorporate styles from blues, Americana and folk music all with kind of a modern indie rock type twist to things.” Henderson added, “A lot of us grew up listening to old records from our parents record collections. I grew up listening to a lot of blues music at home, and there’s something about the ambiance, the realness of a record that makes you feel like you’re a part of the recording…we’re attracted to that.”

Since several band members have  jazz backgrounds, the genre finds its way into their live performances. “We really like to open up the live shows, get a lot of energy in there, feed off the crowd and get people moving, explains bass player Bob Tanen. We try to make it an experience not just like your hearing the record, you’re seeing a full show.”

Through their performance on the Battle Studies Tour, the band hopes to attract new followers. “We actually play in Boston quite a bit, but it’s great to get out in front of a new crowd,” commented drummer Rob Griffith. So that’s what we’re really hoping for today is to get some of these Mayer fans to check us out and come up to Boston to see us play.” Tanen commented, “it’s allowing us to be in front of a bunch of different bands that we might not have been in contact with. We do play in Boston so its great for these people to come out and get a chance to see us in a different venue. If they like John Mayer and then they end up seeing us, and we’re somewhat musically associated, its not bad company. We’re trying to do our own thing and I think it will be a great chance for us to really see a lot of new fans and a lot of new faces.”

Bronze Radio Return, like many other up-and-coming bands, use online resources to promote their music and keep fans in the loop about upcoming shows. Lead guitarist Patrick Fetkowitz weighed in on the OurStage experience. “OurStage is really awesome because they provide an outlet for independent bands to put their music out there and let people hear it and let people discover something that they might not have heard through any other outlet. It really is an equal playing ground for all the bands, everyone is on the same level and everyone is trying to bring their music to the masses…so it’s a really awesome environment.”

The band is currently touring the east coast, and has plans to begin recording their new record in the fall.  “We are getting material ready for a new record that we’re cutting at the end of September. We recorded our last record in Nashville with a great young producer named Chad Copelin, and we’re going to work with him again at his home studios in Oklahoma.” You can check out their music and their OurStage profile here. You can also see a video of the band performing “It’s OK Now” live from their side-stage performance in Mansfield below.

Music fans, artists and festival organizers couldn’t have wished for a better day for the Boston area stop on the Lilith 2010 Tour.  While the sun shone down on the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA, a cool breeze provided attendees with relief from the area’s recent record high temperatures. Festival goers found pre-evening action at the Village Stage and the ABC Stage, which were both set up in a lovely shady grove of trees alongside tents housing some of Lilith’s sponsors and the non-profit organizations each tour stop benefits.

Winterbloom with Lilith co-founder Sarah McLachlan. Photo by Asia Kepka

OurStage “Lilith Local Talent Search” Boston winners Winterbloom were the first band of the day on the Village Stage. Winterbloom, a singer-songwriter/folk supergroup of sorts, is made up of Boston singer-songwriter stars Meg Hutchinson, Antje Duvekot, Anne Heaton, Natalia Zukerman and special guest Rose Polenzani. Separately, each of these women is a musical force to be reckoned with. Together, they are on another level. The Winterbloom women and their sweet vocal harmonies greeted Lilith attendees as they filled into the Comcast Center. What did it feel like to perform at Lilith? “It felt amazing!,” said Winterbloom’s Ann Heaton, “Each day I keep wanting to know who to thank at OurStage for managing the competition and helping this come to be…Lilith itself had such a great supportive feeling of community… It was great to be around such talented, smart and kind women doing their own things in their own ways!” Bandmate Rose Polenzani echoes Heaton’s sentiments. “We had such a wonderful time at Lilith Fair… Right before the finale, one of the backstage crew members held up an assortment of percussion instruments and offered them to anyone who wanted to play them. This gesture showed such a spirit of fun and welcoming…” “Having the Lilith Fair date did give us something to work toward as a band,” said Winterbloom’s Antje Duvekot, “And the audience at Lilith Fair was really great and supportive of our performance.”

Did your judging help Winterbloom win? The women of Winterbloom put together a special video just for you! View their thank-you video here.

Butterfly Boucher belts it out. Photo by Mike Splain

Butterfly Boucher (Yes, that is her real name. “I have creative parents,” Boucher told the audience) also played a great set on the Village Stage. After performing a few songs solo with her “band in a box,” she was joined onstage by Sarah McLachlan’s band. The crowd got a big surprise when Sarah herself came out to join Butterfly and the band for a few songs.

Boucher was followed by Serena Ryder, who opened with an almost acapella,  gospel-tinged number which blew the crowd away. Ryder’s stage presence was dynamic, evidenced by her jumping up and down and thrashing her head in time with the music.

Missy Higgins tunes up. Photo by Mike Splain

In contrast was Missy Higgins, who’s set included herself, a keyboard, a guitar and a bassist. With such a minimalist setup, an artist can’t afford to have a weak voice or stage presence. Missy had neither, hitting every note spot on and engaging the audience with stories about each song. She played several songs from her newest album On A Clear Night, including “Steer, ” which she introduced by telling the crowd “This song’s about being free.” Set closer “Where I Stood” left many audience members wiping away tears.

Sara Bareilles performed what was maybe the most active set of the evening. She

Cheers, Boston! Sara Bareilles. Photo by Mike Splain

opened with her hit ”Love Song,” which sounded fresh and full of emotion, even though she has surely played it thousands of times by now. Bareilles then launched into a cover of Beyoncé’s hit “Single Ladies,” which involved the vocal assistance of a young fan named Sammy, who ran up to the front of the stage and was given the mic by Barielles.  Newer material left audience members eager for the September release of her new album Kaleidoscope Heart.

Sarah’s high-energy show was followed by the soulful sounds of Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power). Chan and her band opened with “Good Woman” from her 2003 album You Are Free, which then segued into a cover of the Rolling Stones classic “Satisfaction”. Another noteworthy cover in Chan’s set was the Billie Holiday standard, “Don’t Explain.” The cool evening breeze and the last of the sunlight was the perfect match for Chan’s smoky vocals.

Korgs for Quinns: Tegan and Sara. Photo by Mike Splain

The second to last slot of the night belonged to Tegan & Sara. The duo kept their notorious stage banter to a minimum, as they only had a short time to play, but they made sure to mention how much of an impact playing Lilith Fair 11 years ago made on them, and how happy they are to be a part of Lilith again. The Quinn sisters and their band tore through a wide range of songs from their catalog, including “Speak Slow” and “Where Does The Good Go” from 2004’s So Jealous, “Living Room” from 2002’s If It Was You, and “Alligator” off of their most recent album, 2009’s Sainthood.

All of the Lilith artists join together on the Main Stage for the finale. Photo by Asia Kepka

The night closed with Lilith founder Sara McLachlan, who was greeted with a deafening round of applause from the crowd. McLachlan kicked off her set with a bang, leading off with her hits “Angel” and “Building A Mystery.” Her newer material was also well received by fans. At the end of her set, all of the days artists were brought back out to join McLachlan for a performance of the Patti Smith classic “Because The Night.”

The night (and the afternoon) really did belong to the ladies of Lilith. The crowd was diverse—  mothers, daughters, girlfriends, boyfriends—and attendees were just as likely to see young kids dancing to Sara Bareilles as middle aged women rocking out to Tegan and Sara. Everyone genuinely seemed to enjoy the music, which was absolutely top notch.  I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the kids in attendance were on stage at the 20^th anniversary of Lilith Fair talking to the crowd about how inspired they were by the amazing talent and sense of community at Lilith 2010.

Check out the official Lilith Boston recap video (featuring OurStage ‘Lilith Local Talent Search’ Boston winners Winterbloom) here and check out some more pics below!

Fringe benefits: Serena Ryder. Photo by Mike Splain

A Lilith fan shows her support. Photo by Mike Splain

Chan Marshall aka Cat Power. Photo by Mike Splain

It all started when I was eight-years-old. I’d packed my backpack full of My Little Ponies and snacks, excited to do something different for the evening. I asked my mom excitedly, “When will we be at Grandma’s house?” She looked down at me disapprovingly and said, “It’s called The Starbucks Center now. We’ll be there around six.”

I blinked silently. “What do you mean it’s called The Starbucks Center? It’s Grandma’s house. I’ve always called it Grandma’s house.”

“Well,” replied my mom, “They had to sell the naming rights. It was a financial decision. You can still call it Grandma’s house though. It’s just… technically The Starbucks Center.”

This sounds like a bad dream but it might just be the beginning of a terrible trend soon to spread throughout the US.  At any moment, arenas, concert halls, baseball fields, just about any major recreational facility, could fall victim to the corporate renaming (a.k.a. sterilization) process. Of course the establishments themselves don’t necessarily look at it this way; for them it’s a smart business decision. For the loyal fans and patrons it’s an extraction of a tiny little part of their soul… the part that contains memories made at those concerts, sporting events and even big city senior proms.

As a lifetime resident of Massachusetts, I’ve watched Great Woods, one of the biggest and most well-known concert venues in the state, turn first into The Tweeter Center and then The Comcast Center. My beloved Worcester Centrum is now The DCU Center. And worst of all, The Boston Garden, home of the Boston Celtics, is now supposed to be referred to as the TD Banknorth Garden. 

No! I refuse! It’s The Boston Garden! (Gahhh-den if you’re a true Bostonian.) Nobody’s going to ask their buddy if they remember “that Game 5 that went into triple overtime back in 1976 against the Suns at the TD Banknorth Garden.” It just sounds wrong; it sounds impersonal. And it seems to me that banks are taking a hold on quite a bit these days. Houses, high interest loans, overdraft fees. So why our beloved concert venues and stadiums?! Fenway Park is still Fenway Park—for now—and I pray that never changes. We’ll never call it anything else anyway. But it’s hard enough to watch players we’ve grown to love get moved around the League like their respective trading cards. At least everyone wearing a Red Sox jersey can still call the same place “home.”

Perhaps I’m overreacting. Perhaps I’m not. The way I look at it, these venues are an important part of local culture. They’re one of the few links that can really connect generations, because they’ve been around so long. When the venue names change, it’s like a little piece of that link is chipped away. Of course, an anti-establishment punk band playing at The Dunkin’ Donuts Center —or any big venue for that matter—has a certain air of irony about it.

The point is, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In a day and age where constant change is the norm, we rely on the comfort of tradition to get by. And that’s what I think about that!