Whether you're from the wilds of New York City or the middle of Nebraska, the Boston area boasts an impressive selection of both concert venues and headlining bands. From the huge amphitheaters in Lowell, Worcester, and Mansfield to the tiny bars and clubs in Somerville and Cambridge to big-name dives on Boston's famous Lansdowne Street, a touring group would be hard-pressed not to find a place to play around here.
This fall, the concert lineup is as impressive as the list of venues, which the Daily will describe in greater detail in upcoming issues. Most shows take place within a few miles of Tufts and are easily accessible by T - or, in the case of the Somerville Theatre, by foot! For shows outside the city, you may want to steal a friend's car for the night. We promise it'll be worth the trouble.
Here's a long but partial listing of performers and groups that will be in the area over the next two months.
Boston
This Friday, Berklee grad and Spring Jazz Show alum John Scofield will bring his jazz-rock fusion show to the Paradise Rock Club, where early attendees can always claim a seat on the stage itself. On Oct. 6, American Hi-Fi, one of Boston's favorite local "flavors," will play there for only $12.Next Wednesday, catch some of the biggest names in blues showing off the talent that both made them famous and shaped the genre. Lloyd's Blues Music Festival hits the FleetBoston Pavilion, Boston's most exciting outdoor venue this side of the Hatch Shell. Co-headlining will be guitar heroes Buddy Guy and B.B. King.
Next Friday, powerchord rockers Lit (their own worst enemies) will headline a show at often-overlooked Axis, a tiny Lansdowne Street venue known for its straightforward rock shows and rock-bottom ticket prices.
Remember "Hanging By A Moment," the hard-rocking love song you probably couldn't get out of your head this spring? Lifehouse will perform it Sept. 26, at the Avalon which doubles as a premier rock venue and an intimate dance club. Like Axis, the Avalon is also located on Lansdowne Street, right behind Fenway Park's Green Monster. Other Avalon shows include funk rockers Incubus on Sept. 18 and 19, metalheads Megadeth on Oct. 12, punk powerhouse Sum-41 on Oct. 16, geek rockers They Might Be Giants on Oct. 30, and college fave Cowboy Mouth on Oct. 31.
The Orpheum Theater, just a block from the Park Street T station, has one of the richest histories of all the Boston venues and features full seating and a balcony level. Catch Brit pop stars Travis there on Friday, Oct. 5 and Upstate New York jam-band moe. one week later on the 14th or 15th.
If you're looking for a more artsy venue, look no further than the Wang Center for the Performing Arts. Located in the city's theater district, the venue plays host to classical music. Tori Amos will be there Monday, Oct. 15.
The Berklee Performance Center, located at the Berklee College of Music, boasts incredible acoustics as well as what are probably the most comfortable seats in Boston. Catch one of jazz's greatest saxophonists, Sonny Rollins, this Saturday.
Cambridge and Somerville
They're suburbs of Boston, but their residents become greatly offended if you refer to them as anything less than "cities." With their amazing selection of live music, you might as well oblige.The Middle East and TT The Bear's on Mass Ave. in Cambridge offer an uncanny number of local acts and indie-rock bands, usually four or five at each show. For that matter, so does Lilli's, in Somerville, albeit with a more jazzy flair.
Tufts' favorite Princes of Babylon touch down at the House of Blues on Thursday, Oct. 20. Known to fans as the POB, the Princes opened for Dispatch at last year's Fall Rock Show in Dewick. They'll bring their unique Philadelphia brand of rap-blues (not to be confused with rap-rock) to the HOB, a homely venue located in Harvard Square that also serves as a full-service restaurant.
And don't forget about the Somerville Theatre in Davis Sqaure. That movie theater you see while walking to the T-stop is actually an old playhouse. Today, it's the premier venue for Somerville's famous folk singer/songwriter scene. Local favorite Ellis Paul will play there with songstress Susan Werner Nov. 3. The Theatre is also big on blues and jazz: Charlie Hunter, master of the 8-string guitar and another alum of the last Spring Jazz Show, will headline Nov. 1. The All Over Blues Festival, scheduled for Nov. 18, is also worth checking out.
Beyond Boston
Not surprisingly, the area's largest venues are located outside city limits. Commuter rail schedules make it impossible to get home after a show, so you will likely need a car to attend anything scheduled in suburbia.
About an hour to the south in Mansfield, out-of-doors venue the Tweeter Center will host Tool on Sept. 21 and ever-popular Weezer on Sept. 25. A little less far to the north, the Paul E. Tsongas Arena at Umass-Lowell is open year-round. 311 will play there on Oct. 4. Allow for extra travel time, though: the big names that play these venues invite miles of congestion, not to mention the possibility of getting lost on the road.
To the east, Worcester also serves up an impressive list of venues, from the huge Centrum to its smaller sibling, the Palladium. Many colleges in the Worcester and Boston areas also host concerts that are open to the public.
Make no mistake: this list is daunting, and with a full course load, it's impossible for a college student/music lover to tackle it quickly. Still, one shouldn't be afraid to discover new places and new music. College - and the Boston area - is exactly the place to do so.
