A reflection of the summer music scene

Live Music

In the midst of the return of Lollapalooza, hip-hop package tours, and overpriced reunion's, the summer of 2003 turned out to be an average one.

There were some good shows by classic artists. Bruce Springsteen did two stadium shows, while Aerosmith and KISS did a fun double bill which rocked, but also reminded us (all too vividly) that they are products of the 70's.

The highlight of the summer was the Sex Pistols, who kicked off their limited 2003 tour at the FleetBoston Pavilion and tore through material from their Never Mind The Bollock's disc along with assorted singles. They were gone from the stage in a little over 60 minutes. Short set, but definitely sweet -- and long enough to remind everyone in attendance that the Sex Pistols are still the kings of punk.

Pearl Jam played a trio of nights at the Tweeter Center and in a Grateful Dead-style move, did not repeat the same songs twice during its run. Another highlight was a free show at City Hall Plaza put on by Tufts alumni Guster. The show attracted around 40,000 -- not bad for the still up-and-coming smart-pop trio.

There were also, however, too many disappointments (e.g. Lollapalooza, White Stripes re-scheduling and too many Avril wannabes). Lollapalooza made its first appearance since 1997 and was headlined by the regrouped 80's/90's fathers of alternative, Jane's Addiction. Save for Jane's set closing triumph, Lollapalooza was a shell of its former self.

In an example of how far this once-lauded festival has fallen, Jackass moron Steve O, who was to be the headliner on the second stage, was a no show, and consequently was the big story the day of the event.

An unexpected treat this summer was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tour that stopped at the North Shore Music Theater and featured a "founding father" double bill with kings of Rock 'n Roll piano, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. Maybe it was keyboard envy, but the two did their best to upstage each other and show that, even though they are approaching their silver anniversary in entertainment, they have not lost their chops. Lewis, however, could work a little on his stage presence and onstage banter.



CD Releases

The summer's live concert scene was only average and the new CD releases did no better. One time critic's darling Liz Phair took a media beating with her eponymous fourth release -- a solid pop record but not the product her former critic friends were hoping she had crafted after an almost five year absence.

R&B chanteuse Monica, who has also been absent from the scene for a bit, came back strong with, After the Storm, which debuted at number one. Though it did not maintain that ranking for long, it is full of smooth soul and hip-hop tracks perfect for summer nights. While she did not have the numbers of Beyonce or Ashanti, Monica's product was by far the best.

Though Beyonce may have had the song of the summer with "Crazy in Love," the rest of her CD was flat, as was Ashanti's Chapter 2. "Rock With U" is a nice slow jam, but the rest sounds like Janet Jackson rejects (speaking of Janet, did Ashanti look just a tad like a young Miss Jackson in her beach romping video for Rock With U, or was it just me?).

Newcomer Lumidee's Almost Famous CD was an unexpected debut smash thanks in part to the spry "Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)." Techno queen Becky Baeling also scored with her dance laden Becstasy. The title may be lame, but it has the highest quality dance tunes -- not a bad cut on the CD -- and a relief from the claptrap pop-techno we have been suffering with for the past few years. What ever did happen to the Vengaboyz?