Jed Gottlieb

2 weeks ago | bostonherald.com | Jed Gottlieb

A global Song of the Summer doesn’t need to be fluff — go ask Beyonce or Lil Nas X. But it almost always is. The thing is, New England artists don’t make the best fluff (irony!). So let’s give a few locals love for defying the formula and making summertime songs with some pain, power, nuance, and genius. “Eat My Cake,” Naomi WestwaterNaomi Westwater’s new album, “Cycle and Change,” is a concept record that begins in spring and ends in winter.

2 weeks ago | bostonherald.com | Jed Gottlieb

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble tends to favor veterans of the Boston scene. The long-running battle of the bands/local rock festival has rewarded a ton of musicians with awesome and extensive resumes — see the members of recent winners One Fall, Set Fire, and Worshipper. Last year’s champs the Ghouls are a glaring and righteous exception. “Going in with all the older bands I felt like our age might be a disadvantage,” Ghouls singer/guitarist George Danahy told the Boston Herald.

3 weeks ago | bostonherald.com | Jed Gottlieb

Seo Hye Han spends a lot of her time tripping around magical wonderlands. A principal dancer with the Boston Ballet since 2016, Han has played Cinderella and Clara in “The Nutcracker.”“Those are fairy tales, which are like fantasies where you need to look pretty,” Han told the Boston Herald with a little laugh. Her upcoming lead role in “Roméo et Juliette” may have magic to it, but it doesn’t come with a fairy tale ending. It’s a part that leans on a dancer’s acting chops more than most ballets.

3 weeks ago | bostonherald.com | Jed Gottlieb

Melvin Seals logged more time with Jerry Garcia than anyone outside of the original Grateful Dead members. The keyboardist played in Garcia’s solo band for nearly two decades and is now a  “keeper of the flame” of Jerry’s legacy leading the JGB. Seals loves his ex-band leader’s playing and proudly embraces the jam band label. But don’t expect him to put on “Live/Dead” or “Europe ’72” at home. “I always loved orchestral music, classical and opera music,” Seals told the Boston Herald.

1 month ago | bostonherald.com | Jed Gottlieb

Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, opera, ballet, and a time-traveling Delorean. Yes, the summer theater season is pretty darn diverse. “Hello, Dolly!”now through June 22, Lyric StageSongs you know by heart. Wait, what? You don’t know the title song? Or “Put on Your Sunday Clothes?” Oh, wow. Time to get your classical musical theater wings in this silly, sublime tale of the ultimate matchmaker who just might find her match.