Scott McLennan

Nov 25, 2024 | artsfuse.org | Scott McLennan

By Scott McLennanIn this overstuffed show, Sturgill Simpson presented himself as someone who, after too long away from the stage, was back because he was in love with playing for the sake of playing. Sturgill Simpson at MGM Music Hall, BostonCreatively, Sturgill Simpson doesn’t so much confound as he pivots, constantly moving away from whatever expectations listeners have of him at a given moment. Think of it as a commitment to perpetual stylistic overhaul.

Oct 28, 2024 | artsfuse.org | Scott McLennan

By Scott McLennan“We want everyone to come and let out a primal scream,” said Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls. According to Amanda Palmer who, along with Brian Viglione, is bringing the Dresden Dolls back to Boston for shows on November 1 and 2, it seems the right thing to do: to stage a bacchanal just days ahead of a highly polarized and enormously consequential presidential election. “We want everyone to come and let out a primal scream,” Palmer said when reached by phone recently.

Oct 26, 2024 | artsfuse.org | Scott McLennan |Bill Marx

By Scott McLennanThanks in large part to the late Phil Lesh’s influence, the performances of the Grateful Dead developed a signature blend of composition and improvisation. The origins of the Grateful Dead were five musicians from different musical neighborhoods who found a common ground by developing a communal language that encouraged give and take.

Oct 7, 2024 | artsfuse.org | Scott McLennan

By Scott McLennanTedeschi Trucks Band demonstrated the difference between actively engaging in a musical tradition versus paying tribute to it. In the world of live music, “tribute band” has a bit of a negative connotation, suggesting that the musicians on stage are slavishly recreating others’ ideas.

Sep 25, 2024 | artsfuse.org | Scott McLennan

By Scott McLennanThis year’s edition of Metalfest matched the fabled fests of yore – a point not lost on many of the bands that performed, many of them making note on stage that the metal world had somehow been made right again. In New England, Worcester is to heavy music what Newport is to jazz and folk – namely home to a signature festival that celebrates a musical genre’s history, reports on the current state of that sound, and points respective fans toward the future.