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Very few people realize there is a country music underground in the New England area...this is your peek inside! Let us be your premier place to find shows/events in the NH/MA/CT area! If you know of events not yet on the calendar, please let me know! To learn about me, please see the "Getting to know me" post... the content that I post is also shared on www.thecountrysite.com. The benefit of this blog now is archives and the New England Show Calendar. All Q&As and reviews will link back to www.thecountrysite.com.

A Touch of Nashville Comes to Boston!


Friday, October 14, 2011

Joe Nichols @ TK I Love This Bar & Grill


Joe Nichols


“Why do you drink… to get drunk” and they did in Foxboro, MA for Joe Nichols!

My friend and I went early to grab some dinner at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill in Foxboro, MA. The food was pretty good though the experience wasn’t as wonderful for my 2nd visit. The spinach dip was cold and they sent my friend a Cowboy Burger rather than the Cabo Burger he ordered – to make right for the error, they gave him a free mason jar of beer, but as he drank he noticed inside the rim of his mason jar had very sharp and jagged edges. The staff was fabulous and made every effort to make up for the few mishaps. Apparently, the Cowboy Burger was delicious though, because my friend inhaled it in less than 5 minutes. I had the Turkey Melt, it was fulfilling, but I should have stuck with my original plan of ordering the American Soldier Burger – juicy and delicious.

Once we finished eating, we moved our way to be closer to the stage. The mass of people crammed up there was intimidating and I didn’t really want to fight our way to the front, so we stayed in the back near the DJ booth at the end of the guitar shaped bar. From the number of beers spilled (on me, my friend, the floor and others), large guys knocking us over to get through, small girls spinning and dancing with a drunken lack of steadiness, the couple that really needed to get a room (or at least move to a dark corner somewhere), well, it was an interesting experience, for sure. I go to shows to see the singer perform and these people immediately surrounding us were complete distractions. Don’t get me wrong, I laughed at them, but I’m there for the show and I am always astonished how drunk people get at a show they paid to attend…will they even remember any of the show? I just don’t comprehend this behavior. There should be a scientific study…wait, back to Joe…

At 10:45pm, Show-Dog Universal recording artist, Joe Nichols took to the stage singing What’s a Guy Gotta Do… this was my 4th time seeing Joe live and there are 3 things about Joe that always amaze me when I see him: 1. His performance is always dead-on. His voice is exactly what you hear on his recorded tracks. Though he excels singing traditional country, he transforms into the newer country style with ease as he works through his set list. There is a quality to his voice, he’s pure country yet has a soulful uniqueness. 2. After seeing him a few times, you’d think this wouldn’t faze me anymore, but he’s so much funnier than you expect. In photos, and a few of his songs, there is air of seriousness about him that just doesn’t exist live. He gets up there and is just so goofy and fun. He has become one of my “must-see” performers – meaning I’ll drive 2 hours just to see him. 3. He’s so darn hot. No explanation; he just is.

The crowd went insane. No really! There were bottles being thrown, people. I’ve never been to a Honky Tonk, but I imagine this was New England’s best attempt at one last night. Joe encouraged this by singing such songs as Family Tradition by Hank Williams, Jr and Let’s Get Drunk and Fight. I think my favorite part of the night is when he sings music that he grew up listening to and proceeds to sing a countrified version of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s I Like Big Butts.

He maintains a connection with the crowd and makes everyone feel like part of the party. He really seems to appreciate his fans for coming to the show and country radio for playing his music. Recognizing why the fans come to see him, he performed a collection of his old and new fan favorites: Cool to be a Fool, She Only Smokes When She Drinks, I’ll Wait for You, The Impossible, The Shape I’m In, Gimme That Girl, It Ain’t No Crime and Take it Off. The ultimate Joe Nichols fan favorite was his last song of the evening… Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off. The crowd does love this song… and as Joe said “what we see over the next 3 minutes stays here,” so I won’t mention any of the things I witnessed while that song played… let your imagination take over. Joe’s set ended about 12:15am and he was once again well worth the drive – Toby’s is about an hour and 15 minutes from where I live. Great show, great guy… if given the chance, you should see him… you won’t regret the good time you will have - even if you have to be to work at 7am.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Today, 1974...Olivia Newton-John went Gold!

Today, 1974...I was almost 3 and already a huge fan of Olivia Newton-John. The song that made her Gold today played a huge role in my 30+ years of admiration for Olivia.
She had a big, warm smile that would invite you to smile with her... She also reminded me a lot of my mother at that time. Both were blonde, large welcoming smiles and had a sense of calm that just enveloped you. I Honestly Love You was a raw, emotional track sang with an innocence that any age would relate.
I have followed her career and been comforted by her music through pretty much my entire life. In the 80s, I had a perm; I went to school one day and a guy in my Biology class called me "Sandy" - I was ever so flattered.
Her voice is angelic and she was such a natural beauty. In my early 20s, after her breast cancer diagnosis, I came to terms with the fact I'd never see her in concert, but a few years after moving to Boston I was blessed with the chance to see her. I was in Heaven and my eyes welled as she sang I Honestly Love You. her voice is raspier than earlier in her career and there is a maturity now that comes through expressing her trials over her life...yet, you can still hear a smile beneath each note.
She remade I Honestly Live you in 1998... if you listen to the two versions, see if you can hear it, too. After all these years, I Honestly Love You, Olivia... Thanks for always being there through ever heartbreak with your song.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Billy Currington & Kip Moore @ Hard Rock Cafe Boston

Boston’s Country 102.5 is in full swing with their annual Rockin’ Country Music Series. I randomly attended this series last year; I heard Joe Nichols would be performing at the Hard Rock CafĂ© in Boston. In my mind, that was amazing… someone as popular as Joe Nichols playing in such a small venue. I mean, I didn’t listen to country music/country radio regularly at all, but even I knew Joe Nichols – all proceeds were going to Fisher House Boston… a good cause, good music… I went. What a great place to see someone that you really enjoy. It holds around 250-300 people and you can stand right up to the stage. Heck, Joe even chatted with us along the front.

Fast forward to 2011, Country 102.5 is doing this Series again, but this year everything collected will be going to Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center. Another fabulous cause and more great artists. The shows have been selling out which is great for the organization and the performers, but makes for a tight squeeze as drunk girls come in from behind trying to be seen by the "he's so cute" singer. I stand up front for photos, but the drunker girls get the more they are trying to move you out of their way – fortunately, I’m tall and can be a wall when I need to be, so no passing me. Tsk, tsk. My favorite last night was at some point during Billy Currington a girl, she had been trying to get up front for awhile, came up between me and another blonde woman to my left. This 3rd says “don’t worry it’s just me I’m back.” The girl next to me said “I’ve been standing next to this blonde here (me) all night. We got up here early; you didn’t… go to the back.” I was worried it would get interesting, but it remained relatively calm and the 3rd girl moved back.

Last night, Wednesday, October 5, 2011, they had Billy Currington and Kip Moore. Kip Moore opened the night – I have to admit, I was most excited to see him. I am not overly familiar with either of their music, but I really enjoyed attending these events last year and getting introduced to new singers early in their career. I want to like them and throw myself into supporting them. This is how I became a fan of James Wesley and David Nail. Kip Moore was equally outstanding.

Kip kept the crowd engaged through his set with tales he shared of his life in Southern Georgia and he knew when to throw out Boston references to keep our narcissistic town feeling involved (I say that with love – I yell every time, too). He mentioned that he is a major Celtics fan and I think he said Rondo is his favorite player – yes, Rondo is the man. As he told stories between each song, I noticed his southern drawl was just a joy to listen to – I originally come from the south and some speak really, really slow. But he had a nice flow, yet maintained the drawl. I enjoyed his tales. The biggest disappointment of the evening is that there were no CDs for sale. Fortunately, we can download his latest single, Something about a Truck, on iTunes. Oh, and he asked ever so politely that we harass our radio stations to play Something about a Truck. He sang his 1st single Mary is the Marrying Kind. Along in the mix, he played a number of catchy songs… I usually video tape at least one, but I had a large guy in front of me so that didn’t happen last night. Overall, I thought his songs were promising and his delivery was top notch. I am sure if he comes back I’ll be there supporting him. His debut CD should be released in January 2012 and if given the opportunity to see him live, do it!


As Billy Currington’s band was setting up, I noticed Scotty Emerick at the back of the stage. It took me a few moments to be confident that it was indeed him. I had just seen him perform with Toby Keith in Sept, so he was very fresh in my memory, though I was surprised he wasn’t more in the forefront. When Billy Currington took the stage, there were plenty of screams! The girls went wild. There was actually a push towards the front that took those of us up front off our feet. As he performed, I was amazed how many songs of his I knew. It was kind of a “hit after hit” performance. Just a few of the songs performed were Don’t, That’s How Country Boys Roll, Love Done Gone, I Got a Feeling, People are Crazy and Must Be Doin’ Something Right. My personal favorite is Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer… yes, he sang that, too! That song got me through losing my job briefly last summer and Love Done Gone recently got me through being dumped via text. So maybe I should buy more of his stuff… hmm. Anyway, Billy’s performance was solid and his passion for performing came through clearly. He performed as if he was in a stadium not just in a bar. He joked with the crowd and asked for people to yell out requests, though I’m not sure anyone did. My friend had gone to the bathroom and wasn’t able to get back up front with me so after seeing one woman removed as she nearly fainted from the heat… I went back and joined my friend. The music was superb and Billy put on one heck of a show! Would love to see him again.

Pictures will be loaded later. It was a late night and my early morning came too soon.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Blake Shelton @ The Big E

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Blake Shelton @ The Big E, a set on Flickr.
It was a "windy and cold as crap" night at The Big E Saturday, October 1st... at least according to Blake Shelton.  He wasn't really a fan of our colder evening temps, but it didn't stop him from putting his heart and soul into his performance.  My friend and I had seen him back in July at the Comcast Center where he opened for Brad Paisley.  We both felt he was good enough to see again when he made this appearance at the largest fair in all of New England...

We arrived about an hour before showtime... ate some grub and then got in a line for the sold out show.  He came right out at 7:30pm and sang "All About Tonight."  He sang with a bit more passion last night than he did back in July.  You could see how cold he was as he would cringe when the wind would hit him, but it didn't effect his voice, his attitude nor his full on performance.  He brought it and got the crowd on their feet right away.

His set list included many of his hits... but by far the best night of the show, is when he explains why he's a "train wreck" and he covers songs by other artists.  He starts with Wild Cherry's Play That Funky Music... the song that his parents blast while their bedroom door is locked.  Then we go into his brother's song by J Geils Band, Centerfold.  He wraps this up with the song he hates the most... his sister's favorite tune from her youth, My Prerogative by Boston boy Bobby Brown.  Though the introductions to each song and the delivery hadn't changed much at all from show we saw previously, it was just as well-received by the crowd and we were still dancing and singing along as if it was our first time seeing this performance. He closed this section with one of his most loved songs Kiss My Country Ass.  The crowd sang along and threw fists in the air as they got pumped up and some were dancing in the aisles - despite requests of security to go back to their seats.

He only sang a few slow songs through the night, which I know I appreciate, which included HomeGod Gave Me You, Who Are You When I'm Not Looking and Austin (his first #1 single).

He took a few sips out of his Black "red" cup and encouraged the crowd to drink with him as he sang The More I Drink.  Though Blake gets a lot of heat for posting "drunk" tweets and he claimed to be drunk earlier in the night... he didn't seem drunk at all and put on a solid show.  He tried to close the night out with Hillbilly Bone and the crowd was again singing along and dancing in the aisles... but that wasn't enough.  He was brought back to the stage and he sang Jerry Reed's Eastbound and Down.  It was a more passionate performance and I can't wait til 2012 when he headlines his own tour.  He is definitely going to be a great tour to catch.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Is the Music Industry dying?

6. Music. This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalog items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies.

My mother forwarded me an email that included the above excerpt. As a music lover since birth, it struck a chord with me. My musical taste has changed over the years and I've always had a great admiration of those with the talent to write, sing or play music that can touch the souls of so many different people. I always wanted to voice like an Olivia Newton-John, play an instrument like Sheila E (don't laugh! She's one hell of a percussionist), and write music as artful & introspective as Tori Amos. I unfortunately wasn't born with any of these talents, but my love of music continues to grow... And, in my car, I put on a heck of a performance.

Personally, I turned to country/rock because of the "auto-tune invasion" of pop music. At first, I loved it mixed into a song or two... But then one day it was all that I heard on every radio station programmed into my radio. I reached beyond my dance music comfort zone and embraced country after seeing a few artists live... Their voices were raw, real and their own. People were playing instruments... No pre-recorded vocals or sound machines. Those that write their own music impress me the most, but sometimes a singers voice is strong enough that it doesn't matter. My only issue is when a country artist remakes a song made popular in another genre as recent as 5 yrs ago, but it works for some. Not all will embrace country/rock but for me it brought me back to my #1 stress reliever. Music will always understand what I'm going through, even when I don't. Music will always offer me a smile, when it seems there is nothing left to bring me joy. I can't be the only person that feels this way?

My wish would be for the music industry to stop with American Idol type stars... Pay attention to those that are busting their butts being original and aren't trying to appeal to the masses. When those "against the grain" types are given to the public we love them. Stop telling us what we should like and give us a choice.

To those that don't want music to die... Go to a show at a small bar/ venue! It's the best way to show you still feel something for music... Good music... Real music. Buy a full cd of an artist you like live. Artists, give a song or two away on your websites to get new people to listen to your music. Let's help breathe life back into music by supporting it from the ground up...

Monday, September 19, 2011

Toby Keith @ Mansfield, MA Sept 17, 2011

Toby Keith Sept 2011
If you have never seen Toby Keith in concert, country music lover or not, you are missing out on an adrenaline rush. This man knows how to get your heart pumping, feet tapping and American Pride pulsing. He has been overlooked time and time again, but to his fans he will always be the Entertainer of the Year. I know personally, I won't miss his show in Boston and if I had the cash I'd probably see him in Maine, NH, CT AND Boston. He tends to sing his fan favorites throwing in a new song or two for his annual new release (his new cd Clancy's Tavern will be out in October). He know his crowd is there to party and he throws the best party around. He laughs, gets raunchy and delivers his songs perfectly. Some think he forgets his words - if you've been to enough shows, you know he changes the words to be a tad raunchier than the mainstream release. He brought the summer concert season to a fantastic close. I know my friends and I were wondering how it was over so soon and wish it had gone on for at least another 2 hours. He had his typical Ford advertisement video that preceded his entrance... people have called this years video cheesy and yes, I can see that... but being a dog lover I truly enjoyed the innocence of the dogs (ha innocence). Then with two loud explosions Bullets in the Gun was in full effect. He had his Easy Money Band stand with him and in some ways the band is as popular as Toby to the fans. This weekend's show was more energized than last year's show. He was feeling the crowd and the crowd was feeling him. He changed up the videos that play on the big screen behind him - which was refreshing to those that see him every year (though in all honesty who's watching the screens?). Toby sang most of the faves - As Good As I Once Was, I Wanna Talk About Me, Who's Your Daddy, How Do You Like Me Now etc. He also handed the mike over to Mica Roberts, his backup singer who really does have a voice that is worthy of a solo career, but in true fashion... many talented people are overlooked by younger, boppy singers that shouldn't be famous. She rocked out a version of Lady Marmalade and I personally felt she out-sang Christina Aguilera's (& the others) remake. Toby was later joined on stage by Scotty Emerick and they sang some of Toby's infamous bus songs such as Weed With Willie, The Taliban Song, Get Out of My Car, Ballad of Balad... some people may find these songs offensive, but seriously - if you truly listen to them they are always a bit tongue in cheek and if you still have your sense of humour you will enjoy them.
Based on a poll of Toby Keith Warriors an oldie but goodie was also added to the setlist - Toby thrilled crowds with that one chosen slow song Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine On You. He explained how he sang this when he use to open for Reba. One of the other fabulous things about Toby - his voice is always as solid as on cd - if not stronger because his passion for the party shines through and when he hits a slow song - his voice is pure and sincere without ever losing that testosterone that makes women long for him and men want to sit back and drink a whiskey with him. In Toby Keith Tradition, he closed with American Soldier & Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue - always my favorite part of the show and I still get goosebumps. He pulled up 2 Navy Sailors in addition to 2 other guys (we assume they were Military but not sure what branch). They held flags and sang along with Toby. Being from a military town, formerly working with DoD contractors, etc - it always makes me proud that someone makes a point to remembers them. This is why I will always support Toby... in addition to great music, he's an ideal American and people could take a page from his book and learn to respect our Military despite their personal feelings on a war. These are still men & women putting their lives on the line for us - whether we agree or not. Thank you Toby for always remembering that. As much as I wanted to see J.T. Hodges I, unfortunately, missed his short 20 minute set - glad I saw him in VA and feel confident he rocked his show. I was unfortunately selling 3 tickets (because my friends and I decided to upgrade) and had to wait for the people purchasing those tickets to show up - they got stuck in traffic. I did speak to people sitting around us that agreed he was a solid performer and they commented he deserved to perform longer. After J.T., Eric Church performed. He really gets the crowd up and moving - he's not my preferred Toby opener, but the crowd does seem to get energized with him - so he's doing something right. I personally find him to be too "angry" as he thumps his chest. He did sing my personal favorite of his releases Smoke A Little Smoke and he does sound great live. MY issue is purely his stage presence.
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Broken Records sits down with JT Hodges

Sunday, September 18, 2011

James Wesley Friday, Sept 16, 2011

We drove down to Foxboro, MA to see James Wesley at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill.  It was also my first time at Toby's bar - there was a 2 hour wait... we were starving since we came after work and had a tad over an hour drive.  So we stalked a table... we knew that kids weren't allowed in for the show and there were 2 families at a table in the bar.  We stalked that table like Blake Shelton hunting deer. Drunk and obvious. Yes.

There was a contest to win tickets to see/meet Toby at this show the next evening.  There was a girl that came in wearing a hoodie and red heels.  Every one was trying to figure the outfit out... well the more she drank the hoodie became unzipped and off.  She was wearing a Wonder Woman costume under the hoodie.  I may add, no one else was dressed in costume... there was plenty of red, white and blue... but you knew she'd win... she was nearly naked! So not expected at a James Wesley show.

James came on and began singing Rooster. He sounded as pure and strong as usual. He has such a rich voice that has a "traditional country" sound - yet his music is pretty much that "new country" style. He's very appreciative to his fans and it shows through every time he performs; he's truly one of those guys you just want to see succeed because he's so genuine & talented. Many sang along with him to Real & Didn't I.

For the first time ever, he had cds available to be purchased. This was thrilling for those that have seen him many times and have been longing for more than the 3 songs that have been available on iTunes. He stuck around to autograph the cds and chat with his fans.
The set list he performed is as follows:
Rooster
How Much Do You Love Me
Mama Tried
Jackson Hole
Real
Silver Wings
Sea of Heartbreak
I Ain't Running Trouble Down
You Should be Here with Me
Julie
Fast as You
Walking Contradiction
Didn't I
Folsom Prison

You should definitely check him out - buy his songs on iTunes or see him live. He's worth the money.

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