Scene & Heard: Boston, MA

posted in: Features • Reviews & Playlists • Rock

We’re heading back to the northeast for this week’s Scene & Heard. The historic setting of Boston, MA draws tourists to the city every year. However, the nightlife, music scene and overall music community is pretty unique. Having produced rock legends like Aerosmith, The Cars and the aptly-named Boston, the city clearly boasts a vibrant rock scene.

Boston’s reputation goes beyond rock, though. The city is home to a slew of prominent music schools like the New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music. While both produce some of the best jazz musicians in the country, NEC has also proudly hosted some of the finest classical and symphony players in the world. Without even digging, Berklee’s notable alumni include John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, Brad Whitfield of Aerosmith, Scott Underwood of Train, John Mayer and even Trey Parker, a co-creator of South Park.

There is also a strong symphony orchestra presence in Boston. One of the most prestigious symphonies in the country, the Boston Symphony Orchestra performs right on Huntington Ave in famous Symphony Hall where, in the last two seasons alone, they’ve hosted Nicholas Hodges,  Anthony Marwood and Yo-Yo Ma. Also at Symphony Hall, the Boston Pops have wowed audiences with standard repertoire and pop arrangements over the years. They’ve even done collaborations with pop and rock acts such as Ben Folds and Ozomatli.

To keep a finger on the pulse of local acts and local venues, we’ll turn to the Boston Phoenix. This publication advertises shows on a weekly basis, highlighting important local acts, musical trends and, of course, the best places to catch these live sounds. Also, tune into the radio to stay up-to-date on new acts (both regional and national), because there is a strong presence on terrestrial stations. From renowned college station WERS (Emerson College) to the regional WFNX, you’ll catch some great music and artist news. The Phoenix/WFNX even hosts a “Best Music Poll” each year where listeners select their favorite national and regional acts, followed by a show in downtown Boston with a bill that features some of these picks. Maybe you were lucky enough to catch Metric, Silversun Pickups, Nada Surf and a few others on June 27th at the first annual WFNX Clambake, where the station shut down the famous Lansdowne St. in the Fenway area to host a street show along with indoor stage performances.

In Boston, you’ll find a plethora of mid-small sized venues where there’s great local rock talent. Locations can get a bit confusing, however. The area is made up of many boroughs, some of which consider themselves different towns/cities altogether. To add to this complication, each “borough”  tends to host their own unique venues and style. Keep in mind, whether you’re headed to Allston, Cambridge or even downtown Boston, each area has something to offer.

Harpers Ferry in Allston hosts everything from hip hop/electronic acts to rowdy punk shows, while the Middle East in Cambridge is where you’ll find a wide array of rock and indie artists.  If you’d like to step up the room size/reputation you can head to the Paradise or the larger House of Blues. The latter, a recent addition to the Fenway area, is where you’ll catch major touring acts several times a week, like the aforementioned WFNX Clambake.

OurStage indie rock act The Honors rave about Allston’s ability to host a great show and even influence a working lyricist. One of our new songs¦was written about our experiences in Allston, both personally and observed. Allston lends itself to epic tales of late night debauchery, so much so that we decided to write a song about it. The band even credits its live show’s evolution to performing on bills with dance night DJs at venues like Great Scott.

They have their own opinion about the different area scenes, stating that Cambridge seems to cater to a crowd that’s a little older with different expectations. In Allston, on the other hand, the band comments that the audiences are always attentive and appreciative. They went on to mention that downtown Boston, while a blast, isn’t really Boston. The area seems to attract more tourists than locals and caters to more of a cover band scene.

If you’re into dancing to a DJ or checking out a great live act, of course The Honors recommend Great Scott, a small local venue that they’ve had lasting experiences at. With such an impressive resume, it’s hard not to trust these guys. They’ve opened for Blues Traveler and Tonic and they even made an appearance at the 2008 Newport Folk Festival. In addition to local radio plays, they wrote the theme song for an online comic book series Ace Hoyle. Drop by Great Scott or any of the other awesome Boston-area venues to check out the Honors or any of the other great Boston-based acts.