Juliana Hatfield Charms the Paradise

Bostonist was a-rockin’ this weekend, even before the Rolling Stones took the stage at Fenway. Juliana Hatfield commanded a faithful audience at the Paradise on Saturday night, following Boston locals Furvis and The Gentlemen. Hatfield, backed up by The Gentlemen’s drummer and bassist, offered a refreshing dose of thoughtful, introspective rock and roll.

A native of Duxbury, MA, and trained at the Berklee College of Music, Hatfield is best known for her dabbles in the mainstream a decade ago. Her first two solo efforts, Hey Babe (1992) and Become What You Are (1993), were met with early critical acclaim and commercial success. “Spin the Bottle” on the Reality Bites sound-track (1994), a memorable cameo as a runaway on My So-Called Life, and the September 1992 cover of Sassy Magazine established Hatfield as an icon to a young Bostonist.

Saturday night’s concert, however, was by no means an empty throw-back to early 90s stardom. Hatfield demonstrated that she’s been busy making good, meaningful music for the past 10 years and didn’t need the limelight to do so. A lengthy set including notable selections from Become What You Are (1993), Only Everything (1995), Please Do Not Disturb (1997), Beautiful Creature (2000), In Exile Deo (2004), and Made In China (2005) satisfied seasoned fans while introducing the artist’s talent and range to a younger fan base as well. Her first encore included Become What You Are’s “My Sister,” eliciting the most boisterous Bostonist reaction of the night.

Hatfield, with a grown-out pixie cut to match her pixie frame, is hard not to adore. As she told Bostonist and the rest of the crowd “I love you more than I’ve ever loved a single person. You’re too good to me.” She has a genuine sweetness that makes her sometimes heavy sound accessible. Made In China was released in this month under Hatfield’s own label, Ye Olde Records; Bostonist encourages you to take a listen. Thanks to Stereogum for reintroducing Juliana Hatfield to all of us.

Also noteworthy: Furvis, whom Hatfield deemed “The Future of Rock and Roll,” played a delightful rendition of the Flaming Lips' “Vaseline." Rough around the edges and sporting spotty facial hair, Furvis is young but undeniably talented. Bostonist looks forward to following their development. They return to Boston on Saturday, October 1, for the Nemo Showcase at the Abbey Lounge in Somerville.

Contributed by Mary Tomer