Results tagged “holdsteady”

2008 wasn't the biggest year ever for Boston music. Our biggest success might have been our oldest, as the New Kids on the Block got back together for a (misogynistic?) record and tour; we called their performance "a polished show infused with moments of giddiness—a lovefest between four guys from Dorchester, one JP product and a screaming hometown crowd." Apollo Sunshine, whose August live show felt like "stumbling upon a drum circle in the field of a music festival," made a couple of best-of lists, as did the Hold Steady, fronted by BC grad Craig Finn. "Bostonians of the Week" Broken River Prophet released an exciting new album that we really dug. Local singer Jess Tardy's work was featured on the TV show Lipstick Jungle. But for the most part, 2008 was just not a Boston-heavy music year.

Also, since you (and Target) love The Hold Steady, may Bostonist make a gentle reminder to pick up tickets to their upcoming September TT's show? Question: are The Hold Steady the rockingest band fronted by a BC grad? Answer: Bostonist doesn't know, but Bostonist does know that you can go to TT's after 6 and pick up tickets without a service charge, and you should go there soon to get your Hold Steady tickets and (since you love hype) your Clap Your Hands Say Yeah tickets. (Bostonist still can't believe that the latter was confused with Get Him Eat Him in an earlier post, but then again, there's really a spate of mono-syllabic bands ordering you to do stuff right now.) Do it before the students come back, with their disposable income et al.

Bostonist has been tangentially aware and thoroughly admiring of Jessica Hopper's writing since college and discovered that, among other things, Hopper was publishing the funny-as-hell Hit It Or Quit It music zine and writing a column in Punk Planet, alongside reading tour-mate Al Burian. Hopper's on the up and up and last year, her fantastic essay "Emo: Where The Girls Aren't" was featured in Da Capo's Best Music Writing 2004. Her byline is featured in a bunch of publications, and when she's not writing about The Mountain Goats and The Hold Steady, she's summing it all up on her hilarious blog. Hopper and Burian--Bostonist is, admittedly, less familiar with his work--are touring around New England today and tomorrow and tonight you can find them at The Dirt Palace in Providence at 7:30 PM, whereas tomorrow they'll be reading at Flywheel in Easthampton at 8PM. They promise that it will be a battle of good vs. evil and it's going to kick ass.