Jackson, Barenaked Ladies, Phish lead pop season
By Steve Morse, Globe Staff, 09/13/98
There's rarely a letup in the pop world. While summer is the busiest season, thanks to all the outdoor venues, the fall is not exactly Rip Van Winkle time. This fall will see some arena headliners -- the Dave Matthews Band, Janet Jackson, Phish, Depeche Mode, Billy Joel, and upstarts Barenaked Ladies -- along with many developing club bands and mid-level theater acts such as Lenny Kravitz, Lyle Lovett, and Lionel Richie.
Oh yes, and the Christian right will get to denounce Marilyn Manson again, since the shock-rocker is expected to play the Orpheum in November. That venue also will have Hootie & the Blowfish (Oct. 6, already sold out), Kravitz, and Sean Lennon (Oct. 16), returning soul-pop singer Richie (expected next month), Lovett (Nov. 7), and, likely, contemporary R&B artist Maxwell, though he may play another venue.
The tentacles of the Grateful Dead will spread into the Orpheum, with percussionist Mickey Hart coming with his world-music side band Planet Drum Oct. 24 and Dead singer-guitarist Bob Weir due with his side group Ratdog for a yet-to-be-announced date. Also expected at the 2,800-seat, in-town theater: jazz-rocker Joe Satriani in November.
As for the big headliners, Janet Jackson is at the FleetCenter Friday, while Brit survivors Depeche Mode open their national tour at the Worcester Centrum Centre Oct. 27. Phish is expected for three Centrum shows over Thanksgiving weekend; the Dave Matthews Band is due for two there in December; and Joel will play one date (maybe more) at the FleetCenter in December.
The most striking news is the rise of Barenaked Ladies, a Canadian act hatched from the same word-of-mouth praise that elevated the Dave Matthews Band. Boston is the largest American market for the Ladies (who include no women, incidentally). Tickets for their Oct. 5 FleetCenter show sold out in 25 minutes.
As for other large-demo shows, the summer hasn't quite ended because Seattle rockers Pearl Jam are at Great Woods Tuesday and Wednesday (both sold out); the enchanting Cowboy Junkies end the season at Harborlights Thursday.
There are a few other outdoor shows of note: the WKLB-sponsored "Listener Appreciation" concert at Indian Ranch in Webster is today with Nashville star Suzy Bogguss; the WAAF-sponsored "Locobazooka" is at Worcester's Green Hill next Sunday with Candlebox, Godsmack, Brother Cane, and others; the Wachusetts Mountain Blues Festival is next Saturday and Sunday with Luther Johnson, Bellevue Cadillac, Rick Russell, Bruce Katz, and others; and the Boston Blues Festival comes to the Hatch Shell Sept. 26 with Honeyboy Edwards and Toni Lynn Washington, and the 27th with Howard Armstrong, Preacher Jack, and Paul Rishell & Annie Raines.
Hard-rock bands are back in force. Not the old-fashioned hair bands, but new hard-rockers with a punk and rap edge. Leading the way is Korn, the dysfunctional southern California primal-scream squad whose ironically titled "Family Values" tour comes to the Centrum Sept. 23. Its beefy, multi-act menu includes outlaw rapper Ice Cube and the off-the-wall Limp Bizkit. This could be either really interesting or a real mess.
As for other high-decibel merchants, Rob Zombie (of "Hellbelly Deluxe" renown) plugs in at Worcester's Palladium on Nov. 1. The floor will be general admission, so expect high testosterone levels.
Curiously, the autumn season divides into many acts that can draw from 700 (the size of the Paradise club) to 2,800 people (the Orpheum's capacity) and much bigger acts that can fill the FleetCenter or Centrum. Nothing noteworthy is slated for arenas the size of the Gosman Center in Waltham (6,000 capacity) or the new Tsongas Arena in Lowell, which seats 5,500 and fits 7,000.
"Everything in life is timing, and there just aren't bands coming in that fit those rooms right now," says Jodi Goodman, vice president of the Don Law Company.
The Somerville Theatre will be active with a plate of neo-hippie shows (Leftover Salmon on Oct. 13 and Bela Fleck & the Flecktones Oct. 25) and some vintage hippie shows such as Arlo Guthrie on Nov. 20. The theater also has the cast of "Beatlemania" Oct. 17 and the beguiling Beth Nielsen Chapman (Nov. 6), whose last album explored the grief associated with her husband's death.
There's a solid roots-reggae resurgence as well. Toots & the Maytals are at the House of Blues tonight, and Jimmy Cliff makes a rare Boston appearance at Avalon Sept. 30. African reggae artist Majek Fashek is at the House of Blues Sept. 23. Reggae for Unity '98 is at the Boston Center for the Arts Oct. 10 with Michael Rose (formerly of Black Uhuru) and Fully Fulwood (formerly of Peter Tosh's band).
The underrated College Fest at the Hynes Auditorium has some critically praised new bands Sept. 20 with Britain's Stretch Princess and Reel Big Fish. College Fest is mainly an expo for business vendors, but the WBCN-sponsored music is often worth the admission.
Especially active this fall are the clubs, which generally had a tough summer because so much of the concert dollar was spent outdoors. Avalon looks strong with Bob Mould (Sept. 24), De La Soul (Sept. 25), Liz Phair (Oct. 6), Better than Ezra (Oct. 8), and expected dates with Alanis Morissette in October, They Might Be Giants (Oct. 14), and semisonic (Oct. 19).
The Paradise has Elliott Smith (Oct. 5) and the Tom Tom Club (with the former Talking Heads rhythm section of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz) on Oct. 3. The Middle East has new wave legend Tom Verlaine (with Jimmy Ripp) Oct. 24 and Seattle icons Mudhoney Oct. 21. The Karma club has the crunchy Local H and Super Jesus Sept. 19; and elegant soul singer Des'ree Sept. 23. Mama Kin has Duran Duran's John Taylor, with his new band Terroristen on Oct. 24; the House of Blues has John Mayall Sept. 24 and Otis Rush Sept. 25; and T.T. the Bear's celebrates its 25th anniversary Sept. 15-19 with local luminaries from Letters to Cleo to a reunited O Positive.
In other compelling shows, Lilith Fair's N'dea Davenport (formerly of the Brand New Heavies) arrives at the House of Blues Sept. 29; exquisite Celtic singer-songwriter Sinead Lohan is at the Lansdowne Playhouse Oct. 6 and 8; Swiss harpist-new age avatar Andreas Vollenweider is at Jordan Hall Oct. 12; and, last but not least, a "Royalty of Doo-Wop"show with the Coasters, Drifters, Belmonts, Shirley Reeves, and Frankie Ford is at the North Shore Theatre in Beverly Nov. 15.
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