Tag Archives: Live Review

Live Review: The 2025 New England Music Awards

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

The 2025 New England Music Awards

Six String Grille & Stage, Foxborough, MA

November 16, 2025

The New England Music Awards are one of the regional music scene’s big annual events. A bunch of the area’s top musicians turn out, often dressed to the nines – or at least really cool – and enjoy the camaraderie of their peers, all while hoping, of course, to come out on top for the awards. I know it’s a cliché, but with all the talent in New England, it really is an honor to be nominated.

This year’s NEMA featured nine performances while handing out 28 awards. I was a little more active connecting with artists I knew (and meeting some new, talented folks) at this year’s NEMA than I was last time I made it to the event, a couple years ago, so my notes aren’t as detailed, but I’ll still be sure to mention every single performer. Indeed, there wasn’t a single weak link in the line-up, something that was apparent even though my attention wasn’t always focused toward the stage. Honestly, if you get a chance to catch any of the evening’s performers live, do what you can to get to the show. The award winners are listed on the NEMA website, but I’ll also mention them in this review, though I’ll focus more on the live performances, including photos from each of the live sets.

Lila Wilde; photo by Geoff Wilbur

The night’s program began with a performance from the impressive Lila Wilde, who served up great, dynamic, high, pop-friendly vocals. Lila was also able to slow things down well, too, showing of her versatility. One song I specifically noted during her performance was “Jezebel,” which sported a little funkier pop rhythm and landed right in Lila’s vocal sweet spot. This was a great set to kick things off. An interesting thing about NEMA is that the attendees tend to show up on time, so the first performance slot is a great one for being noticed, and this talented artist absolutely turned some heads.

Lila Wilde; photo by Joanna Gleason; photo courtesy of New England Music Awards

Wilde’s set was followed by the entrance of the evening’s emcees, Adam Lopez and Annie Brobst, who kept things moving along nicely throughout the show. During this short break, also, Amanda Morneault of The Harbor Agency presented the evening’s first trio of awards, the Rising Star Awards for Maine (Bella Ann), New Hampshire (Fun City Fan Club), and Rhode Island (Olivia Dolphin).

Gold Hoax; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Following the evening’s first awards, Gold Hoax, winners of 2025’s Last Band Standing competition, took the stage. The Boston-based band delivered some edgy, raucous, energetic alt-rock. I also noted a little rockin’ jangle. This outfit has a sound that’ll perform well both in a club setting and on a recording, so this was a cool introduction to Gold Hoax for me.

Gold Hoax; photo by Joanna Gleason; photo courtesy of New England Music Awards

After the Gold Hoax set, of course, it was time for some more award presentations. Bek Mahoney of BizMarketing and Design, LLC announced the next three award winners, presenting the Rising Star Awards for Vermont (Lily Seabird), Massachusetts (Dred Buffalo) and Connecticut (The Moonrise Cartel).

The Fatal Flaw; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Up next was The Fatal Flaw, performing straight-up rock that pops! The band delivered a fun set of ’90s/’00s-style alt-rock with catchy hooks and ragged punk overtones.

The Fatal Flaw; photo by Joanna Gleason; photo courtesy of New England Music Awards

Following The Fatal Flaw’s set, Gerg Anidem of Indie Scene Radio announced the next three award winners, for Rock (John Fox), Punk (Megan From Work), and Hard Rock/Metal (Bad Marriage) Act of the Year.

Joey Batts & Greg Rivers; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Brandie Blaze; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Next up were back-to-back hip-hop performances, starting with Joey Batts with Greg Rivers, followed by Brandie Blaze. Both performances were impressive, with different delivery styles. Joey Batts relied a lot on a more spoken, conversational approach, whereas Brandie Blaze was a little more vocally dynamic. Both artists are locally renowned for their lyrical skills, as well. They were a pair of absolutely top-shelf performances, with Batts representing the Hartford scene and Blaze the Boston scene.

Joey Batts & Greg Rivers; photo by Joanna Gleason; photo courtesy of New England Music Awards

Brandie Blaze; photo by Joanna Gleason; photo courtesy of New England Music Awards

John Shea, host of Almost Famous on 95.9 WATD, presented next three awards, for Pop (Lainey Dionne), Jazz (Soggy Po’ Boys), and Blues (The Gravel Project) Act of the Year.

Jason Ingriselli and the Miles North; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Jason Ingriselli and the Miles North took the stage next and served up a fun, stage-rocking, well-received set of rollicking, guitar-driven country music.

Jason Ingriselli and the Miles North; photo by Joanna Gleason; photo courtesy of New England Music Awards

After their set, Adam Greenberg named the winners of the Soul/R&B (Ruby Shabazz) and Hip Hop (SeeFour) Act of the Year awards. Then Jim Belisle of Boots & Whiskey announced the winners in the Roots (Adam Frates), Country (Ward Hayden & the Outliers), and Americana (Nate Ramos Band) Act of the Year categories.

Nicolas Emden; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Nicolas Emden followed with a cool, Spanish-language, pop-friendly rock set that ranged from energetic rockers to a soaring, mellow pop-rock ballad, carrying a cool vibe throughout the range of tempos featured in the performance.

Nicolas Emden; photo by Joanna Gleason; photo courtesy of New England Music Awards

Three more awards were awarded following Emden’s set by David Avery of Powderfinger Promotions – World (FM Collective), Live (The Far Out), and New (Vanna Pacella) Act of the Year.

JVK; photo by Geoff Wilbur

JVK took the stage next, and this is a band that knows all about the “show” part of a stage show. JVK delivered a set that was largely glam-pop/guitar rock with a theatrical delivery, while some songs showed off a little edgier style with a more raucous, punk-meets-glam edge. (The band was nominated for Punk Rock Act of the Year, after all, so that was no surprise.) Overall, JVK’s mix of talented, flamboyant, and edgy are ideal for a great live concert performance, as exhibited by this evening’s short set.

JVK; photo by Joanna Gleason; photo courtesy of New England Music Awards

Mike LaChance, host of Wave Radio Boston’s The Takeover, followed, announcing the winners of NEMA’s Songwriter of the Year (Hayley Reardon) and Producer of the Year (Vic Steffens of Horizon Music Group) awards.

Nate Ramos Band; photo by Geoff Wilbur

The Nate Ramos Band then delivered a crowdpleasing, energetic, rootsy Americana set. One of the band’s songs, in particular, was a cool, echoey, slower-tempoed number that’s slightly chill-inducing (in a good way). Of course, the Nate Ramos Band’s talent is no secret, as the band had already received a NEMA earlier in the evening.

Nate Ramos Band; photo by Joanna Gleason; photo courtesy of New England Music Awards

Next up, Rick Fleck, host of Wave Radio Boston’s Rick’s Rock Shop, announced the Song of the Year (Nikki and the Barn Boys’ “Strawberry Hill”) and Video of the Year (The Far Out’s “Laurel,” directed by Nick DeSimone) award winners.

The John Fox Band; photo by Geoff Wilbur

The final performance of the evening came from another 2025 NEMA award-winning band, the John Fox Band. The John Fox Band is a medium-fast tempoed guitar rock band with the ability to soar both vocally and axe-ingly – you know, with some kickass shredding. The sound is not heavy, so these guys can reach broad appeal, though the style is also reminiscent of harder-rocking bands, expanding the band’s potential fan base to fans of music that’s a bit heavier, too. ’80s rockers will recognize and like the core of this sound, but it’s also updated enough to appeal to modern audiences.

The John Fox Band; photo by Joanna Gleason; photo courtesy of New England Music Awards

Four awards remained, and they were announced by Wave Radio Boston co-founder Pete Hudson. NEMA handed out two Performer of the Year Awards this year, to Aldous Collins and Ward Hayden and the Outliers. Frank Viele’s The Trouble with Desire earned Album of the Year. And the final award of the year went out to Crooked Coast for Act of the Year.

Thus concluded this annual gathering of some of the many talented artists in New England’s music community. Every year, I get to see some of my favorite artists honored with nominations and, occasionally, awards, while the nomination list and the award show’s performances introduce me some talented musicians I hadn’t previously known about. I’m already looking forward to next year!

Live Review: Ayla Brown at Solomon Pond Mall

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Ayla Brown

Solomon Pond Mall, Marlborough, MA

August 16, 2025

You may know Ayla Brown any number of ways. Here at the blog a few years ago, I reviewed Ayla’s performance at the 2019 Local CountryFest as half of a duo with talented singer-songwriter (and, for a few years now, her husband) Rob Bellamy. Prior to that, you may know Ayla as an American Idol competitor during Taylor Hicks’ season. (Though I recalled Ayla’s Idol stint, I didn’t remember the specific season until Ayla mentioned it during her between-song banter.)

In recent years, Ayla has been a prominent local country music radio personality. She currently appears on The Flyover Podcast, serves as spokesperson for Solomon Pond Mall and the Wachusett Brewing Company, and has other entrepreneurial ventures. Of course, within my world as a music journalist, as far as I’m concerned, she’s a singer-songwriter, and in that role, she’s one of New England’s best. Ayla frequently performs with Rob Bellamy, though this Solomon Pond Mall show, for the mall’s Pond Fest ’25 event, was a solo performance. Rob was there on Saturday, and he got involved a little, but this was an Ayla Brown solo gig.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Ayla’s set was the centerpiece of Saturday’s Pond Fest, a family-friendly event with food trucks, sponsor tents, and a “touch a truck” event featuring Marlborough’s fire and police departments. Ayla’s 12:00-2:30 set was flanked, before and after, by music from the day’s emcee, DJ Craig Sutton. I knew going in that I was only going to be able to catch the first half of Ayla’s performance, but it was such an engaging performance, I wish I had been able to stay ’til the end.

Ayla kicked her set off energetically with Lady A’s “Downtown.” Her voice has the rich power to capably drive songs like this one. It also has the sweet tunefulness to make you take notice when she croons, as she did on Shania Twain’s “Still the One,” her second song of the day, while also hitting of that song’s big notes.

After those two openers, Ayla went even bigger with the third song of the day, a special request for the kids in attendance, a Disney detour that’ll test lesser vocalists, “Let It Go.” And though it’s not part of Ayla’s regular repertoire, she still, of course, nailed the big notes.

After belting out “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and unleashing a booming, dynamic performance of Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten,” Ayla turned to a few originals. First, “Country Found Me,” a largely autobiographical tune that catchily kinda swoops and sways. Then the cool, attitude-filled, anthemic “Beat By a Girl.” Next up was a booming, heartfelt performance of “Pride of America,” from Ayla’s patriotic Heroes & Hometowns album. She followed it with “Let Love In,” a soaring uptempo number.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Rob Bellamy joined Ayla and her guitarist for the day, Sean Compton, on stage for the next several songs. First, “Jolene,” which is the kind of power-country tune well suited to Ayla’s voice. Then the softer touch – but still soaring – “Hooked on a Feeling.” Next, Rob performed a song without Ayla, a cover of John Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” he delivered vocally smooth and gruff with a slight twang.

Next up was a neat moment, as Ayla yielded the microphone to a talented young singer, 11-year-old Zoey, giving her an opportunity to sing before the crowd.

Then Rob and Ayla followed with a duet, a love song, “I Keep Running Back to You,” before breaking for a raffle drawing. It reminded me of what’s special about an Ayla and Rob combo performance, as Rob’s low end blends well with Ayla’s during duets.

Ayla came out of the very brief raffle break soaring and booming, with a crowd-pleasing rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” followed by her outstanding original, “I Just Wanna Be Your Baby,” then a fun performance of “Heads Carolina, Tails California.” And with that, I had stayed 15 minutes longer than I had originally planned, so I slipped out to get to my next errand, but it’s clear those able to stay for the entire show were gonna be treated to an excellent 2-and-a-half hour concert performance.

Looking Ahead

A good way to keep current with Ayla Brown’s goings-on is via her Facebook and Instagram pages. Also, for a schedule of Ayla’s upcoming performances, you can check the “Tour” page of her website.

Live Review: Jennifer Tefft & the Strange at Framingham Centre Common

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Jennifer Tefft and the Strange

Framingham Centre Common, Framingham, MA

August 8, 2025

Last weekend, on Friday night, award-winning local band Jennifer Tefft & the Strange rocked the latest installment of Framingham’s Friday Night Concert Series. The band, whose most recent album Strange Beginnings was named Album of the Year at the 2024 New England Music Awards, lived up to its pedigree on this particular evening, rocking into the night (well, OK, rocking for a couple hours around dinnertime) to kick off the weekend before a large, appreciative crowd.

The band opened with “Going Out,” Doing that edgy JT&tS rock thing, followed by one of the few covers of the night, a rockin’ rendition of KT Tunstall’s “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.” The only other covers of the first set were an energetic performance of the Cranberries’ “Zombie” and a hauntingly-delivered set-closing production of the Lumineers’ “Salt and the Sea.”

First-set originals spanned decades, including “Enemy,” noisy alt-rock “My Own,” and haunting “Undone,” showcasing the depth of Tefft’s catalog. Particular pre-intermission standouts included “Paper Cut,” whose opening chords grab the listener before the song pounds along powerfully to the more finesse-y chorus, and jangly, hooky, guitar driven alt-rock “Cooler than You,” a song that might make a good personal theme song. Right?

photo by Geoff Wilbur

After a short break, the second set kicked off by rockin’ hard with “Rollercoaster” from 2017’s Cutting for Stone release. I found myself digging the nifty axework on this number, something the was sort of a theme in the second set. I’m not sure if John Parillo’s axemanship was featured more in the second set or if I just took notice, but for me, it was a recurring theme.It was followed by another power rocker, “Too Late,” and then one of the kickass newer songs, “Down on My Knees,” that showcased that trademark Tefft howl.

“Lullaby,” next, was another song that featured some top-notch axework and anguished vocals, delivering a sound that filled the outdoor concert venue, like so many of this band’s songs. A version of the Doors’ “People are Strange,” which featured a low-key opening before slowly amping up the song’s psychedelic coolness, helped build the raw energy that led into edgy, emphatic heavy alt-rocker “Shoulda Known Better,” whose performance culminated in some guitar hero-caliber shredding in the late song bridge.

“Control Freak,” next, sported some heavy distortion. It was followed by a Cover of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” which added some funkiness to the rock guitar, and then hard rocker “Love and War,” a song with a unique aural vibe.

As the show neared its closing time, Jennifer Tefft & the Strange rolled out a new song “Silver,” noting it was the first time they’ve ever played the song live and that it’s scheduled to be recorded in September, a nice treat for those who had stayed to the end (basically, almost the entire crowd, which steadily grew throughout the performance). The song has a modern mainstream rock vocal style and rhythm. “Silver” shows that, creatively, this is still the same, cool raucous rockin’ band, but the song has a new twist in the vibe that’ll keep things interesting. It’s a great live song, but also I can’t wait to hear the studio release!

The evening closed with “Caffeine,” a hit single from Strange Beginnings, featuring the mix that drives many of Jennifer Tefft and the Strange’s best songs: great power vocals from Jenn and a kickass guitar hook. A great sendoff for a fun two-hour outdoor concert.

 

Live Review: Andrew Geano at Chopps

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Andrew Geano

Chopps Italian Steakhouse & Bar, Burlington, MA

July 25, 2025

First of all, it’s probably becoming obvious that I like this restaurant. Tonight I went with a pizza. Delish! But, of course, it’s not just the food I appreciate about Chopps. It’s the fact that they reliably book excellent singers to entertain their restaurant patrons (and guests passing through the Boston Marriott Burlington hotel lobby). Of course, if I’m unfamiliar with the singer, I still check them out. This is a bit of a drive for me, so I don’t take any chances.

Now, it’d be cool to catch Andrew at a venue where he’d play more of his originals, as songs like “Head Voice” and “Wanna Be Right” are pretty cool. A dinner show with lots of folks just passin’ through, though? Well, that’s gonna pretty much be covers. With a top-notch vocalist singing ’em, that’s still plenty good.

I caught only really caught the tail end of Andrew’s performance tonight – less than one of his three hours behind the mic. But he covered a lot of ground, nearly all of it while leaning into the insistent edge of his vocals, which is particularly good at slashing through background noise and restaurant chatter. The first song I sat down for was his version of R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion.”

Andrew began his final mini-set with a heavy strumming-driven rendition of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me,” then transitioned into a rendition of “Teenage Dirtbag,” on which his vocals sported a ’90s alt-pop-rock flavor, chameleonically speaking.

He added some whoopy squeals, fittingly, to the Beatles’ “Come Together,” then followed it with a nod to new hitmaker Chappell Roan with “Hot to Go!” And the Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle.” That was actually a pretty good transition. Who knew?!

Speaking of “who knew?”… I wouldn’ta believed it, but Andrew does a good Taylor Swift. On his rendition of “You Belong With Me,” sure, maybe his vocals are a little deeper than Taylor’s, but he nailed the tone.

Andrew went back to the ’80s to officially close his final set with his lively rendition of Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams Come True.” It was a song with a “woo!” or two, and Andrew’s good with the “woo!”s.

It had become clear that Andrew had won over a table or two of devoted fans, at least for tonight, even before the end of his performance, so it was no surprise they called for an encore, and he obliged. I mean, he wrapped up five minutes early, so this was one of those planned encores, but still, the audience called for it. The song of choice? Blink-182’s “All the Small Things.” And talk about giving an audience exactly what they wanted – several tables were singing along!

It was definitely a good choice to catch some Andrew Geano tuneage tonight. As I noted in my last review of a Chopps performance a few weeks ago, you will occasionally upcoming performances occasionally mentioned on the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages. As for Andrew’s upcoming performances, the “Shows” page of his website shows that the next month packed with gigs in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and even a gig in Maine, so look there for upcoming performances near you.

Live Review: Lee Biddle at Chopps

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Lee Biddle

Chopps Italian Steakhouse & Bar, Burlington, MA

July 5, 2025

Tonight, I popped into Chopps – the restaurant in the Boston Marriott Burlington – for a quick bite to eat and caught the last hour or so of Lee Biddle’s performance. In the past, back in 2016 and 2017, I wrote about a couple Chopps performances and noted that whoever books Chopps knows their music. I had thought perhaps live music at Chopps was a thing of the past, since it’s not mentioned at all on the restaurant’s website anymore. However, as I discovered tonight while taking notes for this review, you will occasionally find it mentioned on the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages. I can’t find July’s artists mentioned anywhere online yet, though, so I had to walk up and get a close look at Lee’s merch – his CD cover – to make sure I got his name right. As for the quality of the restaurant’s musical line-up, a glimpse at June’s live music line-up suggests Chopps is still booking reliably excellent performers, so it’s a reliable musical destination on Friday and Saturday nights if you’re looking for an evening of covers from some of the area’s high-quality vocalists.

Enough about the venue; let’s talk about the artist I caught tonight, Lee Biddle. Lee’s rich, controlled voice is an idea fit for the wide range of music he selected this evening. I’m sure the playlist reflected the audience at a place like Chopps, hotel guests and restaurant guests only a few of whom are paying super-close attention to the musician. The crowd is likely to skew older, not likely to know anything obscure, and most wouldn’t be too interested in originals. Fortunately, Lee’s vocal talents allow him a broad range of songs befitting such an audience. Lee’s voice and vocal delivery lend themselves well to mid-tempo timeless rock and country. The country songs seem more pop-rock than country, based on Lee’s delivery, especially when guided by his straightforward acoustic guitarwork. But man, they sound good.

Some of the country songs I heard Lee perform this evening were very old country like “Folsom Prison Blues,” ten-year-old country like “Wagon Wheel” and Ryan Bingham’s “Nobody Knows My Trouble,” and newer country like Tyler Childers’ “All Your’n,” Chris Stapleton’s “Starting Over.” Lee equally deftly tackled classic rockers like “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” and “Brown Eyed Girl.” And he closed out the evening with a neat pairing. First, clearly knowing his audience, he delivered a solid rendition of “Margaritaville,” and then he closed with a song that had me scrambling – I knew the song; heck, I reviewed the album way back when it came out. It was Blind Melon’s “No Rain.” In all, it was a nice mix of styles and, though all the songs were easily recognized, there were several less-frequently-covered yet well-known songs that kept the performance interesting.

Tonight’s live music attendance was unplanned, but it was a pleasant surprise. I’ll be following Lee on Facebook and Instagram, as well as checking out his originals on Spotify. I can’t imagine his original music being anything short of enjoyable given his strong voice and song delivery talents.

Live Review: New England Americana Festival 2025

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New England Americana Festival (closing number); photo by Geoff Wilbur

New England Americana Festival

Bellforge Arts Center

Medfield, MA

June 29, 2025

I arrived at the Bellforge Arts Center when the eighth band was on-stage, just past the halfway point of the fourteen-artist docket for this year’s New England Americana Festival. With two stages side by side, the festival kept things moving with barely a moment of dead air.

Though I didn’t catch their sets, the first seven acts of the day obviously contributed to the lively atmosphere I saw as I arrived, as the joyousness was in full swing by the event’s midpoint. Those first seven performers, worth mentioning in acknowledgement of their contributions to the day, were Sam Reid & the Riot Act, Comanchero, FauxMenco, Jimmy Ryan’s Wooden Leg, Zion Rodman, Molly Pinto Madigan, and Sunfisher.

Damian & the Displayers; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Damian & the Displayers

Damian & the Displayers were the band on-stage when I arrived, stirring the crowd with an energetic brand of Americana. Of course, by the time I got settled in and started taking notes, the festival had moved on to the next act.

Elisa Smith; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Elisa Smith
Start with song-driven Americana, add a fiddle and the accordant bit of country (not bluegrass) flavor, and you have the central core of Elisa Smith’s musical style, at least during this performance. A couple notable songs from the set were the catchy “Daddy Hates These Red Boots” and “Nashville Won’t Forget Me,” which has a very ’70s countryish flavor. I also noted that Elisa’s music hints sonically at Patsy Cline, in spots. Such variety, from more modernly raucous genre-bending (at least as much as is possible in duo form of acoustic guitar and violin) to Opry-worthy classic country, this Elisa Smith set hints at an artist with the talents and variety of skills to keep things interesting. I look forward to exploring her recordings.

Nate Perry & Ragged Company; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Nate Perry & Ragged Company

The modern, explosive, rockin’ country sound of Nate Perry & Ragged Company caused a bit of excitement to ripple through the crowd as they took the stage. Or, rather, as they started to play. To be fair, as a full, electric band following a couple of acoustic duos, the stage was set for an energy uplift. However, this band delivered such a tight, powerful set that, even without the primed runway, it would have taken the crowd’s energy airborne.

The band performed most of the songs from The Otherside of Everything, the exceptional EP I reviewed a couple months ago. In addition, there was an energetic, heartfelt performance of “Between the Lines,” plus the band’s most recent two post-EP singles, “Count on You” and “Tonight.” Notably, the band closed its set with “Preacher,” one of the tracks from the EP, a bluesy song that comes across with a bit of a classic rock jam-band blues rocker live, ending the band’s performance with an electric wail befitting an arena show.

Wayward Vine; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Wayward Vine

Wayward Vine was up next. The band delivered a great set of more laid-back and folkier, song-driven Americana, supporting its performance with a rich full-band sound. Notable was album-opener, “Dancing on Your Basement Floor.” I also noted “The Fall” had a more distinctive piano flavor than the previous songs, giving it its own unique, sort-of-’80s-ish, tuneful soft rock vibe. And “History” stood out for what I initially noted as a “devil violin part,” though it was, in fact, probably more dark and ominous. Still, even if not entirely demonic, quite cool. The rest of the songs had their own unique angles, as the song seemed to move much faster than possible during the allotted time-slot. “Narcissist’s Disguise,” “Implode,” and “Hannah” were the remaining songs performed. No disrespect, as I recall “Hannah” in particular brought the set to a nifty close; but I don’t have any notes beyond the song titles, so check ’em out for yourselves.

Other Brother Darryl; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Other Brother Darryl

First of all, if you’re too young to recognize the reference in this band’s name, find a couple episodes of Newhart to watch and get back to me. With that out of the way, Other Brother Darryl is a band whose music is, largely, very Americana with a twang. An especially popular local act – winners of the Country Artist of the Year category at the Boston Music Awards in 2024 – this band brought the goods at this year’s festival. You might also describe the band’s sound as old-school Americana with gravelly vocals. My final note from OBD’s set was about the band’s third song, a jangly tune with somewhat psychedelic organ-work and a jam-bandish vibe, extending a truly groovy feeling to the early evening.

Dirt Road Souls; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Dirt Road Souls

Next up were Dirt Road Souls, a rockin’ Americana three-piece. The first stand-up bass I caught during my portion of the festival, which is mostly notable just to point out that, while the entire festival was Americana music, different instrumentation with the bands’ line-ups in addition to the artists’ varying influences afforded the event plenty of musical variety. This, of course, would be an example of different instrumentation.

I took notes about a few of the interesting songs during the band’s set. “Bright light white heat” thumps along like a dive bar hillbilly rock twanger. The band’s uptempo cover of Willie Nelson’s “Whiskey River” did a good job of keeping things moving. And “Roar” was an energetically twangy, very cool crowd pleaser.

Kier Byrnes & the Kettle Burners; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Kier Byrnes & the Kettle Burners

Kier Byrnes & the Kettle Burners closed the festival with their own uniquely original, raucous style of Americana, as I noted in my review of the band’s Before the Fall EP a few weeks ago. The band opened its set with big-time energy with the song “Gypsy Moon.” “Don’t Let Perfect” followed, with a little more finesse and a beat that kind of chunks along. Next up was the more intensely fun “Living By the Second Hand,” followed by “Ballad of Springfield, Massachusetts (Pictures on Her Cellphone),” introduced by Kier simply as “Pictures,” with a very raucous alt/college rock energy appended to an otherwise very country/Americana rocker. “Trains off the Rails,” from the Before the Fall EP, well… you just had to know this one would play well live with its very almost polka/oompah rhythm propelling a song that just accelerates. “Quarter Life Crisis” followed, with its blues soul and raucous college rock energy (You know, I’m not sure how I failed to note the blues vibe in my review of the recording a few weeks ago.) Finally, the band closed its set with its most insanely original tune, “White Russian,” churning through its cool, original energy, from the accordion style, the guitar tempo, and the wild, increasingly out of control (seemingly, at least) vocal delivery, and then, of course the Russian folk energy that makes you want to kick-dance. It was a crowd-pleasing end to the final band’s set.

Of course, the evening wasn’t quite over. Kier and band invited the day’s other performers to join them on the stage for a great, rockalong/singalong rendition of “The Weight,” a not-uncommon song for situations like this, bringing the day’s festivities to a fun close.

This year’s New England Americana Festival was a fun, well-attended event at a great outdoor venue. Here’s hoping this year’s successful event leads to another similarly fun gathering for the region’s Americana community next year, too.

Live Review: Debo Ray at Sanctuary

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Debo Ray

Sanctuary (Barside), Maynard, MA

June 13, 2025

As I’ve mentioned before, so many early evening shows at Sanctuary’s bar feature the Boston area’s best musicians, many of whom you rarely see this far out in the suburbs, offering a cool chance to see the top talent of the region without having to travel into the big city. Singer Debo Ray was joined by Scott Tarulli on guitar on this particular evening at Sanctuary.

Debo Ray’s vocal talents cover a broad range, from soft and smooth to powerful, with the ability to adeptly handle the soaring notes and the nearly-spoken ones, working the full gamut of emotions into her performance. Debo included a varied mix of originals and covers into the evening’s performance. As is usually the case, the originals were very well-suited to Debo’s skills, while the covers she selected for the evening were equally good at showing off the range of her vocal talent.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

One of the other standout features of Debo Ray’s performance during the evening was her between-songs banter – a skill that doesn’t come easily, if at all, to a lot of top musicians of her caliber. She had great stories to tell and connected very well with the crowd, something particularly important in an intimate setting like the small bar at Sanctuary. The banter added to the appreciation of the songs and left the audience feeling as if they were getting to know Debo a bit over the course of the evening. Not only does this make an evening’s performance enjoyable, but it’s a great way to get fans coming back again and again.

Early in the first set, the audience was treated to the grooving, soulful original “Time With You.” Debo followed it up with her rendition of Corinna Bailey Rae’s “Closer,” a very heartfelt performance with just the lightest instrumentation helping keep the focus on her powerful vocals.

Next up were a pair of originals. The first, “Tell Me What You Want,” delivered a variation of tempos and rhythm, showcasing a fair bit of Debo Ray’s vocal range, from soaring to nearly spoken. The next, “Filly,” serves up funky rhythm with vocal power at times, nuance at others. By design, there’s not a lot of soft subtlety on this song, but Debo’s vocal power remains strong even when nuanced.

Sanctuary; photo by Geoff Wilbur

A pair of covers followed. Debo Ray delivered a very soulful rendition of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” serving up vocals with range, power, and personality. That was followed by a cool cover of Emily King’s “Distance,” which featured lots of vocal runs – something heard not just here but frequently elsewhere in other songs, as well, the sort of thing that plays exceptionally well for a skilled vocalist in a live performance.

Debo closed the set with an original and another cover. On the original, “Now You’re Here,” the opening vocals hit oh, so sweet! It’s a smooth, swaying song, with a lyrical rhythm in the verses that’s next-level, particularly the way she delivers it. Next up was a rendition of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” that Debo kinda absolutely nailed.

The second song of set number two returned to Roberta Flack, this time with “Fell Like Makin’ Love,” in which Debo worked a bunch of vocal gymnastics.

It was followed by an original, “Gaslight,” that is next-level when performed live. There was something almost theatrical in Debo Ray’s delivery, so intense and pretty raw.

She followed that with a couple of covers. First, to cleanse the palate with smoothness following the raw emotion of “Gaslight,” Debo served up Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You,” proving she’s fully able to deliver the vocal richness necessary to sing an Alicia Keys number. Then she dealt the fun, with a warm, rich, full-vocalled, emotionally-voiced performance of Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.”

photo by Geoff Wilbur

With the show nearing a close, original “Take That” was next. It’s a really powerful, self-empowered proclamation-driven song, very much a song for people psyching themselves up to take control of their lives. Just wow, the emotional strength in the vocals of this powerful ballad!

Next up, Debo turned to Aretha. Specifically, Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman,” an to be honest, I had considered making an Aretha comparison earlier, but, well, after I heard Debo’s strong performance of this song, if I had any doubts before (which I didn’t), she erased them by proving she has a voice capable of being mentioned favorably in the same sentence with Aretha.

Debo closed the night with another original, “Cope.” Penned during pandemic, it’s a thoughtful, jazzy number.

And that brought to an end yet another Sanctuary bar show, as the venue continues to bring Boston’s top talent out to Maynard, close enough that I can easily get in to hear them perform… and to let you know that you shouldn’t miss them.

Looking Ahead

I know that, among those of you in the Boston area who read this blog, many of you are much closer to the city than I am. Well, good news for you. According to the “shows” page on Debo Ray’s website, she has a bunch of shows coming up. From now through the end of the year, in addition to several Boston shows, she’ll be in Medford, Malden, Somerville, and North Andover. And there’s a February 28, 2026 concert booked for the big stage at Sanctuary in Maynard. Debo Ray’s vocal talent with a full band? It’s a double-bill with The ABeez. If your schedule permits, that’ll be a must-see event for those of us in the outer burbs… or for folks travelling out from the city. So many good restaurants in Maynard to make an evening of it. Just sayin’.

Live Review: Danielle Miraglia and Cheryl Arena at Sanctuary

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Danielle Miraglia and Cheryl Arena

Sanctuary (Barside), Maynard, MA

June 5, 2025

As I noted when I reviewed Dennis Brennan’s Sanctuary gig a couple weeks ago, this is the show I expected to be the first to get my out to this Maynard nightspot. The first Thursday of every month at 5:30pm is a Danielle Miraglia “Drinks with Friends” performance, and I’ve had every first Thursday this year circled but only just finally got to one last night. Danielle is one of Boston’s best blues artists, regularly a finalist or winner at local and regional music awards, and she is joined each month by another top area musician. On this particular month, she was joined by Cheryl Arena, one of the best blues harmonica players you’ll ever hear. (I’ll let her bio do the bragging.)

Of course, you’ve read both of these artists here before. We’ve reviewed three of Danielle’s album and five – now six – live performances, though this is our first live review since my 2019 review. I’ve only covered Cheryl once before, when I caught her 2016 concert at The Backyard.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Given the caliber of the evening’s performers, it’s no surprise the bar at Sanctuary was pretty full.

The first set covered a range of blues styles. I walked in during what I think was a Bob Dylan cover. It was followed a folky “advice” song, “Shave That Stubble Off.”

Danielle’s vocals can range from soft and introspective to booming and powerful, and she broke out her full-on powerful blues voice on her version of “C.C. Rider,” which appeared on Danielle’s Bright Shining Stars album. One thing, too, was apparent on this song, as it was throughout the night. Everything sounds better with Cheryl Arena on harmonica.

The two shifted lead vocal responsibilities back and forth this set and throughout the night. Cheryl’s vocals are a little more on the rougher-edged end of the blues. She led the way on “Temptation” and employed a very rough and ragged blues vocal on “Big Road.”

Danielle took the lead were a new original she tentatively calls “Mess in Your Room,” a song about the mess the next generation will inherit with the prominent vocal “Children don’t bother…”

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Danielle closed the first set with a Little Walter tune, “Can’t Hold Out Much Longer.”

After a break, Danielle and Cheryl continued to wow the crowd with a broad variety of mostly-blues. Cheryl took the lead with a cool rendition of “Can’t Let Go.” Danielle followed by belting out her original “Monster”, from her All My Heroes Are Ghosts album. For fans who don’t remember song titles, it’s the “make your own news” song, and it uses a majority of Danielle’s stylistic range while sporting a funky rhythm.

Cheryl took over the lead vocals again on the next song, an energetic “Con Man” that brought a bit more energy to the audience that I’d seen at any other point in the night. From a crowd-energy standpoint, it was probably the evening’s highlight.

Next up, Danielle turned to a Bruce Springsteen song. She gave a nice, tuneful delivery on an engaging acoustic rendition of “Hungry Heart,” with Cheryl adding an inspired guitar solo. When harmonies were called for, they were noticeably good, as well, and not just because Kevin So, who was in the audience and who will be Danielle’s “Drinks with Friends” guest at Sanctuary later this year, accepted Danielle’s invitation to step up to a microphone and join the duo.

The night’s two closing numbers were standouts, too. Danielle always makes her cover of Tom Waits’ “2:19” here own, and last night was no exception; as always, she delivered with that identifiable mostly-sincere-but-slightly-smirky vocal inflection that’s hers and hers alone.

And Cheryl took the lead on the evening final number, “Nobody Knows When You’re Down and Out,” a soulful, slow blues lament with a nifty harmonica part.

As is always the case when Sanctuary brings Boston’s best musicians out to this small bar space, the performance had an intimate feel you usually can’t find this far out in the burbs.

Live Review: Martin and Kelly at Kimball Farm

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Martin and Kelly

Kimball Farm, Westford, MA

May 30, 2025

The Backstory

It’s hard to believe it’s been 8 years since I last saw and reviewed Martin and Kelly, one of the area’s most talented country bands. Well, many areas, actually. In addition to New England, Martin and Kelly spend a lot of time touring (here’s their 2025 concert schedule), frequently trekking out to the Mountain Time Zone (Colorado, Wyoming), occasionally hitting the Plains (there were Iowa gigs this year), and otherwise touring up and down the east coast from New England to Florida. But when they’re in New England, I’ve been keeping an eye on their gigs hoping to catch one. Two weeks ago, if the Watertown Porchfest had been a rainout, a Martin and Kelly show was my backup plan for that day. Well, last night the rain held off, so I headed up to Kimball Farm and was thoroughly entertained, as expected.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The Review

Jilly Martin is an impressive singer with a broad range. She can hit the ideal pitch and tone for old-school country songs and, though she does it less often, can keep pace with new country, as well. Ryan Kelly has a voice that’s well-attuned to classic country, particularly when there’s a rougher edge called for. Together, their voice blend exceptionally well into impressive harmonies. And Ryan can throw down some mean guitarwork from time to time, too. As a duo, Martin and Kelly are a big draw across several geographies in the U.S. And they’re able to draw a pretty good crowd to an atypical venue like Kimball Farm, as they kicked off the Kimball Farm summer concert series last night.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The duo kept the crowd engaged for the entire two-hour show, encompassing two entertaining sets.

An early highlight was a patriotic Martin and Kelly original, “Stood Their Ground.” Early on, the duo also delivered a “picking and grinning” rendition of “Eastbound and Down” and a  version of “Tulsa Time” that sounds so sweet when Jilly sings it.

“Chattahoochie” featured a patented Martin and Kelly vocal blend with great harmonies and some lively pickin’ from Ryan on guitar. (OK, they both play guitar, so “guitar on the right.”)

Remember how I said modern country was within Jilly’s wheelhouse, too? I suppose it’s a mix of modern and classic, but she delivered the goods on a cover of the Carrie Underwood version of Randy Travis’ “I Told You So.”

After a rousing performance of “9 to 5,” they performed the Randy Travis-penned “If She Means That Much to You,” with great sweet soft country vocals from Jilly, a song well-fitting her voice and in which she sports just a hint of where the country twang might go if a singer had one. Plus, she delivers a great burst of power vocals at the song’s end.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Other first-set highlights were a nice a capella “King of the Road” led by Jilly, with Ryan joining for harmony on the song’s back half, and an energetic version of John Anderson’s/LeAnn Rimes’ “Swingin’,” which featured a notably festive guitar-picking run from Ryan.

Early second set crowdpleasers included a rousing rendition of Shania Twain’s “Whose Be Have Your Boots Been Under.” And then a cool Jilly Martin vocal-led cover of “Ring of Fire.”

A second set highlight was the new “I Can’t Stop This Wanting You Feeling.” With nice harmonies, a catchy hook, and a nifty little guitar bit in the middle of song, this seems like a sure-fire future crowd favorite. I also think the little “woo-hoo-oo-oo” bits add to the song’s memorableness. (A recording of this one coming soon, maybe?)

The duo dropped a little treat for any non-country fans in the audience. A version of “Waterfalls” with as-usual spot-on vox from Jilly, a clever strumming pattern and little picking runs from Ryan, and an excellent what-the-hell-is-that?, wow-that’s-really-good! stretch of rapping from Jilly in the middle.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Jilly then showcased her yodeling skills before the duo followed with a nice “Country Roads” duet. It features a nice powerful, Rondstadtty vocal from Jilly and serves as a great send-off number, a fun way to close the show.

A Martin and Kelly show is always a dependably outstanding performance. According to the Kimball Farm Music Series schedule, you can catch the duo back in Westford on August 16th. According to Martin and Kelly’s concert calendar, between now and then, they’ll be performing in 12 different states across the country, as far west as Wyoming and Colorado and as far south as North Carolina, including several shows in four New England states.

Live Review: Dennis Brennan at Sanctuary

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Dennis Brennan Trio (Dennis Brennan, Jim Haggerty & Andrew Stern)

Sanctuary (Barside), Maynard, MA

May 25, 2025

The Backstory

Sanctuary Arts Center, in a cool, repurposed church in Maynard, Massachusetts, was launched in 2019… just in time for the pandemic. I think I recall hearing about it at the time, but it really came into my consciousness earlier this year when I learned Blog favorite Danielle Miraglia had a regular monthly gig there the first Thursday of each month. I haven’t made it out to one of Danielle’s shows yet, but I did finally have an opportunity to get to a Sanctuary gig yesterday.

Often, there are afternoon shows in the bar (“barside”) and evening performance or events in the main concert room, which I walked through as the evening’s band was setting up. Very impressive space! I can’t wait to get to a concert in the big room. However, this late afternoon/early evening gig was in the cozy bar, which was pretty full because, well, let’s face it, it was a Dennis Brennan show.

That’s the other thing I’ve noticed about Sanctuary. A lot of the artists who perform there, notably two or three of the early “barside” events most weeks, are artists you’d usually have to drive in to Boston, Cambridge, or Somerville to see. They don’t play the outer suburbs very often, so it’s a great opportunity for outer western suburbanites (like me) to catch the Boston area’s best artists without having to drive into (and park in) the city.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The Review

That brings us to tonight’s gig. Dennis Brennan is a well-known, veteran talent in the Boston area. On this particular night, he showed off his range, from Americana to ’50s-influenced rock to blues. It’s a package of musical styles likely to appeal to a broad range of fans, and the crowd at Sanctuary, spanning a few decades in age, represented the breadth of Dennis’ appeal.

During the first set, Dennis was without his guitar, so he manned the harmonica, and the band focused primarily on the blues. It was an excellent showcase of this part of his repertoire. Dennis’ gravelly vocals are versatile, and he showcased his ability to hit the full range of styles – pained, thoughtful, lively – surprising no one who has heard him before, of course.

By the time I settled in, it was time for song number two, a rendition of Walter Jacbos’ “Blues with a Feeling” that featured thumping bass, a sweet guitar groove with the occasional blues wail, and some fancy-ass harmonica work. The band followed that with Mose Allison’s “Foolkiller,” which called for a little livelier and funkier delivery.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Dennis manned the tambourine on Sanford Clark’s “Still as the Night,” which featured some nifty southwestern style blues guitar driving this slow song with a feeling like wide open spaces. Dennis was back on the harmonica for a funky, bluesy version of Chuck Berry’s “Don’t You Lie to Me,” providing earnest and heartfelt vox, as well. And the band closed the first set with a Charles Brown song, “Fool’s Paradise,” one of those slow, talkin through it slow blues songs that feels particularly like it’s telling it like it is.

Now, my notes for the second set are a little sparse, as I realized an old friend, the organizer of the Backyard concert series, had made it out to the suburbs for this gig. However, it’s worth noting that Dennis had his guitar for the second set, so the second set differed a little in style. There was plenty of blues, which sported a little more of a guitar-driven blues groove, in part, I’m sure, due to the absence of harmonica. But some Americana, as well as some ’50s-’60s style rock ‘n roll were also represented in the set. Featured were a rollicking performance of “Oh, Lonesome Me,” a cool rendition of the Hollies’ “You Better Move,” and an old-style swinging rock song I must admit I didn’t recognize.

In the end, it was a great evening of music from one of the area’s undeniable talents, Dennis Brennan, in trio format with a pair of Boston’s in-demand bandmates. And out in the outer suburbs, which is lucky to have a venue like the Sanctuary bringing top Boston talent close to an intimate venue an hour outside the city.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Looking Ahead

For future Sanctuary concerts, check out the “Concerts” page on the venue’s website. If you’re like me and like to let Facebook remind you of upcoming shows, you can find many of the upcoming Sanctuary shows on the venue’s “events” tab. Go ahead and click “interested” on the shows that interest you, as I do, so you’ll be reminded as the dates approach.