Live Shows, Artist Spotlights, and Music Photography Tips & Advice

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Courtney Barnett Lets the Guitar Do the Talking at a Near-Sold-Out Roadrunner

Wednesday nights at Roadrunner don't always fill up. This one came pretty darn close. The crowd that packed in for Courtney Barnett on May 13th skewed toward the longtime faithful, a notably wide age range from people in their twenties to fans well into their seventies, which tells you something about the kind of catalog she's built over the past decade.

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Show Gallery Nathan Smith Show Gallery Nathan Smith

From the Pyre Tour Brings The Last Dinner Party to a Roadrunner That Couldn't Hold Them

Roadrunner has seen sold-out shows before. Saturday night was something else. The Last Dinner Party packed the Boston venue so completely that the concept of personal space became a distant memory. Given the hype surrounding this band right now, they honestly could have filled TD Garden. Roadrunner just happened to be what was on the calendar.

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Show Gallery Nathan Smith Show Gallery Nathan Smith

Couch claim their hometown crown at Roadrunner

Roadrunner was packed to the rafters, and the energy inside felt more like a coronation than a typical concert. For a band that spent its early years winning over small Boston rooms, Couch’s sold-out hometown show at Roadrunner looked and felt like a moment the entire community had been waiting for. This wasn’t just a big night for the band. It was a collective victory lap for anyone who had been watching their rise from the very beginning.

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Show Gallery Nathan Smith Show Gallery Nathan Smith

Ripe Play the Game and Win Big in Boston

When two of the most feel-good acts in modern music share a stage, a hootenanny is bound to form. On Friday night at MGM Music Hall, that hooteanny was all Boston’s. Allen Stone and Ripe’s co-headline show felt like a celebration from the jump, but for Ripe, it was something more. It was a genuine hometown moment that doubled as a victory lap.

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Show Gallery Nathan Smith Show Gallery Nathan Smith

Of Monsters and Men launch tour in Brooklyn with Winter in the Air

Winter was quietly making its presence felt in New York City, and it felt only right that the Icelandic folk-rock outfit Of Monsters and Men arrived just as the season shifted. After postponing the first few dates of this American tour while frontwoman Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir recovered from vocal rest, the band landed in Brooklyn for the official start of the run, and the crowd let them know they were ready.

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Show Gallery Nathan Smith Show Gallery Nathan Smith

Cage the Elephant end their Neon Pill run in explosive form

It might have been pouring outside, but inside MGM Music Hall the storm had already arrived. On the final night of their Neon Pill Tour, Cage the Elephant brought a high-energy show that reminded everyone why they’ve remained one of modern rock’s most consistently thrilling live bands. The crowd packed the venue shoulder to shoulder, shaking off the rain and ready for chaos.

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Show Gallery Nathan Smith Show Gallery Nathan Smith

The Beaches bring a true sellout crowd to Roadrunner in Boston

There’s sold-out, and then there’s really sold-out. On Wednesday night at Boston’s Roadrunner, The Beaches showed they’re the kind of band that makes a room feel like it’s about to burst at the seams. The last time the Toronto four-piece rolled through town, they topped out at The Royale. Before that, they were just another opener hoping for a few new fans. This time, they had the biggest club in the city on lock, and I’ve never seen it so packed.

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