Concerts
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From her style to her crowd size, here are the most unforgettable details of the Lolla main stage debut.
New York City in 1978 was a very different place. The city had nearly gone bankrupt only three years earlier and it still felt uncertain, edgy and threatening. But it was exploding with musical creativity, from the Bowery to the Bronx.
For an ambitious young musician, Bronx-born and raised on Long Island, coming off the most successful album of his career, it was time to come in from the suburbs and claim the city as his own.
On Dec. 14, 1978, Billy Joel made his debut at Madison Square Garden.
Flash forward almost exactly 35 years to December 2013. That was when Joel, along with his longtime agent Dennis Arfa and Garden officials, came up with the audacious plan for the singer to perform a monthly residency at the arena — which would continue, he said then, “for as long as there’s demand.”
Onstage at the Garden on Thursday (July 25), Joel, 75, declared “It’s time.” In a joyous, raucous, moving night of music and memories, Billy Joel played his 150th show at Madison Square Garden and the finale of his unprecedented decade-long residency. He recalled the many milestones of his live career — one of the first acts to play Yankee Stadium and the “last play” at Shea Stadium; performing in Berlin before the Wall fell down, in the Soviet Union, in Havana, Cuba and at the Colosseum in Rome.
“But out of all of them,” said Joel, “this is the best!”
To be sure, the demand to see Joel at the Garden has never slackened; on Thursday the place was packed to the rafters — where, of course banners hang proclaiming Joel’s MSG records: most consecutive performances by any artist and most lifetime performances by any artist. Jimmy Fallon joined Joel to raise the new “150 Performances” banner Thursday night. (Axl Rose was Joel’s second guest, later in the evening).
Over the past decade, the Garden reports, Joel has sold more than 1.9 million tickets to these shows to fans from all 50 states and more than 120 countries. But make no mistake; this was a hometown crowd, cheering the local references in Joel’s powerhouse, customary show opener “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway).”
Here are 10 of the greatest moments from the finale of Joel’s MSG residency
Today I Am Your Champion — Still
07/24/2024
His choices of onstage friends and cover versions made his decade-long MSG run a celebration of pop music history.
07/24/2024
Boston’s music scene is backed by music venues that have withstood the test of time. Whether you’re drawn to the timeless charm of Wally’s Cafe Jazz Club or eager to explore the cutting-edge sounds of Roadrunner, Boston’s music venues offer something for everyone. From legendary spots steeped in history to innovative newcomers pushing sonic boundaries, these venues ensure that all artists should include Boston on their tour schedules.
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Wally’s Cafe Jazz Club
Founded in 1947, Wally’s Cafe Jazz Club holds the distinction of being the first Black-owned jaz club in New England. Located in the South End, Wally’s has been a sanctuary for jazz artists and students alike in the city. Over the years, legendary jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday have graced the Wally’s stage. Now, nearly 78 years later, the club remains owned and operated by its founding family.
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Paradise Rock Club
Paradise Rock Club is a standing room only venue located in Boston. In its 40+ year history, the Paradise has been host to artists like U2, Tom Betty, Billy Joel, and more. This summer, fans can catch performances from a wide range of artists including 50 Cent, Snakehips, Lay Lay, Hobo Johnson.
Roadrunner
In the historic Fenway neighborhood, Roadrunner has emerged as one of the most popular new venues in the city. As the largest indoor general admission venue in New England, Roadrunner was designed to deliver a top notch live music experience with both artist and audience in mind.
Initially built for the Boston Celtics practice facility, co-founder and VP Josh Bhatti, said their goal was to create a more thoughtful experience for artists and fans that goes beyond the music. “No one has to go to concerts. People spend their hard earned money on tickets, so how can you incentivize people to come?” This summer, fans in Boston can check out artists like Still Woozy, The Lox, Ken Carson, and more.
MGM Music Hall
The MGM Music Hall at Fenway is a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose performing arts center that accommodates over 5,000 people. With a consistent lineup that spans genres and generations, MGM Music Hall promises unforgettable nights of music and entertainment. This summer fans can catch Chief Keef performing his Billboard-charting hits or Bill Maher’s critically acclaimed stand-up comedy set.
Big Night Live
Big Night Live is a premier luxury music hall unlike any other venue in Boston. In conjunction with Live Nation and Ticketmaster, Big Night Live provides guests exclusive access to their favorite artists spanning all genres of music. Accommodating over 2,000 fans, the multi-level venue hosts concerts and community events year-round. This summer, fans can catch Billboard-charting rappers Rick Ross and YG.
For visitors exploring Boston’s cultural offerings or locals looking to immerse themselves in the city’s summer vibes, these music venues promise an unforgettable weekend filled with the magic of live music and the spirit of Boston.
Trigger warning: the following story features discussions about rape and sexual assault.
The first thing that hit you was the unbearable, eye-wateringly putrid stench. Then, the slow realization that some of the “mud” the kids at Woodstock ’99 were rubbing all over their viciously sunburnt, exhausted bodies and tossing at each other was not, in fact, just mud.
The sight of hundreds of young concertgoers wallowing in the fetid pool of human waste mixed with dirt pooling around the porta-potties would have made me sick if it wasn’t the 20th worst thing I would end up experiencing at Woodstock ’99. It was just one of the many flashing danger signs of the sinister, apocalyptic vibe that slowly spread across the three-day (July 23-25) festival 25 years ago — which was, of course, intended to honor the original 1969 peace and love gathering on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, N.Y.
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Instead, what became a disastrous cash-in on the good will of the original — following a well-received reboot in 1994 featuring Metallica, a mud-caked Nine Inch Nails, Bob Dylan and Green Day — turned into a fiery nightmare, ending in riots and reports of four alleged rapes and multiple sexual assaults.
I was there and watched in disbelief as more than 200,000 attendees baked on the tarmac of the decommissioned Griffiss Air Force base in Rome, N.Y. — a Superfund site that had formerly housed hazardous materials — at an event that was as far from getting “back to the garden” as humanly possible. Gouged by the promoters selling $4 bottles of water and flavorless $12 pizzas (with many of the promised free water stations just trickling or irretrievably damaged), the three-day event got progressively weirder, darker and scarier, as attendees whipped themselves into a testosterone frenzy to the strains of bro bands like Insane Clown Posse, Korn, Limp Bizkit and Buckcherry.
The many stories I wrote on site alongside my colleagues at the pioneering online music magazine Addicted to Noise — which later included a 20-plus-part, award-winning investigative series spearheaded by reporters Brian Hiatt and Chris Nelson that dove into the nitty gritty of what went wrong — are lost to history now, following Paramount’s recent decision to pull the entire MTV News archive offline. But those memories are still seared into my brain, and at the time I remember quickly dashing off a bleary-eyed day-after essay the morning after the fires assessing the damage to the site, the psyche and the legacy of the beloved original three days of peace, love & rock ‘n roll.
(It’s worth mentioning that the 1969 edition also had its own issues — including massive gate-crashing that forced overwhelmed organizers to reluctantly turn it into a free event, as well as miles-long traffic jams coming in and out and a lack of proper sanitation, food and infrastructure to handle the unexpected crowds.)
I stayed on site all night reporting on the aftermath at Woodstock ’99, watching as black-helmeted, storm trooper-like police in riot gear marched into the chaotic scrum while looters smashed ATMs and vendor carts, set fire to 18-wheelers filled with soft pretzels and crashed through the comically flimsy, daisy-covered “peace wall” meant to keep the non-ticketed hordes off site. Those depressing scenes came after days of watching young men harassing the many topless women who’d had their chests adorned with glittery paint at airbrush stations, while female artists such as Alanis Morissette and Sheryl Crow were greeted by cheers mixed with endless frat boy bellows of “show us your t–s!!!” A dozen state troopers and police supervisors were later demoted or suspended for posing in photos with topless women or agreeing to have their cruisers washed by nude attendees.
The MTV News crew was forced to flee the scene in a hurry after amped-up rioters began shaking their broadcast tower during the final night as fires broke out during the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ headlining set. “Holy s–t, it looks like Apocalypse Now out there,” singer Anthony Kiedis said as he looked out on the flames and smoke rising in the crowd. The veteran band had taken the stage wearing hard hats rigged to shoot flames into the air, and their decision to cover original Woodstock performer Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire” proved to be ill-timed, as it was performed while a series of half a dozen massive bonfires sent flames into the sky all over the garbage-strewn field. The fuel for those fires: shattered shards of the what promoters had referred to as the perimeter-securing “peace fence.”
After suffering legendary gate-crashing at the original, peaceful event in 1969, which eventually swelled to half a million attendees, the 1999 promoters said beforehand that they were determined to lock down the military site. And in an effort that was comical until it was tragic, their solution was nearly six miles of plywood and steel fencing wall surrounding the tarmac, a barrier over which some fans easily tossed contraband to each other, and which they eventually breached on the final night. As the chaos erupted, I watched a stream of locked-out fans easily scale the wall. They were no match for the overwhelmed, by-then-exhausted uniformed force — which included more than 500 music fans in yellow “Peace Patrol” t-shirts, who’d had a total of two or three days of training and some of whom ditched their official gear to join the fun, and who struggled alongside 500 state troopers and a private security detail of 3,000 to maintain order.
Kid Rock during Woodstock ’99 in Saugerties, New York in Saugerties, New York.
KMazur/WireImage
To be clear: the riots and violence were not the direct result of the performers whipping up the crowd, the ill-chosen former military site or even what co-promoter Jon Scher derisively referred to as a few “bad apples” in the crowd wilding out. All of those factors certainly contributed to the weird vibe in the air, but the creeping sense that things were out of control took on a life of its own.
During what escalated into contentious daily news briefings by the promoters as the extent of the quagmire came into view to the assembled, frustrated press, Scher — who co-produced the event with original Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang (who died in 2022) — was asked repeatedly about the obvious breakdowns in infrastructure, crowd control and fan safety all weekend. Pushing back on reporters, at the time Scher often dissembled and appeared to brush aside concerns about what was clearly an increasingly out-of-control situation. More than two decades later, Scher continued blaming Limp Bizkit for some of the violence after their fans tore plywood sheets from a lighting tower to crowd surf while again brusquely brushing aside claims of mismanagement.
“Nobody came thinking they were going to stay at the Ritz Carlton,” he said in the 2022 Netflix documentary Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99, once again blaming “knuckleheads” (which he put in the 50-or-so range) for “causing trouble”; Scher made similar comments in another W99 doc from HBO in 2021 entitled Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage. His most outrageous claims came in response to questions about how women were treated on site and about the reports of the alleged rapes and sexual assaults. “There were a lot of women who voluntarily had their tops off,” he said in Trainwreck. “Then you get into a mosh pit and you crowd surf. Could somebody have touched their breasts? Yes, I’m sure they did. What could I have done about it? I’m not sure I could have done anything.”
Scher, who was not involved in the original Woodstock but did co-promote the 1994 version, was also not a part of a failed 2019 attempt at a 50th anniversary edition that melted down due to permitting and financing issues.
Speaking to Billboard this week, Scher says one of the lessons he learned was “you can’t have these heavy metal based bands” performing one after another in such an “isolated” location. Asked if that was disingenuous given the riot-free success of the all-metal touring OzzFest, as well as dozens of other hard rock festivals in the years since that have not devolved into such chaos, Scher says it was a “different era… it seems to me that by 1999 the ‘tribes’ got more aggressive… [But] these were dumb kids out having a blast, many inebriated.”
Scher again points to Limp Bizkit, saying that in his 50 years of promoting he’s “never” had to pull the plug on a band like he did when the Fred Durst-led group’s set got out of control during “Break Stuff” as fans began crowd surfing on plywood panels ripped from rigging.
He also says his team opened up some hangars to give weary fans some much-needed respite from the sun: “Who could have predicted the weather would be that terrible?” in the middle of the summer, he protests. Scher also points to the “intense” permitting and regulatory statues in New York regarding live gatherings, a direct aftermath of the 1969 festival, as the reason that the number of portable toilets, water stations and security were “more than adequate” for the job.
Unfortunately, he claims, the company hired to clean the toilets simply “didn’t show up” to service them twice a day as contracted and unruly fans wrecked a quarter of the free water stations, a combo that led to the “mud”-covered masses. “We couldn’t anticipate that,” he says, noting that the one reported fatality of an attendee was a young man who was helicoptered to a local hospital, where he later died.
As for the many alleged sexual assaults and four alleged rapes, after his poorly received comments in the films, the promoter was careful to explain that he was, “not saying they didn’t occur… but [according to Scher] not one person who said they got raped reported it to police during or after”; The New York Times reported on July 29, 1999 that four women reported to New York State Police that they had been raped at Woodstock ’99 and that a crisis counselor on site said they’d seen at least five women being gang-raped in the crowd. At the time, Police Captain John Wood told the Associated Press that, “it’s going to be difficult to pursue this because people have scattered to all parts of the country” and in the years since there don’t appear to have been any arrests or convictions tied to the alleged sexual assaults.
Scher’s careful to stress that the sexual violence may have occurred, and that his team sent senior security team members into the crowd to find the alleged offenders as well as alleged victims — but that it was a small group of hard rock “knuckleheads” and “animals” who were the main perpetrators of the violence and riots; out of the 200,000 on hand, Scher says less than 2% (this time he put the number at around 2,000) were responsible for the rioting, disorder and violence. “What happened was an atmosphere we didn’t really anticipate — one that was probably three-quarters men and women who took their tops off or who weren’t wearing any clothes,” Scher says.
James Brown performs on the east stage at Woodstock ’99 in Rome, New York at Griffiss AFB Park for the 30th Anniversary Concert July 23-25.
Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect
Regardless of the explanations of why things went wrong, I have to say that over the course of a 30-year career covering music, I have attended all but a handful of Lollapalooza festivals (the original touring edition and the stay-put in Chicago), the first four Coachellas and all but two of the Warped tours, in addition to dozens of other festivals — and this was still an unparalleled experience for me. While other festivals have had technical glitches, unfortunate injuries (as well as tragic heat-and drug-related deaths) and unplanned annoyances, not once have I seen anywhere near the type of chaos and disorder I observed at Woodstock ’99.
Have I seen young men grab women (and performers) inappropriately while they crowd surf, fans try to hop the eight-foot-tall fences around Grant Park in Chicago to bust into Lolla, or scramble for a sliver of shade at Coachella when the temperature hits the 100s? Of course.
But Woodstock ’99 was a different beast. After the initial salad days of touring festivals in the 1990s that launched Lolla, the jam-focused H.O.R.D.E., the R&B/hip-hop leaning Smokin’ Grooves, Ozzy Osbourne’s metal-themed OzzFest, the female-focused Lilith Fair and several more, Woodstock ’99 felt like the end of an era.
The shock to the system of the festival business afterwards had immediate consequences, many of which you can thank for the more comfortable, safer festival experience that has become standard operating procedure in the 21st century.
A week after the Woodstock ’99 fires were put out, California promoter Goldenvoice announced the first Coachella festival, an event they pointedly promised would be “high-comfort,” located on the picturesque, lush Empire Polo Club fields in Indio, CA. Attending that first year, the vibe was like a bizarro version of what I’d experienced just months earlier — with ample free water, bathrooms and parking, misting tents, shady rest areas and not a whiff of the air of menace and mendacity I experienced in Rome. Even during the ground-shaking headling set by Rage Against the Machine, fans cooked by the nearly triple-digit heat all day moshed to their heart’s content with little to no reports of the kind of violence and violations suffered at W99.
Billboard‘s senior director of live music and touring Dave Brooks says that after Woodstock, promoters began to share best-practices with each other, while dissecting what Scher and company got wrong and realizing that “an accident at one was bad for the whole business.”
“Festivals after Woodstock were more about the music community and the ethos of the festivals, where it went from merely surviving to something more like creating a utopian scene and expression of ideals,” Brooks says, noting that such events now are much safer. They are, of course, by no means impervious to tragedy, as evidenced by the 10 crowd-crush deaths and hundreds of injuries at 2021’s Astroworld Festival as well as 2017’s mass shooting assault on Las Vegas’ Route 91 Harvest festival in which a sniper killed 60 people and injured more than 800 more while firing a high-capacity rifle from an adjacent hotel.
“There’s no fool-proofing it, but things are much better,” says Brooks of today’s massive festivals — which, while safer, still sometimes result in tragic deaths, heat-related illness and deadly weather events. “Content and blaming hard rock acts is not an excuse for crowd-control issues… plenty of hard rock festivals take place around the world that don’t result in riots,” says Brooks.
As an example, when Lollapalooza established a permanent beachhead in Chicago in 2005, promoters dialed in comfort and safety via an impressive display of security, robust fencing and perimeter maintenance — while also offering plenty of free water stations, shady rest areas and rapid-fire responses to dangerous situations via clear chain of command.
There too, when the legendarily intense Rage played the boisterous crowd repeatedly pushed forward, causing a domino-like collapse of sweaty fans during a raucous 2008 headlining slot. In that case, the band halted the set three or more times to give security and attendees a moment to settle, diffusing what could have been a dangerous situation.
And when a freak, dangerous storm popped up in 2015, Lolla organizers pulled off what seemed like an impossible task: calmly evacuating more than 100,000 attendees from the park to safe shelter in less than an hour, and then just as professionally inviting them back in, with almost no incidents of note to report.
While I sprinted to my hotel room as horizontal torrents of rain pelted me along Michigan Ave., all I could think was, “thank God this isn’t Woodstock ’99.”
Sheryl Crow performs on the east stage at Woodstock ’99 in Rome, New York at Griffiss AFB Park for the 30th Anniversary Concert July 23-25.
Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect
Despite the deservedly terrible reputation the festival has developed over the past quarter century thanks to the final night disaster, Scher says he’s talked to “hundreds” of people since who said they had an “absolute blast” at Woodstock ’99. He also says the “peace” fence didn’t come down until the last night when someone rammed a Mercedes sedan through it — at which point the festival had already ended abruptly, after what he remembers as two-plus days of “amazing” music. He also stresses that he didn’t believe he was dishonest during the sometimes three-a-day briefings, but merely did not “embellish” his answers.
I’ll admit he’s not wrong about the music. There were, to be fair, some lasting musical memories for me from those three days of madness at Woodstock ’99. They included seeing James Brown for the first and only time as he opened the festival with one of his legendary high-energy sets and the undeniable bounce of DMX’s career-peak sunset performance — one of the first, and blessedly last, times I witnessed more than 100,000 white fans yelling the n-word at the top of their lungs with zero chill. Then there was the Twilight Zone-like experience of hanging with one of my musical north stars, an exhausted George Clinton, at the Rome airport the day after, as we commiserated on what the intergalactic funk legend said was the “definitely weirdest” experience he’d ever had. (Consider that for a minute.)
“I think the bad things that happened happened and I’m not here to deny that,” Scher say of the fest’s overall grim legacy. “But once you get past the sensationalism from the press, the overwhelming majority of people had a great time… I’m proud of the lineup and music, but I’m certainly not proud of the problems that happened.”
The lessons learned from W99 were harsh, and a few of the complaints from those times persist. Yes, some of the most popular contemporary American festivals have fallen prey to the rampant commercialization, corporate signage-overload and pricey VIP experience traps that leave some fans with an icky taste in their mouths.
But, thankfully, things have gotten better and festival promoters have gone to even greater lengths to ensure safety and security, even as ticket prices have climbed into the stratosphere for many major fests. At the very least, never again have I walked through the grounds of a major festival and typed the phrase I distinctly recall SMS’ing to one of my editors as the weekend devolved into madness: “This seems bad. Like, really bad.”
Stories about sexual assault allegations can be traumatizing for survivors of sexual assault. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.
Megan Thee Stallion‘s first-ever headlining tour concluded with a special surprise in London Wednesday night (July 17), with Yuki Chiba joining the rapper on stage for their debut live performance of “Mamushi.” In clips taken by fans at the O2 Arena in England, Meg and the Japanese musician feed off of each other’s energy while […]
On Dec. 23, 2023, fans were fortunate to see “Thanks,” a final, additional performance by GARNiDELiA at Tokyo’s EX THEATER ROPPONGI as part of their GARNiDELiA stellacage 2023 -stella ship- Re:CoNNeCT world tour. Six months later, on June 30, 2024, GARNiDELiA premier stellacage ‘TOKYO’ World Tour 2024 -TEN- [MAKUAKE] was held. This was the opening show of their world tour and their first time performing in Tokyo’s Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall. The mood of the show was dramatically different from the previous show, and you could immediately see and feel the support GARNiDELiA enjoyed from its passionate Chinese fanbase. The first thing one saw upon stepping into the outdoor theater was the huge number of Chinese-speaking fans.
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The popularity of GARNiDELiA’s songs exploded throughout China with member MARiA’s performance of “Gokuraku Jodo” on the Chinese audition show Cheng Feng 2023, launching the band into stardom. MARiA now enjoys overwhelming popularity in China, even serving as the advertising face of various brands.
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Unfortunately, it was rainy on the day of the outdoor show. In the midst of the drizzle, sound effects with a distinctly Asian feel began playing and toku and the band’s supporting members took to the stage. Then MARiA appeared, wearing a dress evocative of the Middle East and a long veil covering her face. The show began with “-TEN-,” a song from their latest album, TEN, which represents GARNiDELiA’s resolve to reach the pinnacle of all they survey. The sound production featured deep bass, the product of the band’s experience in China. This combined with MARiA’s singing voice, whose emotional strength had reached new heights, to produce a chemical reaction that resulted in a simply overwhelming performance. During the band’s performance of “Diamond,” she removed her veil and was joined by a team of dancers. For the rest of the show, they put on intricate dances as MARiA commanded the stage. The crowd shouted along and banged their heads to “COLOR,” bringing the audience even closer together, and then the band launched into “True High.”
After toku and MARiA’s self-introductions, MARiA loosened up the audience with her cheery personality, saying “What a wonderful, sunny day, huh! (laughs) We’re really fortunate to have such great weather! Okay, everybody, I want you just as soaked as me by the time you leave today!” She mentioned that they had added music with a “sky” theme to the set list because of the Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall location.
Her soft voice as she sang the line “a blue sky, free of clouds” in their performance of “ONE,” accompanied by the gorgeous, melodious synth line played by toku, was so powerful it felt like it could even part the rainclouds. MARiA’s piercing eyes glittered, showing the sincerity and honesty she always brings to her songs, as she performed “Soten.” This was followed by “Akatsuki Zakura” and “Oka Ramman,” whose Japanese tones took the splendor of the music to a new level.
MARiA, wearing a cat’s ear headband, and toku, donning a cat’s ear cap, then performed “CAT PLANET” (with a quick detour to perform a cover of Anri’s “CAT’S EYE”). The choreography, featuring cat paw gestures, was a stand-out, and the audience sang along to the “nya nya nya” (“meow meow meow”) part. Still wearing their cat’s ears, GARNiDELiA then played “PiNK CAT,” “Gen Ai Yugi,” and “QUEEN(S) GAME,” all accompanied by their dancers. The active back-and-forth with the audience is one of the hallmarks of the band’s live performances, marked by its global sensibilities.
The rain, however, showed no signs of stopping, instead growing fiercer and fiercer. MARiA, having changed into a black costume with gold decorations, sang a lush rendition of “Fiction,” a song of heartbreak with a piano refrain that lingers even after the song ends. Then the band performed “Hoshi No Uta” and “Suzuran.” The ‘80s flavor created a soundscape that felt both nostalgic and new, drawing out both the wistfulness and beauty of MARiA’s voice. The rain, now pouring down, was perfectly matched to MARiA’s emotional performance. The struggles and hard work beneath her artistry were highlighted even more sharply than in the band’s usual concerts, creating an overwhelming sense of authenticity.
“Sometimes your voices and your love feel like my wings. When I’m with you, nothing can stop me,” said MARiA before diving into the song “Future Wing.” This was followed by the hard-edged rock songs “SPEED STAR,” “ambiguous,” and “BLAZING.” The show’s finale was a special version of “FRONTiER,” which also felt like a beginning. In the encore, which began with “Gokuraku Jodo,” MARiA talked to the Chinese-speaking fans, who cheered in response. It was a truly international moment. “I want my fans in Japan to feel the Chinese vibe,” said MARiA, and the band covered Ikimonogakari’s “Blue Bird,” a song that enjoys a lot of popularity overseas. Many of the Chinese-speaking fans sang along with the chorus in Japanese. Seeing the success GARNiDELiA is achieving around the world, such as the growing range of reactions from the audience, with my own eyes, I was sure that GARNiDELiA’s music was poised on the edge of a dramatic transformation.
“No matter how hard things were, no matter how I struggled, no matter how dark the future looked, I kept pushing forward. I kept fighting. I knew that if I kept doing that, a miracle would happen. Our life, and the love you have all given us, is a testament to that,” said MARiA.
The Hibiya show was the opening of a five-month tour starting in summer that would see GARNiDELiA playing roughly 50 shows, mostly in China and nearby areas. The duo shows true strength, taking change head-on, unflinchingly, in the midst of our rapidly changing environment. This strength was demonstrated again by their performance in the middle of a merciless rainstorm.
The show came to a close with toku, a keytar over his shoulder, leaping to the front of the stage to perform “G.R.N.D.” MARiA and toku’s paths crisscrossed as they listened to each other’s music. Enveloped in generous applause and cheering voices, the duo left the stage.
This article by Mio Komachi first appeared on Billboard Japan.
Fans around the world will be able to livestream this year’s Fuji Rock Festival free of charge on Prime Video and the three official Amazon Music channels on Twitch.
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One of Japan’s pioneering music festivals, Fuji Rock ’24 is slated to hit Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture from July 26-28. The livestream will feature performances and interview footage of the acts billed on this year’s lineup set to appear on the Green, White, Red Marquee and Field of Heaven stages.
The Killers, Kraftwerk and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will headline this year’s Fuji Rock, while acts including Awich, Beth Gibbons, girl in red, Hiromi’s Sonicwonder, Kenya Grace, Kim Gordon, Tatsuya Kitani, MAN WITH A MISSION, Omar Apollo, Taeko Onuki, Noname, Peggy Gou, RAYE, Remi Wolf, Rufus Wainwright, Sampha, Teddy Swims, 10-FEET, The Allman Betts Band, The Last Dinner Party, TOKYO SKA PARADISE ORCHESTRA, Turnstile and more have been announced to perform. The schedule and lineup for the online livestream will be announced later.
Prime Video, which is free for those with an Amazon Prime account, can be streamed on the website and on a variety of compatible devices by using the Prime Video app including smartphones, tablets, cable TV devices, gaming devices, smart TVs, Fire TV, Fire TV stick and Fire tablets. The livestream will also be available for free on the three official Amazon Music channels on Twitch.
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To commemorate this exclusive live broadcast, five official Amazon limited color T-shirts are now available on Amazon Merch on Demand.
Miranda Lambert just wants fans to leave their drama at the door when they come to her concerts. At the country star’s headlining set at Under the Big Sky Festival in Montana Saturday (July 13), she went full teacher mode on a group of fans who apparently had some things to sort out amongst themselves, […]
Boston, Massachusetts, often dubbed America’s Walking City, comes alive during the summer with a vibrant array of outdoor music venues that cater to every musical taste and preference. Whether you’re into grand orchestral performances or intimate porch concerts, Boston offers a diverse range of experience set against its historic, picturesque backdrops.
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Fenway Concert Series
During the summertime, The Fenway Concert Series transforms the iconic baseball stadium into a lively music venue, where fans can enjoy performances with the famous Green Monster as a backdrop. After a successful 2023 Fenway Concert Series featuring the likes of Morgan Wallen and P!NK, Fenway Sports Group put together an impressive lineup of shows for fans to enjoy this summer. Artists like Noah Kahan, Foo Fighters, Green Day, and more will grace the Fenway stage this summer.
Leader Bank Pavilion
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Leader Bank Pavilion is Boston’s premiere outdoor concert venue. Locally dubbed “The Pav” accommodates up to 5,000 guests and provides a unique concert experience with stunning views of the harbor. This summer, The Pavillion stage returns with a stellar lineup of diverse artists like Two Door Cinema Club, Young Miko, Black Pumas, Omar Apollo, and more.
Boston Public Library Courtyard
For those seeking a more intimate live music experience, the Boston Public Library Courtyard hosts classical music concerts and cultural performances that showcase Boston’s rich artistic heritage. This summer, fans can enjoy the Courtyard Series, running from June 5 through Friday August 30th with performances in the McKim Building Courtyard.
Boston Public Library also offers a series of Friday lunchtime concerts throughout the summer featuring local musicians. The summer lineup was primarily curated via an application process overseen by staff with extensive musical backgrounds. Artists such as Patten Street Duo, LEX, and Ming Yang are slated to perform during the Friday lunchtime concert series.
Porchfest
Porchfeset epitomizes Boston’s community spirit and love for music. Held in various neighborhoods across Massachusetts, Porchfest transforms residential streets into DIY stages where local musicians perform on porches, in yards, and even on sidewalks. This grassroots music festival celebrates creativity and individuality, offering a unique opportunity to discover emerging artists and connect with neighbors in a new way.
Hatch Shell
This outdoor amphitheater hosts the renowned Boston Pops Orchestra and a variety of other musical performances throughout the season. From classical symphonies to contemporary concerts, Hatch Shell provides a more intimate outdoor viewing experience along the Charles River Esplanade. This venue is best known for its annual Fourth of July celebration, but often hosts free concerts during the summer months.
Whether you’re a visitor exploring Boston’s cultural offerings or a local looking to soak in the city’s summer vibes, these outdoor music experiences promise an unforgettable weekend filled with the magic of live music and community.