Boston's Best Concerts To Look Forward To In 2013
Lady Gaga
TD Bank North Garden
100 Legends Way
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 624-1000
www.tdgarden.com
Date: Feb. 27, 2013
Pop mega-star Lady Gaga isn't known for doing anything on a small scale, so it naturally makes sense that the 2012 to 2013 Born This Way Ball tour looks to be as brash and bold an event as the singer/songwriter herself. Featuring opening act Zedd alongside Gaga's longtime friend (and former burlesque partner in crime) Lady Starlight, the tour seems poised to be one of the year's most talked-about jaunts. This isn't Gaga's first time at the TD Bank Garden, either, so fans should expect the avant-garde performer to pull all out the stops when it comes to her stage show, wardrobe and special effects. This one is not to be missed.
Related: Boston's Best Artistic Photographers
Sarah Brightman
Boston Opera House
539 Washington St.
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 259-3400
www.bostonoperahouse.com
Date: Feb. 5, 2013
Price: from $51.50
For those whose tastes are more classically influenced, the beloved English soprano Sarah Brightman makes her way to the East Coast with a date at Boston's legendary Opera House. Don't think for a moment that Brightman will be putting on a stuffy show, however, for this stunning crossover sensation has made it her business to make classical opera accessible to a heretofore unheard of audience. She combines equal parts showmanship, flair and skill into one complete concert package. This show is a solid bet for everything from date night to family night.
Muse
TD Bank North Garden
100 Legends Way
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 624-1000
www.tdgarden.com
Date: April 12, 2013
The neo-prog rock revivalist band has made a name for itself on the live front, presenting a stage show that defies their cerebral studio muscle in favor of a a visceral, yet modern expression of arena aggression and electro-pop sensibility. The English band's hyper-kinetic live presence is anchored by lead singer and guitarist Matthew Bellamy's passionate, sexy vocals and fiery six string skills. Together with bassist Christopher Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard, Bellamy and Muse front a new progressive revolution that presents the venerable, virtuoso-friendly genre in a new and more commercial light, resulting in a must-see concert experience.
Related: 2012 Boston Holiday Theatre Preview
Joe Bonamassa
Citi Wang Theater
270 Tremont St.
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 482-9393
www.citicenter.org
Date: May 10, 2013
Price: $62.75 to $109.75
It isn't all too often that such a young performer can take on and adapt to a musical genre so steeped in age and history as the blues. It's even more incredible when that musician ends up becoming an authoritative voice and defining modern image of the genre. So goes the story of New York guitarist Joe Bonamassa, whose multidimensional brand of blue guitar playing has made the 35-year-old one of the genre's most popular artists. Bonamassa's live gigs are known for their incendiary nature; a product of the man's thick and aggressive riff delivery, which nevertheless manages to balance out the noted blues penchant for soul, sorrow and simplistic, plaintive melody. Joe Bonamassa is a bluesman whose show needs to be seen, felt and experienced first hand.
The Saw Doctors
House of Blues
15 Lansdowne St.
Boston, MA 02215
(888) 693-2583
www.houseofblues.com/
Date: March 16, 2013
Price: $29.50 to $45
The reputation of Ireland's beloved folk-rock icons The Saw Doctors has been cemented in stone since the band's formation back in 1986. The band is still something of a cult phenomenon here in the states, however, with many of its fans possessing a fervent, almost Grateful Dead-like fanaticism in following The Saw Doctors from town to town whenever they venture across the pond for a jaunt. Lighthearted, yet tight and musically involved in its live set, The Saw Doctors certainly leaves a lasting impression on both fans and first timers whenever it hits the stage.
George Pacheco has been writing professionally about arts and entertainment for over a decade. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, George currently resides in a humble New England home with his wife, cat and massive music and film collection. His work can be found at Examiner.com.
