Author Archives: Chris Jenkins

MANSFIELD, MA | Grammy award winning heavy metal legends Iron Maiden thunderously rocked a sold out Xfinity Center this past Thursday evening as part of the North American leg of their “Legacy of The Beast Tour.” Each fan favorite classic from four decades of music was backed by a unique set of props and stage designs, immersing their fanbase in a thematic rock opera. A deafening roar from the crowd met frontman Bruce Dickinson’s enthusiastic calls of “scream for me, Boston!” throughout the night. Wholehearted smiles shared between bandmates were also met and shared amongst diehard fans who felt the magic of a show which appears to be a giant “thank you” for decades of devotion and success.

Beginning in Europe in 2018, Iron Maiden’s tour received remarkable acclaim from the 750,000+ fans who attended. The “Legacy of The Beast Tour” continues to roll through 33 US and Canadian cities eventually landing in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.

Iron Maiden made a jaw dropping entrance when they opened their set with, “Aces High” in a military style bunker as a huge World War II-era replica Spitfire plane rose and flew overhead. During the song, “Revelations” fans were transported to other worlds as the stage transformed into a cathedral with chandeliers and stained glass windows portraying images from their albums. A dense fog loomed throughout a haunting graveyard during one of the band’s greatest hits, “Fear of the Dark.” Fans were also treated to a sword fight between Bruce Dickinson and a ten foot tall version of the band’s mascot Eddie who was dressed as a British soldier during the track, “The Trooper.”

Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson commented, “We’ve got all kinds of crazy things going on… tons of pyro, a giant Icarus, muskets, claymores and some truly marvelous flame-throwers which I have a hell of a lot of fun with, as you will see! … I’ve had the time of my life playing with all these magnificent props on stage, it’s been fantastic, we can’t wait to bring this show to you!”

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MANSFIELD, MA | On the heels of Voyager—their 13th album released last week—multi-platinum rock band 311 entered Xfinity Center Mansfield Thursday evening under a lightning streaked sky, greeted by a wave of fans who know it’s not summer without a 311 show. The 2019 co-headlined tour with Dirty Heads is supported by Dreamers and Bikini Trill with special guests The Interrupters for more than 30 amphitheater shows held June 29 through August 20.

Their latest album Voyager is like “a captain’s log documenting our band’s ongoing voyage through musical styles, while also capturing our feelings and life experiences,” Nix Hexum has said. “311 has always been very diverse and eclectic, but on this album we take that even further. We are really stretching diversity to have both very old school heavy riff rock combined with some very modern sounds. I’m so excited to expand our palette while keeping the classic elements alive.”

The classic elements are alive and well. The night’s energy was cranked up when the band played crowd favorites “Down,” “All Mixed Up,” “Amber,” and “Homebrew,” and songs off their just released album including “What The?!,” “Stainless,” “Better Space,” and “Don’t You Worry.”

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MANSFIELD, MA | Grammy Award-winning Dave Matthews Band continued the first leg of their 2019 North American Tour on June 21, 2019, at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Mass. In support of the tour, the band released a reworking of the title track “Come Tomorrow” featuring Brandi Carlile from their latest album, Come Tomorrow (RCA Records), which debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2018.

The Massachusetts crowd was buzzing with excitement as the band took the stage of the outdoor amphitheater lit by a setting sun. With the majority of the packed house being diehard fans, a crowd thrilled for the dynamic show DMB has brought for more than 28 years. The veteran band humbly took the stage without a dramatic introduction or opener. Instead, they played a passionate and energetic 19-song set well into the night.

It was almost exactly one year to the day since they last performed at Xfinity Center—many elements reminiscent of the last performance; a spirited lead singer dancing along to the music backed by a joyous band sharing continuous smiles and laughs. The most notable change this year was the setlist, which only contained three songs from their last summer performance. The Dave Matthews Band’s discography of nine studio albums equips the band to deliver a unique and personal set to each crowd along their 2019 tour.

Dave Matthews Band’s ability to deliver a personal experience at their concert was best exemplified by the experience of super-fan Ashley Gleason of Pawtucket, RI who has been to four stops along DMB’s 2019 tour already—and has two more shows to go. While living with the sudden passing of her brother Justin, the song, “Sister” which was played during their show in Mansfield held special importance to her. “To be there, at my home venue, and hear Dave play “Sister” made my heart so full. I knew Justin was there with me enjoying the show alongside me.”

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BOSTON | Acclaimed Philadelphia-based punk band The Menzingers rocked a packed House of Blues Boston crowd on the last stop of their Fall Tour 2018 with Tiny Moving Parts and Daddy Issues in support.

A crowd with more than “a little Boston in their attitude” belted out hits from the band’s decade long career. Known for their rousing live performance, The Menzingers’ ability to have a good time doing what they love shared their infectious attitude with the crowd. Songs blended with stories, vehement power cords, and harmonic melodies captivated their fans who have adopted the band’s music into their lives.

Released on Epitaph Records in 2017, their most recent album, After the Party, debuted #19 on the Billboard Top Current Albums Chart, and landed on the Alternative Press top 40 albums of 2017 list. The Menzingers debuted their new song “The Freaks” live to the Boston crowd which was released in October of 2018.

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Providence, RI | The Wonder Years “came out swinging” in Providence on the second stop of their fall tour with Have Mercy, Oso Oso, and Shortly. A band known for bringing a high level of energy and emotion to every performance was equally met by a packed house Friday night. The band opened with the title track off their latest record, “Sister Cities” which was released on Hopeless Records on April 6 of this year. This is the band’s sixth full length studio album which adds to a career containing records that range in styles described as pop-punk to indie post hardcore rock.

Lead vocalist Dan “Soupy” Campbell’s excitement to play new tracks off of the record was shown when he first addressed the crowd. “If you don’t know we’re a band called The Wonder Years. And if you don’t know, we put out an album earlier this year called Sister Cities. I’m so fucking proud of that album. This song is on it. It’s called ‘Raining in Kyoto.’”

Throughout The Wonder Year’s discography, Campbell’s lyrics have always been about human stories filled with heartache, passion, personal growth, and atonement. The ability of The Wonder Years to create songs which elucidate these themes is a big reason for their sustained success. This was especially true for fan Patryk Ilinski from Boston who excitedly awaited the performance of one of his favorite bands. The Wonder Years’ full length albums Suburbia I’ve given you all and now I’m Nothing, The Greatest Generation, and No Closer to Heaven were what got him through his college years, sharing, “They talk about their friend being hospitalized and my friend was also hospitalized at the time. They gave me songs to relate to.”

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MANSFIELD, MA | Outlaw Music Festival returned to the XFINITY Center on September 21, warmly welcoming a talented lineup of legends and legends in the making. The Festival featured Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Margo Price, Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real, and Particle Kid.

“We had so much fun on the Outlaw Music Festival Tour last year that we decided to do it again! See y’all out on the road this summer,” Willie Nelson shared in a statement with BlackBird Presents. “Family. That’s what this touring group of artists, fans, and friends are when we come together for our annual Outlaw Music Festival Tour. I am thrilled to continue this journey with Willie, this extraordinary group of performers, and Live Nation,” says Keith Wortman, CEO of Blackbird Presents.”

On stage last Friday night, frontman Nathaniel Rateliff’s talent radiated as he shared recently released material and then took a moment to honor his friend Richard Swift’s posthumous release, The Hex, and then played emotional version of “Tearing at the Seams.”

Night Sweats keyboardist Mark Shusterman notably brought joy and energy to Mansfield. His enthusiasm was so contagious that the organ fell over during the show, bringing surprised smiles to band members faces. Rateliff took the time to share his heartfelt gratitude to fans for their love and support. “Thank you for listening to us these past few years and for having us be a part of your lives,” he said.

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Grammy Award-winning Dave Matthews Band continued their North American tour on June 22, 2018, at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA. Touring in support of their ninth studio album, Come Tomorrow (RCA Records), the band will continue to travel across the U.S. and Canada finishing at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA.

As the sun began to set in Mansfield, the sold-out crowd was buzzing with excitement as the band took the stage with the song “Again & Again” from the new album. Already knowing the lyrics, die-hard fans sung along with Matthews who noticingly gave an appreciative grin. DMB transitioned into the powerful “So Right” which engaged the band as well as the crowd.

Johnny Perry, who traveled from Warwick, RI to see the show and is approaching a milestone 100th DMB concert, noticed the established connection between the band and crowd early on. “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen the band play with that kind of energy,” said Perry. “The band and the crowd were definitely feeding off of each other. I always try to get as many close friends as possible to join me for the DMB Mansfield show. Nearly 15 of us for this past show—it makes the whole experience better.”

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