2016 is shaping up to be another exciting year for live music in the Boston area! With the lineup for Boston Calling Spring 2016 released last week, there’s already so many performances to look forward to in the coming year. In our first edition of Selected Sounds for 2016, our team has picked out some of the shows you won’t want to miss for the remainder of January. From up-and-coming local indie bands like The Colonnade and Palehound to national touring acts such as Wilco and Victor Wooten, there’s a lot worth checking out in the coming weeks!
Monday, January 18th, 2016
The Colonnade at Thunder Road Music Club – Selected by Knar
Friday, January 22nd, 2016
Torres & Palehound at Great Scott – Selected by Noah
Georgia-born Mackenzie Scott, aka Torres, visits Great Scott this Friday in support of 2015’s Sprinter. With subtle southern roots, precocious lyrics, and fleeting moments of industrial darkness, Scott has timed her rise, if unintentionally, with the 90s alt-rock nostalgia du jour. Allston-locals Palehound will open in support of their phenomenal full-length debut, Dry Food.
G-Eazy at Tsongas Center Lowell – Selected by Beth
Beginning when he was 16 years old, Gerald (G-Eazy) began making mix tapes and releasing them online, dreaming of one day being a rapper. 11 years later his sound is as smooth and polished as his James Dean haircut and he’s playing his biggest venue yet in the Boston area. He might be known for his cocky singles like “I Mean It,” but this California artist has far more depth to offer, and will be showing off the breadth of his lyrical and performance skills this Friday.
Friday, January 29th, 2016
Wilco at The Orpheum Theatre -Selected by Jon
Though Wilco’s latest album is titled Star Wars (July 2015), frontman Jeff Tweedy says it has nothing to do with the interstellar movie saga (it clearly doesn’t). Riding a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album, Wilco plays back-to-back nights at the Orpheum where fans will be awakened by the veteran Americana force.
Victor Wooten with J.D. Blair at Regattabar – Selected by Matt M.
A founding member of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Victor Wooten has been breaking new ground and making new sounds with the bass guitar for over 30 years. Solo bass players are often ignored in modern music, but this man’s inventive musical experiments are simply too revolutionary to tune out. From complex funk grooves to light-speed, jazzy solos, Wooten pulls sounds out of his instrument that you just won’t hear from anyone else. He’ll be performing four sets in two nights at Regattabar, with tickets still available for all shows.
Cedric Gervais at Royale Boston – Selected by TK
Head down to Royale on Jan. 29 to catch French DJ and Grammy-award winner Cedric Gervais for Royale’s Sofa King Fridays. The Frenchman is a fantastic DJ, knows how to control the crowd, and has remixed huge artists like Dido, Florence + The Machine, and Lana Del Rey. Don’t miss out!