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Boston Globe
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Free July events: Shakespeare on the Common, Art on the Plaza, plus the Moth Ball
The Boston Landmarks Orchestra will perform free concerts every Wednesday through Aug. 27. Michael Dwyer Advertisement PARK PHILHARMONIC Boston Landmark Orchestra performs free concerts every Wednesday on the Charles River Esplanade. This week's program includes familiar favorites by Leonard Bernstein and John Williams, and highlights works by Florence Price, a pioneering Black female composer. The concert will be preceded by a performance from the Boston String Academy, a primarily middle- and high-school-age student ensemble, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. DCR Hatch Memorial Shell, 47 David G. Mugar Way. Advertisement Shakespeare on the Common's performance of "The Tempest" in 2021. Ben Stas for The Boston Globe ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE For the 29th year, July 23-Aug. 10, performance times vary. Boston Common, Parkman Bandstand. 139 Tremont St. CURB APPEAL School may be out for the summer, but some campuses still have plenty on offer. The MassArt Art Museum's yearly Art on the Plaza offers family-friendly musical activities to get the blood pumping. Grab a complimentary scoop of ice cream, join a follow-the-leader dance session, play a game of hopscotch, or jam out to featured artists July 24, 6-9 p.m. RSVP required. MassArt Art Museum, Arne Glimcher Plaza, 621 Huntington Ave. Need to show off your Shark Week knowledge? Try your luck at Craft Hall's shark-themed trivia night. Uncredited/Associated Press AS SEEN ON TV Can't get enough of Shark Week? Test your chops on your favorite elasmobranchii with a shark-themed trivia night. Winners of each of the four rounds will win a prize. The competition is free, but participants can choose to order food from the Craft Hall's restaurants, including a selection of wines, beers, IPAs, and batch cocktails from a self-pour tap wall for 21+ contestants. July 25, 6-8 p.m. RSVP required. Craft Food Halls, 35 Cambridgepark Drive, Cambridge. Advertisement SAND ART Looking for a beach day with a view? Over the weekend, the 21st annual International Sand Sculpting Festival will bring participants from around the world to compete over three days to make the most impressive sculptural art piece out of Revere Beach sand. This year, contestants are encouraged to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in their sculptures. If you want to make a day of it, the beach's vendors sell a variety of treats, from lobster rolls to egg rolls. July 25-27, 10 a.m. Revere Beach, Revere. The Boston Race Amity Festival will return to Faneuil Hall on July 26. Boston Race Amity Art and Music Festival INCLUSION AND ICE CREAM Faneuil turns musical on Saturday for the annual Boston Race Amity Festival, which features a wide variety of music with the goal of inspiring cross-cultural unity. The eclectic list of performers includes folk-rock band Fantastic Cat, African diasporic music group Zili Misik, and Cambridge DJ Trigga Tre, among many others. Attendees can contribute to a big collaborative mural all day, and Ben and Jerry's, the event's cohost, will be serving free ice cream from noon-5 p.m. July 26, noon -6 p.m. Faneuil Hall, 4 South Market St. Send info on free events and special offers at least 10 days in advance to . Ryan Yau can be reached at
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Amid squeeze on musical ecosystem, an old Cambridge venue gets new life
It reopened earlier this year, after a year-and-a-half closure, according to the venue's owners. In doing so, it became something of an anomaly in Greater Boston. Band member Clifford Carraha tested a microphone on the small stage. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe As beloved, housing and cost of living crises. Gregg Perry, the trio's 42-year-old guitarist from Arlington, plays in a couple bands, but the gigs don't come as often as they once did. A Berklee College of Music dropout, Perry works as a delivery driver part time nowadays, he said. Advertisement 'I don't know, man, the Boston music scene is really tough,' he said. 'Just trying to get a gig, dude is like, [expletive]. . .' His voice trailed off. Advertisement JP Faundez Power Trio bandmates Gregg Perry, J.P. Faundez, and Clifford Carraha (left to right) played together in Toad. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Tommy McCarthy, and his wife, Louise Costello, are behind Toad's rebirth. It is the fifth bar they've opened. The first, and perhaps most well known, is Both musicians by trade, McCarthy and Costello didn't know much about running a bar at the time. 'We just thought if you could create the music, the rest will follow,' said McCarthy recently. That mantra has guided the reopening of Toad. It's connected by a doorway to a larger pub, formerly known as Christopher's, now called McCarthy's. While Toad puts on live music — blues, acoustic singer-songwriters, rock — later at night, McCarthy's has a traditional Irish session every day of the week that starts at 7 p.m. The Burren has a similar setup of different performance spaces. Jonathan Bricker, a professor who teaches courses on live music, touring, and concerts at Berklee, said the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out many small, independently run venues that are a creative lifeblood for the local musical community. 'Rooms like that are essential for developing, for trying out, and growing as an artist, as a band, wherever you find yourself on the musical spectrum,' said Bricker, who manages several local acts. Data on small, independent music venues, and their closures since the start of the pandemic, are hard to come by. The Advertisement Toad's reopening is welcome news among local musicians. Trama acknowledged that at a time when it is becoming 'tougher and tougher' for artists to exist in Greater Boston, any survival of another place to gig should be applauded. 'All of these smaller places, they are a lifeline to the culture of art in the whole Boston area,' he said recently. 'More of them, the better.' People mingled before the music started at Toad. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe 'It's a victory, definitely,' she said of Toad's reopening this past April. 'Having it back is a major win. Places like Toad, you have every skill level of musician playing that room.' Jim Haggerty, a full-time musician who has played bass for about 50 years, lamented the dwindling number of small venues. He described Toad, a place he has played more than a hundred times, as somewhere 'where professional musicians can play, and, if you have a good enough following, you can make a living.' Haggerty moved to Boston from upstate New York in the 1980s, when it was possible to work odd jobs, pay cheap rent with 'a bunch of buddies,' and pursue one's artistic dreams. It's no longer that town, he said. Haggerty lives in Roslindale and was able to buy a house 'before things got crazy.' Implied is that musicians nowadays have a much steeper fiscal climb to put down roots locally. Advertisement 'I got extremely lucky,' he said. Back in Toad before his gig, Carraha, the bassist and singer, said for him, the barometers of a good set are straightforward: Are the players in sync, feeling the groove? Is the crowd responding positively? Carraha, a 42-year-old Watertown resident, has been playing gigs around town for about 25 years. In his day job, he co-owns a catering company. 'Every venue is essential because as artists we need that,' he said. His bandmate, Perry, will be happy with his take from the night's performance. Perry will make $120, he said. In years past, he played gigs at Toad where the entire band got $150, plus whatever was in the tip bucket, and some comped food and drinks. 'It's medicine for the soul,' he said of music. 'I need this.' Minutes later, his band started to play. Danny McDonald can be reached at
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Miami Herald
Dog sitter escapes kidnapping after taking job from dog walking app, MA cops say
A Massachusetts man is charged with kidnapping a woman who accepted a dog walking job and went to his house, where police said a 'suspicious' incident occurred. The woman told authorities that she works for a dog walking app and agreed to watch a woman's dogs for a few hours in Southbridge, about a 60-mile drive southwest from Boston, on July 11, the Southbridge Police Department said in a July 16 news release. The other woman had reached out to her through the app, according to police. When the dog sitter went to the home, she told authorities she was 'greeted' by a man and they went inside. The home was dark, and there were seemingly no signs of any dogs or the woman who contacted her, according to the dog sitter, police said. The man, Mark L. Miller, 62, of Southbridge, did not let the woman leave the house and 'asked her to go upstairs,' according to authorities. He was 'positioned' by a door in the home 'to prevent her from leaving,' the woman reported, police said. Miller is represented by attorney Nicholas Adamopoulos, who told McClatchy News via email on July 17 that 'at this time we have no comment pertaining to Mr. Miller's open matter beyond that Mr. Miller maintains his innocence and looks forward to proving his innocence throughout the upcoming proceedings.' Out of fear, the woman escaped Miller's house and headed to the Southbridge police station, according to authorities, leading to an investigation. Miller was arraigned on a kidnapping charge in Dudley District Court on July 14, police said. He is being held on a cash bail as of July 16. According to court documents reviewed by The Boston Globe, the woman was expecting to watch dogs belonging to 'Carol M' on July 11. Miller said 'Carol M' was his wife when he was interviewed by police, the newspaper reported. The dog sitter accused Miller of not letting her leave his house for five minutes, including by physically blocking her from reaching the door, according to The Boston Globe, which cited court records. The Southbridge Police Department did not specify which dog walking app the woman worked for. There are several apps for dog walking and pet sitting, including Wag! and Rover.
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Small plates and an intimate space in the Seaport
The backstory: Chef Charlie Foster and restaurateur Kristin Canty focus on sustainable agriculture, eschew GMOs and trans fats (no seed oils here), and embrace organic food at their Seaport restaurants and Adelita and Woods Hill Table in Concord; some of their ingredients come from the Farm at Woods Hill in New Hampshire. That approach continues to play out here, but The Block is focused more on socializing and sharing plates. Advertisement Pommes souffles are the fanciest potato chips you ever had, hollow puffs fried in tallow and topped with caviar. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe What to eat: Start with plates of charcuterie made with pork from the farm. There's Parisian jambon, anise-studded finocchiona, and more, served with olives and other accompaniments. Then move on to Foster's small plates, adventurous with a light touch: pig's ear tots; tuna crudo with cherries, aji amarillo aioli, and squid ink tapioca chips; lobster and 'nduja pierogies. The aging program (both meat and fish) is a centerpiece of the menu, and it's on full display: Look at that gorgeous salmon hanging in the glass case, bright orange flesh against silver scales! Foster uses the technique to play with texture and flavor in dishes such as dry-aged beef carpaccio and salmon belly crudo. Pommes souffles are the fanciest potato chips you ever had, hollow puffs fried in tallow and topped with caviar. Surf clam ceviche with coconut leche de tigre is The Block's version of chowder, a short rib panino its steak and cheese. There are a few larger steaks, chops, and fish dishes on the menu; dessert includes pastry chef Kasey Geremia's vanilla soft-serve sundae with strawberry-rhubarb compote. Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up Tuna crudo with cherries, aji amarillo aioli, and squid ink tapioca chips. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Advertisement What to drink: There's a succinct cocktail list that builds from a tequila-based Cilantro Spritz to the Block Party, a flight of three different martinis. The wine list focuses on organic, biodynamic, and sustainably produced selections. Zero-proof options are plentiful. Pastry chef Kasey Geremia's sundae features vanilla soft-serve and strawberry-rhubarb compote. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe The takeaway: The Block at Woods Hill is a verdant jewel box of a space, from the dark green marbled bar to the striped shirts and aprons worn by the staff. It feels soothing and botanical; a floral mural decorates one wall. It's the kind of place where you meet a friend for a snack, then wind up staying for dinner. 300 Pier 4 Boulevard, Seaport, Boston. 617-861-4268, . Charcuterie plates $22-$33, small plates $9-$30, large plates $56-$88, desserts $9-$14, cocktails $16-$20. The aging program is a centerpiece of the menu at The Block at Woods Hill. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Devra First can be reached at
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Jeff Lynne Charts A New Solo Hit As ELO Comes To A Sad Ending
Five ELO albums and one Jeff Lynne solo effort hit the U.K. charts as fans mark the band's canceled ... More final show, with "Mr. Blue Sky" also making a comeback. Boston, MA - September 23: The band's illuminated logo shown during the Jeff Lynne's ELO "The Over and Out Tour" at TD Garden. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Electric Light Orchestra, otherwise known as ELO or Jeff Lynne's ELO, was set to perform its final show this past Sunday, July 13. Sadly, the concert was canceled, as the rocker is reportedly battling a systemic infection, and doctors told him he could not go on. Fans must be heartbroken, as the statement also made clear that there would be no makeup date for the group. Those who love the hitmaking act will not have a chance to see the musicians play live together one more time, as the end has come for the band. In anticipation of what was supposed to be one of the most exciting concerts of the year, fans across the United Kingdom spent the past few weeks consuming many of ELO's albums and compilations, and even one of Lynne's own solo projects. This week's charts show just how beloved the group still is. Five ELO Albums Return to the Charts Five albums by ELO appear on at least one chart apiece in the U.K. this week. All of them live on the Official Album Downloads list, as it appears that many longtime lovers of the group wanted to own the group's albums and compilations, and wanted to do so quickly. All five projects have to reenter every tally on which they appear, including the downloads list, as they hadn't been present before anticipation of the act's final show reached a fever pitch. Two ELO Compilations Hit New Peaks Two ELO projects — All Over the World: The Very Best of ELO and The Essential: Electric Light Orchestra — don't just break back onto the Official Album Downloads chart, they hit new high points. The former stalls one spot away from running the show, while The Essential comes in at No. 20. Jeff Lynne Scores a Solo Win Lynne earns a new solo success alongside ELO's many comebacks. The rock musician's Long Wave arrives on the Official Album Downloads chart at No. 25. The title's debut in between several of ELO's compilations earns Lynne his first appearance on the tally. "Mr. Blue Sky" Mounts a Comeback Just one smash hit by ELO appears on any chart in the U.K. this week. "Mr. Blue Sky," which remains a fan favorite, returns to the Official Singles Downloads list at No. 59 and the Official Singles Sales tally at No. 63. The cut hits a new loftiest placement on the general sales roster as it returns.
