Anything can be a party if you make it one, and on a cool, rainy Thursday night, SASAMI made one at Brighton Music Hall. On May 8th, SASAMI rolled through town while promoting her excellent new album Blood On The Silver Screen, playing a collection of songs new and old. Her catalogue is diverse, and it made for a well-rounded night in the storied venue. We were on hand to catch the show!
First up on the night was Mood Killer, a solo project out of Los Angeles. Mood Killer brought an electronic hyperpop set that incorporated a healthy amount of straightforward pop, somewhere between the experimental nature of 100 Gecs and the straightforward, erotic pop of Kim Petras. Although the crowd had largely not filed in yet, the singer showed no wavering in their confidence, dancing and singing while their beats played on a laptop. Initially, they had a red mask on, dramatically removing it during the second song. They are also touring in support of a new album, ABRACADABRA, and played songs like the title track, “Go Crazy,” and “Happy Birthday.” It was an energetic, optimistic set and one that got the party going. Later on, SASAMI remarked that at least one person’s life was changed because of Mood Killer’s set.
While Mood Killer stood alone, SASAMI had barely any more backup. She was flanked by only her drummer Diego, alongside a number of guitars and a French horn. SASAMI has a history of not settling herself into any one genre, and showcased this by kicking the set off with two rock songs. Her recent single “Honeycrash” – one of this writer’s personal favorite songs of 2024 – was played second, with the heavier, shoegaze-adjacent guitar providing an antithesis to the bouncy pop of both Mood Killer and, well, SASAMI. Just two songs later, she was guitar-free and dancing to the poppy “Love Makes You Do Crazy Things.” Her recent album follows this trend; guitar rock ebbs and flows against bright indie and straight pop (including a Clairo feature). It is something SASAMI has always done well, and captures a current bubbling zeitgeist of younger acts who are intentionally mashing genres together.
SASAMI was committed to one thing, though, and that was keeping the party going. A majority of the set was devoted to bouncier, highly danceable songs. And this was proven by SASAMI herself, often seen careening around the stage performing high-energy dance moves. She showed all sides of herself, rocking out on “Honeycrash,” donning an acoustic guitar for “In Love With A Memory” (sans Clairo), and even brandishing the French horn for “Nothing But A Sad Face On.” She also let her drummer Diego show off some double-drum kicks for the metalheads in the crowd. At one point, SASAMI stopped to ask if there were any metalheads in the crowd, and then asked increasingly specific categorical identifiers (“water signs” into “queer anarchists” into “sexual deviants” and, finally, “dentists”). She ended the show by asking who the local baseball team was, getting the whole crowd to chant “Red Sox” at her and responding with “What was that? The SASAMI Sluggers?” This led naturally into the final song, “Slugger,” the opening track off Silver Screen. All in all, it was a quick and joyous night of eclectic music that all served one purpose – party.
Check out some photos of the show below, by Andrew McNally.
May 6th, 2025. BoyWithUke performs at Roadrunner in Boston, MA. Photo by Samantha Davidson
Korean-American alt-pop musician BoyWithUke mesmerized Roadrunner Boston as part of his Burnout World Tour. Fans of all ages filled the venue, and many donned the star’s signature LED mask. With the release of his new album Burnout, Charley Yang, who releases music under the moniker BoyWithUke, announced this would be his last project using the alter ego, and Boston was ready to celebrate their favorite memories from this era of music. The night began with the electric Ethan Bortnick, whose brother emerged to share that while Bortnick had sadly lost his voice, the show would still go on. Bortnick emerged with energy bursting off the charts, displaying his stellar piano skills and vocals recorded from other live shows. He dove into impressive piano arpeggios, fast-paced ascending runs, and stunning chord progressions. He danced around the stage, captivating the crowd and successfully delivering a creative spectacle that excited everyone for the night ahead despite being unable to sing.
Soon after, the lights dimmed again, and the venue released thunderous cheers. The electric track “Burn” blasted in the speakers as BoyWithUke jumped onto the stage in a white t-shirt, silver chains, and a matching black work jacket and pants. The singer effortlessly transitioned between high-energy songs where he would scale the stage and more intimate moments where he would perform with a guitar while sitting on a stool. Boston holds a special place in the star’s heart, as he currently lives in the city. He frequently paused between songs to bond with the audience, forming a personal connection with each fan by taking in the moment and waving to everyone on the second level of the venue. His raspy and powerful voice was on full display throughout the night. BoyWithUke crafted a setlist that celebrated fan favorites and deep cuts. Make sure to catch him live before the Burnout World Tour ends later this month. Buy tickets here.
Check out all of Samantha’s photos from the show below.
Indie darlings Japanese Breakfast brought The Melancholy Tour to Boston recently, in support of their fourth studio album ForMelancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women).Released back in March, Michelle Zauner and co. have been hitting the road hard with special guests Ginger Root.
Coming off the heels of the Grammy-nominated Jubilee and the smash success of her 2021 memoir, Crying in H Mart, Zauner was challenged with the Herculean task of following up on them. After moving to Seoul for a year to study the Korean language, she used the momentum to begin writing For Melancholy Brunettes… with the idea of a stark contrast to the prior album. While Jubilee was a celebration of joy, life and catharsis, its follow up explores gloomier themes of distance and dissatisfaction. Despite the shift in atmosphere, Zauner has proven that no matter the subject matter, her writing skills can transform any idea into magic.
The stage was set up with a rather standard layout aside from the giant clamshell towards the back, highlighted by a single warm light. The band took the stage in darkness before Zauner joined them center-stage and ceremoniously lit up a lantern to commemorate the start of the show. “Life is sad, but here is someone” sings Zauner, as she delicately plucks the strings of her guitar inside the clamshell, before taking her place at the front of the stage for the lead single, “Orlando In Love.”
Greeting the crowd, Zauner acknowledges Boston and its reputation for being grumpy, jokingly searching for Ben Affleck amongst the faces. The vibe shifts in the room as the band transitions into “Honey Water,” which features a more electric instrumentation and a complete absence of all colors except red. The longest track on the album became even longer with a swelling crescendoed ending that bordered organized cacophony before the relief of resolution. The pacing of the show was surely prioritized, giving fans time to breathe in between the emotionally dense tracks.
Japanese Breakfast continues on The Melancholy Tour through September with Ginger Root. For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is available now via Dead Oceans. Check out the rest of Cam’s photos below.
On Sunday April 27th, Beach Bunny came to Boston just two days after the release of their third studio album, Tunnel Vision. With support from Jayla Kai and Pool Kids, the evening was a slow burn that exploded into a rambunctious mosh pit.
Jayla Kai, celebrating her last night on the tour, began the show with an indie rock set that showcased some slower, quieter songs mixed with a few harder-driving tracks. Her comparatively soft-spoken opening set meant that the sudden transition to Pool Kids and their thrashing emo was a whiplash-inducing jolt. The audience adjusted readily however, and they were very enthusiastically supportive of both openers.
Beach Bunny was greeted by a crowd still pumped up with the energy of the recent Pool Kids set. Early into the set, singer Lili Trifilio warned the audience that she was starting to lose her voice and would appreciate some help belting out lyrics. She was still able to give a solid performance, but fans were eager to oblige anyway. Given the significant number of bunny ears visible in the throng of attendees, it was no surprise that fans came prepared to sing along. Beach Bunny powered through the set to perform nine of ten songs from Tunnel Vision and an even mix of her two previous LPs and a couple EPs. The selections included her most virally popular songs, “Prom Queen” and “Cloud 9,” and fan favorites like “Sports” and “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used)” had the crowd jumping. To the uninitiated, it is easy to assume from her sweet vocals and soft, colorful aesthetic that Beach Bunny shows are tame affairs, but the mosh pit that formed on the floor of the House of Blues is deceptively common on her tours. The show wrapped up with an extra lively performance of “Painkiller,” complete with moshing fans creating a bona fide wall of death. Beach Bunny made the most of her unfortunately-timed vocal challenges and pulled out all the stops to deliver a memorable night nevertheless.
Check out all of Greg’s photos from the show below!
Back in spring 2024, we brought you the debut album from Providence-based indie band Wooll, Unwind. The record stands as a dreamy, patient set of tunes that saw the band lock-in together in a way that is rare for debuts. Now barely a year later, the group is back with Thistle, their sophomore effort. The album is a continuation of what made the debut album great, both an advancement and an enhancement of the vibes of Unwind.
Wooll consists of Corinne Roma on vocals and acoustic guitar, Tyler Rosenholm and Robert LaSalvia on electric guitar, Tyler Chauncey on bass and Derek Goulet on drums, and although they may be relatively new to the scene, they have pedigree – Rosenholm, Chauncey and Goulet all played in former Boston stalwart Kid Mountain before forming Wooll. The band’s greatest strength is the ability to sound like one cohesive unit, in a way that even many generational bands can never muster. The band’s best songs feel like they are being played in the same room for an audience of only you, not ultra-rehearsed in a studio.
The band has always had an ethereal element to their music even as they play straightforward indie jams, and it’s something only investigated further on Thistle. For the most part, this is a particularly spacey record; one that sounds as if it were recorded in the clouds themselves. It’s jangly, but very patient – Wooll know how to take their time and build a song up. This is especially true on the fantastic opener “By,” a song that starts with an acoustic strum and continuously builds into a mystifying dual-guitar bridge. There are two dreamy interludes – “Dorian Moak” and “Chill Lies” – that give more credence to the atmospheric music. “Son Of A Gun” and the title track also work as tunes that give total way to a flighty feel.
Don’t think of this album as a retread of their debut, though. These songs might be dreamier, but they’re moodier, too. With the elevated atmosphere comes with hints of something raw, a departure into a darker realm that they intentionally eschewed on their debut. There are also the two songs in the direct middle of the album; song five, “Ryan Tries,” features a guitar rhythm more math-y than anything else on the record, followed immediately by the Americana tune “Not Mine To Hold.” The banjo that kicks off the song is a sudden break from all of the vibey indie, like waking up suddenly from a nice dream. The song is mostly vocal-based, with Roma’s reliably sweet voice giving a mid-album song that’s still very warm, just sharply different. The listener can settle back into a nice dream to close the album out right after with the darker, more ambient title track “Thistle.”
Overall, Thistle is a well-balanced record. It is bookended with light, hazy indie tunes with a couple more grounded elements in the middle, like some sort of reverse plane ride. The band’s keen eye for patience and genuine alignment make for another interesting, and digestible, indie album.
Wooll are playing at Myrtle on East Providence on Saturday 5/17 with Meridian and Older Brother. Thistle can be streamed below or on a service of your choice.
May 2nd, 2025. Djo performs “Link” at Roadrunner in Boston, MA. Photo by Cam Cavagnaro.
On May 2, Joe Keery arrived in Boston, MA, for his first headline show in his home state. The Newburyport native is touring his recently released third album under the Djo moniker, The Crux. Fans of the singer rapidly sold out the show at Roadrunner, eager to hear his new album live and show him a warm Massachusetts welcome.
Opening the show was Chicago garage rockers Post Animal, with whom Keery played guitar and drums before being cast in Stranger Things. The band immediately filled every inch of Roadrunner with experimental guitar effects, unique synth moments, and booming drums. The rapid start of “Ralphie” sent a wave of excitement through the crowd, as it was recognized by many. The group further prepared the crowd for Djo’s set by bringing Keery out for their last three songs, reuniting the original Post Animal lineup. They played “Last Goodbye” together, the lead single on their new album, Iron, that Keery wrote and played on. Iron is out on July 25 and Post Animal will return to Boston for a headline show at the Sinclair on November 4.
May 2nd, 2025. Dalton Allison of Post Animal performs at Roadrunner in Boston, MA. Photo by Cam Cavagnaro.
Keery began his set in darkness, the only light being sporadic flashes programmed to the synth-forward start of “Runner.” Once Keery and his band were settled on stage, the lights were coordinated with strong guitar chords. Keery started in on the lyrics with a powerful chest voice and belted at the end of the track to create a dramatic transition to “Gloom.” The unmistakable bass line from bassist Trent Prall cut in just as the stage was bathed in green light. Keery appeared animated while articulating every lyric and interacting with the crowd. His undeniable stage presence made itself known early on and didn’t falter for the rest of the show.
Taking the all gas, no breaks approach, Keery and the band transitioned directly into “Link,” which prompted a burst of cheers from the crowd. Keery, guitarist Sam Jordan and multi-instrumentalist Javier Reyes came together to generate expansive sound on guitar throughout the track. The resounding finish caused Keery to end the song atop one of the speakers with his arms out to the crowd, taking in their energy.
Despite being a track from Djo’s new album, the crowd sang every word back to him from the first lyric of “Charlie’s Garden.” Keery’s Stranger Things co-star Charlie Heaton’s voicemail feature sent the crowd into a frenzy. It also prompted a fan nearby to explain the lore of how Heaton’s onscreen love affair with Natalia Dyer has crossed over into real life to their friend over the instrumental that follows the voicemail. Keyboardist Adam Thein executed an engaging organ part that contributed well to the light mood of the song. Prall also played an intricate bass part that alluded to the influence Paul McCartney and The Beatles’ discographies had on this track.
“Basic Being Basic”—the lead single off of The Crux—elicited deafening audience participation. Keery and his fans powered through the track’s wordy, fast-moving lyrics with unwavering energy. The strutting drum beat kept everyone on beat until the very last note, where the crowd screamed Keery’s “I’m not funny,” which abruptly ends the song. In response, Keery laughed and said “exactly” into the mic. Keery carried this amusing energy directly into “Fool,” where he dances and sings in an animated way that fits well with the song’s foolish context.
May 2nd, 2025. Djo performs at Roadrunner in Boston, MA. Photo by Cam Cavagnaro.
Keery and his band flowed into a jazzy, cymbal-heavy intro for “Figure You Out.” Prall’s bass line has even more of a punch to it than the studio version. Jordan and Reyes matched his audible prowess on guitar and locked in with each other by forming a triangle, facing one another. It became clear that extensive thought was put into the live arrangement of the song. The song met an epic end, with white spotlights gazing around the crowd, a rolling drum outro and a rapidly ascending synth part that ended on a high note.
Keery then performed a streak of songs from The Crux and started by surprising the crowd with the live debut of “Egg.” The track featured deep vocals from Keery, smooth Rhodes chords and Keery’s powerful tone at the end when he jumps up an octave. He then picked up an acoustic guitar for “Fly” and played a beautiful live rendition of the serene song. Taking advantage of the calm setting, Keery stepped back to take in his hometown crowd as phone flashlight “lighters” swayed back and forth. For “Delete Ya,” the stage became bathed in blue light and the crowd shrieked at the sound of the quick guitar riff that begins the song. Keery’s fans sang along as loudly as they could for this track, but the impressive instrumental effects exhibited by the band were still distinguishable.
Keery returned to his roots by performing two tracks from his debut album, Twenty Twenty. “Chateau (Feel Alright)” began with a rounded guitar sound and floating synths. Keery’s notable vocal range was once again featured through his effortless headvoice. Veering away from the studio version, the band ended with an instrumental jam that included a showstopping belt from Keery. For “Roddy,” Keery held on to his acoustic guitar to play the rhythm part and engaged in a smooth, sliding vocal tone that fit well with the song’s atmosphere.
May 2nd, 2025. Djo performs at Roadrunner in Boston, MA. Photo by Cam Cavagnaro.
Prior to playing his hit “End of Beginning,” Keery emphasized the importance of his hometown show and having so many family and friends present for his first headline show in Boston. Keery also informs the crowd that he and guitarist Jordan have been friends since high school and used to go to the Guitar Center in Danvers, MA, with their music teacher. As expected, the audience roars as the song begins with crisp synth and acoustic guitar. At the lyrics “Enter Caroline,” Keery gestures towards his sister Caroline in the audience.
“Gap Tooth Smile” carried a great groove to maintain the audience’s energy, which resulted in the loudest time a crowd of people has counted to the number 29. The synth and guitar parts effortlessly blend together where Keery sings “Freddie said it right, ‘cause she’s my killer queen,” referencing Queen’s frequent approach to instrumentals. The synthesizer presence continued into “Potion,” which featured orchestral synths and strong backing vocals from the band.
“Back On You” begins the encore by sending the audience to heaven with white lights and a choral start to the song. The angelic environment quickly dissipates with bass-forward drums and strong, fuzzy guitar. Keery enticed the entire crowd to clap along with him during the bridge, which led directly into the track’s major instrumental finish and created a wall of sound. The encore continued with “Flash Mountain,” which proved a brilliant choice to end the show. Post Animal joined Keery for the finale and band member Dalton Allison entered the stage with a disco helmet and megaphone to yell the lyrics into. By the song’s end, at least four guitars were being played and a party had ensued throughout Roadrunner. Fuzzy guitar and raucous drums powered through to the very end of the show.
Though no other city may match the energy of his first Boston headline show, you can still catch Keery on his Another Bite tour this fall or at an array of festivals this summer.
Check out all of Cam’s photos from the show below.
Rapper Red Shaydez hard at work developing this new program. Photo by Dreana LeMaitre Photography.
To succeed as a musician involves risk-taking. That’s exactly what Boston rapper, artist, and entrepreneur Red Shaydez did last year when she left a high-profile job without a backup plan. “It was a leap rooted in faith and purpose,” she said.
That sort of pressure situation can yield pretty powerful results if handled correctly. For Shaydez, what has culminated since that decision is a project focused on building community and helping develop emerging talent in Boston.
When she hasn’t been working on new music to release, Shaydez has been spearheading Music Jumpstart: The Artist Development Program, designed for independent musicians who are “passionate, talented, and often overlooked.” To get this program off the ground, Shaydez raised over $100k in funding, with sponsorship coming from the City of Boston, Focusrite, and EliteTeam Logistics.
Launching on May 17, 2025 at SPARKFM – a digital radio station founded by Danielle Johnson – the program is a perfect opportunity for up-and-coming artists who are looking for career coaching. How do you market yourself as an artist in the social media age? How do you assemble a unique, eye-catching press junket? How do you book shows? How do you pitch coverage to press outlets? These are things any independent artist needs to know how to do for themselves if they want to get their career off the ground.
“I’m creating the kind of artist development experience that I wish I had,” said Shaydez. It’s not an education that many artists have the opportunity to get on their own. Leading some of the program sessions will be local music journalist Vicki Wasylak of the Boston Globe, International Show of Berklee College of Music, and more.
Some of the most important pieces of an artist’s press kit are photos and multimedia. Included in the bootcamp are free sessions from local creatives to take photos and videos of the artists who make up the cohort. These services will be provided by Saturn Makeup & Artistry, StillsandFilmz, and Dreana LeMaitre Photography. The cohort will receive free Focusrite products, a full media day package that includes photoshoots and radio interviews, and more. Other workshops will include a focus on intentional branding and marketing; career sustainability; health and wellness; and having confidence in creativity.
For Shaydez, this is more than just a new business project. “It’s part of a greater shift I’m experiencing in my career,” she says, “one that transcends music and centers community.”
The Sinclair was hot, sweaty, and rumbling on Friday night May 2nd as Jane Remover brought their first headline tour to Boston. The experimental hyperpop artist was supported by d0llywood and Dazegod. It’s been a month since Jane Remover’s third album, Revengeseekerz, hit streaming services and quickly became a fan favorite. Unlike previous albums, Revengeseekerz dives deeper into Jane’s eccentric sampling catalog and combines multiple different influences together to create a cohesive piece. It feels as if all the digital noise shouldn’t result in something so catchy, but it does. The show’s setlist was comprised mostly of songs from the new album, leaving just a few not performed. Only two songs from Remover’s previous two releases made an appearance, including fan favorite “movies for guys” towards the end of the night. As far as the energy in the room, there was rarely a moment in which the crowd stopped moving and moshing. Although the show was sold out, the balcony was nice and spacious because almost everyone was dancing on the floor right from when they entered the building.
Check out photos from the show, taken by Emily Gardner, below.
Synthpop duo Magdalena Bay returned to Boston to celebrate their sophomore studio record, Imaginal Disk. After selling out Royale back in September of last year, the band took it a step further and sold out the House of Blues with opener Sam Austin
Originally hailing from Miami, the LA-based duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin created something larger than life when they started Magdalena Bay nearly a decade ago. After numerous releases, music videos, tours and TikToks, Magdalena Bay have cemented themselves as true pop heavyweights with Imaginal Disk. The album blends several genres of pop, alternative rock, R&B and even a bit of disco that realistically shouldn’t work, but it does. The album earned raves from critics and a horde of new fans for the band. And as good as it sounds on wax, it translates to the live show even better.
Set up with cloud-shaped scrims embedded with video screens and a massive backdrop in the style of ancient Greece, Magdalena Bay made it clear that they were here to put on a show. Opening with the first four tracks from the new record, Tenenbaum used the entire stage to her advantage to fill the space and show off her popstar chops. Fronting a band is no easy feat, but Tenenbaum commands the stage and crowd as she gracefully flutters between the screens. Lewin is right behind her, running the show from his control center while playing guitar or bass and giving cues to their touring members, Myles Sweeney (guitar/keys) and Nick Villa (drums).
Throughout an impressive 23-song setlist, Magdalena Bay managed to play the entirety of Imaginal Disk in order with a few blocks to break out the older hits. Fans were treated to singles from their debut album, such as “You Lose!” and “Chaeri,” songs from their Mini Mixes like “Top Dog” and “Tonguetwister,” and their hit “Killshot,” which went viral on TikTok. The imagery was perfectly matched for each song, pulling references from their music videos or providing entirely new footage to freshen things up. Despite the intensity of the performance, the band never showed any signs of stopping or slowing down and Boston reciprocated the energy for over 90 minutes of unadulterated fun.
Magdalena Bay continue the Imaginal Mystery Tour through the rest of the year and will be back in Boston at MGM Music Hall on October 24th.
Rock legends Heart brought their “Royal Flush” tour to Boston University’s Agganis Arena on April 13th, with support from Lucinda Williams. The original tour had been slated to arrive in Boston back in 2024, but had to be postponed while Heart’s Ann Wilson successfully underwent treatment for cancer. Now reunited and healthy, the veteran lineup drew in a wide range of fans for a night of classic hits from across five decades of work.
Lucinda Williams, a country rock icon in her own right, began the evening. Walking on stage to rumbling applause, whistles, and cheers, she addressed the arena crowd simply with a big smile, wave, and a “Hey everybody!” as she cruised into her roughly hour-long opening set. She began with “Rock N Roll Heart,” a selection from her 2023 album Stories from a Rock N Roll Heart, before going back 20 years to her 2003 album World Without Tears with “Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings.” Her setlist ultimately spanned 7 albums and included tributes to Memphis Minnie, Tom Petty, and The Beatles. The tributes simultaneously were and were not exactly throwbacks, as much of her prolific recording since 2020 has been focused on tribute and cover albums, including a 2024 album of The Beatles’ songs recorded in the original Abbey Road Studios.
One would be mistaken to say that the set was light on her own work however, and Williams’ hit some of her key highlights with “Fruits of My Labor,” “Essence,” “Change The Locks,” and “Joy.” In spite of her many accolades as a 3-time Grammy winner and a genre-defining figure in Americana music, Williams displayed a remarkable humility, commenting “I’m not used to playing these big places like this,” even as the arena buzzed with audible approval. Lucinda Williams departed the stage in similarly egoless fashion to her entrance with another smile and the parting words “Peace and love, y’all. Don’t give up the fight that’s still going on.”
Where Lucinda Williams simply emerged on stage for her set, Heart established more fanfare with their introduction. A giant, stage-encompassing curtain displayed a projected montage that chronicled a hodgepodge of historical events and cultural moments to herald Heart’s imminent arrival. From the 1973 passing of the Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and from the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing championship match to the 2022 Will Smith Academy Awards slap, the montage sent the message “Since the beginning of Heart, we’ve seen a lot together. Some things you never forget.” The video mishmash concluded with the words “As for 2025…” and the curtain dropped to reveal the band as they opened with “Bebe Le Strange.”
Lead vocalist Ann Wilson performed within the confines of a wheelchair for the duration of the show, the result of an unfortunately-timed broken elbow prior to the start of the tour, but of course the show did go on and Wilson proudly declared, “We’re Heart. We’re back!” The setlist was a string of classics ranging across the decades and various eras of the band’s history, from their folk-twinged 1975 debut album Dreamboat Annie to their arena rock 1987 release Bad Animals. Crowd-pleasing selections from Little Queen, Dog & Butterfly, and Heart were supplemented with covers of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and two Led Zeppelin covers, “Going to California” and “The Ocean.” The set even featured “Sand,” a song from the Wilson sisters’ 1990s-era side project The Lovemongers, and “4 Edward,” a song from Nancy Wilson’s 2021 solo album You and Me. An undeniably standout moment of the night was the inevitable performance of “Crazy On You.” The transition from Nancy Wilson’s acoustic solo intro into a full gallop drew an arena-wide roar of excitement as the rest of the band joined in with the song’s iconic riff.
Another highlight was the other inevitable performance of Heart’s best-known power ballad “Alone.” It was a reminder that even at 74 years old and even with a bit more gritty texture to her vocals, Ann Wilson retains much of her legendary vocal faculties. Throughout the show Nancy Wilson not only joined her sister in glorious vocal harmonies, but also demonstrated the mastery of guitar that once garnered the backhanded praise “you’re a really good acoustic guitar player for a girl,” from Eddie Van Halen. The concert concluded with the downright essential “Barracuda,” and by then it was clear that Heart is not a band to lazily rest on their laurels. They delivered a great show worthy of their legacy: a show that was of course, all Heart.
