Winter/Spring 2024 Round-Up: The concerts we haven't been able to stop thinking about

As the first summer heatwave reigns over the city, we're thinking about cooler days soundtracked by even cooler music. Come with us as we reflect on shows from snowy days in January through first blooms in May.

Rick Maguire of Pile
‍The Broadway | January 10, 2024

Maguire delivered a mesmerizing solo performance at The Broadway in Brooklyn last night, enveloping the audience in raw and stripped-down guitar and vocal renditions of Pile songs. The show felt so personal, in fact, that he encouraged fans to take a seat on the floor, an unconventional yet engaging choice that seemingly broke down another wall. It seemed Maguire was singing directly to me. –– Nick Greto

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Briston Maroney
Paradise Rock Club | February 2, 2024

“This room has some f*cking great energy. It just feels really nice, and really peaceful, so thank you guys. I think it’s really f*cking cool when people come to shows and let themselves have fun and let themselves get lost in it.” — Briston Maroney said to a sold-out room at Paradise Rock Club before joking about how much he dropped the F-bomb in that sentence. Maroney is currently on his ‘Ultrapure’ tour following the release of his sophomore album. “My favorite moments in the human experience are ones that you don’t even realize have started, but feel so deeply when you realize they’ve ended. I refer to these as ‘Ultrapure’ moments,” says Maroney. “This album was my humble, unqualified, and earnest as hell attempt at sitting in those feelings until they had no choice but to burst out of my head. These songs are about a type of pain I hate and love, but mostly have a deep appreciation for.” Watch our fan interviews from the show here. –– Alyssa Goldberg

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Andre 3000
St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church | February 5, 2024

Mid-meditation, it struck me that this was a moment to live in. Andre 3000 of OutKast fame, performing his latest jazz record, ‘New Blue Sun,’ on the flute live to a packed church of stylishly clad New Yorkers, many with their eyes closed, seemed to agree. At one point, Andre mentioned that he wasn’t there to perform for us but to share a moment of “discovery in its rawest form”. This statement prompted deep reflection on modern life—a reminder to simply be present without your phone and without your thoughts, even if just for 90 minutes. Not many shows in NYC have newborn babies in the front row. Not many shows bring together hundreds of rap fans meditating collectively. And not many shows feature a legendary artist mastering a new craft and improvising with world-class jazz musicians. Not many shows, or nearly enough, have Andre 3000. –– SOS Team

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Two Door Cinema Club
Roadrunner Boston | February 27, 2024

Ireland’s Two Door Cinema Club visited Roadrunner in Boston in February and proved once again why they’ve remained a formidable force in the indie rock scene. The venue–filled with fans young & old–buzzed with anticipation during joywave’s eccentric opening set. Joywave kicked off with newer releases (“Brain Damage” & ‘The Mall’), but also revved up the crowd with their 2015 hit single “Dangerous.” TDCC took the stage just after nine, and sprinkled songs off their entire discography, with a majority from their iconic 2010 & 2012 albums, Tourist History and Beacon. TDCC has been open about how mental health, drug addiction, and playing in a band together for “more than half their lives” impacted the band. Read our full review here. –– AG

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Burna Boy
TD Garden Boston | March 2, 2024

AND THE MESSAGE FROM BURNA: “Any roadblock that you’re facing, you can look at it as a little excitement in your life. It can’t hold you back forever. Eventually you’ll look back on it and laugh” SoS was lucky enough to see Burna Boy in March where he spoke on dealing with hardship in his own life and was honored by Boston city council president Ruthzee Louijeune. (March 2nd is Burna Boy Day in Boston!) Seeing Burna was truly special, a reminder of how grateful I am to be living in this era of music. It was inspirational to see somebody being a vessel for such pure creative expression. It felt like Burna was inviting the crowd to tap into that frequency with him, a reminder that we can all find that energy somewhere in our lives. Also, he’s hands down in the top 3 live performers on the planet right now. –– Isa Tariq 

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Bar Italia
Mercury Lounge | March 16, 2024

In a razor thin line of being utterly coolly sardonic and emotionally raw and authentic, Bar Italia mesmerized the crowd at Mercury Lounge. The odd brilliant and experimental guitar rock quintet with 3 vocalists was shrouded in mystery until recently when they revealed their identities and faces. They get real on stage, with fans of all ages swept up in their intricate, crescendoing sound. Quickly going from totally obscure to being the it band of 2023, their lyrics defy literal interpretation but seem to lean towards toxic relationship angst but all with dry wit and a literary bent. Even then the band seems to be caught off guard by how their art is received: “It’s also okay to have your message be something that’s accidental. You don’t have to wear your heart on your sleeve, you can definitely find out about it a bit later. But also, the message can change. Sometimes you’re almost surprised at what you’re saying, in a really good way.” –– Charlie Gross

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Adrianne Lenker
Music Hall of Williamsburg | March 18, 2024

In a gorgeous and intimate show leading up to today’s album release Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief returned to performing and to Brooklyn. An added bit of magic was her being joined by SoS Advisory Board Member Nick Hakim who plays on “Bright Future” and is also a close friend of Adrianne’s since they were teens. As is always the case with Lenker, the record is a beautiful dive into what it feels like to be human in modern times. –– CG

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The Last Dinner Party
Royale Boston | March 24, 2024

Boston entered the mystical world of The Last Dinner Party on a Sunday evening––a feast ripe with lyrical decadence and debaucherous musicality. Following the February release of their debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy, the femme five-piece have taken the music world by a storm. Fans were cordially invited to their sold-out show at Royale and arrived adorned with lush frills, lace corsets, and white bows, ready to get lost in the charmingly gothic spectacle that is The Last Dinner Party. From the moment the band hit the stage, it was rare to feel a moment of stillness. Their energy is volcanic, spreading like lava through the crowd. Pure joy and comradeship fuels each exchange between band members, making it clear to any witness that this is a group that finds performing fun, even adventurous. The Last Dinner Party worked their way through their entire album, rearranging the order of the last few tracks to close on a high with the invigorating “My Lady of Mercy” and “Nothing Matters” rather haunting fans into the night with “Mirror.” Read our full review here. –– AG

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Tiny Habits
9:30 Club | April 5, 2024

The band, made up of multi-talented musicians and writers Maya Rae, Cinya Khan, and Judah Mayowa, graced the audience with then-unreleased songs from the album, most (if not all) prior single and EP releases, and, true to their roots, beautifully reimagined covers. More than anything, they radiated gratitude and love for one another on stage. “All for Something,” produced by Tony Berg, is the band’s first release since signing with Mom + Pop. In line with their previous releases, this album is nothing if not vulnerable and honest. In combination with always-stunning vocal harmonies and high-quality production, the team’s artistry is on full display. Read our full review here. –– Saskia Jorgensen

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L'Impératrice
Music Hall at Williamsburg | April 10, 2024

In the intimate and cozy Music Hall at Williamsburg in Brooklyn, L'Impératrice reigned supreme, their Double Trouble mini-tour wrapping up in a euphoric dance party. The show was akin to being swept into a vortex of sonic ecstasy, leaving no room for anything but sheer joy. They wasted no time in captivating the audience with some of their classics—“Matahari,” “Agitations tropicales,” and “Peur des filles”—eliciting some of the longest bouts of applause ever heard for a live band. Sporting flashing Tony Stark-esque badges and quirky blue outfits, the group enveloped us in funky melodies and disco basslines. It was hard to divert your gaze from singer Flore Benguigui and her playful dance moves, yet regardless of where one looked on stage, someone was having the time of their life. The energy was infectious. Read our full review here. –– Dana Dean

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Mandy, Indiana
Elsewhere | April 23, 2024

Of all the shows you see, the most memorable may be when the line between performer and audience dissolves––or in the case of Mandy, Indiana, is torn down with rage. This was the scene at Elsewhere in Brooklyn last week when the band played to a core of their cult following as Parisian vocalist and lyricist Valentine Caulfield often howled from within the crowd as Manchester-based guitarist-producer Scott Fair led the band’s “transfixing blend of violence and transcendence: dance rhythms knocked askew, corroded guitars and synths fed into the gears of malfunctioning machinery.” –– CG

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Chicano Batman
Paradise Rock Club | May 10, 2024

Chicano Batman brought an eclectic blend of 1970s Latin soul and modern psychedelic music to Boston's Paradise Rock Club for a headlining show last month.  Their lyrics often touch on themes of identity, social justice, and resistance, reflecting their backgrounds and the political climate, and fluctuate between English and Spanish. They have been vocal about issues affecting the Latinx community and have used their platform to advocate for positive change. The energy in the venue was high, with dedicated fans lining the barricade and couples dancing behind the crowd. –– AG

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Rainbow Kitten Surprise
Roadrunner Boston | May 15, 2024

Rainbow Kitten Surprise made their way to Boston in May for the first time in 5 years, where eager fans filled the room for a highly-anticipated, sold-out residency at Roadrunner Boston. We caught their show on the third and final night, but the energy hadn’t died down. Since their last visit in 2019, the band released their fourth album ‘Love Hate the Music Box’ and watched their previous release, ‘How to: Friend, Love, Freefall,’ rise to online success. But at the height of their newfound success, the band called for a hiatus last summer due to lead singer Ela Melo’s mental health. Fans were ecstatic to see the band back on the big stage—their visceral reactions were palpable from in front of the barricade. Friends held hands, cried together, and jumped up and down, experiencing a wide range of emotions that the band’s vast discography—spanning over a decade—explores. –– AG

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Mannequin Pussy
Brooklyn Steel | May 16, 2024‍

Symbiotic aggression soaked all in attendance as Mannequin Pussy tore through a manic set of pop punk anthems, stadium-ready ballads, and hardcore bangers, with fans singing along and colliding in mosh pit chaos and camaraderie. The show felt like a pivotal moment for the underground scene (shout out Philly), showcasing its power to reach larger audiences while holding on to the authenticity of music that connects and inspires hope, rebellion, and love. –– NG (Photo by Charlie Gross)

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Wednesday
The Fillmore San Francisco | May 18, 2024‍

Indie rockers Wednesday ignited The Fillmore stage in San Francisco with fiery communal prose. Skilled with the fusing of genres, the tar heel band injects noise rock with a dose of country tumble, and this blend allows for an equally unique narrative. Yellow jacket stings, full-sized candy bars and roadside dressers are recounted lyrically with a deeply personal sense of storytelling, but one that isn’t safeguarded by its teller. The engagement from the crowd is an emotionally resonant public consumption of this narration, as something hyper-detailed and wholly singular ends up connecting people and illuminating the distinctiveness of each of our stories. –– Dexter Cotton