The big news in Boston was the opening of the brand-new, super-duper House of Blues on Landsdowne St. Rising from the ashes of Avalon (formerly Venus de Milo which was formerly Metro which was formerly Citi which … you get the idea), was this already legendary musical phoenix.
Kicking off this massive hoop-dee-do, was a performance by the J. Geils Band. First, naturally, they looked at the purse. Seeing that the purse was adequate enough to get the band together, smiling, and playing, they agreed to the gig.
I’ve seen horrible shows at legendary venues and legendary shows at horrible venues. This, blissfully, was the latter. Consummate bluesmen (and mostly jewsmen!), the J Geils Band tore the (newly raised) roof off the joint. With a combined age somewhere around 300, they had twice the chops and four times the vigor of a band half their respective ages. Even more impresive, they did so without synthesizers, Auto-Tune, or any cheesy gimmicks. They were showmen; they performed.
Most thrilling to me was the sheer fact that after waiting in pouring rain for an hour, and being on my feet for nearly 5 hours, my excitement and enthusiasm never dwindled. I could probably make a lot more money working in any other industry, but music continues to be a constant source of excitement, support, and invigoration. The J Geils Band reaffirmed live music in a way that puts virtually all other bands to shame. Infectious grooves, addictive beats, and the most enigmatic frontman since … well … ever.
Proof of a higher being would be the opportunity to see ’em again.
Note: I’m not really discussing the House of Blues itself. They seem to have put some very expensive lipstick on the pig, but once the music stops, it’s the same soul-less shell it’s always been.
