MARCH
The month roars in like a lion on the 1st with bewitching singer-guitarist ST. VINCENT downstairs at the Middle East, BILL COSBY at the Opera House, ONEIDA and MAJOR STARS at T.T.’s, and trad Irish band DERVISH at the Somerville Theatre. DOLLY PARTON’s “Backwoods Barbie” tour hits the Opera House March 5. The same night, another blonde-haired singer — albeit a much younger one — SIA is at the Paradise. Modern Lover JONATHAN RICHMAN is sure to pack ’em in upstairs at the Middle East March 6-7.
Worldly Portland, Oregon 12-piece PINK MARTINI play the Opera House March 8, while singer-songwriter fave PATTY LARKIN brings her formidable acoustic guitar chops to the MFA. The next night, big-voiced R&B singer JILL SCOTT is at the Orpheum.
Still no rumblings of a Hüsker Dü reunion — BOB MOULD continues rocking it solo. He and his band play the Paradise March 12. The next night, fun-loving “flower punks” BLACK LIPS return to the Middle East downstairs.
Another cool hip-hop show at Harpers Ferry March 14: Brooklyn Boot Camp Clik dudes SMIF-N-WESSUN join up with Beantown supergroup and Duck Down labelmates SPECIAL TEAMZ. The same night, John Darnielle and his beloved MOUNTAIN GOATS are at the MFA; they also play downstairs at the Middle East the following night.
Fans of Irish-infused punk rock, get psyched: DROPKICK MURPHYS play the Tsongas Arena (300 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Lowell) March 15, and March 19 the Dropkicks’ forebears the POGUES are at the Orpheum. The same night, British 2 Tone–era ska vets BAD MANNERS pick it back up downstairs at the Middle East. The MFA keeps coming fierce with the cool indie shows — March 21 it’s Bay Area art-rock trio XIU XIU. The same night, Toronto electro-organic experimentalists HOLYFUCK melt minds upstairs at the Middle East, and acclaimed Afropop polyglot singer ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO plays the first of two back-to-back nights at the Somerville Theatre.
Erstwhile Procol Harum guitarist ROBIN TROWER serves up the blues-rock voodoo soup at the Berklee Performance Center March 22. Danish guy-girl fuzz-pop duo the RAVEONETTES play the Paradise March 24. And Japanese psychedelicists ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE get kaleidoscopic upstairs at the Middle East March 26.
Peachy: the PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA are still at it — they play the Paradise March 27; meanwhile newly-christened critical favorites BLITZEN TRAPPER are at the Middle East upstairs. The next night at Sanders Theatre, Passim celebrates its rich 50-year history with a performance by JOAN BAEZ, who got her start at the folk venue back in the late ’50s when it was known as Club 47. And esteemed multimedia performance artist LAURIE ANDERSON and guest musicians perform her “Homeland” piece, which is described as “part poem, part play, part rock concert,” March 29 at the Opera House. Baltimore boy-girl dream-pop duo BEACH HOUSE bring the exciting, exhausting first quarter of 2008 to a blissful close upstairs at the Middle East March 31. Out like a lamb.
