Being under the weather is never fun, so imagine having to get up in front of thousands of people night after night and appear as if you're right as rain. That's what Gavin Rossdale had been doing for a spell with his band Bush, leading to our interview getting pushed back a few times as... Continue Reading →
Brian Fallon Talks Comparisons, Giving Up Bread, and What Makes New Jersey Great
The Gaslight Anthem is, by far, one of my favorite bands to come out of the early-ish '00s. Whether it's the overarching connectedness to the everyman in their lyrics, the swirling guitar melodies that almost don't fit into a punk rock song or the constant nod to their musical influences, there's always been something there... Continue Reading →
Right or Wrong, Great White’s Jack Russell Has Finally Found Peace
“If I could go back and change my life, or anybody’s life I would do it. That wasn’t supposed to happen; it was supposed to be a concert. I just try to take it one day at a time, and sometimes one day [is] worse… some days I can’t even get out of bed. I... Continue Reading →
Aerosmith Announce Retirement from Touring; All Shows Canceled, Rockers React
One of the greatest American rock and roll bands has called it a day – in terms of hitting the road at least. Less than two months before their "Peace Out: The Farwell Tour" was scheduled to resume in Pittsburgh, and 11 months to the day from when it originally kicked off at the Wells... Continue Reading →
Green Day Comes to Town
I've never been the biggest Green Day fan. I'm also not big on Rancid - too ska punk for me. But when the two of them were announced to be coming to Fenway Park, I knew it would be worth it because of The Linda Lindas and Smashing Pumpkins being on the bill. Green Day... Continue Reading →
George Thorogood Talks His Time in Boston and Being the Last of a Blues Class
It's never, ever boring interviewing George Thorogood. Back when I was a budding journalist and would interview the bluesman from Delaware, I could never keep up. He was too quick; like his mind was able to hold the current train of thought while at the same time it barrelled down the track six towns ahead.... Continue Reading →
Queens of the Stone Age Reveal Mini-Tour, Kicking Off in Boston
This was a pretty unique one. Queens of the Stone Age, who are currently on the road playing a bunch of festival dates this summer, have announced a mini-tour to close out the long-running "The End Is Nero..." trek. To announce the dates, QOTSA keyboardist/guitarist Dean Fertita gave me the scoop over at Vanyaland as... Continue Reading →
Rising Synth Star Johnny Dynamite on Vampires, The Cure, and His Comic Book Anti-Hero Lineage
Johnny Dynamite first came onto my radar with his 2021 instant earworm masterpiece "Bats in the Woods," which we were pretty stoked about over at Vanyaland too. Ahead of multiple shows hitting the New England area, I got the man himself to take part in a proper 617 Q&A where we talked about his new... Continue Reading →
Talking Glam, Goth and California with Jyrki 69 of The 69 Eyes
Present me with a gothic rock band any day of the week and I'm in. Helsinki's The 69 Eyes are one of the best out there, embracing the ethos of the subculture and living the life like few others. I sat down with frontman Jyrki 69 recently to discuss how the band made the change... Continue Reading →
Three Months Late: 23 Top Songs of 2023
When I started putting this list together, the intent was to check off my 23 Top Songs of 2023. I ended up with a playlist over eight hours long and decided to do the 123 Top Songs of 2023. Then I realized how insane that was and somehow whittled it down to the original idea... Continue Reading →