Live Shows: Tracy Bonham, The Burren, Somerville, MA 2/22/26

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I'm going to age myself here, but the first (and last) time I saw Tracy Bonham live was at the album release show for The Burdens of Being Upright way back in 1996. It was at The Middle East, and you could get a free ticket if you purchased the CD at Newbury Comics. I'm not sure why I never saw her again after that show, but I've been on a bit of a Tracy Bonham kick lately. The Burdens of Being Upright might be the most underappreciated songs of that era. We all know and remember the big megahit "Mother Mother," but "Navy Bean," "Tell It to the Sky," "Kisses," and "The One" are all far better than you remember. Once I saw that she was starting a residency at The Burren to mark the album's thirtieth anniversary, I immediately acquired a ticket to the February show.

Sunday night's show was moved an hour earlier due to the huge snow storm still happening, but instead of weighing on everyone like a cloud, the impending storm somehow made the show more celebratory. Bonham played the show solo, and opened with a somewhat experimental piece comprised of her playing violin accompanied by samples of her appearances on The Howard Stern Show and MTV News referring to her as an "angry young woman" and talking about her hating her mother. That set the playful mood of the show, especially with her stories about not being angry or hating her mother. She also addressed the rumors of her being the daughter of John Bonham and played a pair of Led Zeppelin covers ("Kashmir" and "Black Dog") on violin. Her comments on some of Robert Plant's lyrics were especially fantastic.

As the show went on, the performance became more loose, in a great way. It felt less like a performance by a Grammy nominated artist and more like an intimate gathering of friends. It was the rare show that comments from the audience added to the experience. Bonham played most of The Burdens of Being Upright (she did miss "Navy Bean"), and told stories involving most songs. The storytelling aspect was just as entertaining as the songs, and were absolutely hilarious. Even the occasional mistake or forgotten lyric added to the magic of the night. I try to avoid calling experiences "magical" because my aging Gen-X heart is still too cynical, but the first night of Tracy Bonham's residency at The Burren was truly magical.

If you missed out on night one, there are still more you can make! She'll be playing one Sunday night through May. You can find more information here.

On Repeat...

Sean Thomas Gerard - "Bright Side"

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Photo by Sultana Garritano Brooklyn's DJ Haram has a new single out that shows off her trademark boom bap sprinkled with Middle Eastern instrumentation sound. "Fishnets" features verses from Bbymutha, SHA RAY, and August Fanon, and has an intense and almost menacing vibe, despite being an absolute banger of a track. It's hypnotic and immediately grabs your attention, and if you're unfamiliar with the trio of rappers on the song, you're sure to start pulling up their bodies of work. "Fishnets" is one of those songs that just feels cool and makes you need to hear more from all of the artists involved.  DJ Haram says of her latest single: "‘Fishnets’ is for the eclectic bad bitches. The people united will never be defeated." You can listen to "Fishnets" below. Beside Myself is due out July 18 on Hyperdub, and is available for pre-order here . For more on DJ Haram, check out the artist on Instagram and Twitter . Upcoming tour dates a...
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Izzy Heltai - "Father"

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Photo by Joanna Chattman I've been referring to Northampton, MA based Izzy Heltai's music as mainstream modern folk with just enough of a unique spin to keep it appealing to music snobs, too. His latest single, "Father," might be the perfect example of that. It's a quiet, deeply personal song that starts off painfully sparse but ever so slowly builds and builds as it goes on. It walks that line between accessible/mainstream and indie expertly.  You can watch the video for "Father" below. Father , the upcoming debut album from Izzy Heltai, will be out October 9. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Izzy Heltai, check out the artist's website .
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