The Boston Traveler

Tomorrow evening from 5pm to 8pm at One City Hall Plaza, Boston will host its ninth GospelFest, a free music showcase that features the inspiring sounds of contemporary and traditional gospel performers from both near and far.
Boston’s local gospel scene will be represented by LeRoy Streat with Grace. The group specializes in the Christian worship music that Streat has been writing, playing, and producing for more than fifteen years, in addition to his work leading music ministries both in the United States and abroad. The local presence is increased by Major Choirboy, a native of Houston, Texas, and …read more

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Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art does much more than beautify Bean Town’s surroundings with displays of gorgeous visual art. In conjunction with Berklee College of Music, it also enhances the aesthetic appeal of the area by offering HarborWalk Sounds, a series of free outdoor concerts performed by Berklee students and alumni, each Thursday evening.
To enjoy the diverse musical styles that lean heavily toward jazz, just head over to Putnam Investments Plaza (100 Northern Avenue, Boston Waterfront, 617-478-3100) from 6pm to 8:30pm. The lineup for the series, which runs until September 11, follows. Visit the ICA website for …read more

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This Fourth of July, it’s a shame revelers in the Boston area won’t get to enjoy the traditional free Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular from the Longfellow Bridge, a prime vantage point. But that doesn’t mean the celebration will be any less dazzling, especially since this year is the event’s 35th anniversary.
As most residents know, the annual Independence Day festivities featuring the Boston Pops occurs over two days in the city, the actual holiday and the day before it. As a result, the Boston Pops will perform an 8:30pm concert on both Thursday, July 3, and Friday, July 4.
There …read more

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Pop-rock vocalist Natalie Merchant, formerly of alternative rock’s 10,000 Maniacs, has a sweet two-day gig coming up next week in Boston. The New York native will be performing live twice with the revered Boston Pops Orchestra, led by conductor Keith Lockhart, during EdgeFest 2008.
EdgeFest, now in its fourth year, is a Boston Pops concert series that pairs the orchestra with contemporary bands and artists. Not surprisingly, the different musical focus attracts a significant number of 30-something attendees, in contrast to the customary Boston Pops audience, which has an average age of over 50.
Merchant’s last studio release was 2003’s …read more

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Warm weather and outdoor concerts go together so well, the only thing that makes them better is when the latter are free. People who realize this and share an appreciation of the planet we call home are in luck, then, because Saturday, May 24th, marks the 15th Annual EarthFest hosted by WBOS Radio 92.9.
Performing this year for free in honor of Earth are alternative rockers Cake, the headliners, as well as The BoDeans, Cracker, The English Beat, and various Boston-based groups. The event will also offer environment-friendly activities, including many targeted specifically towards family and children.
EarthFest has been …read more

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It looks like it was raining fairly hard this morning in New York, but that didn’t stop women around my age from showing up to drool and reminisce over the reunited New Kids on the Block when they appeared at Rockefeller Plaza. Since I was never into boy bands, I can’t say I share their enthusiasm. Still, who can grumble about so many having such a good time because of one music group? I’m happy for ‘em!
As promised, check out high-quality videos of the New Kids’ performance on NBC’s Today earlier today. Danny Wood, Donnie Wahlberg, …read more

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There’s no denying it or wondering about it now — the rumors about New Kids on the Block staging a tour in the near future are undeniably true.
To prove it, the group’s website nkotb.com is currently chock full of supporting extras, including a blog, image downloads, and a brand-spanking-new track called “Summertime,” the last of which is located at the New Kids on the Block MySpace site.
As of this writing, the following tour dates are listed, so start snapping up those tickets now if you’ve got NKOTB fever. And, if you won’t be able to make any of the …read more

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…for the next week at least.
Armed with the provocative motto “The Future of Jazz Is Here and Now,” JazzBoston will take over Boston from April 25 to May 4 to offer residents and visitors a variety of affordable events focused on the music genre, such as workshops, concerts, and tributes to pioneers.
Highlights include a series of free seminars at the Boston Public Library’s main branch in Copley Square (700 Boylston Street, Copley Square, Boston, 617-536-5400), ranging from The Worlds of Duke Ellington to From Jazz to Hip-Hop and Beyond: Why Jazz Matters in the 21st Century. Especially notable is …read more

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Despite overall lousy weather, it was very obvious that nothing could keep the ladies away from the Today show plaza this morning to get a look at boy-band icons New Kids on the Block.
The guys — Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, and brothers Jonathan Knight and Jordan Knight — were in New York to make their first public appearance together in 14 years, and aside from Mother Nature’s refusal to play along, the reunion went off without a hitch.
Each member of the band looked pretty good given the passage of time, and as co-host Hoda Kotb noted at one …read more

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How about a little college spirit!
When I think of Cambridge’s renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a lot of things instantly come to mind, first and foremost the treasure trove of brain power the university has among its students and professors.
This weekend, however, the 35+-year-old campus gospel choir will give the public something else to associate with the school, namely a love of gospel music. That’s because on Saturday, April 5, the first-ever Gospel Fest celebration will bring eight Boston-based college gospel groups to MIT to perform in a massive concert. Participants include:

MIT Gospel Choir
Boston College Voices of Imani
Boston …read more

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