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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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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…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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Forty years ago yesterday, on April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The very next night, “Soul Brother Number One” and “Godfather of Soul” James Brown (1933–2006) was scheduled to perform a concert at the Boston Garden in Massachusetts.
Yet, after word of the reverend’s murder spread, riots quickly erupted in more than 100 cities across the United States. As a result, Boston’s newly elected mayor at that critical time, Kevin White, was left with the difficult task of preventing widespread disorder in the city.
His original …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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Yeah, I know — it’s not exactly cool in most circles to dig Michael Jackson these days. But, there was a time back during the height of the Michael versus Prince Wars (remember those? I do!) when M.J. was badder than bad. It’s great some people still haven’t forgotten that despite all of his highly publicized troubles, Jackson remains one of the greatest music artists of all time, and he always will be.
If you’ve got a thing for Jackson and aren’t afraid to show it, you might want to check out the Coolidge Corner Theatre (290 Harvard …read more

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Whoever said the best things in life aren’t free (or something like that) never heard of the people responsible for OurStage.com and its upcoming OurStage College Clash competition. Heck, until recently, neither had I. But, now that I am aware of the ambitious venture and its creators, I won’t forget them anytime soon — their website is already bookmarked in my browser of choice, and I’m a full-fledged, registered, and active member as of today.
So, what is OurStage? To put it simply, a venue for artists to have their work judged by the people who matter most, …read more

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Did you really, really, really want to see The Mighty Mighty Bosstones during their year-ending, historic 10th Hometown Throwdown at the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge or Lupo’s in Rhode Island but couldn’t score tickets or make it to Boston in time? If you live on the West Coast or plan to be in the area on Saturday, March 1, around 8pm, you just might get a chance to see Dicky and the boys live after all when they play Avalon in Hollywood, California, at that time.
Select presale tickets through Ducat King are all snatched up (sincerest apologies for …read more

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Missed the Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ historic 10th Throwdown at Cambridge’s Middle East Downstairs from December 26–30 or perhaps even the New Year’s show at Lupo’s in Rhode Island? Well, you’re not alone.
Lucky for everyone, then, that a handful of avid fans not only managed to snag some precious if occasionally jumpy and/or unfocused video footage (word has it that security didn’t even check for camera phones and camcorders), but were also kind enough to upload said snippets to YouTube.
Continue onward for a look at what I found during a recent search. It seems like more is being added …read more

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