On Aug. 31, Dispatch and the Boston Pops will conclude Tanglewood’s 2024 popular artist concert series.
Chad Urmston, Brad Corrigan, and Pete Heimbold formed their Indie band Dispatch in the 90’s as they were attending Middlebury College in Vermont. The band is most known for their songs “The General” and “Band Bang.” After Graduating, they relocated to Boston to further the band’s influence. In 2002, after six albums, the band thought Dispatch had come to an end and even performed a farewell concert in Boston Known as “The Last Dispatch” two years later.
Although the band did take a break from recording and creating music this wasn’t truly “The Last Dispatch.” They came together for multiple benefit concerts in the following years and in 2011 they announced their official reunion. Today, Corrigan and Urmston make up the band and in 2021 they released Break Our Fall.
Joining this indie jam band is Grenadian-Canadian jazz vocalist, Kaia Kater. Her music is a genre blend of Appalachian and Canadian folk. She started releasing music straight out of high school with her first EP Old Soul in 2013. Her most recent album Strange Medicine is a reflection of Kater’s life and a celebration of marginalized people.
Singing alongside these three artists are the Boston Pops who have performed several times throughout Tanglewood. This concert series located in the Berkshire mountains of Western Massachusetts is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and offers classical concerts as well as performances from contemporary artists.
To purchase tickets to Dispatch’s performance you can visit the Tanglewood website here.
Beck’s deep decades-long catalog was on full display to a packed Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood on Tuesday, July 23.
With Edwin Outwater conducting another installment of Tanglewood’s Popular Artist Series, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer performed songs from albums Sea Change and Morning Phase, two albums designed for performance with a full orchestra, having kicked off with shows in Washington state and California earlier in July.
The show featured not just songs from the two GRAMMY nominated albums – with Morning Phase winning Album of the Year in 2015 – but also deeper cuts from Mutations, Odelay, and more, with fan favorites mixed in, as Beck presented a well-rounded view of his three-decade spanning catalog.
Beginning at 7:21pm with Outwater walking out to join the Boston Pops, Beck followed behind as “Cycle” was played, moving into “Golden Age,” with Beck introducing his ‘new’ band to the crowd. Presenting his rock star cool – shades, an open-button white shirt with french cuffs, black blazer and pants, all despite having his luggage lost by an airline and even borrowing a pair of shoes – Beck strode about the stage, leading the show alongside Outwater’s conducting.
Beck recalled how he had visited Tanglewood once prior, just to see the place, and cited that he was jealous of the picknickers on the lawn. Cheers followed as he introduced “Wave,” off Morning Phase. Showing a versatility of songwriting influences, Beck shifted south to Brazil, playing “Tropicali,” suggesting that one day he might make a full album of Brazilian music.
With an upgraded sound thanks to the 80 or so members of the Boston Pops (making for quite the tour bus, Beck later quipped), a fresh orchestra intro to “New Pollution” stood out in the first radio-friendly song of the night, with Beck’s band taking the lead on guitar and bass for the first time this evening.
Giving a shout out to his mom who was in attendance this evening, the mellow vibe of the show (save “New Pollution”) was discussed as he moved into “Missing” off Guero, with strings arranged by his father, David Chapman. This Mortal Coil’s “Tarantula” was dedicated to the goths in attendance this evening, with Beck saying “I know you’re out there, beyond the trees.”
Beck noted that he sought to perform music that inspired him, including that of Frank Sinatra and Scott Walker, the latter of whom two songs were performed this evening – “It’s Raining Today” and “Montague Terrace (in Blue)” – songs that Beck himself wanted to hear played by an orchestra.
“We Live Again” was dedicated to French singer Françoise Hardy, who passed away earlier this summer. “Phase,” “Morning” and “Waking Light,” rounded out the orchestral performances this evening, with one more surprise in store – Beck’s 1996 hit “Where It’s At” – played with depth and panache from all musicians on stage.
Beck took time to thank the Boston Pops, specifically thanking each individual section of the orchestra – strings, woodwinds, brass and the rest – before they slowly departed the stage.
With a core band remaining, each of whom had been on the recording of Sea Change and Morning Phase – Justin Meldal-Johnsen (bass), Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (keys), Jason Faulkner (guitar), and Joey Waronker (drums) – Beck playfully asked ‘Where’s my orchestra?,’ before wandering the stage to get a perspective from the musicians view, sitting in the harpist’s seat, playing the vibraphone and gong, and finally breaking out a harmonica for a solo number, “One Foot in the Grave,” off Stereopathetic Soulmanure (as well as the title of another Beck album).
The feedback friendly “Devil’s Haircut” followed as energetic as ever, with breakout single “Loser” – a song Beck has now been playing for more than 30 years – closing the night.
While you could look at the setlist and see that some hits (including all of 2017’s Colors) were left unplayed, there were no complaints to be heard as Beck’s catalog runs deep. Given his excitement over the show and praise for Tanglewood and the Boston Pops, it feels we might see him back soon in the future.
Beck with the Boston Pops – Tanglewood, Lenox, MA – Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Setlist: Cycle, The Golden Age, Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime, Lonesome Tears, It’s Raining Today, Wave, Tropicalia, Blue Moon, Lost Cause, The New Pollution, Missing, Tarantula, Round the Bend, Paper Tiger, We Live Again, Montague Terrace (in Blue), Phase, Morning, Waking Light, Where It’s At
Encore (Beck and his band): One Foot in the Grave, Devils Haircut, Mixed Bizness, Loser
Beck 2024 Tour Dates: 7/25 – Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center (w/ The Philadelphia Orchestra) 7/27 – Vienna, VA – Wolftrap (w/ The National Symphony Orchestra) 7/29-30 – New York, NY – Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall (w/ The Orchestra Of St. Luke’s) 9/19-22 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond 9/28 – St. Louis, MO – Evolution Festival 9/29 – Huntsville, AL – South Star Music Festival
Artist and producer Beck will perform alongside the Boston Pops at the Tanglewood concert series on July 23.
Beck’s vast discography exposes his genre melding experimental music. He rose to fame in the early 1990’s after he moved to NYC as part of the “anti-folk” movement. He moved back to his hometown of Los-Angelos and released his first hit single “Loser” in 1994. It remains his most streamed song on Spotify.
Beck has won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male Vocal Performance in 1997 for “Where It’s At.” Recently he has continued to collaborate with many other artists. For his 2019 album Hyperspace, He collaborated with Pharrell Williams. On July 12, Orville Peck and Beck released the alternative country single “Death Valley High.”
Beck will also be collaborating with the Boston Pops conducted by Edwin Outwater, an esteemed conductor who has made appearances alongside New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Philadelphia Orchestra.
The pops perform throughout the Tanglewood concert series. The venue is located in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts and is also the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. To purchase tickets to Beck’s performance you can visit the Tanglewood website here.
On a long anticipated day for musicians and fans alike, Trey Anastasio performed for the first time at Tanglewood Music Center, joined by the Boston Pops, conducted by Edwin Outwater.
photo by Hilary Scott
Initially scheduled to perform in June 2020, Anastasio beamed with joy as he took the stage following the orchestra for this long-awaited evening of music.
For the June 29 crowd, the day was full of gray skies and rain that was tolerable, but not terrible, as fans were well prepared for the misty weather of the Berkshires that accompanies any passing storm system. Newcomers to Tanglewood were amazed by the sprawling grounds, the ability to bring in everything from food and drink to portable chairs and tables, all making for a relaxing pre-show that led into an evening of unforgettable music.
photo by Hilary Scott
Opening up the night with “First Tube”, this more staid by comparison, yet intricate, version of the classic Phish arena rocker elicited early erupts of cheers from fans, especially the uninitiated to Anastasio’s body of orchestral work. Following Thank You’s to the crowd, Anastasio shifted into the appropriate “Water in Sky” donning his acoustic guitar for the relaxing string-led number that evoked the orchestration of Disney’s early Silly Symphony cartoon series.
Following was “Evolve,” which saw its orchestral debut a few nights earlier in Vienna, VA. The pandemic-era song, turned Phish single, now sits prominently in Anastasio’s arsenal of compositions for orchestras.
photo by Hilary Scott
A 17-minute “Divided Sky” was the closest to a Phish performance this evening, as the composition itself has been ideally suited for orchestra performance since it was written, and allows Anastasio to shine on guitar more than any other song this evening. The ‘open space’ was divinely orchestrated in the lead up to the ‘moment’, with cheers welcomed by the Bad Lieutenant, and the second half textbook early Phish orchestration, with a tremendous ending lead to roars of cheers from the crowd spread across the lawn and inside the Koussevitzky Music Shed.
After introductions of conductor Edwin Outwater and the Boston Pops, “Mercy,” also a Vienna debut, followed for a soft breather that paired well with “Divided Sky.”
photo by Hilary Scott
Closing the set was “Stash,” a more complicated song for the orchestra, but offered a samba beat thanks to the horn section, the percussion and clave driving the mellow tempo forward with a ‘cha cha cha’ beat.
Following a short setbreak (and an appreciated heads up given to the audience five minutes prior to showtime), “Harry Hood” saw its second ever performance (following Vienna), with the orchestra joining in to say “Thank You, Mister Minor” and featuring a unique ending compared to the Phish standard.
“Petrichor” was a perfect fit following the excitement prompted by “Hood,” as well as with light sprinkles coming down as the song started.
A short acoustic version of “More” followed, with “What’s The Use?” surprising the audience as it is wont to do at many a Phish show.
Harpist Jessica Zhou was the MVP in the ‘quiet spot’ of “WTU?,” building the strings in gentle, rising to the occasion and giving this meditative song deeper resonance with the audience.
In September 2009, “You Enjoy Myself” saw its debut at Carnegie Hall, and the moment saw the audience sitting in silent awe, with occasional laughs during the ‘vocals.’ On this evening at Tanglewood, for the unenlightened, “You Enjoy Myself” would draw out more than laughs and silence, but also dancers in the aisles of the lawn (yes, there are aisles on the lawn, sort of) and back of the shed.
Trombonists Toby Oft and Stephen Lange, along with the percussion section combined for a memorable ‘vocal jam’ that led into the boisterous ending that Trey Anastasio and Phish have been performing since 1986.
After a performance like this, Anastasio kept the new orchestrations flowing with acoustic guitar in hand for “The Inlaw Josie Wales.” Now a Phish rarity (last played in 2000), “Inlaw” is welcome at any performance from Anastasio and an orchestra moving forward.
And to cap off an incredible day at Tanglewood and evening of music, fan favorite “The Lizards” closed the show, the tale of Rutherford the Brave as seen through the eyes of Colonel Forbin bringing fans to their feet once again.
Trey Anastasio and the Boston Pops – Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood – Saturday, June 29, 2024 – setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: First Tube, Water in the Sky*, Evolve, Divided Sky, Mercy, Stash Set 2: Harry Hood, Petrichor, More*, What’s the Use, You Enjoy Myself Encore: The Inlaw Josie Wales*, The Lizards * Trey on acoustic guitar
Trey Anastasio at Tanglewood photos by Hilary Scott
photo by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scott
Grammy Award winning pop star, Jason Mraz will perform alongside the Boston Pops at Tanglewood on Tuesday, July 2.
This iconic singer-songwriter has been releasing music since 1999 as a self-published artist and released his first studio album Waiting For My Rocket To Come in 2002. Mraz’s career started at Java Joe’s coffee shop in Ocean Beach, San Diego. Mraz was signed to Elektra Records in 2001 and opened on Jewel’s 2002 tour.
His singles “The Remedy” and “You & I Both” made it onto Billboard charts. In 2005, he released Mr A-Z with Atlantic Records and went on to open for stars like The Rolling Stones and Alanis Morissette. His 2008 album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things, blossomed his career and gave listeners his most well known songs like “I’m Yours,” “Lucky” and “Make It Mine.” He won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Make It Mine” and Best Pop Collaboration for “Lucky” with Colbie Caillat at the 2010 Grammy Awards.
Currently, The Jason Mraz Foundation raises money for arts education organizations like Harmonic Humanity and the Rock n’ Roll Camp For Girls. Since 2011, he has raised over $1 million to help these inclusive arts programs.
The Boston Pops will perform alongside him on the Koussevitzky Music Shed stage. They have performances throughout the Tanglewood concert series including with the band DISPATCH and with the Boston Symphony Orchestra during their film nights. Tanglewood is a summer series located in the Berkshire hills in Western Massachusetts and will continue until August 31.
For more information of Jason Mraz’s Tanglewood performance and to purchase tickets you can visit the website here.
Rock legend Trey Anastasio will perform with the Boston Pops at the Tanglewood concert series on Saturday, June 29 at 7 p.m.
Anastasio is guitarist and singer-songwriter who co-founded Phish in 1983 at The University of Vermont. In 1998, he branched out with a solo project that would eventually become Trey Anastasio Band, starting out as a trio and having as many as 10 different musicians in 2002.
Along with his tours with these bands, Anastasio has also performed live as a solo act. In 2009, he performed in Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic and has performed with a number of orchestras across the country, owing credit to his background in orchestration and composition. In 2020, he presented ‘The Beacon Jams‘ as a way to connect and perform with fans during the COVID pandemic, spanning eight weeks. He has released 18 solo albums and is touring at various venues across the U.S, including Tanglewood.
The Boston Pops conductor for the performance, Edwin Outwater, is an esteemed conductor and is currently the Music Director of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has been conducting since 2001 all across the country.
Each summer, Tanglewood welcomes highly established artists like Anastasio and Outwater to perform at the Koussevitzky Music Shed. The venue is located in the Berkshire hills in western Massachusetts.
To purchase tickets for Anastasio’s and the Pop’s performance you can visit the website here.
