There’s never been a better time for summer cycling; here’s where to roll
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SUMMER HIKES: THE ULTIMATE PAIRING
Looking for long walks on the water and fried clams? We’ve got you covered
SUN SCREEN: OUTDOOR FLICKS TO CATCH IN GREATER BOSTON THIS SEASON
One way to breathe in these next three months of sweaty joy is to take a break from your Netflix queue and check out some of the free screenings in town. Here’s a quick guide that will help you navigate the options…
FIRST LOOK: A&B BURGERS IN BOSTON
A&B Burgers has come a long way from its rather inauspicious beginnings north of Boston to its star status in the heart of Boston over the course of the past several years.
THE THIRST IS REAL: BOSTON’S PREMIER COCKTAIL CONFERENCE STAYS FIERCELY LOCAL WHILE EXPANDING
“It just seemed like the right time to find some partners and create one that showcased the Boston hospitality industry. It’s grown to encompass a little bit more of New England, so we try to do outreach and work with bartenders in all of the other New England states.”
PREVIEW: DESERTFEST NYC
COLD FRONT COMING IN: MARTIN PHILLIPPS OF THE CHILLS
Few regions can boast an outsized influence on the greater musical culture more so than New Zealand, tucked away at the bottom of the earth thousands of miles from anywhere else. With Flying Nun (and lesser known labels such as Propeller, Ripper, South Indies and Xpressway), the country of three million became an insanely fertile incubator for all sorts of strains of rock music, and Martin Phillipps was arguably at the center of it all. The creative force behind countless expertly crafted pop songs (hello, Exhibit A!), Phillips had successfully reached pockets of the European and American markets before it unraveled in the mid-90s. But the muse never leaves gifted songwriters, and he’s sprung back in surprisingly strong form with two records since 2015 that can stand shoulder to shoulder with his past work, including last year’s Snow Bound. Phillipps hasn’t played Boston since the Sunburnt tour of 1996, but he’s back in town this week at the Middle East this Wednesday– do not sleep on this! I had a chance to send some questions to him, so let’s see what he’s been up to.
It’s been a long time since you’ve played Boston… what sort of reaction do you think you’ll get?
MP: The level of enthusiasm about our return to the States has been extraordinary and I’m sure the Boston audience will be as thrilled with our performance of old and new material as the other cities we have been playing to recently. We will be playing just a little more of the older material in the U.S. because some people there have been waiting for decades to hear it live but our older fans everywhere else assure us that the new songs sit beautifully alongside the classics and simply sound just like The Chills – in fine form!
During the period you struggled with health problems, did you continue to write and stockpile songs? Or is phase two, from 2013 onward, all material that’s
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OUR VERY SPECIAL PHOTO ISSUE
The concept is simple—it’s going to be a series of photos taken across Greater Boston on the same evening.
DIG THIS: NEKO CASE, STEVE GUNN, JON SPENCER
THUR 1.24
Neko Case @ Royale
Neko last hit town for two shows in early summer as support for Ray LaMontagne, but now the New England-transplant has scheduled her own proper headlining tour, and will get a bit more room to stretch out over the material of her excellent new record. If you think her songs are just simple folk-based structures with some really inventive lyrics adorning them, spend some time with this meticulous breakdown of “Last Lion Of Albion.” Support via ATO label mate and Boston-native Margaret Glaspy, who has a nice new record out herself.
=&0=&279 Tremont Street,
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A LOT OF LIGHTBULBS TO CHANGE
“Water is always going to be important to people ... As our landscapes change over time, our systems have to change to adapt.”