Brighton Music Hall

Considering myself a concert junkie, I've been to a plethora of shows in many different cities. Out of all of them, Brighton Music Hall is the one that stands out in my mind the most. The perfect size to be an intimate venue, good vibes and dancing become a guarantee. The entire staff is nice (once I got there early and a security guard gave my friend and I some baked goods that he makes the entire staff before shows!), it is relatively clean with a bar, seating along the side, and pool tables in the back should you care to play. As a college student, I appreciate the affordable price of tickets as well. I have yet to see a bad show here, tending to go to their bluegrass, folk, and jam band acts that they often have come through. In fact, for any of the shows I've been to I've never known the artist but just bought the tickets because they were coming to Brighton Music Hall and seemed like a fun gig. If you get the chance to see a show here--bring some friends, dancing shoes, and get ready to groove!

In November, 2012, my buddy and I elected to spend a night in Boston for music and general hijinks. We were living on the outer cape at an artists' residency and making a trip to the city every now and then was a total brainsave. When I saw Frank Fairfield, banjo wizard and LA streetmusic weirdo, was playing at the Brighton Music Hall, the plan was in motion. He was opening for some band I'd never heard of, but I figured he alone was worth the price of admission. We looked up a nearby flophouse to crash for the night--the Farrington Inn between Harvard and Linden, which turned out to be more than decent and convenient. It did cost more than advertised (the website says 60, we paid 90 for a room with two beds) and had a certain seedy grit about it, but it was fine for two dudes who were in town to drink. After checking in, we walked the short walk to the venue, bought our tickets, and went across the street to a crappy sports/Irish bar with an aggressively lame host for a couple drinks. Not a place I'd want to hang out, but the beers weren't too expensive and the bartender was cute and talkative. We met some friends at a really great taco joint adjacent to the venue, ate some beef tongue tacos on the cheap, and headed to the show. The venue, as it turns out, is a great space. Really intimate, but enough room to feel like you're seeing a SHOW, not a rehearsal in someone's practice space. Reminded me of the Empty Bottle in Chicago. Frank Fairfield, as I said, is a maestro--he plays music from the great American vernacular on banjo, guitar, and fiddle, sings like a coal miner, and his records out on Tompkins Square are some of the best neo-traditional folk music recorded in the last thirty years. For serious. Check this guy out. The only mistake he makes is going on tour opening for superlame white-bread bands from the Pacific Northwest. He first came to attention opening for Fleet Foxes, and the band he was opening for this evening was called Horsefeathers. During Fairfield's set, he battled crowd noise for most of the thirty or forty minutes he was on stage. People just wouldn't shut up. Now, this is supposed to be a review of the venue, and I'm not suggesting that the venue is at fault for the soulless jackals that come to the shows, but the whole thing left a pretty awful taste in my mouth, especially when the openers took the stage, and it was as if every lame joke anyone ever made about Portland poured itself into a bald white guy and the other members of the staff at the artisinal vanilla bean shoppe. Horsefeathers sucks, and the crowd ate it up. Sounds like Magnolia Electric Co. got a trust fund and learned about music by listening to Iron & Wine. Fortunately, the great thing about the venue was that it was easy to interact at the back. After a few more belts of whiskey, my friends and I got to chat up Fairfield, buy some merch, and hang out while making fun of the lameness on stage for a bit. Saved the night more than the weird Lebanese burrito I ended up eating in the backseat of a cab on the way back from Harvard Square many beers later into the night. Summary: Frank Fairfield is a god and you should reckon him, tacos are a better choice than Horsefeathers, the Brighton Music Hall is ok in my book.

As both an avid concertgoer and musician, Brighton Music Hall is one of my favorite venues in the city. Getting to BMH via public transportation is easy, and there are some great restaurants in the area for dining before or after a concert (I highly recommend the steambeer burgers at Sunset Grill). Brighton Music Hall's main room is spacious, with a designated area for bands to sell merch, and pool tables in the back room, so even a sold out show doesn't feel overcrowded. Best of all, ticket prices at BMH are reasonable--even for national touring acts--without sacrificing the intimate vibe of the hall.

I recently revisited Brighton Music Hall after a short hiatus and let me tell you, I am very much so looking forward to returning for any and every possible music event in the future! I went to catch Boston's own Blue Boy Productions play with Zoogma (and electronic-rock band hailing from Memphis, TN) there on Thursday, February 14th. The music was oh so enjoyable and the quality of sound in the venue undeniably amplified the goodness. There was about 100 people, give or take, which made for a great use of danceable space! The atmosphere is open and breathable yet intimate, lending to a great concert experience. The music hall has not one, not two, but THREE bars, which means you're never waiting impatiently for something to sip on. There are areas in both the front and back for sitting and chilling, and two pool tables for those who prefer not to get down and dirty on the dance floor. Its a simple, clean venue with an open feel and vibrant sound; what more could you want from a concert venue? Not to mention, its perfect for all of us living in the Allston/Brighton area and easy to get to off the T! I look forward to seeing ya'll there next time around!