Concerts

Leave your house for Crowded House at Boch Center (POSTPONED)

The ever-popular Crowded House will play their first Boston show in more than a decade on Sept. 10.

Note: The band has postponed its North American tour due to a back injury suffered by drummer Elroy Finn. Ticket holders are encouraged to hold on to their tickets and will receive information on the new dates shortly, according to the band’s website. All tickets remain valid for the new dates.

Last year’s “Dreamers Are Waiting” was Crowded House’s first album since 2010’s “Intriguer.” That album’s predecessor, 2007’s “Time on Earth,” was the Australian superstars’ first studio effort in the 14 years that had passed since the release of “Together Alone.”

Advertisement:

However, head of House-hold Neil Finn had hardly been doing nothing between 1994-2006 and 2011-2020.

As half of the Finn Brothers, he recorded three albums and several EPs between 1995 and 2004 with Tim Finn, with whom he had been a member of the hugely popular New Zealand pop/new wave group Split Enz in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

In 1995, he released the first of five solo albums, the most recent of which was 2018’s “Lightsleeper,” on which he shared credit with his son Liam.

However, it was only as as the lead singer and songwriter for Crowded House that Finn enjoyed any degree of commercial success in the United States.

Advertisement:

The band’s eponymous 1986 debut, which included bassist Nick Seymour and drummer Paul Hester, sold more than 1 million copies and included two U.S. top 10 hits: the sublime “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and the much-less-sublime “Something So Strong.”

Crowded House’s subsequent three albums – “Temple of Low Men” (1988), “Woodface” (1991), and “Together Alone” (1993) – left their fan base more or less unabated in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada. In the U.S., unfortunately, record buyers lost interest even though critics remained impressed.

Sadly, drummer Paul Hester died by suicide in 2006. Matt Sherrod took his place and toured the U.S. with Crowded House in 2007 and 2010.

These treks brought them them to Bank of America Pavilion (now Leader Bank Pavilion) and House of Blues, demonstrating that Boston-area fans remembered the band fondly enough to part with the requisite amount of dough for the pleasure of hearing their songs live.

And the trusty setlist.fm indicates that they were kind enough in 2007 to spare the paying customers of “Something So Strong,” and in both instances they were apparently well aware that the 1991 single “Chocolate Cake” had been an embarrassment all along.

Advertisement:

Eleven years later, the House is as Crowded as it has ever been with a lineup that includes Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, keyboardist Mitchell Froom (producer of the band’s first three records), and the Finn offspring Liam on guitar and Elroy on drums.

The fact that they are booked at the Boch Center further demonstrates that the beloved Down Underers will always attract a crowd of several thousand, no matter how infrequently they come to Boston.

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile