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14 must-see concerts at Boston’s top venues in winter 2023-’24
Rock, soul, jazz and holiday cheer are in store for Boston-area concertgoers from December through February.
Looking to narrow down your live music choices this winter? Here are 14 concerts worth catching at some of Greater Boston’s top venues from December through February, organized by genre. (Sites include TD Garden, Roadrunner, MGM Music Hall at Fenway, House of Blues, Symphony Hall, Club Passim, Wang Theatre, The Wilbur, and City Winery; check out our guide to smaller venues here!) Please note, some of these shows may only have verified resale tickets available.
Best rock concerts:
The Tubes at City Winery
It’s been five decades since the Tubes got their act together in San Francisco, with roadie-turned-lead singer Fee Waybill flamboyantly fronting the band, which featured parodic art rock and multiple costume (and character) changes in each show. Their Al Kooper-produced 1975 debut album featured “White Punks on Dope” and “What Do You Want From Life?,” both of which got plenty of underground radio play, but they didn’t have a true hit until 1983’s “She’s a Beauty.” There were more albums, some lineup changes, a disbanding, a reuniting, and now there’s a plentiful catalogue of songs that should result in a cool set list. Sunday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m., City Winery, 80 Beverly St, Boston. $69-$85.
Grace Potter at MGM Music Hall
Well before the release of her fifth studio album — “Mother Road” — over the summer, Grace Potter had long been known for her songwriting, her guitar playing, and her Hammond B-3 prowess. But it was always that powerful voice that earned the most raves, going back to the days when she led her band the Nocturnals, and right up through today. A Vermont native who pretty much lived on the road for many years, but is now back in her home state, Potter has never been an easy artist to pin down as far as any specific kind of music, as she’s put out tracks that include roots rock, country, blues, and various combinations. She can be mellow and she can be raucous. On “Mother Road,” there’s even a leaning toward classic rock. Saturday, Jan. 20, 8 p.m., MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $60-$200.
Brittany Howard at The Wilbur
It was a gutsy move when vocalist/guitarist Brittany Howard left her successful band Alabama Shakes to go off on her own. But her creative juices called for it and, with two albums under her name — 2019’s “Jaime” and the upcoming “What Now” — she hasn’t looked back, certainly not since winning a “Best Rock Song” Grammy for her “Jaime” track “Stay High.” Talking about the funkified and percussive title track — and first single — of the new album, the soulful singer has mentioned that it’s quite danceable and it has “brutal lyrics.” She’s not kidding. Monday, Feb. 12, 8 p.m., The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St., Boston. $61-$76.
Best pop concerts:
Vienna Boys Choir at Cary Hall
Members of the Vienna Boys Choir have been singing sweet music since 1498. Yes, they’ve been around longer than the Rolling Stones. Their repertoire, over the centuries, has included Austrian folk songs, classical pieces composed by the likes of Mozart, Bruckner, and Schubert, popular music of the day and, when December comes around, holiday hymns and carols. Numbering 100 lads between the ages of 10 and 13, they all live and study at Vienna’s Augartenpalais, and are frequently touring and recording in groups of 25. Along with a formal, well-rounded education, the boys have classes in music theory and sight-singing, and they each have instruction on at least one instrument. With the current tour through the states bordering right on the holiday season, audiences can expect to hear a wide range of favorites, from traditional tunes, such as “Adeste Fideles,” to pop selections like “Let It Snow,” to fringe pieces including John Lennon’s “Happy Christmas (War Is Over).” Saturday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m. Cary Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington. $69-$99.
Mariah Carey at TD Garden
HOLIDAY FARE:
In the years since Mariah Carey — she of the five-octave voice range — had her first album released by Columbia in 1990, and four number one singles and two Grammy wins resulted from it, she never had any problem selling out concert dates where she would sing hit after hit. She’s had the same thing going for her — with a twist — since she started doing Christmas shows in 2014, the twist being a very focused program of a variety of Christmas songs. Her fans had known for a long time that Carey had the Christmas spirit in her, with her 1994 album “Merry Christmas” which featured her own song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” That album and those shows, which have become annual events, eventually earned her the moniker “Queen of Christmas.” So, when she hits the Garden this year as part of her cross-country tour, there’s a very good chance that along with her composition, she’ll be doing traditional fare such as “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” the happy “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” and her cover of the Phil Spector-Jeff Barry-Ellie Greenwich standard “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” Monday, Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m., TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston. $149-$269.
Ripe at Roadrunner
The lineup has changed often, but it looks like the current version of formerly Boston-based (now resettled on the West Coast) alt-pop band Ripe is in quartet format, with big, bright, urgent vocals from Robbie Wulfsohn, sharp guitar work by Jon Becker, the driving drumming of Sampson Hellerman, and Calvin Barthel’s funkified contributions on trombone. With their newest studio album “Bright Blues” out since last spring, and the recent release of “Live from MGM Music Hall at Fenway,” Ripe is back out on tour. The shows are excitingly energetic, the original material is refreshing and dance-worthy, and it’s always good to hear their cover of the Kinks’ “Lola.” Plus, what else are you going to do on New Year’s Eve? Sunday, Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m. Roadrunner, 89 Guest St., Boston. $65-$99.50.
Mitski at MGM Music Hall
When Mitski (full name: Miski Miyawaki) first started making records as college projects, she was often referred to — in a positive way — as a gloomy crooner. Later on, she was called an indie alt-rocker. Later still, she and her music were being classified as throwbacks to the synthesizer pop of the ’80s. With her newest album, “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We,” critics are pointing out — again in a positive way — that she has worked wonders in incorporating a country flavor along with an orchestra and a 17-piece choir. No doubt a restless artist, always looking for new roads to explore, one constant is her gift of a rich, warm voice to sing her sometimes troubled lyrics. Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 15-18, 8 p.m., MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $36.50-$86.50.
Audra McDonald at Symphony Hall
Audra McDonald is not a singer of contemporary pop songs. Rather, her set lists are made up of both familiar as well as little-known tunes from earlier times. A Tony-winning actress who’s as comfortable alone at a microphone as she is with a theatrical cast, McDonald can just as easily dig into the Great American Songbook as she can breathe new life into an old Broadway tune. In recent shows, she’s performed Leonard Bernstein’s “Somewhere” and Lerner and Loewe’s “I Could Have Danced All Night” — to which audiences could no doubt sing along — then added Comden and Green’s “Hallelujah Baby,” for which most would likely need a lyric sheet. McDonald is also an opera singer, an outspoken human rights activist, and dog lover. She really is something for everyone. Tuesday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m., Symphony Hall, 301 Mass. Ave., Boston. $39-$225.
Best folk concerts:
Lori McKenna at Club Passim
When she was a young girl, growing up in Stoughton, Lori McKenna was writing poetry, with thoughts of becoming a novelist. But, at 13, she started playing guitar, novels were put on the backburner, and she started writing songs. When she had enough of them, and she felt comfortable singing and playing them, she self-released her first album “Paper Wings & Halo.” That was in 1999. Earlier this year, she released her 12th, titled “1988,” with some songs written solo, and others with the help of, among others, Hillary Lindsay and Luke Laird. At its heart, it’s — like so many of her earlier works — a country album. For the record, she’s spent a lot of time in Nashville, and she’s won three Grammys for Best Country Song … so far. McKenna played with a band early on, went the solo route when it was financially necessary to do so, but is back now for a quartet of Passim shows with a full band. Saturday & Sunday, Dec. 16 & 17, 5 & 8 p.m., Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge. Call for info on available tickets: 617-492-7679.
Don White at Club Passim
It’s very likely that if Don White had put his mind to it, he could have enjoyed a career as either a folk singer or a stand-up comic. Instead, he decided to do both, often at the same time. White, hailing from Lynn, had already been writing songs for a few years by the time he got his first guitar at 15. In ensuing years, he traveled, wrote more, got good at his craft, then fell into the world of stand-up, performing and hosting at local music and comedy shows. And his songwriting soon took on elements of both poignancy and humor. He might make you laugh, he might make you cry; one never knows. And in between songs, there’s always the probability of a little extra bonus: He’s also a great storyteller. Saturday, Jan. 6, 7 p.m., Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge. $25.
Best jazz concerts:
Chris Botti at The Wilbur
He started playing trumpet when he was 9, was led into the world of jazz three years later after hearing Miles Davis’ version of “My Funny Valentine,” and honed his chops by studying improvisation and classical technique. But Chris Botti found his musical horizons really expanding when he landed a variety of touring gigs — early on with Buddy Rich and Frank Sinatra, later with Paul Simon and Sting. The designation of crossover artist became even more apparent with his first solo album — “First Wish” — in 1995, which featured him on a program that combined jazz and pop and shadings of rock. Follow-up recordings had him focusing on jazz and pop, then orchestral jazz. Maybe his most interesting combination was heard on his 2012 album “Impressions,” on which he played with Herbie Hancock, Mark Knopfler, and Vince Gill. But his new album, “Vol. 1” — his debut on Blue Note — has him returning to a laid-back, melodic jazz atmosphere. And he even covers “My Funny Valentine.” Friday & Saturday, Dec. 1 & 2, 8 p.m., The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St., Boston. 59-$89.
Wynton Marsalis at Symphony Hall
The late, great — make that legendary — bebop drummer and bandleader Max Roach would have turned 100 on Jan. 10. The great, and quite active, jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is bringing his 15-piece Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to town to pay homage when Celebrity Series of Boston presents a Max Roach Centennial Celebration. Alternating back and forth between performing jazz and classical music over the past 40 years, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Marsalis — who comes from a musical New Orleans family, and was given his first trumpet at age 6 by trumpeter Al Hirt — is also an accomplished composer, arranger, and educator. Among the Roach work to be performed at the concert are new arrangements of “We Insist!,” “Max Roach + 4,” and “Deeds, Not Words.” Sunday, Jan. 28, 5 p.m., Symphony Hall, 301 Mass. Ave., Boston. $10-$95.
Best R&B and soul concerts
Robert Glasper at City Winery
What kind of music will Robert Glasper play when he hits town this time? He certainly has a big bag of it to choose from. The pianist started out as a mainstream jazz man, studying at New York’s New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in the late-’90s, later working as a sideman in bands led by Christian McBride and Russell Malone, then putting together an acoustic trio. When he graduated to making studio albums, it was mostly more straight-up jazz, until he went electric with his band The Robert Glasper Experiment. Then he brought in some hip-hop to the mix. By the time of the 2011 album “Black Radio,” he had also incorporated a dose of R&B. And he won a Grammy for Best R&B Album. Yet, even after “Black Radio 2” came out, Glasper returned to performing acoustic trio music. Wait, there’s more. Last year’s electric “Black Radio 3” earned him another Grammy. So, what will he play on the current tour? Probably a bit of everything. Monday-Wednesday, Jan. 8-10, 6 & 9:30 p.m. City Winery, 80 Beverly St., Boston. $35-$75.
Boyz II Men at MGM Music Hall
They trimmed down from a quartet to a trio two decades ago. But Boyz II Men, the R&B group out of Philadelphia, who have been making records since 1991 — the first was “Cooleyhighharmony” — long ago made all the right adjustments to their sound. And their strong voices and perfect harmonies have only gotten better. Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman are best known for their smooth croonings on old school laidback R&B tunes such as “I’ll Make Love to You” and “Doin’ Just Fine,” but they can easily open it all up with the very danceable “Motownphilly” and their electrifying cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together.” Friday, Feb. 9, 8 p.m. MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $66-$274.
Also, don’t miss:
- Doja Cat, TD Garden, Dec. 2
- Andrea Bocelli, TD Garden, Dec. 6
- Karla Bonoff & Livingston Taylor, City Winery, Dec. 17
- Travis Scott, TD Garden, Dec. 22-23 & Jan. 12
- Madonna (rescheduled), TD Garden, Jan. 8
- Creed Bratton (yes, that Creed Bratton), City Winery, Jan. 17
- G. Love & Special Sauce, City Winery, Jan. 24 & 25
- Juliana Hatfield, City Winery, Jan. 29
- Lucius, House of Blues, Feb. 2
- Boston Country Music Festival with Zeze Di Camargo, Murilo Huff & Clayton E Romario, MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Feb. 4
- Portugal, The Man, Roadrunner, Feb. 22
- Cold War Kids, House of Blues, Feb. 28
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