June 14, 2016

Kanye West Announces "The Saint Pablo Tour"

June 14, 2016/ Ben Esakof

Yeezy season is coming.

Kanye West announced "The Saint Pablo Tour" in support of his latest album, "The Life of Pablo." The tour, set to start on August 25th in Indiana, will make stops in Boston, New York, Los Angeles and more, for a total of 40 cities across North America.

Tickets go on sale Friday, July 17th at Live Nation. See full dates below:

Aug. 25 – Indianapolis, IN – Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Aug. 27 – Buffalo, NY – First Niagara Center
Aug. 30 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
Sept. 2 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Sept. 3 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Sept. 5 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sept. 6 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sept. 8 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center
Sept. 12 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena
Sept. 14 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Sept. 16 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena
Sept. 20 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Sept. 21 – Austin, TX – Frank Erwin Center
Sept. 22 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Sept. 24 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Sept. 25 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
Sept. 28 – Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena
Sept. 30 – University Park, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
Oct. 1 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena
Oct. 4 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Oct. 6 – Detroit, MI – Palace of Auburn Hills
Oct. 7 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Oct. 8 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena
Oct. 10 – Minneapolis, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Oct. 12 – Winnipeg, MB – MTS Centre
Oct. 15 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
Oct. 17 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Oct. 19 – Seattle, WA – KeyArena
Oct. 22 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
Oct. 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Forum
Oct. 26 – Los Angeles, CA – Forum
Oct. 29 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

June 04, 2016

Concert Review: Beyoncé Proves Once Again She Is a Legend at "Formation World Tour" in Boston

June 04, 2016/ Ben Esakof

Beyonce performs during the Formation World Tour at Gillette Stadium on Friday, June 3, 2016, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Andrew White/Parkwood Entertainment)

Beyoncé brought her much-anticipated “Formation World Tour” to Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium Friday night. In the two years since her return with her and husband-Jay Z’s “On The Run Tour,” Bey has been hard at work, preparing the release of her surprise visual album, “Lemonade.” Friday night’s show was a showcase of all that hard work.

With an eager crowd waiting, the “Single Ladies” songstress came to the stage to the audience’s delight with her hit “Formation.” Seeing as she debuted this song at one of the highest profile events in the world, the Super Bowl, the show was definitely off to a memorable start before heading into her current hit radio single, “Sorry.” Sorry, Beyoncé is not. The former Destiny’s Child artist transitioned flawlessly between songs, complimented by video scenes displayed on the massive onstage screen.

As one might expect, no expense was spared when it came to production. What appeared simple at first was a large, white screen at center stage, which rotated to reveal a rectangular cube. Off the main stage sat a catwalk with a smaller “stage B” which filled with water, creating a splashing (both physically and symbolically) effect for “Freedom” and “Survivor.” Accompanying the “Partition” singer was an all-female group of dancers, backup singers, and band, something rarely (if ever) seen with tours of this magnitude.

There was no shortage of staples for Bey’s fans, with classics such as “Naughty Girl,” “Crazy in Love,” and the summer 2014 hit, “Drunk in Love.” Regardless of what she sang, though, one thing was evident above all else: she has one of the most devoted fan bases out there. From the moment she entered the stadium at 9 PM to her departure 32 songs later, she soaked up the love that over 60,000 people gave her.

The performance also put a spotlight on Beyoncé’s dynamic vocal capabilities. She took many opportunities to showcase that Gillette Stadium for her was a strictly no-lip-syncing zone, notably doing “Love On Top” totally a cappella and belting out “Halo” to close.

“I’m a small town Texas girl. If I can be on this stage, so can any of you.”

— Beyoncé

There is something about attending a Beyoncé concert that words cannot describe. From the second she appeared on stage for her opening number, you literally could feel the energy of her presence. While the night was all about Bey showcasing her new songs with a nod to her deep musical past, on numerous occasions she shifted her focus to the audience, offering words of inspiration and empowerment. In fact, before launching into her first song at the concert’s opening, she asked the audience to chant “I Slay.” Bey continued to show love to her audience, telling them “you inspire me every day.” She added, “I’m a small town Texas girl. If I can be on this stage, so can any of you.”

Without a doubt, the “Formation World Tour” continues to solidify Beyoncé’s status as a true legend, an artist who will continue to inspire her legions of fans for generations to come.

The "Formation World Tour" continues through the end of the year worldwide. You can purchase tickets over at Beyoncé's website.

June 03, 2016

Anthem Alert: DJ Khaled Finally Releases His Fire "Drake Vocals" on New Single

June 03, 2016/ Ben Esakof

Fan luv I always got us !!! The 🔑 is always have faith always have hope!! Fan luv I got us !!!!!!!!!!!

A photo posted by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on Jun 3, 2016 at 9:03am PDT

ANTHEM ALERT!

Snapchat-king DJ Khaled has been teasing for the past few weeks that he has a song with Drake, and today the single "For Free" was debuted on Apple Music's Beats 1 with Zane Lowe. The single, first off of Khaled's upcoming album on Epic Records dubbed "Major Key," comes as Drake is already taking over the airwaves with "Views" singles "One Dance" and "Controlla."

Listen to "For Free" below:

May 30, 2016

Recap: Boston Calling Delivers First Class Music Festival Experience for 7th Installment

May 30, 2016/ Prince Hal

Sia closes out the first day of Boston Calling Music Festival on May 27th, 2016 (Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up).

With its assortment of female powerhouse vocalists, EDM duos, and synthy alt-rock groups, Boston Calling was business as usual this year. Check out some of the highlights from the weekend below.

Friday, May 27:

Sia:

One of the most anticipated acts of the festival, Sia did not disappoint. Besides a change in cast, the set was not much different than her explosive Coachella performance: blank white stage, Sia off to one side, and stunning dancing throughout. The crowd ate Sia's polished performance right up.

Sufjan Stevens:

Before Sia, we were treated to the neon-splashed, balloon-covered spectacle that was Sufjan Stevens. With intricate bird wings and waving inflatable people, this quirky performer's visuals stole the show. Stevens told the crowd that, after singing songs about death on tour for the past year, he was ready to have some fun. With the crowd on board, his performance was nothing but fun.

Saturday, May 28:

Robyn:

As the last act of the night, Robyn turned Boston Calling into a night club. Instead of performing song-by-song, the swedish turned her discography into a single 90-minute dance remix. Oh, and she didn't stop dancing the entire time.

Odesza:

Odesza was one of the few true EDM performances we've seen thus far at Boston Calling. The duo performed with a full band, including a full horn section, in front of a giant LED screen. The crowd was treated to a series of colorful visuals reminiscent of the group's album covers. One of the bigger names in the festival circuit this year, Odesza was a blast.

Miike Snow:

In contrast to previous tours, Miike Snow's festival performance was a more intimate take. There was a lot of love in the crowd for their three new singles ("I Feel the Weight", "Heart is Full", and especially "Genghis Khan"). Though it was clear that their classic "Animal" was the crowd favorite.

Sunday, May 29:

Disclosure:

The star EDM duo had a fantastic performance to close out the weekend. The stage became a wall of LED screens showing crude outlines of star vocalists faces in the style of their album covers. Disclosure brought some of the biggest cheers of the whole weekend, especially with their hits "Magnets" and "Latch". The group also was the only group with an encore, bringing out special guest Brendan Reilly.

Haim:

The Haim sisters brought mounds of energy to the red stage. The stage was a dazzling array of old-school theater-style lights and giant mirror screens. With sing-alongs and banter between songs, Haim engaged the crowd more than any other performer this weekend (for instance, the sisters explained how "My Song 5" came about after the three sisters "were cheated on someone in the same damn week"). The trio even brought an earlier band, Christine and the Queens, back on stage to keep the party going.

Janelle Monáe:

Monáe's act was polished perfection. Dressed in black and white and arriving Hannibal Lecter-style to the stage, Monáe was a fiery performer. The superstar devoted her show to powerful messages of feminism and racial equality. Highlights include a touching Prince tribute, a spot-on cover of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back", and her mega-hit "Yoga".

Conclusion:

Boston Calling organizers proved once again (for the 7th time) that they know how to throw a seamless, trouble free music festival in the heart of a bustling city. With a diverse line up with acts in almost every genre, there was something for everyone. Combine the great artist lineup with a hefty selection of local food and beer options, it would be hard not to have a good time. It will be interesting to see how well Boston Calling scales to an even bigger music festival, as the event's organizers recently announced an expansion for 2017. If this 7th installment of the music series is any indication, though, expect it to be another unforgettable weekend.

May 27, 2016

Boston Calling Announces Expansion of 2017 Acclaimed Music Festival

May 27, 2016/ Ben Esakof

Future home of Boston Calling Music Festival in 2017.

Boston Calling Music Festival organizers announced Friday that this year's festival will be the last one to take place on City Hall Plaza. Instead, the 2017 festival will move to Allston, MA onto Harvard University's Athletic Fields, allowing for more stages, more artists, and more fans. Most notably, Boston Calling will be teaming up with Academy-Award winning actress Natalie Portman to create a film festival during the weekend.

Tickets for the 2017 Festival go onsale soon. Boston Calling Music Festival will next take place in 2017 over Memorial Day weekend.

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