There are concerts you look forward to, and then there are concerts that have been sitting on your bucket list for decades. For me, Danny Elfman was very much the latter. As a longtime Oingo Boingo fan, finally getting the chance to see Elfman bring those songs back to the stage felt almost surreal, especially considering that for years the answer to whether he would ever perform his old material again was essentially, “Never gonna happen.”

Photographs and review provided by Max Cross.

Thursday night brought me back to the House of Blues in Boston for a night with a couple of bands that know exactly how to get a crowd moving. Tropidelic and Little Stranger hit the stage as part of Little Stranger’s Broken Hearted Boys Club Tour, and with a mix of hip-hop, reggae, rock, funk and plenty of personality between them, it was pretty much guaranteed to be a good time.

Photos and review provided by Max Cross.

Mike D 5D came to the Royale in Boston, Massachusetts on August 30, 2026. Mike D rose to fame in the 1980’s as a founding member of the Beastie Boys. His album Thank You, released August 28, 2026, was his first music release since Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (2011). He had also performed shows with Very Nice Person, formed by his sons Davis and Skyler.

Empire Of The Sun stopped by the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts on August 28, 2026. This show was part of their Ask That God: Afterlife North American Tour. They were joined by Midnight Generation and Polo & Pan. Midnight Generation, an electronic pop band out of Mexico, kicked off the night. Polo & Pan followed up, serving as direct support. They are a French music duo consisting of Paul Armand-Delille and Alexandre Grynszpan.

Zac Brown Band returned to Fenway Park (15th consecutive sold out show there) on August 2, 2026. This show was part of the Love & Fear Tour, presented by Margaritaville at Sea. They were joined by Old Crow Medicine Show, who opened for the evening. They played songs including Tell It To Me, CC Rider, and Wagon Wheel.

Five Finger Death Punch came to the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts on July 30, 2026. This show was part of their 20th Anniversary World Tour. They were joined by Eva Under Fire and Cody Jinks. Eva Under Fire led things off for the night. They played top songs of theirs like Awakening, My Own Name, and Blow.

Some concerts feel like a familiar reunion. Others feel like you’re seeing an artist through an entirely different lens. JJ Grey & Mofro’s return to Massachusetts at South Shore Music Circus somehow managed to be both.

Sharing the bill with The Wood Brothers, the evening paired two bands rooted in Americana traditions but approaching them from completely different directions.

Photos and review provided by Max Cross.

The Elovaters played back to back nights at the Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire on July 16-17, 2026. We were in the house for night two, which also featured Over The Bridge and Surfer Girl. Over The Bridge led things off for the night, beginning their set with Right Mood. They played top songs including Wishing Well, Apple Tree, Carry On and Dreamin’. They finished their set off with an epic rendition of Forgot About Dre (Dr. Dre, Eminem).