I've come to Boston for a few reasons. First, it's the catch up and a show with Erik. Second that show is The Hives & The Chats, and 3rd, is because I've never been to Boston before. We both got in yesterday. I earlier and I wandered around near the hotel, the Public Garden, Boston Common, and the Cheers Bar. Erik got in later and we went for a walk into the theatre strict and had dinner at the Fourth Wall.
The following morning we got up and walked around the corner to the Friendly Toast where we had a huge breakfast.
It was then a $15 Uber ride to get to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. We had tickets for 10am (doors opening). We then spent over 3 hours wandering through this palace of art. I remember hearing of this place, and when Erik said it had been robbed in 1990, I realized I had seen the Netflix documentary, This Is a Robbery, a couple of years ago. I'm excited to see this palace. You walk in and immediately step into the courtyard in the center of the 4 story Venetian style palazzo / former home of Gardner. Built in the early 1900's by the the widow Isabella Gardner, the museum was personally curated by her, and kept open after her passing in 1924 with the proviso that the permanent exhibit remain as she designed it. The museum is a series of rooms and corridors, each differently themed. 3 floors of priceless art (the 4th was Gardner's residence), one space just as fascinating as the others. Weirdly, for me, what was most interesting was the still hanging bare frames from the 1990 robbery. The first we came across was in the Blue Room on the first floor, a small Manet, was taken and the frame left tauntingly back in the head of security's office. My favorite thing was all the statues leading down to John Singer Sargent's El Jaleo in the Spanish corridor. The 2nd floor contains the large Dutch Room. It is here where 2 priceless Rembrandts and a Vemeer were taken, amongst other things. These were larger paintings, and the empty frames on the wall really stand out. The look sad, as they wait now 36 years for their paintings to return. In the room workers were actively cleaning the ceiling paint. About a quarter had been done, as staff carefully removed years of pollution carefully with Q-tips. A degree of patience that only an art historian could have. In the Short Gallery on this floor is where 3 Degas were taken. These drawings were obviously targeted, considering how they had been displayed in folder like cases in the building. Not necessarily obvious they were there. The Tapestry Room here was magnificently lined by huge works covering every inch of the walls. The 3rd floor also was amazing, though nothing from memory really stands out. It was really interesting being in a museum with a sordid past that you knew some information about. After 36 years, I think this priceless art is gone forever, but what a glorious day it would be if it was found. I will watch that documentary again, if only to reconnect to this beautiful place.
It was mid afternoon before we left. Again we were in an Uber and headed to Faneuil Hall. A marketplace full of eateries. We picked up a lighter meal, still recovering from the huge breakfast, before walking in North End. Erica had told me Mike's Pastries was the place to go. She was right. The place was packed, and the food plentiful. We took what we needed and went around the corner and ate it in front of Paul Revere House. Afterwards we took the 15 minute self guided tour through the home of this American hero. It was small. and they have done a great job of preserving it the best they can. Once we were done here, we just wandered back to the hotel, to get ready for tonight's concert.
No dinner was needed, yet, so we caught an Uber, in the rain down, to the House of Blues at 7pm. The front door is literally in the shadow of Fenway Park. It's amazing. It's really easy getting through doors and we walked into a packed venue. I got 2 LPs last Saturday, so this week it was a Hives shirt to add to my collection. We got our spot right behind the sound board, nearer the back, but with a great sightline. The Chats came out and killed it again. There set was similar to Asheville. A different order, as well as the added Casualty and Nazi March near the beginning. 6LGTR had the crowd as pumped as expected and that energy ran through the whole set. No Gym Shorts cover tonight. Instead the had Paul Caporino of MOTO join them on stage for a cover of his Dance Dance Dance Dance Dance to the Radio. Not a song I know, but a good one, and the audience loved it as well. Smoko was the best song and again Pub Feed was an absolute ripper to finish their set. I can't get enough of this band. Let's hope they come nearby again soon
To the fanfare that only The Hives can command, the band graced the House of Blues. Their set was as dynamic as Asheville and was almost song for song the same. My favorites came from Veni Vini Vicious, Main Offender and Hate To Say I Told You So. But even with the familiarity the between song banter was different and the show had so much energy The threw in a new song OCDOD and the encore had Bigger Hole To Fill instead of Smoke and Mirrors. Again, I need to get familiar with the last 2 albums as that is where a majority of the set comes from. But I have one of them now, so that shouldn't be a problem. C'mon and Tick Tick Boom were excellent main set enders and it was definitely appropriate for them to finish the night with The Hives Forever, Forever The Hives.
Overall a great night! New venue, new city! I really dig Boston. And hope to come back again for a more extended period of time.
The Hives Setlist
The Crap Facts
This is my 541st concert.
Citizens House of Blues is the 144th venue I've seen a concert in.
Boston is the 59th city I've seen a concert in.
Massachusetts is the 18th state I've seen a concert in.
This is my 341st concert in the USA.
This is my 5th Chats concert.
This is my 5th Hives concert.
