Boston supergroup plays free Concord show
With not quite two years behind them as a band, Neighbor has become a force on the New England music scene. They played two doubleheaders at Tupelo Drive-In this summer; both sold out in hours. Everywhere they go, fans follow for a sound that blends jam band joie de vivre with technical brilliance and lyrical savvy.
What began as an informal Tuesday night meetup that gave keyboard player, singer and songwriter Richard James (Pink Talking Fish) and guitarist Lyle Brewer (Ryan Montbleau Band) a chance to play together grew into a word-of-mouth sensation — particularly when they moved the party from a local craft brewery to Thunder Road in Somerville, Mass., in early 2019. Dan Kelly joined on bass along with drummer Dean Johnston, and crowd sizes from their early gigs grew exponentially.
One reason for this fervid response is that Neighbor is prolific — astonishingly so, with over 50 original songs, including a James/Brewer rock opera called Silver. Also, every show is different; James opined in a recent interview that the band’s devotees, who self-identify as “Neighbors,” deserve nothing less.
This was especially true when Neighbor ruled Tuesdays at Thunder Road. Then Covid-19 shut everything down on St. Patrick’s Day. Sadly, the pandemic forced the club to close permanently in late August.
“It was something more than just a residency, or a band doing their thing,” James said. “We had these people every week who were depending on us to not let them down musically … we would push the limits so they could have a new experience every week.”
The idea for a residency came to James after he went to New Orleans to study with pianist Jon Cleary, one of his idols.
“He’s trying out his new original music and playing classic New Orleans tunes, doing his own spin on it, and he’s staying relevant doing these residencies,” James said.
He went to see Cleary at Tipitina’s and a couple of his other regular gigs.
“When I got home I said, ‘I gotta get a residency,’” he said.
Neighbor hasn’t made a studio album — surprising for a band sitting on a box set or two of material. Instead they found a path like Phish or the Grateful Dead, both clear influences.
“When more and more people started paying attention, tapers got more serious about videoing each show,” James said.
There are now hours and hours of live clips on YouTube, some shot with multiple cameras, and 25 live albums currently available.
James, a vintage equipment buff who plays a Hohner Clavinet at shows, likes to package up the disks.
“Digital is cool, but when you actually hold something it’s just that much more important,” he said, adding with a wry laugh, “even if it’s, you know, something dead — people just love getting it, popping it in, and knowing where it came from.”
Granite State success was only a bit unexpected.
“The Neighbors say they want to keep it small, just for themselves, because they’re enjoying it so much; but they really do care about the growth of the band,” James said. “There happened to be a whole bunch of people in New Hampshire who got in on it … but I was a little surprised that the shows sold out so quick.”
Fortunately an upcoming Concord appearance at the Capital Arts Fest is free. Originally booked for Bank of NH Stage, the show was moved outdoors, in front of the Capitol Center for the Arts, just down the street.
James had to engage in last-minute negotiations with the promoters when he learned the expected length of Neighbor’s festival set — one hour.
“I said, ‘That’s not OK; we need more time,’” he said, noting that the demand stunned the venue. “They said, ‘Honestly, you’re the first band that’s ever wanted to work longer.’ But people are going to be coming from Maine, Cape Cod and the South Shore … to come all that way for an hour? Seventy-five minutes is still a little short, but it just means we’re going to have to do something that much more special.”
James’ thought was a continuation of something he’d said earlier, while attempting to state the band’s mission.
“It’s to really get stars in people’s eyes, make them say, ‘Oh my God, this is interesting — this isn’t just a show, this is something more,’” he said. “Getting the people involved is just so important for us.
Capital Arts Fest
Spend the first weekend of fall outdoors, browsing fine arts and crafts in downtown Concord while listening to live music from bands like Neighbor. The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s third annual Capital Arts Fest will take place Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Compared to last year’s event, which featured more than 70 craftsmen, this year’s festival will be smaller in scale, but Miriam Carter, executive director of the League, said the two dozen juried artists who are participating are eager to get out and interact with the public and showcase their work.
“People get to experience crafts on the street in a really wonderful way — maybe a different way, but still a wonderful way,” Carter said.
The difference this year, of course, is that the League will follow all of the city’s Covid-19 safety protocols, including its mask ordinance and social distancing guidelines, Carter said, with the tents set up 10 feet apart.
But there will still be all kinds of art and fine crafts to shop for, including jewelry, porcelain pottery, prints, mosaics, wood furniture, decorative and wearable fiber crafts, glass sculptures and more.
Carter said League member Stephen Procter, a potter who makes oversized clay pots that are several feet high, will be doing demonstrations throughout both days.
“He builds them in sections, and it’s really a fascinating process to see a large pot come together,” Carter said.
The artists will be set up outside the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen headquarters at 49 S. Main St., across from the Capitol Center for the Arts, which is sponsoring the live music that’s scheduled throughout both days of the festival.
“We’re just trying to adapt and find the silver lining in anything we do,” Carter said.
Capital Arts Fest Live Music Lineup
All shows will take place in front of the Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord.
Saturday, Sept. 26
11 a.m. – Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki & Matt Jensen
1 p.m. – Don Campbell Band
3 p.m. – The Rebel Collective
7 p.m. – Neighbor
Sunday, Sept. 27
11 a.m. – Wellfleet
2 p.m. – Young Frontier
Featured photo: Neighbor. Courtesy photo.
