Posted on Tue, Sep 01, 2009
by Sully
On August 27 we had another great night of live music at J.J. Foley’s. Mike Paduck from the local South End band, The Risk, played a collection of acoustic covers and originals. The night included a surprise tambourine guest appearance by Gordon Marshall, drummer for The Moody Blues, who was in town for the night and looking for a casual hangout at a local pub. Foley’s was the bar for him - a fitting conclusion to summer 2009, given the talented acts that have graced our favorite bar over the past few months.
Come September and the commencement of fall, Foley’s Music Night will be bi-weekly. Hope to see you at the next one on September 10, when we will welcome back Matthew James from Newport.
Posted on Tue, Aug 04, 2009
by Sully
We’ve had outstanding musical talent pass through the doors of J.J. Foley’s in the past seven months. Beginning in January, we started inviting local artists to perform on the last Thursday of every month, on a year the South End establishment is celebrating its 100th year in business. Starting in September, we will make free, live music a more regular staple at Foley’s – now inviting local musicians in every other Thursday.
The artists have provided the South End community with exceptional live music, so we hope you check out each of them in their own right – whether it be by supporting an upcoming gig or listening to their music online.
This past Thursday, July 30, was one of our best yet. Matthew James is a true talent, from Newport, RI, who impressed us all with his command of the lyrical acoustic sets of acts like Ray LaMontagne, Jack Johnson, John Mayer and more. We hope to have Matthew back as soon as possible, for our own listening pleasure. Check him out on Facebook.
One of our biggest bills was Ryan Fitzsimmons. Originally from New York, Ryan has dominated the Providence, RI scene, and is set to overtake Boston and the rest of New England. Playing at the Newport Folk Festival in 2008, Ryan shared the stage with some big names like Jimmy Buffett, Cat Power and the Black Crowes, and proved it with an outstanding set of originals from his album, as well as a foray of covers. We especially appreciated his on-the-spot tribute to Michael Jackson on the day he passed away. Check out Ryan’s impressive resume and find an upcoming act to check him out immediately! www.ryanfitzsimmons.com
We kicked off the summer with a little reggae… Can you blame us? Snatching up the vocal stylings of Rho, a member of the local reggae rock band Dreadrocks, we welcomed the warm months with easy-listening acoustic songs accompanied by bongo drums. Rho set the mood for the summer with covers from all our favorite Marley brothers and impressed us with his own log of reggae songs. Be sure to support his various local acts. You won’t be disappointed. They have frequent appearances at Boston colleges and universities, bars and restaurants. http://www.rhomusic.com/
A reoccurring favorite at J.J. Foley’s Music Night is the instrumental band, the Bar Flies. Headlined by guitarist George Chinaglia, the Boston band frequently has various vocal accompaniments that awe and wow us when paired with the exceptional beats and rhythms of the band. These guys simply love to rock out, and we can always appreciate a good jam session. The Bar Flies frequent local bars like Solas in the Back Bay, so be sure to look for them around town.
We could never neglect to mention our first act, one that we keep close to our hearts: Mike Silvious and Aaron Burman - local Northeastern grads who took their famed gig to Foley's, who normally played at parties and NU-area watering holes. These two really set the stage for what was to be a great year of music - they filled the room with awesome sing-a-longs and covers, jam sessions, laughs and even a tribute song to Metis. Mike and Aaron set the standard for J.J. Foley's Music Night and we thank them for initiating such a fun night.
We are constantly on the lookout for new bands and artists. Any suggestions? Email katie.sullivan@metiscomm.com.
Posted on Fri, Jul 24, 2009
by Sully
We scheduled the act for July’s Night of Music and Merriment at J.J. Foley’s South End: Matthew James. Matthew is an up and coming star in the Newport, RI, area and he is gracing J.J. Foley’s blossoming monthly music scene with acoustic covers and originals on Thursday, July 30.
Starting at 7 p.m., patrons can belly up to the bar for half-priced appetizers while listening to some sweet, sweet tunes from local musicians.
Haven’t had a chance to check out Foley’s on a music night, yet? Or, maybe you come every month and you would love to relive the fun times? Check out the below video for some highlights from our past music nights.
Thank you to all of our wonderfully talented musicians. See you all on July 30.
PS - Do you know anyone that should headline at our next night of Music and Merriment? Email us and let us know: katie.sullivan@metiscomm.com.
Posted on Fri, Jan 16, 2009
by Sully
Let me tell you, having one of Boston’s favorite bars as a client is certainly a perk. J.J. Foley’s is a Beantown staple - been around for 100 years this year, and anyone who has ever bellied up to its bar has experienced the magic. In 2009 we set out on a monthly quest to expose new and more people to Foley’s by offering a night of free, live music from local musicians. Last night was our debut, and I think it’s safe to say that it was a huge success. We had a great turn out, despite the frigid temperatures. Even local paper the Weekly Dig blasted an email out to over 15,000 people alerting them to what a marvelous party we were throwing. As is always the case with our extended network, the evening was filled with lots of fun, laughter and amusement. Due to musician Mike Silvious and some guest appearances by a very active and engaged crowd, we had an entertaining set of good ol’ fashion party music. I mean, how can you not appreciate the spot-on cover of the ”FreeCreditReport.com” commercial jingle. Thanks, Mikey!
After you check out the pictures from last night, I’m not sure how you could avoid joining us on Thursday, February 26 for our next evening of Music and Merriment.