GRAMMY award winning producer and artist, FINNEAS brought his studio to Boston’s MGM Fenway Music Hall at Fenway stage for his “For Cryin’ Out Loud!” Tour on February 21.
Bad Suns heated things up with their opening set, led by charismatic vocalist Christo Bowman. Before playing their latest single. “Communicating,” Christo proposed an experiment. “I want to hear what it sounds like when everybody plays the exact same sound on their phone at the exact same time.” Driven by their mutual curiosity, the whole room pulled up the single on Spotify and hit play simultaneously.
“It sounds like ass,” Christo admitted with a laugh, “Now you’re going to hear the song how it’s meant to be played.” As the band launched into a live performance of the track, their infectious energy and dynamic sound easily outshone the tinny speakers of a few thousand phones.
“Thank you to the FINNEAS fans who are giving us a shot for the very first time,” Chirsto gratefully acknowledged before leaving the stage at the end of the Band’s set and making way for FINNEAS.
“Boston this is the biggest venue we’ve ever played, and you sold it out,” Finneas marveled as he began his 19-song set. This was FINNEAS’ first time returning to Boston as a headliner since making his debut at Paradise Rock Club in 2019.
From the moment FINNEAS stepped into the spotlight on the Fenway stage, the crowd was fully locked in. Throughout the night, they became part of the performance contributing hand claps, phone lights, and their voices, accentuating emotional moments, especially during a stripped-back performance of “Only a Lifetime.”
Other setlist highlights included his duet with ASHE, “Till Forever Falls Apart,” “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night” from his 2019 “Blood Harmony” album, and “Family Feud,” of which he dedicated to his sister, Billie Eilish.
The night was a stunning display of a master at work. Effortlessly fluid, the “Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa” singer moved between piano, guitar, and vocals without pause, leaving the audience in awe.
FINNEAS also provided moments to showcase his band from solos to spoken recognition. Bad Suns drummer Miles Morris, who is also playing drums for FINNEAS on tour, earned a special nod.
“Two shows a night is hard, I’ve done it with Billie for years,” FINNEAS said, acknowledging the feat.
Although FINNEAS had only performed in Boston a handful of times, the city had been an important part of his upbringing. “My Uncles live in Boston, which meant that on the rare occasion we had enough money as kids to get on a plane and go anywhere, we’d go to Boston. We’d go about once a year,” FINNEAS shared, reminiscing about his childhood fascination with Paul Revere and his adventures exploring the city, “Your city is very beautiful. I hope you’re proud of it.”
With the same sustained and electric energy that kicked off the show, FINNEAS closed the night with the title track of his latest album “For Cryin’ Out Loud!”
“Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for buying tickets to see the show. Thank you for letting me do this job. I’ll be back soon,” FINNEAS vowed.
For tour dates and tickets to the “For Cryin’ Out Loud!” Tour, visit https://shop.finneasofficial.com/
Featured Photo Credit: Muriel Margaret
