Dr. Rock's Music Adventures: Boston and Scotty Bratcher at the LC Pavilion, Columbus, Ohio on August 20, 2014

The band Boston brings back lots of "arena rock" memories of junior high school and high school. Their greatest hits were definitely part of the soundtrack for my teen years. I had not seen them previously. I consider them one part of many Guilty Pleasures from the 70's and 80's: talented, catchy bands with a sound built for rocking out in arenas. Note to the intoxicated guy down in front who left after his even drunker friend was kicked out (thanks security!): bragging about seeing the band Styx eight times (8 times!) makes me sad for you. Those are guilty pleasures -- we don't speak of them in this way.
Some facts I learned when reading online before the show: 1. Their original lead singer, Brad Delp, committed suicide. May you rest in peace, Mr. Delp. 2. Tom Scholz, their leader, is from Toledo, Ohio. He and Ric Ocasek of Cars, two of the top three "bands outta Boston" in the 70's (Aerosmith being #1) are originally from the state of Ohio. 3. The new lead singer of Boston, Tommy DeCarlo, was found after he posted online videos of him covering Boston songs.
THE VENUE: The LC Pavilion in Columbus can be used for indoor shows (capacity 1200) or outdoors (capacity 4000). The show last night was outdoors and it may have been a sell out based on the crowd I saw. The LC is right in the midst of the Arena District in Columbus, close to restaurants, parking, and other attractions. It is a favorite of mine. I was right down in the pit about 2-3 people back from center stage and the front barrier.
THE OPENER: Scotty Bratcher is a singer/guitarist backed by a drummer and bassist. Scotty was quite talented on the guitar, playing a few of his own songs then closing with covers of "Funk 49" and "Voodoo Chile". I was impressed. Quite enjoyable.
THE HEADLINER: Boston does what they do quite well: big arena rock sound, play the hits, and nice stage show with videos on the big screen behind the band. Tom Scholz, the founder/guitarist/keyboardist/writer for the band, is the only original member. However, the band has found able replacements. I was impressed with Gary Pihl (guitar and backing vocals), Tracy Ferrie (bass), and especially Tommy DeCarlo (lead vocalist). I had reservations about the vocals before the show but the first song with Tommy belting out the song eased my mind -- well done! Tom Scholz was sporting an Ohio State University shirt which the crowd appreciated. Tom Scholz did an excellent job on the guitar and keyboards. I was happy to have had a chance to see him play.
Boston played all the hits I wanted them to play: Foreplay/Long Time, More Than A Feeling, Peace of Mind, Rock 'n' Roll Band, and so many others. The crowd seemed very pleased with the songs played.
I was interested that the band is touring with two female members: Siobhan Magnus (from American Idol Season 9) on vocals and Kimberly Dahme on guitar and vocals. Both had a good stage presence and fit in well. Siobhan is apparently from Massachusetts, the home state of the band.
My rating for the show: 3 out of 5 stars. Really nice show!