Gig Watch – March 2023
Shows not to miss in and around Boston for the month of March
It’s March in Boston, and contrary to popular belief, bands other than the Dropkick Murphys do perform within city limits during Greater Saint Patrick’s Day. Peruse some picks for the month below.
3/3 – Pile @ Arts at the Armory
Hometown heroes Pile headline a record release show for their great new LP All Fiction at Somerville’s Armory with accompaniment from Amherst’s Mal Devisa.
3/4 – Constant Smiles @ Lilypad
Prolific and shapeshifting indie/psych/post-punk collective Constant Smiles released their Sacred Bones debut Paragons in 2021, and they’ll follow it up with Kenneth Anger this Friday before a Saturday evening gig in Inman Square.
3/5 – Weyes Blood @ Roadrunner
Under her Weyes Blood moniker, singer/songwriter Natalie Mering (a onetime member of Portland weirdos Jackie-O Motherfucker, amusingly) conjures stirring dream-folk that’s always felt destined for big stages. She’ll play her biggest one yet in Boston this month at Roadrunner – moved after a quick Royale sellout.
3/5 – Body Void @ Middle East Upstairs
On the other end of the Sunday night spectrum, devastatingly heavy Vermont doom-sludge crew Body Void will decimate the Mid East Upstairs with top-shelf support from Ashen Veil, Greylock and Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean.
3/9 – Sea @ O’Brien’s Pub
Local atmospheric doom collective Sea headline O’Brien’s with the always eye-popping visuals of the Dregs Liquid Light Show in tow.
3/14 – Quasi @ The Sinclair
Drummer Janet Weiss and multi-instrumentalist Sam Coomes have a dense indie rock resume between them that spans Sleater-Kinney and Stephen Malkmus’ Jicks to Jon Spencer’s Hitmakers and Heatmiser, and they’re back on the road together this year in support of their duo Quasi’s first new record in a decade.
3/19 – White Reaper @ Royale
Hooky Louisville garage rockers White Reaper bring their bevy of infectious songs to the Royale for an adrenalized Sunday evening.
3/21 – Show Me The Body @ Paradise Rock Club
A five-band Paradise bill on a Tuesday night is a tough sell, I know, but I’d argue there’s an exception to be made for NYC’s label-defying troublemakers Show Me the Body and a supporting lineup including buzzy Santa Cruz hardcore band Scowl and Philly brutalizers Jesus Piece.
3/25 – Death to All @ Middle East Downstairs
Extreme metal legends Death have of course been disbanded since the untimely passing of leader Chuck Schuldiner in 2001, but members of the group’s revolving lineup still gather to pay tribute from time to time. One such occasion brings a lineup dubbed Death to All to the Middle East in March to mark 30 years of the band’s ’93 classic Individual Thought Patterns.
3/25 – Adam Demirjian / Ezra Cohen / Husbands (acoustic) / Cape Crush (acoustic) @ Fields West
Allston’s newest venue Fields West, spearheaded by the IBookThings crew and occupying the former Glenville Stops space off Harvard Ave, opens its doors this month with some locally-focused gigs including this one featuring Me In Capris’ Adam Demirjian, an acoustic set from shoegazers Husbands and more.
3/27 – Nequient / Torn in Half / Morgued / Stone the Oracle @ Silhouette Lounge
A four-band death metal bill in the Sil dart room? Need I say more?
3/28 – Sunset Rubdown @ Crystal Ballroom
Long-dormant prog-art-rockers Sunset Rubdown, led by Wolf Parade’s Spencer Krug, reactivate this year for their first shows since 2009. They’ll hit Somerville’s Crystal Ballroom at the end of the month, which should give you plenty of time to spin Dragonslayer and leap back into the ‘oos spirit.
3/30 – The Murder Capital @ The Sinclair
Finally, Irish post-punks The Murder Capital return to Greater Boston in support of their sophomore LP Gigi’s Recovery. Their last local gig (and first U.S. show) came at a particularly ill-fated ~2 days prior to the world shutting down in 2020; let’s wish them some well-deserved better luck on this run.