ZZ Ward is getting back in the musical swing of things. Catch her Boston show this Sunday
Lots of musicians had to step back and take time off during the pandemic, but in ZZ Ward’s case it was also fortuitous. She gave birth to her first child, Ezra, in February 2021.
Now Ward is back in the musical swing of things in a big way, with her third album, “Dirty Shine,” being released Friday (Sept. 8) and her 30-date national "One Hell of a Night" tour stopping off at The Paradise Rock Club in Boston on Sunday night.
(The Paradise is at 867 Commonwealth Ave. in Boston, and the show begins at 8 p.m. with Jaime Wyatt opening. Tickets are $26 and available Ticketmaster or at the door, check crossroadspresents.com, or call the club at 617-582-8800 for more information.)
Ward grew up in Oregon and developed her love of music through her dad’s record collection. By the time she was 12, she was making her first performance, singing a blues song with his band. Ward came to national attention in 2012 with her single “Criminal,” and then a debut album. That first album included the tune “Put That Gun Down,” which cracked the Alternative Rock Top 40. Blending rock, blues and contemporary rhythms, Ward’s music found a niche with music fans.
Ward’s second album, “The Storm,” in 2017, hit the top spot on the Billboard Blues charts, and hit No. 12 on the Rock charts, and featured collaborations with guitar ace Gary Clark Jr. and R&B star Fantastic Negrito. A song she did with Clarke, “Ride,” was part of the soundtrack for Pixar’s hit movie “Cars 3.”
Along the way, she’s performed on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," Conan O’Brien’s show and "Late Late Night with Craig Ferguson." With a steady stream of EPs and mixtapes, Ward has continued to explore new sounds, including collaborations with hip-hop stars Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino.
Ward has already made a big splash with music from the new album, with several tunes released with strikingly cinematic videos, directed by her brother.
“On One,” for example, could be viewed as Western noir combined with "The Walking Dead," but it’s also about female empowerment, as Ward sings of “Monster Momma moves.” The song “Baby Don’t” skillfully weaves a love song with blues and hip-hop elements. And the lost love tune “Forget About Us” uses a rush of surreal images and a loping rhythmic beat to portray a woman striking out on her own. The new album also marks Ward’s first foray as an independent artist, recording on her own label.
“Making the videos was super-fun,” Ward said from her Los Angeles home before the tour started. “Working with my brother Adam, an independent film director, made it easy, and when I became an independent artist myself, it seemed like a natural thing to do.”
The tour will also include Ezra, now 2?. Ward, 37, is married to Grammy-winning songwriter Evan Kidd Bogart.
“The last two years have definitely been interesting,” Ward said. “I always knew at some point I wanted to become an indie artist and tour again. I’m in a really good place now and being able to share it with my son – we’re bringing him on the tour bus – makes it special. He loves big rigs, so he’s very excited about the tour.”
We reviewed a Ward show, at The Paradise in 2014, and liked the way she melded blues and pop, with contemporary, low-end rhythms. We wondered if she felt her style had evolved since then.
“It’s funny how your first album comes out and everybody seems to know exactly who you are,” she said. “I had just written an album with the styles that moved me. Has that style changed with my second, and now my third album? Absolutely. I don’t think in genres, but I write music I want to listen to, that makes me feel empowered, that reflects what I’m experiencing in life.”
How about those new tunes with the dazzling videos, what was the impetus there?
“With ‘Forget About Us’ the beauty of being an artist is you can write some things that are about your life, and others that are not, as long as you really feel it. ‘On One’ absolutely is empowering, although certain people looked at it through a different lens. I was (upset) about that. I have no idea what made me write something that was even stranger than I’d ever done before, and anyone who listens to that won’t necessarily connect it to a new mother. But I hope it does connect with people.”
More: Stoughton Grammy winner Lori McKenna touring in her home state. Find out where to see her
With the new album just out, Ward and her quintet will play some of the new tunes.
“We’ll definitely play a handful of the new tunes, but we also have older songs people want to hear,” Ward noted. “With three albums now, it can be tricky with so much to choose from, but it is nice to have a lot of material now. I can’t believe I had enough to play a full show back in 2014 when you saw me. But the new music, and the videos, have been getting great response, so I’m excited to have new listeners as well as fans who’ve been with us since that 2012 first album.”
Thorogood at the South Shore Music Circus
“I might be getting older ... but not old!” George Thorogood was crowing, about two-thirds of the way through his blazing 90-minute show at The South Shore Music Circus last Friday.
Thorogood is 73 now, according to the record books, but he’s not having it. Joshing about doing a “sophisticated, hip” number before launching into the comic rocker “Get a Haircut,” Thorogood couldn’t resist a mid-song declaration, “How does it feel to be 17 years old again?,” as his quintet rocked along at warp speed behind him. The night’s theme was finding, or recapturing, the timeless joy of rock ‘n’ roll, and we’d say it was mission accomplished.
More: MUSIC SCENE: George Thorogood concert has a special opening act. See who it is
Most of Thorogood’s audience wasn’t far behind him, as the calendar goes, but every one of the 1,500 or so fans at the Cohasset tent were dedicated to recapturing some youthful swagger. And the singer-guitarist’s 14-song set was designed to make it all a boisterous party, from the opening sprint through “Rock Party.” That tune resulted in the odd happening of a standing ovation after the performer’s opening number, but Thorogood and his band would earn at least half a dozen more standing ovations before the night was done.
From roots rock, boogie-and-blues staples like “Who Do You Love?” to “Shot Down,” Thorogood was the consummate showman, uncorking blistering guitar leads, and mugging at the audience with tongue firmly in cheek, as he prowled the edge of the stage.
His hit “I Drink Alone” was a gritty delight, and the rocking fire behind “One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer” was as incendiary as ever. During an extended jam leading into “Gear Jammer,” the singer noted he wasn’t going to cut anything short: “It took me 50 years to get here. I’m not going anywhere!”
Another Thorogood favorite, “Bad to the Bone,” got an extended jam, with the guitarist stepping up a couple of the venue's aisles as fans boogied in happy delirium. Thorogood stepped off stage for a couple minutes as his band delivered a vibrant instrumental, “Tequila,” but then he was back for a pulverizing blues-rock treatment of Hank Williams Sr.’s classic “Move It on Over.” Thorogood laid down his guitar and just sang “Born to Be Bad,” with opening act Hamish Anderson taking over guitar duties, for a rousing finale that had the throng once more leaping to their feet to cheer.
Anderson’s 35-minute opening set had him fronting a power trio of impressive chops, and the Australian singer-guitarist added some of his own flavors to blues-rocking originals. One number had an intro of Link Wray’s “Rumble,” while another began with a mini-tribute to T-Rex, and Anderson and his superb rhythm section had the crowd howling by the time they finished.
One further note: We have never seen a band’s merchandise tables as busy as Thorogood’s were Friday night. Their vast array of T-shirts and other memorabilia was selling like proverbial hotcakes, and Anderson’s own modest table was also doing brisk business, with the added dollop of having him there greeting fans.
With college students comes live music
College kids are back in Boston, so there’s shows a-plenty.
THURSDAY: Sting headlines MGM Music Hall. Bluesman Joe Louis Walker at City Winery. Vienna Teng is at Club Passim tonight and Saturday. Low Cut Connie rocks The Sinclair. Jazz fans want to hear Greg Loughman’s Trio, with pianist Anastassiya Petrova, at The Spire Center. Country singer Ashley Cooke at Brighton Music Hall. Marshfield's rock bard Kevin Connolly has his band rocking Menotomy Tavern.
FRIDAY: South Shore comic Steve Sweeney has stories to tell at The Spire Center. The High Kings’ Celtic music at Memorial Hall in Plymouth. The Brothers Project salutes the Allman Brothers at Soundcheck Studios. Folk star Iris Dement at The Narrows Center. Hard-rocking Murder by Death at The Paradise Rock Club. The Subflies heat up The C-Note. Songsmith David Kushner at Royale. Jeff Rosenstock raises a ruckus at Roadrunner. Boston’s own Air Traffic Controller rocks The Sinclair. Pop trio Cannons performs at The House of Blues.
SATURDAY: Billy Idol makes a "Rebel Yell" at MGM Music Hall. Start Making Sense – a Talking Heads tribute – at Soundcheck Studios. Latin pop star Alex Cuba at The Narrows Center. Folk singer Catie Curtis at City Winery. Beat Street rocks The C-Note. The Tallest Man on Earth – Swedish folkie Kristian Matsson – at Royale. Journeyman – a tribute to Eric Clapton – at The Spire Center. Hip-hop duo Suicide Boys at the TD Garden. Psychedelic Britpop with Kula Shaker at Brighton Music Hall.
SUNDAY AND BEYOND: Sunday is packed with All Time Low rocking MGM Music Hall; ZZ Ward singing at The Paradise Rock Club; and grooves with Kes at The House of Blues. Monday: Look for ska-rock with Bowling for Soup at Brighton Music Hall; Danzig rocks MGM Music Hall; Luna is back at The Paradise Rock Club; and alt-rock supergroup Mr. Bungle brings their first tour in 20 years to Roadrunner. Tuesday: Songwriter Paul Thorn at City Winery; Death Cab for Cutie opens two nights at MGM Music Hall; and Tove Lo grooves at Roadrunner. Wednesday: The Aztec Two-Step 2.0 hits City Winery; Cas Haley and Van Gordon Martin bring reggae to Soundcheck Studios; The Used thunder into Roadrunner; and female rockers Warpaint arrive at The Paradise Rock Club. Sept. 14: Taunton blues singer Kerri Powers plays at The Spire Center; jazz sax with Dave McMurray holds sway at The Narrows Center. Sept. 15: The Lemonheads celebrate their 30th anniversary at The House of Blues. Sept. 16: Don’t miss folk icon Judy Collins at Memorial Hall in Plymouth; or Draw the Line at The C-Note. Sept. 17: Janelle Monae headlines MGM Music Hall.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: ZZ Ward to perform in Boston after release of 3rd album, 'Dirty Shine'
