For the uninitiated, Lost Evenings is a festival that Frank Turner has hosted since 2017. The first two years the festival was held in his homeland of England. Much to the delight of his US fans, he decided to bring the festival stateside. Lost Evenings 3 is being held in Franks “second home”, Boston. For four nights, Boston’s House of Blues is the site of a wide variety of music.
Lost Evenings is more than a series of concerts. There are panel discussions on topics ranging from maintaining a safe concert environment to mental heath and well being in the musical community. Next door to the HOB is Bill’s Bar & Lounge which is the site of afternoon entertainment for those attending the festival.
As well as acts on the main stage at the House of Blues, there are smaller acts performing on the intimate Nick Alexander stage. This gives fans a musical option while the main stage is being set up for the next act. While many festivals are outdoor experiences, this indoor festival hasn’t lost the sense of community that one finds at open air festivals. Frank’s fans are known for their inclusiveness!
The first night was billed as an acoustic evening. However, the first act on the main stage was an electrified powerhouse. Hayley Thompson-King started the evening off with a hard driving set of music. She took blues, country, and garage and melded them into a dynamite set. Yes, that sounds like an odd mash up of styles but Thompson-King makes it work! Following Thomson-King was acoustic soloist, Jenny Owens Young. With a powerful yet soulful voice, she had the audience mesmerized. At some points during her set, one could hear a proverbial pin drop. Having opened for Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls several years ago, many in the crowd were familiar with her work. They received what they were expecting!
Up next was legendary singer, songwriter, actor, and author Louden Wainwright III. Wainwright was as enthusiastic as his many fans this evening. He easily won over those unfamiliar with his work. His stories of his time in the business were interesting and lighthearted. He even took time from performing music to read from his book “Liner Notes: On Parents & Children, Exes & Excess, Death & Decay, & a Few of My Other Favorite Things”. One might question reading excerpts from a book at a music festival but Wainwright pulled it off with flying colors. His enthusiasm and his animated style was captivating! Wainwright proved he is worthy of the title, “Legendary”.
Closing out the show was an acoustic set by Frank Turner himself. He showed the audience that he is just as comfortable on the stage alone as he is with his band, The Sleeping Souls. His set was a refreshing variety of songs plucked from his entire catalog.
Some were songs often heard at full band shows such as “I Still Believe” and “Long Live The Queen“. There were also infrequently heard gems such as “Song For Josh” and “Wherefore Art Thou Gene Simmons“. Many in the crowd were heard to say how happy they were to hear this song or that song. It’s not easy to please everyone but Frank certainly pleased most with his selection of songs.
Along with the spectacular music was an impressive lighting show. Spotlights and mirrored disco balls gave additional flare to an already impressive show. If one had doubts as to the entertainment value of a solo Frank Turner set, he set them aside this evening. No, there was no mosh pit and no crowd surfing by Frank but there was an electric feeling throughout the set. It was a feeling that one was witnessing something very special, very special indeed.
