boston-best

Arts & Entertainment

  • New Addition

    The Lawn on D

    Set at a nexus between the Seaport, Fort Point and Southie, the Lawn on D is drawing residents and visitors from all three neighborhoods and beyond…...

    New Addition - The Lawn on D Photo Credit: Brian Samuels Photography
  • Album

    Will Dailey’s National Throat

    Will Dailey’s first album since splitting with a major label finds the singer/songwriter at a career high…...

    Album - Will Dailey’s National Throat Photo Credit: Paul Janovitz
  • Artist

    Percy Fortini-Wright

    Forget Banksy—we’ve got street-art talent aplenty right here in Boston…...

  • Band

    Speedy Ortiz

    The reviews are in. April release Foil Deer is an expertly crafted sophomore effort, supporting what the indie quartet’s critically lauded debut had major outlets proclaiming: This is a band to be reckoned with…...

  • Classical Event

    Handel and Haydn Society’s Bicentennial Anniversary

    Mayor Walsh declared March 24 “Handel and Haydn Society Day,” and for good reason…...

  • Comedy Club

    Laugh Boston

    The Seaport offers unparalleled harbor views, among other draws, but until recently, it was not a destination for comedy…...

  • Dance Event

    Limitless at the Boston Conservatory

    Talents two degrees removed from Queen Bey include some of the student performers in Limitless, a spring program of work from four high-wattage choreographers, among them Alvin Ailey’s Robert Battle and, yes, Mrs. Carter Show World Tour choreographer Darrell Moultrie, who also made the moves for the A.R.T.’s acclaimed Witness Uganda…...

  • Dance Party

    Soulelujah

    We’re so thankful for Soulelujah, the funked-out, anything- goes, sweaty rager that goes down Saturday nights on not one but two dance floors at the Middle East Upstairs and ZuZu…...

  • Exhibit

    When the Stars Begin to Fall: Imagination and the American South

    Every so often, an exhibit is so evocative it stays with you long after you’ve left the museum…...

  • Gallery

    Barbara Krakow Gallery

    Newbury Street isn’t exactly known for its edge. But hidden among the chichi sidewalk eateries and glossy boutiques is a gallery that’s been showcasing boundary-pushing conceptual work for more than 30 years…...

  • Hottest Ticket

    Converse Rubber Tracks Live’s Sinclair Takeover

    When Bowery Boston and Converse Rubber Tracks Live announced a week of totally free and totally killer shows at the Sinclair, the news practically #BrokeTheInternet…...

    Hottest Ticket - Converse Rubber Tracks Live’s Sinclair Takeover Photo Credit: Johnny Anguish/Daycamp Music
  • Jazz Club

    Wally’s

    It’s no wonder jazzheads have been frequenting this snug South End club for nearly 70 years…...

  • Most Anticipated

    Matilda The Musical

    Fans of musical theater and Roald Dahl, rejoice: After acclaimed stagings on Broadway and in London’s West End, Matilda is finally making its Boston debut next year (June 14-26) with a limited run courtesy of Broadway in Boston…...

    Most Anticipated - Matilda The Musical Photo Credit: Joan Marcus
  • Music Mover and Shaker

    Vanyaland

    We tapped Vanyaland’s This Is 617 as our favorite streaming radio show in 2014’s Boston’s Best issue, but this year the digital music magazine deserved props for its excellent coverage of this town’s music scene—and beyond. Co-founded by former Boston Phoenix music editor Michael Marotta and Redefined founder Paul Armstrong in the wake of the Phoenix’s closing, Vanyaland avidly covers—and often breaks—music news on both local and national levels…...

  • Musician

    Ruby Rose Fox

    Ruby Rose Fox took home Best Female Vocalist at December’s Boston Music Awards, but we’re going to go ahead and declare her Boston’s musician of the moment, period…...

  • Nonfiction Book

    The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore

    A longtime New Yorker contributor, Harvard professor and endlessly curious writer, local dynamo Jill Lepore was the perfect person to unearth the backstory of one of pop culture’s most iconic female badasses…...

    Nonfiction Book - The Secret History of  Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore Photo Credit: Holly Rike
  • Novel

    Find Me by Laura van den Berg

    Emerson alum Laura van den Berg’s debut novel earned its space on the “most anticipated” lists at the BBC and Time Out New York…...

  • Phenomenon

    Groupmuse

    Thought underground house shows were limited to secret rock throwdowns in grungy Allston basements?…...

  • Podcast

    WGBH’s Innovation Hub

    With smash hit Serial capturing the imagination of the nation, it’s a good time to have a great podcast…...

    Podcast - WGBH’s Innovation Hub Photo Credit: Meredith Nierman
  • Public Art Space

    The Greenway

    If you’ve wandered past the Greenway recently, you’ve likely noticed an engineering marvel—not the surrounding skyscrapers but the massive aerial sculpture strung between them…...

    Public Art Space - The Greenway Photo Credit: Geoff Hargadon
  • Reboot

    Swan Lake

    After their 2012 Nutcracker revamp, Boston Ballet artistic director  Mikko Nissinen and designer Robert Perdziola set their sights on another classic, teaming up again to retool Swan Lake for this past season’s opening night smash…...

  • Record Label

    Deathwish Records

    Deathwish Records has the cred to back up its product: The  Beverly-based hardcore/punk/metal label is helmed by founder/owner Jacob Bannon, frontman of hardcore band Converge…...

    Record Label - Deathwish Records Photo Credit: Angela Owens
  • Recording Studio

    Q Division Studios

    Were you aware that David Duchovny recorded an album?…...

    Recording Studio - Q Division Studios Photo Credit: Pete Weiss
  • Rock Club

    Brighton Music Hall

    With three full bars, backroom pool tables for between-set play and just about zero bad vantage points, Brighton Music Hall offers a lot in its 476-person capacity space…...

  • Theater Production

    Huntington Theatre Company’s The Colored Museum

    This revival of George C. Wolfe’s celebrated 1986 satire generated buzz long before the curtains opened…...

    Theater Production - Huntington Theatre Company’s The Colored  Museum Photo Credit: T. Charles Erikson
  • Theater Troupe

    Ryan Landry’s Gold Dust Orphans

    Fearless leader Ryan Landry received the 2015 Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence, an accolade that was a long time coming for the theater-scene fixture, whose troupe celebrates its 20th anniversary this year…...