MixFest A98

Even though I wasn't at this concert last year or the year before, I'm still confident this year was the best MixFest.

I was lucky enough to attend day two of the concert in City Hall Plaza in Boston. Some say that it was the better day, weatherwise, but that's not necessarily true. The beginning of the day looked promising: cloudy skies, a little dreary, but no rain. The rain held off as the opening act, Four Piece Suit, came out, but as The Cors came on stage, it began to pour. For about a half hour, the angry crowd cursed and complained about all of the umbrellas blocking their view. But practically the whole crowd was there to see the Barenaked Ladies anyway, so I'm sure that they'll get over missing Four Piece Suit.

After some of the local groups performed, it was time to see the bands that were familiar. As Edwin McCain approached the stage, the crowd went wild. What a performance he gave! He sounded incredible, performing his smash hit, "I'll Be." The whole crowd chanted with him. It gave me such a great feeling to see everyone at peace and having a good time. Who knew that there were so many Edwin McCain fans? Even people like me who aren't big fans had a great time singing and dancing along.

After about an hour, it was time for Sister Hazel to take the stage. Another breathtaking performance! What entertainers! Once again, I wasn't exactly the biggest fan of this group, but their performance was very impressive. They really got the audience involved by having us sing verses of the song, clapping along and, of course, dancing and screaming. The music was so full of life and energy, you could literally hear it miles away.

As six o'clock came around, it was time for the long-awaited group of the night, the one that everyone was here to see. It was the one, the only, Barenaked Ladies. What a show! They were absolutely remarkable. Of course, by now it was pouring again, but no one noticed or even cared, for that matter. They totally blew me away! I was so impressed! They sound exactly like they do on their CD. They played all of their well-known songs, such as "One Week," "If I Had $1,000,000," "It's All Been Done," along with many others. By now, it was dark, so the lighting on the stage just added to this magnificent atmosphere. Not only were their songs incredible, but they also sang songs by Madonna, Van Halen, Brandy and Monica. It was really a sight to see. I couldn't help but think how unbelievable a band they were, making up songs on the spot. The treacherous downpours were definitely worth it to see this group.

After the Barenaked Ladies, it could have ended for me right then and there, but there was more. Hootie and the Blowfish were up next. By now, I was in such a great mood, I figured that I might as well stay. To my surprise, Hootie and the Blowfish weren't as bad as I thought. In fact, they were downright good. They sounded awesome live. Instead of the crowd getting smaller, it was actually a whole lot bigger. Hootie's performance blew me away, which is something, since I really am not much of a Hootie fan. They performed their new song "I Will Wait," along with some of their older tunes like "Let Her Cry."

Given the opportunity, I would surely go again next year and I strongly suggest you do the same. Rain or shine, it really is worth your while - take my word on that..

Review by Aimee D., Westford, MA