Nobody makes a Wednesday night feel like a Friday quite like Frank Turner. This past Wednesday, the British singer-songwriter took the stage for the second show of his six-night residency at the Royale in Boston, MA. With openers Restorations and Jeff Rosenstock to warm up the crowd, the entire venue was dancing and singing long before Frank took the stage.
Philadelphia-based band Restorations took the stage first, welcoming the audience with an energetic, diverse set to kick of the night. As someone who was fairly unfamiliar with the band, I was pleasantly surprised with their music and spent the rest of the evening with their song “The Red Door” stuck in my head. Although their set was only seven songs long, they captured the attention of the audience and it’s safe to say that they gained many new fans that night, including myself.
Next up was a solo set by Jeff Rosenstock, which was a slightly slower tempo than Restoration’s set, but nonetheless impressive. Jeff’s enthusiasm, humor, and pure emotion made his set a memorable one. For those familiar with the Long Island native’s work, an acoustic set was a pleasant surprise. As for audience members unfamiliar with Rosenstock, this set was a short, sweet introduction to his catalog and incomparable talent.
After two different—but equally brilliant—openers warmed up the crowd, it was time for Frank Turner and backing band, The Sleeping Souls. The set opened with the first track off of Frank’s new album, a hopeful and comforting song called “Don’t Worry.” He then dove into the upbeat and uptempo “1993.” Due to this being his second night in Boston, the setlist was unpredictable and contained a few surprises such as “Mittens” and “Undeveloped Film.” The crowd was also treated with an impromptu cover of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer”, a song that the city of Boston never fails to go crazy to. To add to the excitement of the cover, Frank took over on the drums with drummer Nigel Powell on vocals. Other highlights of the show included having a member of the crew crowd surf during the drinking song “If Ever I Stray” and Frank himself going into the crowd during the final song, “Four Simple Words.”
Seeing Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls is something everybody should do at least once. Whether you know one song or have memorized his entire discography, it’s impossible to not have the time of your life at one of his shows. Frank is an incredible, energetic, versatile performer, and despite playing over 2,200 shows, he never grows tired of being on stage.
Although the North America leg of the Be More Kind tour has unfortunately come to an end, Frank Turner’s Boston residency will certainly be talked about for months to follow, until the city’s favorite Brit returns.
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