The Pretty Reckless Dear God Tour at Citizens House of Blues, Boston, MA

Photos By: Holly Roy Photography
Review By: Joe Perusse

The Pretty Reckless brought their Dear God Tour to Boston, and with Paris Jackson and doug.
along for the ride, the night delivered three very different but equally entertaining performances.
With all three floors of the House of Blues packed by the time The Pretty Reckless hit the
stage, Boston was more than ready for a night of rock.

Kicking things off was doug., who wasted no time getting the crowd fired up with a short but
seriously energetic set. Drummer Jared Hazelton immediately had the hometown crowd on his
side when he walked out wearing a Jason Tatum Celtics jersey before the band launched into
an extended intro.

Alex Paquin (Guitar, Lead Vocals) talked about how good it was to be back on the East Coast,
especially since the band hails from New Hampshire. Kyle Gervais (Bass) held down the low
end while also contributing backing vocals, and Ben Lebeau (Guitar) spent the set shredding his
way through the songs.

I couldn't track down a set list for these guys, but if you're a punk fan, give doug. a listen. Their
short set left a pretty good first impression, and they're definitely a band worth keeping an eye
on.

Next up was Paris Jackson, and she continues to get better every time I see her perform.
Whether she was behind the guitar or moving around the stage with the microphone, she
completely owned the room.

Introducing herself as Paris from Los Angeles, she joked that Boston was basically the Paris of
the East Coast. She admitted she wasn't really sure if that was true, but she needed some extra
time to tune her guitar anyway. The crowd got a good laugh out of it.

Jackson also joked that if she didn't sound good, everyone should blame the sound guy before
introducing her band: Mihailo Lukic (Lead Guitar), Sean Ritchie (Bass), and Jack Gallner
(Drums).

One of the night's fun moments came during the Blind Melon cover "No Rain" when Jackson turned her set list into a paper airplane and sent it flying into the crowd. She also showcased some newer material, including "Albatross" and "Happiest Day of My Life" which closed out her
set.

Before leaving the stage, Jackson reminded everyone to tip their bartender. Solid advice,
especially at a Boston rock show.

By the time The Pretty Reckless took the stage, all three floors of the House of Blues were
packed. Mark Damon opened with a smooth bass line that led into "Death by Rock and Roll"
and Taylor Momsen (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar) immediately reminded everyone why she remains
such a commanding frontwoman, unleashing a killer scream midway through the song.

Momsen asked Boston, "How the fuck are you doing?" and the response was exactly what
you'd expect from a packed House of Blues.

Ben Phillips (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals) ripped into the intro of "Since You're Gone," followed
by "Follow Me Down" which had the crowd clapping and throwing their horns in the air.

Momsen stopped to tell the audience how "Fucking awesome" they looked, while Phillips pointed
out that the band has deep New England roots. Momsen climbed onto the front risers for "Miss Nothing" putting herself right in front of the crowd, before "For I Am Death" had everyone bouncing.

Jamie Perkins delivered a powerful drum intro to "When I Wake Up" with Momsen making her way through the photo pit while continuing to work the crowd. She picked up the guitar for "Love
Me" adding another dimension to the performance. Phillips then gave a shoutout to all the nerds and geeks in the room before Momsen introduced "Dragonfire," which she said was Phillips' favorite song. Phillips brought out a 12-string guitar for the song, giving it an especially cool texture. "Spell on You" followed, with Momsen explaining that the intro came from an old VHS recording of her when she was just two years old. It was one of those little personal touches that made the show feel more intimate despite the size of the crowd.

"Devil in Disguise (Michelle's Song)" was dedicated to anyone who has ever lost someone too
soon, bringing a more emotional moment to the set. Then came the big one: "Dear God," the title track from the band's new album and the centerpiece of the tour. From there, The Pretty Reckless took things back to the beginning with "Make Me Wanna Die" "Heaven Knows" and "Going to Hell." The crowd sang along throughout the closing stretch, proving that these songs still hit just as hard as they did when they were first released.

The band returned for the encore with "About You," bringing the night to a strong finish.
Logan Nikolic (Touring Guitarist) rounded out the lineup, and one thing that deserves to be
mentioned was just how good the sound was throughout the entire night. All three bands
sounded sharp, and the House of Blues mix stayed on point from the opening notes of doug.
through the final song from The Pretty Reckless.

A packed House of Blues, three solid performances, and a headliner that delivered exactly what
the crowd came to hear pretty tough way to spend a night in Boston.

DOUG

PARIS JACKSON

THE PRETTY RECKLESS