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Jeff Tweedy and Wilco play LeLacheur Park, home of the Lowell Spinners, on July 11. (Erik Jacobs for The Globe/File 2008) |
SOUND OFF
ON OUR MINDS AND ON OUR PLAYLISTS
Since musicians and jocks are often at odds in stereotypical high school cliques, it must feel ironic to bands when they end up playing in sports arenas and stadiums. But practice and teenage angst can pay off well for misfits and ballplayers alike, and two of summer's most enjoyable pastimes are increasingly colliding as popular bands are rediscovering the joys of playing ballparks.
In addition to the recent Dave Matthews Band and Phish shows at Fenway Park, now a bona fide summer concert tradition, Wilco will play LeLacheur Park, home of the minor-league Lowell Spinners, on July 11. And Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and John Mellencamp have teamed for a tour of minor-league parks that hits the PawSox home field, McCoy Stadium, in Pawtucket, R.I., on July 21. (The rumor mill is also churning out the juicy possibility that Paul McCartney could pay a visit to the Green Monster in early August.)
Although the sound quality isn't always ideal in these venues - wind across the outfield and odd building contours don't exactly help - there's something about the friendly vibe of a baseball field that lends a show much more of a carefree summer sensibility. And the parks can inspire the musicians to get out of their normal zones and offer fun tidbits like Phish's pre-show a cappella rendition of the national anthem or the Dave Matthews Band's take on "Dirty Water."
Maybe the opening remark shouldn't be "play ball!" but rather swipe a page from Mellencamp's catalog and make it "play guitar!"
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