Marshall Crenshaw Brings Timeless Power Pop to City Winery Boston w/Sarah Borges opening w/Eric Ambel
On his 73rd birthday, Marshall Crenshaw celebrated with a career retrospective at Boston’s City Winery. There is something timeless about a Marshall Crenshaw song. Built around irresistible melodies, his music has a way of sounding familiar even when you hear it for the first time. Crenshaw brought that enduring songwriting to the stage, reminding audiences why he remains one of the most respected figures in American power pop.
With his touring band comprised of Fernando Perdomo, trading lead and rhythm guitar, Derrick Anderson on bass and Mark Ortmann, founding member of Bottle Rockets on drums, the sound was crisp and layered, filling the room with crisp guitar work, infectious hooks, thoughtful lyrics and melodies that seem to stay with you long after the music stops.
Digging through his extensive catalog offered plenty of material to explore, from the buoyant optimism of “Cynical Girl” to the wistful storytelling of “Whenever You’re on My Mind.” These songs balance youthful energy with a well-earned maturity, reflecting the experiences of someone who has spent a lifetime observing the complicated business of being human.
He mixed in a few well-chosen covers from artists he admires, from the wordy Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream, to revisiting his role as Buddy Holly in La Bamba with Crying, Waiting, Hoping early in the set. The attentive audience was certainly rewarded with the expected You’re My Favorite Waste of Time , Someday, Someway, and Mary Anne.
The encore started with the audience singing Happy Birthday to Crenshaw along with a cake, then the night finished with Monday Morning Rock, a suitable ending to Crenshaw’s visit.
What makes Crenshaw such an appealing performer is his commitment to the craft of songwriting. There is a refreshing directness to his music. He doesn’t need to reinvent his sound or chase contemporary trends. His songs have their own identity, rooted in the golden age of rock and roll but never trapped in nostalgia. https://marshallcrenshaw.com/
City Winery provided an intimate setting for an evening built around the pleasures of great songwriting. In a musical landscape often dominated by spectacle, Crenshaw’s understated style serves as a welcome reminder that a great melody, a memorable lyric and a well-played guitar can still be more than enough.
Sarah Borges and Eric Ambel opened the night, trading songs from their respective solo careers with great warmth and humor. Borges, who hails from the Boston area, has had her music described as ‘walking that fine line between punk and country’. She is expected to release a newly completed album sometime in 2027. Eric ‘Roscoe’ Ambel is a longtime prolific artist, producer and recording studio owner, with credits as diverse as Joan Jett, Steve Earle, as founding member of the Del-Lords and the Yayhoos, as well as producing the Bottle Rockets, Nils Lofgren and countless others. He also has an album slated for release in 2027. https://www.ericambel.com/ https://sarahborges.com/
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: Show Review: Bottle Rockets and Marshall Crenshaw Tour Stops to Keep Fans on Their Toes at the Birchmere here: Show Review: Sarah Borges w/Eric Ambel at Pearl Street and here: Interview: Jerry Joseph & Eric Ambel on Collaboration and “The Man Who Would Be King”
Setlist
Move Now
Crying, Waiting, Hoping
Passing Through
Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream
You’re My Favorite Waste of Time
Live and Learn
Driving and Dreaming
Fantastic Planet of Love
Blues is King
Whenever You’re on My Mind
Mary Anne
There She Goes Again
2541
This is Easy
Cynical Girl
Someday, Someway
Monday Morning Rock