Mary Black

I wrote a very thoughtful review for Mary, her daughter Roisin, and her band. I would like to please see that up so that people read it and no that is the concert they MUST see!! 3 days later and I can't get their music out of my head - it's the first time I've felt at peace in days. Post my previous review homie!

Mary Black has the most beautiful voice imaginable. She sings happy songs and sad songs and does them all to perfection.

Mary Black never disappoints! The music is fabulous and she is so genuine with her feelings. The Birchmere staff is pleasant and always willing to help.My hope is that this was not really her last show here!! I love watching Mary watch her daughter when she is singing with her.

RoisinO was beautiful and a wonderful opener! I would go see her all on her own. Mary's concert was so personal and of course wonderful to listen to. Loved everything from start to finish!!!!!!

Awesome!!! This was the best Mary Black concert I have gone to. I have seen her 4 times over nearly 20 years.This is Mary's "Last Call" tour. Mary sang songs from all her albums, including some her her older ones. There were too many favorites but one I really like was 'No Frontiers'. She performed flawlessly. Her voice is amazing. I am so sorry this is her last tour - I can't believe I will never see her perform again. We saw her performance at the Birchmere in Alex, Va. The theatre holds only 500 people so the performance was more intimate than watching her in a larger venue. You could tell Mary Black was thoroughly enjoying herself while performing to the adoring audience. If you have the opportunity of seeing her on this last tour - don't miss it.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see Mary Black live after collecting and listening to her CDs through the years. She and her band (and her daughter!) are all very talented and gave a good show. However, the sound was unbalanced. The instruments overpowered Mary's vocals...frustrating, especially for those not familiar with the lyrics.

Although I'm not a fan, I was perpherally aware of Mary Black for some backup work she did with Van Morrison and other Celtic tunes for which she had gained fame. My wife is much more a fan, so we decided to treat ourselves to her concert. Initially, we wondered if she was the same person - apparently so much time had passed that her genre is now more rock-oriented world music than Celtic folk. There was also some problem, perhaps jet lag, but she didn't seem very present. However, as the night progressed, the performance improved, so that by the time she ceased singing we wanted more. Some of her problem was diminished by an excellent reedman, who literally saved a couple of humdrum numbers singlehandedly, as well as an excellent guitar player who lifted the tunes up. Her performance was preceeded by one by her daughter, Rioshin, a very beautiful and very young woman whose vulnerability drew positive response from the older audience.

I was hoodwinked. I believed the promotional e-mails. I thought Mary Black would be a Celtic folk singer. Wrong. Mary Black is a pop singer, NOT a Celtic folk singer. I knew I was in trouble when I sat down and spied the soprano saxophone on stage. I started looking for the nearest exit minutes into the first set. Lovely voice, skilled musicians, horrible music. Such a shame. I wasted over 40 dollars and 2 hours out of a busy day for this concert.

I have been a Mary Black fan for the last 20 years. I do try to attend her performances in this area (DC). Wonderful Lady and superb entertainer.

Her voice is still clear and forceful. She has charisma and an Irish, Old World charm. Her daughter who opened for her was exquisite. Viva Mary Black!

Mary was in great form, sounded wonderful and her crack band was excellent. Sadly she doesn't come across the pond very often but when she does it's worth the wait.

One of my wonderful moments in Boston. I've listened to her song for almost 10 years and now she has the 25th anniversary album. Wowww!!

What a voice !!! Mary was professional, personable, and sang one hell of a good show!!!!

My husband is from Ireland and we have been following Mary ever since I bought a CD (A Woman's Heart) that had her and many other female vocalists on it. I bought it one of the first times that I went over to Ireland when we were dating and I was visiting and meeting his family ~ he was still living there at the time. Anyway.....this is about the 4th or 5th time that we have seen Mary perform and she never disappoints us. And this time is no exception. Great mix of both old and new songs and as I mentioned a few surprises along the way!! I would highly recommend the show to anyone who is interested in soulful beautiful music from the Emerald Isle!!!

Mary Black and the band were absolutely fantastic - as was Roisin Ó - truly wonderful. That much deserves five star rating. - But,the seating was brutal - very uncomfortable.

mary black was amazing....cannot wait for her to come back to boston...we go to see her every time and roisin was fantastic too...great night.

What can I say? I am a huge fan and have seen video of her live but never experienced a live concert before. The power in her voice is just amazing. I loved the entire show, and was very impressed as the voice got more powerful as the night went on. Columbus and Bright Blue Rose were both very strong and it's astounding to me that she can still bring life to them 20 years after that studio album was released. Dimming of the Day was very sweet. The crowd at Berklee was great and that Irish accent is very endearing. It was also terrific to see her with her daughter at the end of the show-- they sound fantastic together. The band was also excellent- the Sax player was out of this world.

Mary Black is great! The band drowned her out and the acoustics at Berkley are really lousy, I was really surprised. Why pay to listen to an overly loud backup band!!! Visibility was poor compared to concerts we just attended in Perth and Pitlochry Scotland.

It was wonderful to hear Mary again. And her daughter Roisin was great. Her voice is a lot like her mother's. However, the tickets weren't what I thought I had gotten from ticketmaster.

Mary Black once again wowed the Boston audience. The first Mary Black concert I went to was almost 20 years ago and she has what it take to keep me coming back. When I heard Rosin O sing, she reminded me of a young Mary Black and also what a treat.

Mary Black has a huge following - as many in the audience were able to sing along with her. I went with friends who know & love her; but it was my first time hearing her sing. l like her voice & lyrics; her band was great. I love the venue - so small, intimate... but their idea of handing out numbers doesn't work well... we got there well before the box office opened but still were "85th" in line... so if every Number accounts for 2-4 people, there were 100-200 people in front of us. Just assign seats or tables (and charge accordingly) or let us in.....

Mary has a great voice, and she is backed up by a group of true professional musicians. An added plus was her daughter Roisin - who opened and helped close the show, She clearly inherited her mother's talent for singing. The Birchmere is a great venue, and th evening was delightful for my wife, myself, and our friends. The only reason I didn't give the show a 5 star rating is the sound guy needs to balance the vocals and instruments better. When you have a grea vocalist, you don't want the intruments to be so loud as to compete with the singer..

Back after 2 years and just as good as ever. Mary's daughter sang and has her mother's voice. This was an outstanding evening!!!!! Thanks Mary, tom

The show was great...a great venue. My wife and daughter are big Mary Black fans.

Our unhappily belated introduction to agreat vocalist and performer, whose songs, arrangements, band and delivery are all of the highest quality

I have heard Mary Black a number of times and she is always fantastic. We are fortunate that she came back to the States from her home in Ireland after a 3 year hiatus. It was a great evening.

Mary Black is one of my favorite singers. I enjoyed seeing her and she puts on a great show. However, the sound mixing was terrible! Her wonderful voice was drowned out by the instruments - particularly the guitar and saxaphone. During the intermission, we mentioned this to a server, but it appeared that nothing was done to turn down the volume of the band instruments. It was a bit disappointing as we would much rather have heard her voice clearer than the instruments.

My wife and I were super excited about finally seeing Mary having been fans of hers for over a decade since we first got hold of the Women's Heart collection. And the Birchmere seemed like a great venue. So it was huge shock to hear her voice--so different from what we knew from recordings, more vibrato and not the clear bell that had captured us. whether it was a bad night or the new normal, don't know. had to leave early.

I have a number of Mary Black's CDs, but had never seen her perform live until her Birchmere performance. She is a marvelous singer and a wonderful entertainer. I wish she came more often to the US for concerts.

This is the 6th time I've seen Mary in concert and she is absolutely lovely. I enjoy her each time! Her daughter was great too. Beautiful voice