Blue Hills Bank Pavilion VIP Party Box

Two great singers put on a great show Tuesday as Ray LaMontagne and David Gray reminded us that there is still a place in the music world for singer/songwriters, and the Pavilion was the perfect setting for such a show. Ray's set featured music from his new release (just out that day) -- music that reflected both his evolution as an artist and the skills of the Pariah Dogs, his superb new band. Ray was at his best, his voice simply great. Having two headliners meant that the set was, by necessity, a bit short, but he brought enough to the new songs that he won over an already partisan crowd, playing well enough to be the star. Tough act to follow? Perhaps for some, but not for David Gray, who seems revitalized as he gets more comfortable with his new band. Surprisingly, his set list included only one new song, with the rest a sampling of some of his more popular songs. David, head bobbing as usual and full of energy, voice typically strong, had the crowd singing along and standing. And to top the evening off, David called Ray to the stage during the encore, and they sang a single song together that brought this splendid evening of music to a fitting conclusion.

Doobies came on first and played for about an hour then Chicago played for about 1-1/2 hours. Then came the best part of the whole concert. Both groups came back out together and played four more songs, two from each group. Blown away by this. You had to be there to appreciate it. 16-18 band members playing together their best hits for almost another hour. See this concert.