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Juliana Hatfield, Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo

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Dates:Friday, June 16, 2023 - Friday, June 16, 2023
Hours:Hours Vary see below
Ages:Toddlers, Kids, Teens, Adults
In/Outdoor:Indoor
Cost:$ see below
Category:Music & Concerts
JULIANA HATFIELD’s inimitable 35-year career has seen her an underground darling, a cultural emblem and a time-tested veteran whose tender singing and exemplary guitar playing is an iconic and enduring pinnacle of indie and alternative rock.

In 1986, she co-founded beloved Boston indie-rock trio the Blake Babies w/Freda Love & John Strohm, injecting a glassy pop sensibility and keen knack for melody into the East Coast’s vibrant underground rock scene.

After releasing 3 LPs and an EP with the band, in 1992 her debut solo album, Hey Babe, proved Hatfield a force in her own right.

Its 11 tracks of melodic alt-rock portend the explosion of her singular blend of hard and soft.

That’s not to mention Hatfield’s crucial contribution as bassist and backing vocalist on The Lemonheads’ celebrated albums It’s a Shame About Ray ('92) and Come on Feel The Lemonheads ('93).

But it was Hatfield’s 1993 album Become What You Are — released under The Juliana Hatfield Three — that marked her a star.

Its runaway single, “My Sister,” gave voice to women and girls worldwide, detailing the complex emotional stew of sisterhood and female friendship, and becoming a rare hit without a chorus.

It topped the Billboard alternative chart in '93, and the album was designated a rising phenomenon on the publication’s heatseekers index, peaking at the pole position.

“Spin the Bottle,” a quirky, rollicking tune written in 5/4, was featured in Reality Bites, one of the era’s most celebrated films.

Its accompanying video, directed by Ben Stiller, features Hatfield and the band playing the pubescent-favorite game alongside the actor Ethan Hawke and Belly’s Tanya Donelly.

Its follow-up, Hatfield’s Only Everything, released in '95, further highlighted her dexterous guitar shredding against a backdrop of melodic pop structures.

It catapulted her fierce-yet-tender outlook to new heights, and produced two more celebrated singles, “Universal Heart-Beat” and “What a Life.” The same year, she contributed the original song “So-Called Angels” to cult-favorite television show My So-Called Life, and made her acting debut on the show’s Christmas episode.

Since her commercial peak, Hatfield has released 16 solo albums of stirring originals and imaginative covers, delving further into her love of melodic pop and rock frameworks, and fine-tuning her unmatched vision.

In 2001 she reconvened the Blake Babies for a new album, God Bless the Blake Babies, and in 2016 she collaborated with The Replacements’ Paul Westerberg under the band name The I Don’t Cares.

She’s adorned magazine covers and played the country’s most celebrated rock clubs but at her core Hatfield is an artist and a technician — a skilled singer, songwriter and player whose influence and endurance is all but unmatched.

KAY HANLEY began her career in music as the lead singer of Boston-based alternative rock band Letters to Cleo, releasing 3 acclaimed albums between 1990-2000, and spawning such hits as Awake and Here and Now.

In 2002, Hanley released her first full length solo album, Cherry Marmalade, produced by longtime Cleo producer, Mike Denneen at Q Division Studios in Boston.

The record has recently been remastered for a double album 20th anniversary vinyl re-release.

After a 16-year hiatus, Letters To Cleo reunited in 2016 to release new music and embark on several sold-out US tours.

They are currently writing their 4th full length studio album.

In the late 90’s, Ms. Hanley began expanding her work as a singer and songwriter into the TV and film world, writing songs for WB’s animated series Generation O, providing the singing voice for Rachael Leigh Cook's character Josie in Universal Pictures' feature film Josie and the Pussycats and performing cover versions of Nick Lowe's Cruel to be Kind and Cheap Trick's I Want You To Want Me in Touchstone Pictures' hit film, 10 Things I Hate About You.

Today, Ms. Hanley spends most of her time writing music for animated television, penning original songs for shows like Disney Junior's hit series Vampirina and Doc McStuffins (for which she won a Peabody Award in 2014), Dreamworks’ Harvey Street Kids, WB/Cartoon Network’s DC Super Hero Girls and Netflix series, Ada Twist, Scientist and becoming a first time Emmy winner in 2022 for We The People.

Her latest project is Kindergarten The Musical, which she developed with writing partners Michelle Lewis, Dan Petty, and Charlton Pettus.

She serves as composer and executive producer for the series, which will debut in Fall 2024 on Disney Junior.
Ms. Hanley is co-executive director of Songwriters Of North America (SONA), a non-profit advocacy organization that fights for the protection and value of songs and songwriters in the streaming music marketplace.

As a result of her advocacy work, Hanley was chosen to represent songwriters on the Mechanical Licensing Collective, serving as vice-chair of the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee.

HOURS↑ top

Doors: 3pm
Showtime: 4-5:30pm


COST↑ top

$40 Advanced | $50 Day of Show

WEBSITE↑ top

24hourconcerts.showare.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=1126

LOCATION↑ top

247 Elm Street, Somerville, MA, 02144 map
Phone: 6177766896

RELATED LINKS↑ top

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