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By adamg on Sat, 07/04/2015 - 11:18pm
617 Images had a good view of the fireworks tonight.
Phil R. also watched the fireworks from across the river:
Home viewers complained about the pop music that accompanied much of the fireworks, as well as the low-hanging smoke that obscured many of the shots.
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Comments
Home viewer here
The music that accompanied this year's Boston fireworks was actually worse than no music whatsoever. It was terrible. I think I heard One Direction. Seriously.
Tribulations of the fireworks audio
One Direction, Jessie J, Beatles...all British pop groups. That's like the exact OPPOSITE of Independence Day.
Jessie J's "Bang Bang" was chosen because fireworks "bang"...but the song is actually only about screwing.
Yet, this was their press release announcing the music chosen:
http://www.grucci.com/custom/2015-07-04%20-%20Boston%20[Press%20Release]...
Family-friendly? Because they didn't curse or what? She's just gonna bang bang all over you in the backseat of her car.
I'm not a prude by a long shot. But there's a place and time. The fireworks should be more America and less chart toppers. There's tons of great music they can use. Nice classical pieces from guys like Copland or Gershwin. Good rock songs from Alabama Shakes or classics like Aerosmith. But I don't get this year's musical selections at all. So many other options that would have been great songs for fireworks but didn't rely on sex or be from UK bands or might have had something more to do with Independence Day as a theme.
Copland would have required thought and execution
Lockhart is as deep as a puddle in August. That ain't happening on his watch.
Not Lockhart
The fireworks company puts together the music for the fireworks. The Pops are packing up by then.
Music during the fireworks
is completely unnecessary to me. Part of the fireworks fun is to hear the booms and noise. With the music, it's like a generic slideshow of fireworks.
I wish they would do away with it.
Katy Perry
A tleast they didn't play Katy Perry's "Fireworks"...
Which my neighbor seem to put on repeat as he was shooting off (illegal) ones last night. 30 minutes of Katy Perry.. *stabs ears*
Worst I have seen. Lockhart
Worst I have seen. Lockhart must go. He turned Beatles music to elevator music. His version of Stars and Strips Forever was boring.
the best Stars & Stripes Forever I've ever heard
is this version by Guy Van Duser. Which he has done at the Hatch Shell at least once:
July 4th show
I watched the show on TV. Totally disappointing! A Billy Joel impersonator, rushed music, millions of commercials, and then horrible music with the obscured fireworks. Last time I'll bother even watching...
America's Highest Paid High School Band
Really, it's so over. Look up the phrase "jumped the shark" and you'll see Keith Lockhart's expensively maintained boyish good looks. Please go away now. You're embarrassing your self and our town.
Every year
It gets worse than ever. Maybe just have DJ or something.
Two turntables
and a microphone.
Replay
Does anyone know if there is an on-demand clip of the fireworks available?
Here is the link
to the entire show. Obviously, fast forward to the last 30 minutes to see the fireworks:
http://bostonpopsjuly4th.org/
The struggle to stay relevent
is painful to watch for Boston's 4th celebration year after year as it continues to decline. Each year, decades or centuries old favorites are kept to touch the childhoods of those who are now adults, and new songs are added which are decreasingly likely to be remembered beyond next year.
I'm kinda surprised we have not yet had some rap songs added to the program. But, with fireworks, the crowds might panic. [edit: which makes me think of three things that don't go together - rap concert at Franklin Park with fireworks show]
Not So Good
Definitely a B-List of music this year. The orchestra was totally not into it, that's on Lockhart. The Billy Joel impersonator was really a low point of programming. The texting a choice of which song to play was really gimmicky and an abdication of programming. It was inevitable after they lost the national TV contract that they'd lose some production values. It showed up this year. The fireworks were OK (didn't listen to the music). The smoke did get a little thick towards the end but that's lack of wind. Maybe everyone's looking to the 2024 Olympics to rescue our civic / corporate engagement. Pretty much a paint by numbers year.
Smoke
Seriously. How about some cameras upwind?