Boston-area jam quartet Neighbor on Tuesday notched a meaningful milestone by kicking off the game between its hometown Boston Red Sox and the Miami Marlins at Fenway Park with an a cappella rendition of the national anthem.
In a social media post ahead of the appearance, Neighbor hinted at the style in which the band would perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Fenway with a photoshopped image of the band members dressed as a classic barbershop quartet. On Tuesday evening, Neighbor’s Richard James (keys), Lyle Brewer (guitar), Dan Kelly (bass), and Dean Johnston (drums) left their instruments at home and congregated behind the historic ballpark’s home plate for a national anthem rendition focused on vocal harmony—not unlike the approach another notable New England-native jam band has been known to employ for performances of the song.
Later, during a break in the action, Fenway Park organist Josh Kantor gave a nod to Neighbor by offering up his take on on of the band’s songs, “Isla”, for the fans in attendance.
.@jtkantor filling Fenway with @neighbortunes‘s Isla last night and nailing the song:
Thanks to Amy for the video! pic.twitter.com/6zcIYLzX01
— Scott Marks (@bizarchive) June 29, 2023
While the Sox went on to suffer a 10-1 beating by the visitors from Miami, Neighbor will surely remember the night as a win. “What a thrill it was to sing the National Anthem at Fenway Park,” the band noted in a social media post after the game. “Thanks to all our fans, family and friends who helped us get to this point. Singing in front of (ahem) 30,000 people is no joke and we couldn’t have done it without you. 2023 is shaping up to be one for the books, on to the next adventure…” Check out a video and a selection of photos of Neighbor performing the national anthem at Fenway Park below.
Neighbor has an assortment of tour dates and festival appearances on the calendar for this summer. Fresh off the Fenway national anthem and recent performances at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and Electric Forest Music Festival, the band is set to tour throughout the summer. Upcoming highlights of Neighbor’s schedule include slots at Jeezum Crow Music Festival in Jay, VT (7/8) Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchogue, NY (7/22), Beach Road Weekend on Martha’s Vineyard (8/25–8/27), Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY (9/8), All IN Music Festival in Indianapolis, IN (9/9–9/10), and more. For a full list of upcoming Neighbor tour dates, head over to the band’s website.
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The post Neighbor Performs National Anthem Before Boston Red Sox Game At Fenway Park [Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
