Boston Pops 4th of July Concert!

[Virgo10]

David Lee Roth? Go Figure??!

Here's the entire program.

The Star-Spangled Banner - Smith/Key-Bennett

This Is My Country - Jacobs/Raye-Bass

Presenting POPSearch 2004 Winner

Happy Birthday Glenn, Count, and Fats!
In the Mood - Garland/Miller-Osser
One O'clock Jump - Basie-Nestico
The Joint Is Jumpin’ - Waller-Besterman

Presenting Jennifer Holliday
Commemorating the Sixtieth Anniversary of D-Day
D-Day, - from Victory at Sea Rodgers-Bennett
Hymn to the Fallen, - from Saving Private Ryan Williams
1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky

Presenting David Lee Roth
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - Raye/Prince-Hayman
Patriotic Sing-Along - Hayman America, America the Beautiful, Yankee Doodle, The Yankee Doodle Boy, This Land Is Your Land, You’re a Grand Old Flag, God Bless America

Presenting Jennifer Holliday
The Stars and Stripes Forever - Sousa

I really wish they'd leave the end of the concert the way it had been for years with the 1812 followed by The Stars and Stripes Forever.

BTW, the night before they have a rehearsal performance. I've been the past couple of years and it's wonderful. Unless you want to make it a day long trip, getting near the orchestra is next to impossible on the 4th. The night before you can have great seats if you only get there an hour before it starts. No fireworks but it's really fun and it's free!

More info is here:
http://www.july4th.org/

Roberta

 

[monkeyboy]

David Lee Roth
What the........

They couldn't do any better?

 

[aprincessmom]

I saw that this morning! DD is going this year for the first time. It should be quite a show. I can't wait for the fireworks...they are always breathtaking.

 

[tmfranlk]

Oh I am sooo jealous. I love 4th of July with the Boston Pops! With any luck we will be back in Boston by next summer and I'll get to take DD.

To me, there is nothing like spending the day handing out on the Esplanade, playing games, picnicing and culminating the night with the Pops and fireworks.

To any one going...enjoy it some for me as well!

 

[Margie J]

David Lee Roth
What the........

They couldn't do any better?

I wonder if he'll wear his buttless chaps from his Van Halen days? Full moon over the Charles on the 4th.

 

[Lars624]

Ill be vacationing outside of Boston on the 4th.........should we come in for the firweorks?? we'll ahve 6 kids with us & a group of about 9 adults.......anyone have any info on what we should do or where we should go?

 

[aprincessmom]

If you are in the area it really is something to see. On a "slow" year you get about 250,000 people. Here's a link to some of the things to do in the Boston area on the 4th.

http://www.boston.com/travel/boston/july_fourth/

 

[shortbun]

We often watch the Pops 4th on TV. It's so good it even
comes over well on the screen!!! I agree that it's too bad
they're omitting the 1812 Overture. I lived in Boston one
summer when Feidler conducted the Pops, what a sound.

 

[Virgo10]

Originally posted by shortbun
We often watch the Pops 4th on TV. It's so good it even
comes over well on the screen!!! I agree that it's too bad
they're omitting the 1812 Overture. I lived in Boston one
summer when Feidler conducted the Pops, what a sound.

Nah, they're not omitting it. It's just not at the end of the concert like it use to be.

Even with Keith Lockhart's ego, he knows that a riot would ensue if the signature piece of Boston's 4th wasn't in the show.

Roberta

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, as far as venturing into the city for the 4th....I've lived 32 miles west of Boston all my life. I finally made it into the city for the 4th last year. My b-i-l has a beautiful townhouse 2 blocks from the Esplanade (actually 1 block down from John Kerry). So, we stayed there overnight. I will never do it again. Waaaaay too many people. We couldn't see any fireworks, unless we got our spot about 7 hrs before. With a 10 y/o that just wasn't going to happen. I've never seen such drunken behavior, such foul language. The police were everywhere, breaking up domestic issues. My poor suburban sensibilities were assualted!!!! I think I'll watch it all on TV this year.

The best time was watching them at 6 pm, while visiting my db in Seattle. THen we had our own celebration 3 hrs later.

 

[aprincessmom]

Well, as far as venturing into the city for the 4th....I've lived 32 miles west of Boston all my life. I finally made it into the city for the 4th last year. My b-i-l has a beautiful townhouse 2 blocks from the Esplanade (actually 1 block down from John Kerry). So, we stayed there overnight. I will never do it again. Waaaaay too many people. We couldn't see any fireworks, unless we got our spot about 7 hrs before. With a 10 y/o that just wasn't going to happen. I've never seen such drunken behavior, such foul language. The police were everywhere, breaking up domestic issues. My poor suburban sensibilities were assualted!!!! I think I'll watch it all on TV this year.

WOW!!! I've been many times over the past twenty years and I've never seen that! Good thing I didn't go last year Also, at tips for all of you going this year...you can't see the fireworks that clearly from the oval (the area directly in front of the bandstand) because of the trees. So if you don't want to go at the crack of dawn to get a spot, don't worry. You'll still have a good seat for the fireworks.

BTW...it's not like it used to be on TV now that A&E doesn't air it. CBS is only airing parts of it...not the whole concert.

 

[castlegazer]

Come on out to Tanglewood for Tanglewood on Parade at the end of the season and you will get your wish for the concert to end with the 1812 Overture followed by cannon fire and fireworks - it is really the only way to end a Pops concert!

I always shake my head at their picks for guest performers each year. Oh and by the way, I have heard David Lee Roth's version of the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and its actually quite good.

NOVA had a great show last night all about fireworks and they spent a good half an hour concentrating on the Boston show and how its executed with computers - it was fascinating.

I have only gotten to see the show once live from Boston - we were lucky enough to have access to an apartment overlooking the Hatch Shell with jumbo screen below us and visible. It gave us a spectacular view of the fireworks. I would do it no other way - no crowds to deal with and a parking space all our own. It could not be beat. Only problems is that now that I have done it this way and that I am a Tanglewood person I could never deal with going down into the crowds of people and dealing with hours and hours of waiting - oh and the bathroom issues - totally a problem for me.

So bottom line, I'll stick to Tanglewood.