Posts Tagged ‘Billboard Music Awards’

Our favorite Boston band, Gentlemen Hall, got back to their Beantown roots and played a packed Hard Rock Cafe Tuesday night. After spending most of the month of April on the road for their Spring Fling tour, the boys have returned to Boston and kicked off the summer concert season with a rocking performance sponsored by WFNX and Dunkin Donuts. The synth-pop sextet born in the hallways of Berklee College have been everywhere in the past year. Last June, they had a rousing performance on live national television as winners of the regional Battle of the Bands at the Billboard Music Awards. They then went on to tour the country for the summer and early fall, before returning to the Bean just in time to win a couple Boston Music Awards, including Pop Rock Artist of the Year. The whirlwind has not stopped there, however, as the Gentlemen were selected to be part of the in-store playlist at Hollister stores nationwide for the holiday season, were part of a top-trending Windows phone Youtube commercial, and had their single, “All Our Love,” featured on an episode of the CW’s “90210.”

With Tuesday’s “Local Exposure” free WFNX performance, the guys sounded better than ever, debuting a couple brand new songs to a super dancey crowd whose enthusiasm brought the boys out for an encore.The group is currently working on material for their next album, and we can’t wait to hear more from this super talented group. Go Gentlemen Hall!

★ Seth Meyers to Host Roundtable at Nantucket Film Fest

★ Connecticut native, Michael Bolton, makes a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” and follows with a performance on “Dancing with the Stars.”

★ Kristen Wiig talks about working with Jill Clayburgh on her last film before she passed away in Connecticut late last year.

★ Tilda Swinton appears in Cannes for the debut of Connecticut filmed  We Need to Talk about Kevin; Boston born Uma Thurman makes an appearance as well.

★ Local celebrity genealogist talks about his work.

★ CBS anchor Jeff Glor speaks to graduates at Suffolk University’s commencement while Katie Couric speaks at BU.

★ Brighton-based band Gentlemen Hall amidst the gossip at the Billboard Music Awards.

★ West Newbury high school track star sets his sights on an acting career.

★ Amy Poehler speaks to students on Class Day at Harvard, as Alec Baldwin talks about his regrets with the law school grads.

If you haven’t heard of Gentlemen Hall, get ready, because they’re about to explode. What started in the noisy dormitory halls of Boston’s Berklee College of Music and grew to become a popular local band is now about to make their national debut at the Billboard Music Awards with a live performance tonight on ABC as winners of a national Battle of the Bands.

Last month, Gentlemen Hall was one of three area bands who competed via social media-following to represent the northeast. As winner of the regional competition, earlier this week, the band packed up their Chevy Cruze, a car lent to them from the sponsor of the contest, as they departed Brighton to road-trip it to Las Vegas and compete as one of the six finalists from various regions in the U.S. On Thursday night, they were declared the winner of the competition by the evening’s MC, Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath (a Hartford, CT native, who was recently spotted at the aquarium in Boston earlier this month buying Whalers gear as well as taking in a Bruins game at the TD Banknorth Garden), and others from the Billboard music community. The synth-pop band, which met at Berklee, will now be playing before a national stage as thousands of people across the country tune in to the live awards show.

“It’s been a wild ride out here in Vegas. It’s still a bit of a shock but we’re amped to make a national debut. It’s important for us that people recognize Boston has one of the greatest music scenes in the world and we’re just one small part of it. Being out here is an awesome opportunity to bring a slice of that scene to national television. We’re repping our hometown hard,” said bassist Rory Given.

Its been a wild past fews years for the close-knit band. In the summer of 2009, the band received MTV’s “Best Break Out Artist” Award. Later that year, the Boston Phoenix named Gentlemen Hall “Boston’s Best New Band”. The following year, the boys released their debut CD, “Give Us Roots Give US Wings.” And in December of 2010, the band received a nomination at the Boston Music Awards.

Gentlemen Hall is made up of Given, Jacob Michael (guitar, vocals), Bradford Alder (synthesizers), Gavin McDevitt (guitar, vocals), Seth Hachen (flute), and Phil Boucher (drums). They Billboard Music Awards airs tonight (Sunday) at 8 p.m. on ABC. The Gentlemen are set to perform after Ke$ha and before Lady Antebellum, so make sure you tune in and cheer the guys on.

On behalf of everyone at Hollywood East Connection, we wish the band the best of luck!