If you weren’t at The Sinclair in Cambridge on October 25th this year, then you missed what was arguably one of the coolest spooky season activities in the Greater Boston Area; and if you don’t recognize the name Jukebox the Ghost, I’m hoping this article will convince you to give them a listen.
Jukebox the Ghost is a pop trio consisting of Ben Thornewill on piano and vocals, Tommy Siegel on guitar and vocals, and Jesse Kristin on drums and vocals. The band was formed in 2006 in Washington D.C. while its members were in college together, and they have since released five studio albums. Their pop sound is heavily influenced by Thornewill’s passion for classical music, as well as by the music of Queen. On their website, Thornewill is quoted saying about Queen, “Their music is a reminder to me that pop music doesn’t have to come in a neat, restrained package…It’s ok to get weird and own it— And you can still be catchy.” Jukebox definitely doesn’t shy away from this experimental sound, a fact I learned the first time I saw them in concert and experienced the keytar solo from their single “Jumpstarted” live. I have now seen Jukebox the Ghost in concert three times, and they’ve always put on an incredible show, but the most unique concert experience I’ve ever had was seeing their HalloQueen show this year.
Leaning into the comparisons made between their band and Queen, this year marks Jukebox the Ghost’s fifth annual HalloQueen concert, a show that consists of a full Jukebox the Ghost set followed by a full Queen cover set, performed in costume and in character. Originally held in a different city every year, its growing popularity caused HalloQueen to expand in 2019 to six shows in different cities throughout the month of October— four of which sold out. In addition to this change, Jukebox released three Queen covers on Spotify leading up to HalloQueen, and they also invited Zach Jones and the Tricky Bits to open for them with a few of their own songs as well as some covers as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
I got to see HalloQueen this year at The Sinclair in Cambridge, and it was such an incredible show. The small venue created a more intimate concert setting than I’m used to for a Jukebox show, and it was full of hardcore fans of both Jukebox the Ghost and Queen, either in costume or at least fully in the spooky season spirit. Saying that I went to see a Queen cover band wouldn’t even come close to doing this show justice. There were so many moments during the show, like singing along as Jukebox covered my favorite Queen song (“Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy”), or looking around as black and orange balloons fell onto the crowd during the high-energy performance of the last song of the night (“Fat-Bottomed Girls”), that made this concert experience absolutely unforgettable.
If you missed your chance to experience HalloQueen this year, I seriously suggest checking it out next spooky season. Whether you’re a Queen fan looking to hear their music performed live, a Jukebox the Ghost fan coming for the set of their own songs, or you just want to get dressed up and listen to some good music, this show is an awesome experience and a great way to get ready for Halloween. Check out Jukebox the Ghost’s website for more info on this awesome band and give them (and Zach Jones and the Tricky Bits!) a listen on Spotify!
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