“Just another band out of Boston,” made headlines 49 years ago when the first album from Boston sold more records than any debut release up to that time. The band sped to the top of the charts behind iconic songs like “More Than a Feeling,” “Hitch a Ride,” and “Smokin.” This Friday, December 12, original guitarist Barry Goudreau, who now fronts his band Engine Room, will be joining a star-studded concert at the Jane Pickens Film and Event Center in Newport.
“Home for the Holidays,” a benefit for the Broadway Street Fair, is headlined by actor/musician Jim Belushi, will be performing with Newport legend James Montgomery and his all-star band that includes Blues Brothers guitarist George McCann, bassist David Hull (Joe Perry Project), drummer Marty Richards (J. Geils Band), and the world-renowned Uptown Horns (Rolling Stones, B-52’s). Goudreau will play a set of Boston songs backed by Kevin James Graham, who recently appeared on NBC’s The Voice, as well as sitting in with Belushi’s band at some point during the show.
“Kevin’s band is going to be backing me up playing some Boston material,” says Goudreau, who we spoke with by phone recently. He’s also looking forward to joining his old friend James Montgomery. “I’ve known James for a long time now, around 50 years. He was friends with one of our early managers with Boston and he actually came to one of the very first shows we played, at Rocky Point in Rhode Island. We've played together countless times over the years, big venues, small venues, big bands, small bands, all sorts of different situations. I really enjoyed playing with James - great guy, big talent.”
Of course, Goudreau is best known as the original guitarist in Boston, a band that exploded on the scene in 1976 with the top selling debut album at that time. He certainly didn’t think he’d still be talking about it in 2025. “Never would have guessed that 50 years later, the songs would still be on the radio, people would still be listening to it and talking about it,” he says. “It took so long to get the band signed that when we finally got a record deal, we just wanted to do well enough to be able to do a second record and maybe have a career in music.”
“Playin' for week in Rhode Island….”
Goodreau has warm memories of playing locally right around the time Boston was breaking out nationally. (The state gets a nod in the song “Rock & Roll Band.”) At that point, they didn’t have a road crew or the right equipment for larger venues. “We were really going by the seat of our pants for the first several months,” he recalls. “Our first tour after the record came out, we were playing in 500 seat clubs in the Midwest and there were thousands of people in line outside trying to get in. It just took off like a rocket.”
“Our first arena show was at the Providence Civic Center,” he continues. “Very early on, in '76, after the record came out, it was a bill with us, Heart, and Jeff Beck. I remember at one point during our set, I looked over to my side and about six feet away were Jeff Beck and Joe Perry with their arms crossed, watching our show. I was like, Oh my God! Then I got to meet Jeff after the show - of course, I was a huge fan. He was on the same label as we were, and he said, ‘Well, I'd heard your record, and I didn't think you'd be able to reproduce it (on stage), but you did. You sounded great.’
Goodreau says a great night of rock and roll is planned for Newport, especially around the holiday season. “I think we're ending with a Christmas song, I would expect to be up there with the rest of the band, so we'll see how it all pans out.” Tickets are still available – learn more at JanePickens.com.
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