Nick Shea Concert Review: A Step Out of Boston Common and Into Boston’s Music Scene

Nick Shea — a native Bostonian songwriter and rapper — performed at the Blue Triangle Gallery in Chinatown on Nov. 16 to celebrate the release of his newest album, “Mad Rap Verses.” While Shea is most known for his $1 drawings of people in Boston Common, his raw and unabashed persona drew in a diverse and energetic crowd that maintained its size throughout the night.

The gallery was a brightly lit space with walls decorated by funky wallpapers and accents of hot pink, electric blue, and lime green. The small, eclectic environment was made more inviting by the warm bright lighting all throughout the room. Waters were offered to all guests before the show, a nice gesture that contributed to the strong sense of community established earlier by the diversity of art from local artists decorating the walls.

Massachusetts rapper James Barbratis, also known as James EPB for “Embodying poetic brevity,” opened the show with a few short verses, supported instrumentally by DJ Blank Space Beats.

After their set, Shea took to the stage by jokingly announcing that he forgot to hire an emcee for the night. He asked if anyone in the audience was willing to read the short script he prepared, and a young man quickly volunteered. The tone of the show resembled this quick interaction between Shea and the audience; moments peppered with personal crowd interactions, a few quickly recovered stumbles during songs, constant laughter, and boisterous vocal support for Shea.

Opening with “I Just Wanna See,” a jazzy song from his 2022 album, “Talking Over Each Other,” Shea’s raspy vocals and energetic, yet simple, dance moves emphasized the story behind his lyrics, namely Shea and his love for life, peace, and of course, the city of Boston.

The bright white spotlight illuminating the space was softened by the warm red lights surrounding the room. A bookcase turned makeshift table held Shea’s laptop and music equipment, and the two large speakers placed on either side of the open floor space, deemed “the stage,” came together to create a welcoming atmosphere. With no barrier between Shea and the crowd, the intimate environment exuded a deep sense of understanding and comfort amongst both parties. Shea’s infectious passion and consistent engagement with the crowd outshined any of his lyrical stumbles. His constant questions, responses to comments, and most notably, engaging transitions between songs, provided moments of laughter that outweighed any awkwardness that comes with being an independent artist amongst a diverse crowd of die hard fans and new listeners.

With no barrier between Shea and the crowd, the intimate environment exuded a deep sense of understanding and comfort amongst both parties. By Courtesy of Emma D.D. Pham-Tran

“Type,” from his newest album, was an interesting mix of rapping and vocalization, with the line “I wonder” being drawn out in different ways and to different lengths by Shea throughout the song.

One of the most memorable moments of the show was Shea’s playful transition in “Stay Out of Trouble.” Shea put a spin on the studio album version of the song’s introduction by simply asking the crowd “Anyone got beef with Nick Shea?” He was promptly answered by an overwhelming “no” by the audience.

A personally beloved song of Shea’s, “Oh Theresa,” is dedicated to the MBTA and was not released at the time of the show. A slow-tempoed song full of funky bass and punchy percussion, the track embodies the tone of most of Shea’s songs with its comedic yet sad messaging. Shea’s soft pronunciation slurred together phrases, making it difficult to hear certain verses of songs, though that did not deter audience members from engaging by singing along with the chorus or bridge. Shea’s love of community and Boston was embodied by the song’s quirky references to the MBTA coupled with his bright smile. His clear passion, displayed through his body language and dance moves, made the song one of the most entertaining performances of the night.

While Shea went back and forth performing works from his older albums and “Mad Rap Verses,” many of the songs performed were unreleased works that he saved for his next album. Having written a new song recently, Shea performed it while referencing his notebook occasionally, and setting it down midway through. While an unusual sight, Shea’s excitement to share his new work electrified the room.

Shea ended the show with a short monologue revealing his feelings about his work and his appreciation for everyone who has supported him.

“Y’all don’t know how much it means to me, I go home some nights exhausted, like what am I doing? Some guy with a dog told me I looked weird. But 99.999 percent of the interactions with people have meant so much to me and changed my life.”

Shea has clearly reached a diverse community, as was reflected in the ages of crowd members. His goal was to share his work with anyone who cared, and he did just that by baring a part of himself through his songs.

“I feel like I’m a part of my community. That means way more to me. I just want to be a part of Boston and share some moments with y’all.”