The Boston Phoenix

Rest in peace, Boston Phoenix.
I heard the news today and I knew what my 400^th review had to be. Full disclosure: I worked for the PMCG (but not the Phoenix itself, it was a company called TPI) back in 99 – 01 taking personal ads, running refunds, supervising the call center, and doing various bits of backend programming for a salary that amounted to being kicked in the balls and flipped a shiny coin as my assailant sauntered on. Still, I had many great memories. But this is not the time.
One of the first things I did upon moving to Boston in January of 98 was to grab a copy of the Phoenix in the lobby of my college. It was free for us (even though you used to have to pay for it). I was amazed by what they were printing. This was nothing like journalism back in Amish country: Music reviews, social events, scathing articles.. SWEAR WORDS! ZOMG! I got hooked. I made sure to grab a copy every week when they showed up. In fact, this lead to the one act of petty larceny in my life. I didn’t know that the phoenix wasn’t just a free paper so I grabbed one on the way out the door of Tower Records. When I got back I saw the price at the top, felt so bad I went back and tried to pay. The cashier just looked at me like I was nuts and turned her back.
Ah, the memories.
It’s odd to write this, since there was a rift after I «left». I never held a grudge, but picking you up seemed odd somehow, like seeing an old girlfriend who never gave you back all your stuff and still owed you $ 200 for that month you covered the rest of her rent, but now that you’ve passed I can say that I honestly have nothing but good memories.
Boston Phoenix, you kept me in the know about what was up for years. You gave me reasons to laugh at things that weren’t funny, not laugh at things that should have been, and a list of shows I needed to sneak into or weasel my way onto a list for as long as I can remember. I hope that in the years to come people remember you as fondly as I.

Free Fun Shit on the Phlog is basically my weekly guide to Boston on a Budget– great idea and they have a lot of really cool sounding stuff. Also the concert listings are helpful. Great little indie free magazine to pick up on the T!

Thank you TBP for dubbing our band Witch Baby one of the «Best New Bands of 2012»!
I especially love the fact that the writer picked up on our musical influences! I guess she is on the same page we are. We recently went into the studio to record a song for a Flux magazine compilation: Flux Hawaii Summer Mixtape 2012 (
). In the end, I guess it’s one of those things where you just never know who will be listening to your music.
In our case, The Boston Phoenix.

I wish this were an encomium, and if I’d written this 10 or 15 years ago it surely would’ve been. Then the Phoenix was at the top of its game, a robust alternative weekly with exceptional arts writing, vital listings for clubs and local cinemas, and essential investigative reporting nonpareil (everyone forgets that they lit the long fuse on the Catholic Church scandal in Boston that the Globe got to take all the credit for).
These days its a moribund shell of its former self — actually, that might be too generous, since hardly any remaining indicators of its former self are evident aside from the name. Gone is any semblance of actual journalism, the arts sections has shriveled down to what are essentially blurbs and tweets, and the listing have all but vanished. I’m not sure if any of it is salvageable.
I can tell you that, when I was exiled briefly to the suburbia in the late 90s, and wasn’t able to pick up a free copy on a college campus, I would actually pay for this out at a local newsstand in the sticks. I think it was 2 dollars. Best 2 dollars I spent every week. Now that it is actually free (and has been free everywhere for some time), it’s not even worth spending the time or calories to open the bin by the T stop and pull one out. Not even to use as accelerant for my charcoal chimney, which requires newspaper in the bottom to ignite it. Turns out even the ink they use to print the Phoenix these days is piss poor quality, not even fit to be burned.
I’d put the Phoenix on the media death watch for 2012, but it’s apparent that it’s already died, and no one told it, and its animated corpse is just lurching around waiting for a headshot to put it down.

I read this when I have a hankering for the Village Voice. Which, fortunately for the Phoenix, is pretty much every week.
I love the listings – they are very thorough, much more so than the the Weekly Dig’s. I’ve found out about so much shit through here. But that and the arts articles are pretty much all I read it for – I don’t read the articles about the Sox or Boston politics. But then again, that’s all I read in the VV, so.
Main point: It’s good for what it is.

The adult section is the best part — when I want to find a lactating hermaphrodite to spend a quiet pleasant valley Sunday with, I turn to the Phoenix. Otherwise, the Phoenix, like the way cooler Village Voice, has long morphed into a tawdry rag. Boston just doesn’t have a hip underground scene anymore — the city is way too yuppie for that. Boo!

It use to be way better, with great concert ads and the section with the clubs was best. Now the music scene in Boston sucks

I work for the adult section at the phoenix. i use Unilocal a lot and i’m not sure if people who use the adult section would use Unilocal,but in case anyone would like to talk about ads, etc. you can get in contact with me and i’ll help you out. The website is
Oh yeah, and The Phoenix rocks in general. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. There’s lots of fun events and I get to be very creative. All in all a win-​win situation. :)

I love the Phoenix. Unfortunately, it has spoiled me for life. When I moved to to another city, it was my benchmark for free papers and I have been nothing but disappointed since.

I’m kind of ambivalent about the Phoenix. I can get the same information out of the Weekly Dig, except their paper stock doesn’t annoy my hands to the extent that the Phoenix’s does. I kind of find that sort of thing important. Yes, it’s a silly complaint, and it’s a free weekly thingie, but my hands shouldn’t be annoyed by turning the pages.
When I actually do open it up or read it on the web, it’s not too bad. Their reporting seems to be a little on the stale side (the latest issue’s Obama piece would fit right in on the Washington Post editorial page rather than an alternative weekly). The arts and food sections don’t seem to be too bad though.
Overall, it’s more readable among the weeklies than say Improper, but I kind of wish they’d change the paper stock.

I write for the Phoenix on occasion. I like writing for them, though I think their editorial staff needs to be seriously updated. Let some new blood in more often!
The same editors writing the same articles over and over and over. Yeah, we understand you know everything about Boston’s 80’s punk scene. Who cares? Enough.
I don’t even read certain articles once I glimpse the author’s name.
It’s sad, but they truly need to get their act together because I hear a lot of complaints similar to mine. Stop being pretentious.

Dear Boston Phoenix,
Today I picked up a copy of your paper while at lunch. I enjoy reading this weekly guide as it makes me feel like I know what’s going on, even if I really don’t and I’m just faking it.
Today’s edition came with a surprise, as the ink managed to rub off on my shirt on the walk back from my local sub shop. I just discovered that it left me with a wonderful stain on my shirt — oh well!
All this was worth it though for your review of a restaurant with a mango & sticky rice dessert, which I LOVE!
So thanks for the review, and for the excuse to buy a new shirt tonight.
Love,
Carrie E

As an out-​of-​towner with no idea what to do, the Phoenix was extremely thorough and detailed with listings and reviews for theatre, arts, movies, comedy, dining and other entertainment. That’s how my BF and I discovered that several museums, including the MFA stayed open until 9:45pm on Thursday nights. Nice!
The publication’s layout could use a little work (but I’m just being picky) but overall not a bad looking free local newspaper. I liked how the arts and entertainment section is truly a section to itself, removable for those who want to travel light. Beyond the listings, I found myself enjoying the editorials and other articles. Where else can I read about understanding Bush’s torture régime via limericks and Alfred Jarry? Oh you East Coast intellectuals.
A refreshing mix of politics, current news and local fun. That Erosphere section is amusing too. Are those personal ads for real?

When I actually had free time, I used to love reading the Phoenix every Thursday.
However, now I find myself grabbing it for only the listings and pitching the rest of it. It’s definitely my reliable source for what’s going on around here for the next week…

The Phoenix is one Boston’s free weekly newspapers, replete with hipster listings such as concerts, dining, arts & entertainment, etc. It’s my preferred weekly rag as I find it has the most complete events listings, which are my primary use. That and it can be found on nearly every city block in the area — distribution seems slightly better than some of the other competition.
The Phoenix has the typical editorial rants, but confines them to the front few pages. Once you’re past, you safe if you’re not in the mood for a tirade…