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Martin Sexton brings solo Abbey Road Show to Boston: ‘I try to make the guitar be the band’

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1 year ago

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Martin Sexton brings solo Abbey Road Show to Boston: ‘I try to make the guitar be the band’


It was the green apple on the record’s label that caught Martin Sexton’s eye. Before Sexton had written the ’90s gem “Diner,” the deeply underrated LP “The American,” or any of the aces in his catalog, the singer songwriter was a sixth grader raiding his older siblings’ album collections. One day he came across “Abbey Road” and that green apple label in the basement.

“Having heard of the Beatles, I thought I’d give this one a play on the old Sears turntable,” Sexton told the Herald. “Though it was badly damaged, scratched, skipping, popping, and dusty, there was no hiding the brilliance. The songs reached out and grabbed me.”

“‘Abbey Road’ is the album that lit my fire as a kid,” he added. “Today it remains the most influential album that informs my writing, performing and recording style.”

Sexton recently decided to celebrate his old favorite with a tour devoted to the album — the Martin Sexton Abbey Road Show comes to City Winery Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 (tickets still remain for Jan. 31). For many locals, it’s a welcome return for an artist who got his start busking in Boston and went on to headline the Orpheum.

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“The Beatles in general have always been my favorite band,” he said. “From the early days to ‘Revolver’ to ‘Sgt. Pepper’ to the ‘White Album,’ their range is incomparable. I always wanted to put my own spin on ‘Abbey Road’ specifically. It’s basically what I was doing as a 16-year old sitting by the hi-fi with a guitar dreaming of the day I could perform to an audience.”

If you haven’t spun the record in a while, you might forget how deep and dynamic it is. “Abbey Road” is a masterpiece by three master songwriters spanning a dozen rock and pop styles over 17 tracks. “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” is an eight-minute epic that nods to acid rock, heavy metal, and jazz fusion. “Her Majesty” clocks in at under half a minute (although Sexton points out it has “16 chords crammed into this 23-second gem”).

“I was surprised at the simplicity of some of the chord changes and also at how complex others were,” he said. “The arpeggiated E7 flat 9 in ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’ is a chord I’d never heard of and the hardest one I’ve ever learned to play, and it’s just freakin’ brilliant. I spent the summer in the Adirondacks leading up to the tour wood-shedding these tunes. ‘Sun King’ was the easiest and ‘Because’ was probably the hardest.”

Oh, by the way, Sexton is doing the whole album solo. It will be just him and his acoustic guitar.

“I try to make the guitar be the band, using it as a drum kit, a bass, etc., and using my voice as other things as well,” he said. “For example, I focused on George’s guitar solo on ‘Something’ by whistling it note for note to pay it homage.”

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Next up might be a covers album, which he’s never done. But he is writing fresh originals. In fact, working on this project pushed him to write more of his own stuff. Hopefully that means Sexton will be back in town — his hometown, if you talk to many of his fans — soon doing his own songs.

“Wherever I’m playing in the world I always hear from someone who first saw me in Harvard Square,” he said.

For tickets and details, visit martinsexton.com



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Boston, MA

!$+∇√$[+[!LIVESTREAMs!]+] Minnesota Wild vs Boston Bruins Live Free Streams On Tv Channel 2026-03-29

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March 29, 2026

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!$+∇√$[+[!LIVESTREAMs!]+] Minnesota Wild vs Boston Bruins Live Free Streams On Tv Channel 2026-03-29


Minnesota Wild vs Boston Bruins

HERE’S (*WAY TO WATCH*) Minnesota Wild VS Boston Bruins Ｆｒｅｅ LIVE 2026-03-29 Rose Bowl Parade 2026 live: Rose Bowl Parade 2026 look to seize control of thrilling Rose Bowl Parade 2026. Every team in the Rose Bowl Parade 2026 has two wins apiece as we go into the final two game weeks. Rose Bowl Parade 2026 will host Rose Bowl Parade 2026 at Live NHL mAtch Durban’s Kings Park Stadium with the Rose Bowl Parade 2026 a single point ahead of Rose Bowl Parade 2026 in the standings and just one behind leaders Rose Bowl Parade 2026.



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+)WAY TO WATCH Ｆｒｅｅ Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals LIVE

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16 hours ago

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March 29, 2026

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+)WAY TO WATCH Ｆｒｅｅ Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals LIVE


Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals

Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals LIVE GAME: Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals look to seize control of thrilling Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals. Every team in the Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals has two wins apiece as we go into the final two game weeks. Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals will host Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals at Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals Park Stadium with the Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals a single point ahead of Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals in the standings and just one behind leaders Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals.



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Red Sox at Reds preview: Sonny Gray makes his first start for Boston – The Boston Globe

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March 28, 2026

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Red Sox at Reds preview: Sonny Gray makes his first start for Boston – The Boston Globe


Gray, acquired in a November trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, was one of Boston’s key rotation additions, along with Ranger Suarez, in the offseason. He was 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 2025.

“He’s very specific about his work. Every day has a purpose,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Gray. “Two hundred strikeouts, that’s something that we were looking for. The competitor. Every five days, this guy is going to give you everything.”

In his five career appearances against the Reds, Gray is 1-3 with a 4.18 ERA.

“It’s pretty much one of the only things that is continuing to push me, is to get to a World Series, to win a World Series, to pitch in big games,” said Gray. “I love the moment, and I am chasing that moment.”

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Here’s the preview:

RED SOX (1-0): TBA

Pitching: RHP Sonny Gray

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REDS (0-1): TBA

Pitching: RHP Brady Singer

Time: 4:10 p.m.

TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7

Red Sox vs. Singer: Wilyer Abreu 2-5, Roman Anthony 1-2, Willson Contreras 2-7, Jarren Duran 3-10, Caleb Durbin 0-1, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 6-16, Marcelo Mayer 0-1, Andruw Monasterio 1-4, Carlos Narváez 1-1, Ceddanne Rafaela 1-5, Trevor Story 0-4, Connor Wong 2-8, Masataka Yoshida 2-7

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Reds vs. Gray: Will Benson 0-5, Elly De La Cruz 5-11, TJ Friedl 1-8, Ke’Bryan Hayes 4-17, Nathaniel Lowe 2-10, Noelvi Marte 0-5, Matt McLain 2-2, Spencer Steer 4-9, Tyler Stephenson 0-8, Eugenio Suárez 7-13, Jose Trevino 0-2

Stat of the day: Sal Stewart become the first Cincinnati rookie since 1958 to record three hits on Opening Day.

Notes: Cincinnati sends righthander Brady Singer (14-12, 4.03 in 2025) to the mound … With Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo already on the injured list to start the season, Singer is considered one of Cincinnati’s most durable pitchers, leading the Reds with 32 starts last season … Singer has made five career starts against Boston, posting a 2-2 record with a 4.88 ERA over 24 innings … His last appearance against the Red Sox, on July 1 in Boston, ended after just three innings when he allowed two earned runs on three hits.

Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.





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