Boston’s rich rock n’ roll history is a microcosm of the cities’ unique character. A patchwork quilt of varying styles, sounds, scenes and fashions comforts a community. A town whose propensity for innovation is rivaled only by its’ reverence for deep-seeded traditions. Our historic stages are the settings of daydreams for up-and-coming artists and a second home for local legends who continue to inspire generations of listeners. When an iconic Boston band posts up at one of our many renowned venues, this marriage of tradition and progress reminds audiences of the inherent joy of live music.

Since their reunion in 2016, Boston’s beloved Letters to Cleo have graced the Paradise for two nights each November. This annual run of shows not only allows longtime fans to catch up with the alt-rock luminaries but gives new fans a chance to experience the band at their old stomping grounds. If one’s first Letters to Cleo gig was last Saturday night at the Paradise, they are surely counting down the days until next November.

Like any artist with a dedicated following, there are multitudes of reasons why Letters to Cleo has become a mainstay of Boston’s rock scene. Their sound is an exhilarating synthesis of alternative rock force and punchy power pop that sounds equally fresh today as it did in the nineties. Frontwoman Kay Hanley’s natural charisma and dynamic stage presence amplify her powerful vocal stylings and authentic lyrics. Guitarists Michael Eisenstein and Greg McKenna deliver chugging power chord rhythms and cutting leads that grab listeners and reel them into the song whether on the rail at the Paradise or through headphones while waiting for the T. The band’s rhythm section consists of bassist Joe Klompus and drummer Stacy Jones, both balancing power and precision giving the songs equal parts heft and sway. The seamless blend of styles and textures into a cohesive sound explains diversity of the crowd present at the Paradise on Saturday night.

Over the past two years, the setlists of the annual Paradise run have followed a specific theme, celebrating a milestone in Letters to Cleo history. 2023 commemorated their debut album Aurora Gory Alice, while last years’ shows featured a part of the set titled “Letters to Cleo at the Movies”, showcasing songs the group had lent to movie soundtracks.  This fall, the band celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of their sophomore LP Wholesale Meats and Fish by playing the record in its’ entirety. The fan favorite album expanded upon the energetic sounds of Aurora Gory Alice with varied guitar tones, some heavier rhythms and affecting vocals courtesy of Hanley.

At 9:15, after a fiery set by fellow Boston rockers Cavedogs, Letters to Cleo took the stage to a warm hometown welcome in a full house. A mix of young and old, couples, friends, parents and their children and solo attendees, all bound by a love of the best parts of rock tradition. Looking out into the crowd, one could spot shirts from various moments in Letters to Cleo’s career as well as emblems of their nineties contemporaries, Boston sports jerseys and business casual clad professionals. In a city of diverse, often clashing perspectives, it takes a force as strong as rock n’ roll to bring people together. Over the next ninety minutes, Letters to Cleo’s life affirming intensity, relatable levity and sharp musical chops reminded the joyful hodgepodge of listeners why they return year after year, often with new friends in tow.

The performance of Wholesale Meats and Fish was a masterclass in recreating a classic album for the stage. From the opening track “Demon Rock” through the entire set, the band played with tightness that can only come from experience and a fiery energy that can only be borne from genuine passion. This band exudes charm so innately that their songs, stage presence and even their sartorial choices are unified in charismatic expression. Each band member wore a t-shirt with their first name printed in block letters across the front. A whimsical display of band unity or perhaps a preventative measure against any newcomers asking, “Oh by the way, which one’s Cleo?”.

To witness Kay Hanley performing live is to recognize her as one of the foremost bandleaders of the alternative rock genre. On “Awake”, Wholesale’s leading single, she ran back and forth, to both sides of the stage, all while belting out the tuneful, melodic rock that is a style all her own. Blue light washed over the stage for the hypnotic “Laudanum” and Hanley’s honest lyrics fit the reflective mood as earnestly as the rock stylings earlier in the set. “If I’m something you’ve outgrown, you’d think that maybe I’d have known” she croons to the rapt audience. Many artists can run the gamut of human emotions, but expressing them in such an accessible, conversational tone is a rare quality indeed.

 Eisenstein and McKenna’s guitar interplay was equally impressive. Their tones on “Jennifer”, “Acid Jed” and” Little Rosa” in particular were in line with the recorded versions, but with added spontaneity and liveliness to shine on the concert stage. McKenna’s well executed feedback on the latter track heightened the ambience in a room already bursting with that magical x factor that comes out on special nights at the Paradise. Klompus and Jones’ bass and drum interplay had the crowd bouncing along, giving a strong backbone to the multilayered song selection. The band never stayed still, as kinetic energy flowed across the stage, then through the crowd.

After the band concluded the performance of the album, they treated the faithful to a career spanning set of fan favorites, hits and rarities. After the rarely played “Come On” from the compilation album When Did We Do That?,  Hanley and Eisenstein reminisced about performing the song in the 1999 comedy 10 Things I Hate About You with positive memories of meeting Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Leavett. Before launching into “I See” from the debut album Hanley mentioned the songs three key changes, with an explanation of “It was the early nineties”. She mentioned that the band would release a new album next year and gave the crowd a taste of the new material with “After the Fall”. The new song sounds as vital as the older material and the fans approved. For all the warm reminiscing, this is not a band stuck in decades past. Their recent recordings and live performances balance the wisdom of experience and a rock n’ roll fire that cannot be extinguished.

Just as audience members brought family to the Paradise, the band had some of those closest to them present for the gig. Earlier in the set, Hanley called out to her sister in the balcony who waved down to the applauding fans. “She’s just like the queen of England!” the frontwoman remarked with a smile. During the chart-topping hit “Here and Now” a young member of the Letters to Cleo family bounced on stage with the band, fully immersed in the music. Many fans in the crowd were around his age when that song first got airplay on WBOS. Infectious power pop knows no generational divide.

As the band concluded the show with their famous cover of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me” and “Rim Shak”, one of the heavier tracks from Aurora, a celebratory atmosphere permeated the air. Loud cheers erupted throughout the venue when Hanley admonished those who are terrorizing our immigrant neighbors. This group who began their career as a local phenomenon, later to be catapulted to fame during the nineties alt-rock boom, has been rediscovered by fans of two generations. Appearances on movie soundtracks and on the hit NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation have kept Letters to Cleo visible for an expanding fanbase. The crowd filed out peacefully and happily, exchanging stories and positive reactions to the music. The greatest of artists foster community, and the best fans remain devoted to the music. Everyone exiting on to Comm Ave. agreed that Boston is lucky to have Letters to Cleo.