One of the greatest thrills of music fandom is the resurrection of a forgotten, overlooked or misunderstood piece. On a personal level, this can mean digging out a cassette tape one has not heard since high school, winding it up with a pencil and dusting off an old tape deck for a nostalgia trip that leads into the present day. A quick “where are they now” search of the artist the listener once banished to a box in the basement becomes an all-night cram session on their latest endeavors. Nothing reminds us that our younger selves still live within us better than a renewed interest, particularly in music.

From a public perspective, musical rediscovery comes in the form of critical and cultural reappraisal of a work not fully appreciated in its’ own time. When Rhode Island’s own alt-rock icons Belly released their sophomore album King in 1995, listeners were perplexed by the band’s change in sound. The album presented harder, grungier textures than the shimmering melodies of their acclaimed debut, 1993’s Star. After the touring cycle for King, Belly disbanded for twenty years before reuniting in 2016.

Over the ensuing decades, King’s reputation improved substantially, and fans appreciated it as an extension of Belly’s multifaceted sound. Frontwoman Tanya Donelly’s poetic lyrics and contemplative melodies proved to be as effective as ever when bolstered by pulsating rock arrangements. Time has been so kind to this album that a remastered vinyl edition was released last spring for Record Store Day, and the band has been playing the LP in full on their current tour.

For any New England rock stalwart, a gig at the Paradise has the feeling of a homecoming. Last Thursday, before the legendary venue opened its’ doors for Belly, dedicated fans mingled on Comm Ave, anticipating the sold-out gig. Concert-goers discussed previous Belly shows at the venue going back to the early nineties and first-time attendees waited patiently to see a band whose energy and enthusiasm has remained high over the past three decades. Billed as “An Evening with Belly”, there would be no opening act.

Belly took the stage a little after eight p.m. and for about ninety minutes, time stood still. The same lineup that recorded King has remained intact since the reunion, consisting of Donelly on vocals and rhythm guitar, Gail Greenwood on bass and sharing the microphone, Thomas Gorman on lead guitar and brother Chris Gorman on drums. Greenwood beckoned the crowd with an enthusiastic “Hello Boston!” and the band launched into “Puberty” kicking off the complete performance of King. Donelly and Greenwood’s vocals blended together with the perfect balance of punkish rasp and melodic precision.

When a band announces their intention to tour an album in its’ entirety, fan reaction can be divided. It takes a high level of charisma and onstage chemistry to present an exciting show when part of the setlist is out in the open. For Belly fans, there was no doubt that the show would be full of spontaneity, raw power and frankly hilarious stage banter. When the band restarted “Seal Your Fate” halfway through the song, both performer and audience reacted in good humor. Donelly laughed with the band as she lamented, “sorry, I fucked up!” with Greenwood chiming in “now you have another chance to hear Chris’ kick-ass drumming.” The genuine rapport between band members allowed for down-to-earth good humor which was inspiring. A reminder of the nineties zeitgeist that never really went away for those who learned to feel deeply but laugh at life’s absurdities.

On “Red”, Gorman’s drums reverberated throughout the Paradise, driving the band through the hard-hitting chorus. “Silverfish”, a lush, ethereal ballad had listeners enraptured. Co-written with Thomas Gorman, this track showcases Tanya Donelly’s evocative lyrical style and her gift for matching the mood with the perfect melody. “Will I be the stranger in your movie/ Is there a place for me in the patterns that glow on your skin and your clothes” she serenades the Paradise in one of alternative rock’s most expressive voices. Her ability to paint pictures and excavate emotions with her lyrics, then convey them with sublime vocals has been a guiding light in rock for countless listeners. This musical intelligence informed Throwing Muses in the eighties, the early days of The Breeders, her illustrious solo career and of course, Belly.

Two more of King’s most well-loved cuts, “Super-Connected” and the title track kept the energy flowing with passionate interplay and articulate expression. Thomas Gorman delivered pure, authentic tones courtesy of his Gretsch hollow body weaved around Donelly’s power chords and arpeggiated rhythms. The album once overlooked for an evolving guitar sound was now coming to life onstage, not as a museum piece, but a living breathing musical experience given a new lease on life by a band who consistently nurtures their creative output.

Greenwood and Chris Gorman showed off their intuitive musical connection as Belly’s relentless, driving rhythm section. Greenwood, who joined the band for the King sessions, reminisced about playing in Boston with Boneyard and has also played with grunge legends L7 and joined Gang of Four for their farewell tour last spring. Heavier numbers form the record’s B side such as “Now They’ll Sleep” and “Untitled and Unsung” gave the powerful bassist and drummer an even greater chance to shine, simply due to the momentum required to keep up the energy levels from earlier songs in the set. They exchanged knowing looks and gestures with each other as well as the two guitarists, indicating an unbreakable musical bond. When the King set wrapped up with “Judas My Heart”, the band took a well-deserved ten-minute break, and the crowd anticipated what sonic delights were still to come.

The band returned to the stage with Donelly adjusting her monitors via iPhone, assuring the crowd she wasn’t just texting to sympathetic applause. Greenwood quipped “this is how we adjust our new monitors; she’s not sexting her husband!” as applause became uproarious laughter. The group exchanged headshakes and smiles that could only come from close friends and siblings.

A generous second set followed with a hearty portion of the tracks from Star and the 2018 reunion album Dove. “Gepetto” and “Slow Dog” inspired sing-alongs and for some in the crowd, memories of the same band, in the same room over thirty years ago. For the 1993 hit single “Feed the Tree”, Greenwood chided Donelly to mimic her introduction to the song the bassist delivered in London. The good-natured frontwoman obliged and asked the audience “Are you ready to go back to 1993?” tongue firmly in cheek. One thousand people in a good mood at the same time does wonders for anyone involved in music, performers, listeners and reviewers alike.

A fun tag of Jimi Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced” augmented “Shiny One” from the aforementioned Dove to close out the main set. Donelly and Co. dusted off the poignant B- side “Thief” to begin the encore on a reflective note. “Full Moon, Empty Heart” from Star concluded the evening with the appropriate refrain of “Sleep in now, now”. The atmospheric vibe of the song a perfect expression of its’ theme, a child falling asleep.

As grateful fans exited The Paradise into a perfect autumn night, we were all reminded of the joys of listening, absorbing and processing music. At home, in concert, for the first time, or the first time in a while, one can never truly be finished with a piece by a beloved artist. The thrill of rediscovery on a personal or communal level can make one feel as young as the day they bought their first record, no matter their current age or degree of jadedness. For fans of a prolific writer like Tanya Donelly, a varied catalog and consistently passionate performances are a gift that transcends time.