The Strumbellas Bring Fun Back in Boston

Boston, Massachusetts - February 18, 2026

The Strumbellas gave a performance that could only be described as good times personified at the opening date of their “Into Dust” tour in Boston on Wednesday. The pure fun and joy radiated throughout The Wilbur Theatre as Boston danced along to the music.

The Strumbellas are a Canadian rock band composed of lead vocalist Jimmy Chauveau, keyboardist David Ritter, bassist Darryl James, violinist Isabel Ritchie, lead guitarist Jon Hembry, and touring drummer Miles Gibbons. Wednesday’s Boston date kicked off the band’s “Into Dust” tour supporting the release of their recent EP, Burning Bridges Into Dust, which was released on October 24, 2025.

Kicking off the show strong, each band member emerged onto a bright and colorfully lit stage as the audience hooted, hollered, and applauded for the band. “Hanging Out In My Head”, a song from the new EP, opened the set and established an understanding with the audience that they were in for a cathartic, upbeat night. Ritchie’s violin playing immediately stuck out during the song’s chorus, which was a nice switch-up from the studio recording. 

After the second song of the night, “Salvation,” Chauveau reassured the audience that the joyful vibes aren’t stopping soon by saying, “Whatever is going on outside these walls, we have you for the next 80 minutes. We’re going to forget about all that, and we’re going to have some fun.”

“Skin Of My Teeth,” another tune from Burning Bridges Into Dust, was a highlight of the night. Drum-driven with a staccato and percussive bass line in the verses, contrasted by an almost melodic bass line in the choruses. It was arguably one of the edgiest songs of the night, and let The Strumbellas get vulnerable with the audience for those three minutes. The stage lit up with a reddish-orange hue to match the angst and the established aesthetic of the Burning Bridges Into Dust EP cover photo. 

Another memorable song from the setlist was “Greatest Enemy,” a single released in July 2021. “We’re going to do something that we haven’t done very often, which is to say we’re going to play an arrangement that’s pretty different from the recorded original,” said Ritter, as he introduced the song to the audience. “We’ve done this a few times, and I’ve heard from people who’ve heard it that they don’t like it,” he joked. Despite Ritter’s pre-emptive humorous defense, this arrangement felt more in tune with the band’s energy and sound, and overall more authentic to The Strumbellas. The studio recording felt as if they were trying to mimic a 2010s One Republic synth song, however, this rendition had everything the original didn’t: a fun banjo line, Chauveau’s beautiful lilts during the chorus, and goosebump-inducing harmonies. The audience soaked in this new version of “Greatest Enemy” as they danced around the venue floor and exclaimed their adoration for the arrangement. 

Keeping the crowd’s energy up, The Strumbellas performed a cover of “Band On The Run” by Wings and Paul McCartney toward the end of the set.

Finishing off the set as strong as they started, “We Don’t Know” held the spot of the penultimate song on the setlist. As soon as Chauveau struck his acoustic guitar with those first few chords, fans groaned with relief and excitement at hearing this tune. As a fan-favorite song, it was definitely one that many were waiting all night to hear, and “Spirits”, arguably the band’s most well-recognized song, closed out the night. It felt like a perfect cathartic ending as the entire audience sang along, and The Strumbellas left everyone in high spirits.

The Strumbellas’ joy permeated through The Wilbur as they seemed to be having as much fun as the audience, if not more. This show was a safe space for people to dance and show affection and appreciation for the people they came with. Each song allowed a different band member to shine. Whether it was through one of James’ or Gibbons’ driving percussive lines, Ritter’s iconic banjo playing, Ritchie’s beautiful violin features, or Hembry’s exciting guitar solos, every member was vital to the success of the show, and each song would feel empty without them. Overall, The Strumbellas’ performance was nothing short of an utterly good time.

Keep up with and check out the rest of The Strumbella’s U.S. tour here.