Photo Credit: NHL.com
The Black Keys, Bell Biv DeVoe, and the Boston Pops are headlining the NHL Winter Classic 2023.
The outdoor matchup is happening on January 2 in a matchup between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins at Fenway Park. The performances will be televised as part of the NHL Winter Classic broadcast on TNT in the United States and Sportsnet, CBC, and TVA Sports in Canada.
The Black Keys will headline the entertainment for the game with a first intermission presented by Ticketmaster performance. Then Bell Biv DeVoe will sing the U.S. national anthem with accompaniment by the Boston Pops. In addition, the Boston Pops will perform throughout the game from a special centerfield stage. All musical performances are produced by NHL Entertainment.
The NHL Winter Classic 2023 continues the tradition established by the league in 2008 of hosting a regular-season outdoor game at the onset of the new year. The 2023 edition of the Winter Classic is the 15th anniversary of the first event, which was held in Buffalo.
The Black Keys formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001 and include singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. The group cut their teeth playing small clubs in the Midwest but has gone on to sell out arena tours with 11 studio albums. The Black Keys have won six Grammy Awards and several other worldwide accolades.
Bell Biv Devoe spun off from New Edition following the parent group’s tour in support of 1988’s Heart Break. Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe got a fresh start with their debut album, Poison.
And for more than 135 years, the Boston Pops have entertained audiences in Boston and beyond. Conductor Keith Lockhart has led the orchestra since 1995. The Pops got their start way back in 1885, thanks to Civil War veteran Henry Lee Higginson. Over the course of 135 years, there have been 17 conductors of the Boston Pops. Keith Lockhart’s tenure has been marked by a dramatic increase in touring and the orchestra’s first Grammy nominations.