:live music project:

project notes (07/27/07)

The following collection of live music shows is limited to pop concerts (and some jazz). As a flutist in my youth and aficionado of classical music today, I have attended many symphonies, but chose to focus this project on the artists and bands that come and go through the popular music scene.

Although I have been a dedicated archivist of my live music experiences since I was 14, I know a dozen or so shows are missing from this list. For example, I've seen my friend Tao Rodriguez-Seeger's band The Mammals several times, but for some reason I can't find any information about when and where. In addition to flipping though scrapbooks where I keep my fading ticket stubs, I also read old diaries (which I've also been keeping since 1985) and called a few friends to fill in missing information. Thanks to uberfans on the Internet, I have been able to track down dates and venues for a few ticketless shows.

The research for this project was a sweet and, at times, embarrassing journey down memory lane. The list below reveals several things about me, my past and my musical tastes, as well as the escalating price for attending concerts. I saw U2 (The Unforgettable Fire tour) in 1985 for $13.50, while Madonna (the Reinvention tour) in 2004 cost $75.00! I thought the total dollars spent on concert tickets would be much higher, and it probably is since the price listed below is per ticket. I usually buy two tickets at a time and bring a friend/SO along.

You can trace my geographical location from where I saw shows. I spent my K-12 years in Londonderry, NH and the Worcester Centrum was the venue for "big" pop concerts back then. College at Penn State from 1988-1992; graduate school at UMass-Amherst from 1993-2003; and my present location in Cambridge. The genres represented below suggest that my musical tastes were significantly influenced by a significant other. For example, during the mid to late 90s I was dating a folk music fan, thus the plethora of Iron Horse Music Hall shows. Later, my SO was a McGill University alum, which explains the Canadian influence. He not only introduced me to Sloan (a favorite to this day), but also expanded my pop music awareness beyond the mainstream top-40, for which I am eternally grateful. Today I am lucky enough to have students who are willing to share their musical discoveries with me (thank you Kelly!), which keeps me young at heart.

Eventually I want to scan all the surviving ticket stubs, which I will then link from this page. I even have a few concert T-shirts in my parents' attic I can photograph. I welcome comments about this project and thoughts about your live music experiences, especially if you were at any of these shows.

Date
Show
Venue
Price
04/24/85 U2 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
$13.50
06/30/85 Hall & Oats Riverfront Park, Manchester, NH
$12.00
07/13/85 Live Aid JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
$35.00
08/19/85 Power Station The Centrum, Worcester, MA
$15.00
07/30/86 The Monkees Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton, NH
$16.50
11/12/86 Maynard Ferguson Londonderry High School, Londonderry, NH
$8.00
04/27/87 Huey Lewis & The News The Centrum, Worcester, MA
$17.50
06/18/87 Duran Duran The Centrum, Worcester, MA
$17.50
08/18/87 Boston The Centrum, Worcester, MA
$18.50
12/02/87 Rush The Centrum, Worcester, MA
$17.50
02/26/88 Dizzy Gillespie Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH
Free
01/14/90 Bob Dylan Penn State - Rec Hall, University Park, PA
$18.00
07/14/90 Paul McCartney Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
$30.00
08/07/90 The Moody Blues Manchester, NH
$19.50
11/02/90 Wynton Marsalis Penn State - Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park, PA
$12.00
01/20/91 Living Colour Penn State - Rec Hall, University Park, PA
$16.00
10/12/91 Ray Charles Penn State - Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park, PA
$11.90
04/13/92 Pat Metheny Penn State - Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park, PA
$16.00
06/05/92 Peter Frampton Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton, NH
$15.00
12/31/92 They Might Be Giants Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
$16.00
04/27/93 10,000 Maniacs Penn State - Rec Hall, University Park, PA
$17.00
04/23/94 Indigo Girls Amherst College - Lefrak Gym, Amherst, MA
??
10/05/96 Sweet Honey in the Rock Smith College - John M. Green Hall, Northampton, MA
$19.50
05/08/96 Michael Hedges Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
$21.00
11/23/97 Shawn Colvin Smith College - John M. Green Hall, Northampton, MA
$22.50
04/19/97 Salamander Crossing Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
$10.00
06/13/97 Leo Kottke Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
$17.50
07/17/97 Lilith Fair Stade du Maurier, Montreal, Quebec
$50.26
08/24/97 Salamander Crossing Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
$12.00
11/13/97 Michael Hedges Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
$20.00
01/01/98 Salamander Crossing Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
$10.00
08/02/98 Tori Amos Springfield Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA
$32.50
11/06/98 Lyle Lovett The Calvin Theatre, Northampton, MA
$29.25
07/25/98 Bela Fleck and the Flecktones Pines Theatre Look Park, Northampton, MA
$27.50
04/21/99 Pierre Bensusan Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
$12.50
04/27/99 Adrian Legg & Billy McLaughlin Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
$14.00
06/29/99 Bonnie Raitt Pines Theatre Look Park, Northampton, MA
$32.50
07/17/99 Bob Dylan & Paul Simon Entertainment Center, Camden, NJ
Free-VIP
09/04/99 John Sheldon & Susan Angeletti Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
$8.00
04/??/00 The Need Smith College, Northampton, MA
??
11/30/00 Yo La Tengo Pearl Street Night Club, Northampton, MA
$12.50
02/09/01 Sarah Harmer Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
$8.00
08/29/01 Ashley MacIsaac Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
$13.00
10/10/01 Pernice Brothers Flywheel, Easthampton, MA
$5.00
11/20/01 Sloan Middle East, Cambridge, MA
$12.50
12/15/01 Laurie Anderson Mass MoCA, North Adams, MA
$7.00
03/26/02 Michael Franti & Spearhead Pearl Street Night Club, Northampton, MA
$17.50
04/14/02 Ani DiFranco Smith College - John M. Green Hall, Northampton, MA
$25.00
05/04/02 Belle & Sebastian Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA
$32.40
07/27/02 Sloan The 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
$19.50
08/29/02 Le Tigre Town Hall, Easthampton, MA
??
09/21/02 Spoon Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
??
10/05/02 The Nields Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
$14.00
02/07/03 Alix Olson / Pamela Means Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
$10.00
04/23/03 Yo La Tengo Academy of Music, Northampton, MA
$15.00
05/22/03 Beck Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
$20.00
06/12/03 Sarah Slean / Blue Rodeo Iron Horse Music Hall, Northapton, MA
??
07/11/03 The New Pornographers Middle East, Cambridge, MA
??
07/30/03 The Lucksmiths Zeitgeist Gallery, Cambridge, MA
$5.00
11/07/03 Billy Bragg Orpheum Theatre, Madison, WI
Free
11/13/03 Belle & Sebastian Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA
$38.00
02/13/04 The Shins The Roxy, Boston, MA
??
03/13/04 The Nields Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
$14.50
04/10/04 Death Cab for Cutie / Ben Kweller Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA
$21.50
04/21/04 Sarah Harmer Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
$18.50
05/11/04 Sloan Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
$12.00
05/22/04 The Magnetic Fields Berklee Performace Center, Boston, Ma
$25.00
07/12/04 Madonna United Center, Chicago, IL
$75.00
07/27/04 Liz Phair Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
$10.00
09/30/04 The Weakerthans Middle East, Cambridge, MA
$14.50
10/01/04 Wilco The Wang Theatre, Boston, MA
$30.00
10/05/04 Rilo Kiley Middle East, Cambridge, MA
$14.50
10/08/04 PuffyAmiYumi Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
??
10/16/04 Ashley MacIsaac The Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
$27.00
10/19/04 Death Cab for Cutie Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA
$26.35
11/15/04 Jem Middle East, Cambridge, MA
$12.00
12/09/04 Pixies Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA
$42.75
02/03/05 The Arcade Fire The Roxy, Boston, MA
$15.00
02/05/05 Low / Pedro the Lion The Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
$15.00
04/08/05 Mono T.T.'s the Bear, Cambridge, MA
$10.00
04/12/05 M83 Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
$12.00
04/16/05 Moby Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA
$30.00
04/29/05 The Weepies Club Passim, Cambridge, MA
??
05/03/05 Ivy / Stars Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
$17.50
05/07/05 The Lucksmiths P.A.'s Lounge, Somerville, MA
$5.00
05/16/05 Feist / British Sea Power Middle East, Cambridge, MA
$12.00
05/21/05 Snow Patrol Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA
$25.00
06/15/05 Sloan T.T.'s the Bear, Cambridge, MA
??
07/15/05 Tegan & Sara The Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
$18.00
09/26/05 Pernice Brothers Middle East, Cambridge, MA
$13.50
10/11/05 The New Pornographers The Roxy, Boston, MA
$22.50
12/07/05 Iron & Wine / Calexico Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA
$24.50
01/11/06 Jennifer Greer Lizard Lounge, Cambridge, MA
Free
02/08/06 Matt Pond PA Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
$13.50
02/28/06 Belle & Sebastian Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA
$36.00
03/09/06 Nada Surf Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
$16.50
03/29/06 Jennifer Greer The Toad, Cambridge, MA
??
04/08/06 Josh Rouse Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
$22.75
04/27/06 The Weepies Club Passim, Cambridge, MA
??
05/22/06 Laura Veirs T.T.'s the Bear, Cambridge, MA
$12.00
07/25/06 Gone Baby Gone Middle East, Cambridge, MA
??
08/13/06 Dashboard Confessional The Opera House, Boston, MA
$37.55
10/08/06 Brazilian Girls Higher Ground, Burlington, VT
$9.75
10/22/06 Scissor Sisters Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA
$25.00
11/02/06 Death Cab for Cutie Opera House, Boston, MA
$32.00
11/11/06 Imogen Heap Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA
$20.00
12/07/06 The Weepies Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
$12.00
12/10/06 Pernice Brothers T.T.'s the Bear, Cambridge, MA ??
01/16/07 Sloan Middle East, Cambridge, MA $12.00
01/27/07 Camera Obscura / Essex Green Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA $14.00
03/21/07 Explosions in the Sky Middle East, Cambridge, MA $10.00
03/25/07 Common Rotation  Club Passim, Cambridge, MA  $15.00
07/25/07 Ingrid Michaelson / Jenny Owen Youngs Paradise Lounge, Boston, MA $10.00
09/21/07 Rilo Kiley Avaon Ballroom, Boston, MA $20.00
09/21/07 The Lucksmiths & The Ladybug Transistor T.T.'s the Bear, Cambridge, MA ??
10/23/07 The New Pornographers The Roxy, Boston, MA $22.50
11/01/07 The Weakerthans Paradise Lounge, Boston, MA $15.00
04/12/08 The Weakerthans Pearl Street Night Club, Northampton, MA $16.00
04/17/08 Jukebox the Ghost Middle East, Cambridge, MA $14.00
05/28/08 Duran Duran Agganis Arena, Boston, MA $73.00
TOTAL
$1884.96