R.E.M. at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre — October 26, 1986
On October 26, 1986, R.E.M. brought the Pageantry tour to Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, touring behind Lifes Rich Pageant with Throwing Muses opening. Across a 31-song night that opened with “These Days,” the band previewed “The One I Love” — still unreleased, and a year away from becoming their first Top 10 hit — and stacked […]
Aerosmith at the Glens Falls Civic Center — October 25, 1987
On October 25, 1987, Aerosmith brought the Permanent Vacation tour to the Glens Falls Civic Center for a Sunday-night, 7:30 show with Dokken opening, and sold the building out: 7,812 tickets at $16.50 apiece for a $128,898 gross, according to Billboard’s Boxscore. Frank J. Russo promoted the date, and the band rolled in straight from […]
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band at the Niagara Falls Convention Center — October 24, 1976
On October 24, 1976, Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band opened for Blue Öyster Cult at the Niagara Falls International Convention Center, a Sunday-night, general-admission show that landed just two days after Capitol released Night Moves. Styx had been advertised on the bill but never made it to the stage, and fans who were […]
The Police at Frivolous Sal’s Last Chance Saloon — October 23, 1978
On October 23, 1978, The Police — three unknown Englishmen just days past their American debut at CBGB — played Frivolous Sal’s Last Chance Saloon on Crannell Street in Poughkeepsie to four paying customers. The take at the door was twelve dollars, and one of the club’s co-owners felt so bad helping them load their […]
Frank Zappa at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium — October 22, 1976
On October 22, 1976, Frank Zappa brought his new touring band to the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium for a Friday-night show presented by Festival East, with all seats reserved at $6.50 on the front floor and $6.00 in the rear. The lineup was only weeks old: Terry Bozzio on drums, Patrick O’Hearn on bass, Eddie Jobson […]
Guns N’ Roses at the Palace Theatre — October 21, 1987
On October 21, 1987, Guns N’ Roses rolled into Albany’s Palace Theatre on a Wednesday night, a Northeast Concerts date with Japanese metal band EZO opening and general-admission tickets priced at $11.50. Barely three months after the release of Appetite for Destruction, the band tore through a set that included “It’s So Easy,” “Mr. Brownstone,” […]
Rush at the Marine Midland Arena — October 20, 1996
On October 20, 1996, Rush played Buffalo’s brand-new Marine Midland Arena on only the second night of the Test for Echo Tour, the band’s first ever billed as “An Evening With Rush,” with no opening act. The Toronto trio split the night into two sets, closing the first with “2112” performed in its entirety, all […]
Bruce Springsteen at Union College’s Memorial Chapel — October 19, 1974
On October 19, 1974, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played Union College’s Memorial Chapel in Schenectady, a $2.50 student-committee booking that filled the roughly 1,000-seat hall and left hundreds more outside on the lawn. Following local openers Goebel & Lang, Springsteen played for just over two hours, opening with “Incident on 57th Street,” […]
Journey at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium — October 18, 1986
On October 18, 1986, Journey brought the Raised on Radio tour into Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, with Canadian newcomers Glass Tiger opening the night. This was a reshaped Journey: after the departures of bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith, Steve Perry, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain toured with bassist Randy Jackson and drummer Mike Baird. […]
Grateful Dead at the Olympic Center — October 17, 1983
On October 17, 1983, the Grateful Dead played their only Lake Placid show, a Monday night at the Olympic Center, the rink where the U.S. hockey team had beaten the Soviets three and a half years earlier. The band drove up the Northway from a weekend at the Hartford Civic Center with $12.50 tickets on […]