Snoop Dogg at Lakeview Amphitheater — August 13, 2016
Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa played the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse. The High Road Tour brought West Coast hip-hop royalty to Central New York. ‘Gin and Juice,’ ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ — Snoop is a cultural institution. Ten years ago.
B.B. King at Chautauqua Amphitheater — August 12, 1976
The King of the Blues brought Lucille to the historic Chautauqua Amphitheater — B.B. King bending notes beneath the storied Institution’s open-air roof, a bluesman’s road show in one of Western New York’s most hallowed venues. ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ at Chautauqua. Fifty years ago.
Radiohead at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center — August 12, 1996
Radiohead opened for Alanis Morissette at Darien Lake — the summer of Jagged Little Pill, when Alanis was the biggest star on earth and Radiohead were still touring The Bends. A year before OK Computer made them legends, Thom Yorke’s band was the warm-up act. Thirty years ago.
The White Stripes at Mohawk Place — August 11, 2001
The White Stripes played Mohawk Place in Buffalo — a tiny club show before Jack and Meg White became one of the biggest rock bands of the 2000s. White Blood Cells had just come out, and ‘Hotel Yorba’ was getting indie radio play. The fans at Mohawk Place were seeing a band about to explode.
Glen Campbell at Franklin County Fairgrounds — August 10, 2001
The Rhinestone Cowboy himself, Glen Campbell, played the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Malone — ‘Wichita Lineman,’ ‘Gentle on My Mind,’ ‘Galveston,’ and ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ ringing out over a North Country county fair. A crossover legend and master guitarist under the summer sky. Twenty-five years ago.
The Psychedelic Furs at Auditorium Theatre — August 9, 1986
Riding the ‘Pretty in Pink’ movie wave and touring behind ‘Midnight to Midnight,’ The Psychedelic Furs brought Richard Butler’s rasp to Rochester’s Auditorium Theatre — ‘Heartbreak Beat,’ ‘Love My Way,’ and the re-recorded ‘Pretty in Pink’ lighting up the Finger Lakes. Post-punk gloss at its 1986 peak. Forty years ago.
Carpenters at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena — August 8, 1976
The Carpenters played the Broome County Arena in Binghamton. Karen Carpenter’s voice was one of the most beautiful instruments in pop music — ‘Close to You,’ ‘We’ve Only Just Begun,’ ‘Rainy Days and Mondays.’ Pure vocal perfection. Fifty years ago.
Elton John at Rich Stadium — August 7, 1976
Elton John played Rich Stadium in Orchard Park — a full NFL stadium show. Captain Fantastic was at the absolute peak of his powers in the summer of ’76 — ‘Crocodile Rock,’ ‘Bennie and the Jets,’ ‘Rocket Man,’ ‘Tiny Dancer,’ ‘Philadelphia Freedom.’ Elton filling a football stadium in Western New York. Fifty years ago.
Smokey Robinson at Colonie Coliseum — August 6, 1986
Motown’s crown prince Smokey Robinson brought his silk-smooth catalog to the Colonie Coliseum in Latham — ‘Cruisin’,’ ‘Being with You,’ ‘The Tracks of My Tears,’ and Miracles classics filling the Capital Region arena. The voice behind a hundred hits, live just outside Albany. Forty years ago.
Meat Loaf at Saratoga Performing Arts Center — August 5, 1996
Meat Loaf brought the Welcome to the Neighbourhood / Born to Rock tour to Saratoga Performing Arts Center — a mid-90s comeback bid so uncertain the New York Times ran ‘Meat Loaf Struggles to Get Back on Track’ the day before. The Bat Out of Hell showman went all-out anyway, under the SPAC pines. Thirty […]