Loretta Lynn at Colonie Coliseum — August 28, 1986
Loretta Lynn — the Coal Miner’s Daughter herself — played the Colonie Coliseum in Latham. “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and a lifetime of hard-won country songs, delivered to a Capital Region crowd by one of the genre’s true queens. Forty years ago.
The Cranberries at Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center — August 27, 1996
The Cranberries brought “To the Faithful Departed” to the Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua. Dolores O’Riordan’s voice — that unmistakable Irish lilt behind “Linger,” “Zombie” and “Dreams” — ringing out over the lawn at the height of the band’s 90s reign. Thirty years ago.
Johnny Cash at Saratoga Performing Arts Center — August 26, 1996
Johnny Cash brought the Man in Black to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center — deep into his American Recordings revival with Rick Rubin, stripped-down and towering. ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and ‘Ring of Fire’ rolling out under the SPAC amphitheater roof, a country legend reborn for a whole new generation. Thirty years ago.
Aerosmith at New York State Fair 1986 — August 25, 1986
Aerosmith brought the Done With Mirrors tour to the New York State Fair Grandstand — the classic five-man lineup of Tyler, Perry, Whitford, Hamilton, and Kramer back together on the road, one tour before ‘Permanent Vacation’ rocketed them back to the top. Boston’s bad boys at the Syracuse fairgrounds. Forty years ago.
Frank Sinatra at Saratoga Performing Arts Center — August 24, 1976
Ol’ Blue Eyes brought his voice to Saratoga Performing Arts Center — ‘My Way,’ ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin,’ and ‘The Lady Is a Tramp’ rolling out under the Saratoga pines, with longtime pianist and music director Bill Miller at his side. Sinatra in the Spa City. Fifty years ago.
Aretha Franklin at New York State Fair — August 23, 2001
The Queen of Soul performed at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. Aretha Franklin’s voice was a national treasure — ‘Respect,’ ‘Natural Woman,’ ‘Chain of Fools.’ Hearing Aretha live at the State Fair was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that no recording could capture.
The Allman Brothers Band at New York State Fairgrounds — August 22, 1986
The Allman Brothers Band played a rare one-off at the New York State Fairgrounds — a genuine surprise during their 1982–89 hiatus. About 5,000 fairgoers watched the Juke Horns sit in on ‘Southbound’ and ‘Into the Mystic.’ A dormant Southern-rock legend, briefly awake in Syracuse. Forty years ago.
The Monkees at Stanley Theater — August 21, 1996
The Monkees brought their 30th-anniversary reunion to the ornate Stanley Theatre in Utica. Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork running through ‘I’m a Believer,’ ‘Daydream Believer’ and ‘Last Train to Clarksville’ under the theater’s gilded ceiling — a perfect pairing of ’60s pop nostalgia and one of Upstate’s grandest rooms. Thirty years ago.
David Crosby at Bardavon Opera House — August 20, 2016
David Crosby played the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie. From The Byrds through CSN&Y, Crosby’s harmonies shaped the sound of a generation. His solo shows in his later years were intimate, honest, and deeply moving. Ten years ago.
The Beach Boys at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena — August 19, 1986
The Beach Boys rolled into the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton at the height of their mid-’80s touring machine. ‘Good Vibrations,’ ‘California Girls,’ ‘Surfin’ USA’ — endless summer harmonies in a Southern Tier hockey barn, two years before ‘Kokomo’ put them back on top. Forty years ago.