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 […]
Cheap Trick at After Dark — August 4, 1976
Fresh off signing to Epic and months before cutting their debut LP, Cheap Trick worked the Western New York bar circuit — a night at After Dark in Lockport catching the Rockford road warriors mid-grind. Rick Nielsen’s guitar chaos in a small club before ‘Surrender’ made them famous. Fifty years ago.
The Doobie Brothers at Utica Memorial Auditorium — August 3, 1976
The Doobie Brothers played the Utica Memorial Auditorium. ‘Listen to the Music,’ ‘China Grove,’ ‘Long Train Runnin” — West Coast boogie-rock at its finest, rocking Central New York. Fifty years ago.
Keith Urban at Turning Stone Resort Casino — August 2, 2001
Before ‘Somebody Like You’ made him a superstar, Keith Urban played the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona — a rising country-rocker touring behind his self-titled solo debut and its breakout ‘But for the Grace of God.’ Banjo, Telecaster, and Nashville swagger in Oneida County. Twenty-five years ago.
Céline Dion at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center — August 1, 1996
Celine Dion played Darien Lake in the summer of 1996 — the year Falling Into You dominated the charts worldwide. Her voice, one of the most powerful in pop music, filled the Western New York amphitheater. Thirty years ago, and she was just getting started on her run as one of the best-selling artists of […]
The Kinks at Mid-Hudson Civic Center — July 31, 1979
In the summer of 1979, the Kinks were in the middle of a remarkable American comeback, touring behind Low Budget — the album that returned the British Invasion legends to arena stages and the U.S. charts. When Ray and Dave Davies brought the show to the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, audiences got both the […]