Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with concerts

How do you keep up with NYC's events?

helios410 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:36:24 -0800

NYC Filter: This past week I realize I must be living under a rock. I had no idea Jay-Z was performing, nor did I know it was the San Gennaro festival until I accidentally ran into it this weekend. What do you do or follow to keep up with upcoming festivals, concerts, and the like?

How can I, a 17 year old college student, get in to 18+ shows in the Boston area?

Bahro — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 22:23:14 -0800

Why are so many shows in Boston 18+? And is there any chance I could get into those shows as a 17 year old college student? Specific venues I'm referring to are The Middle East, Great Scott, Paradise Rock Club, and House of Blues. There's some really great artists playing at those places soon that I'd love to see. If I were to just show security my student ID card (which has no birthdate, but shows that I am a college student), would they accept that?

Also, while I'm on the subject, why is Grizzly Bear at the Orpheum Theater so expensive?

Avoiding post show traffic at Comcast Theatre in Hartford?

Yukon — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:02:54 -0800

What is a good parking plan for concerts at Comcast Theatre in Hartford (formerly Meadows)? Is there a way to avoid insane traffic after the show? I have heard that the parking has gotten worse over the years and don't want to sit for 1-2 hours trying to leave. Any first hand experience or advice?

When should I be there with my chair?

Knappster — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:54:13 -0800

I'm going to the Wallflowers concert at L.L. Bean in Freeport, Maine, next Saturday. How early should I get there? I understand that there is a tradition of staking out a spot and setting up lawn chairs hours or even days early for the summer concerts. What time should I get there on Saturday if I want a decent view of the stage?

tailgating at Lelacheur Park in Lowell, MA

mgerstenblatt — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:28:20 -0800

Is tailgating allowed at Lelacheur Park in Lowell, MA for concerts? I'm heading up to Lowell, MA to see Wilco at Lelacheur Park--where the Lowell Spinners play ball. Our intention is to tailgate--grill and drink. Does anyone know if this would be allowed?

Event alerts?

4chrisd — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:28:36 -0800

Where can I get an RSS feed of ALL upcoming events, conventions, concerts, etc. for a particular city? I live outside of Dallas, Texas and I'm always finding out about great conventions or events in the city after it is too late to attend. Is there a website that gives me me the heads up on these events? Like if there is a Pizza Convention coming in April 2010 I want to know about it now so that I can make plans to attend. Help!

Exit Plan Strategery for the Nissan Pavilion (VA/DC)

actionPetential — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:35:33 -0800

Help me if you know anything about Nissan Pavilion in Northern Va! Are the traffic problems still as bad as they used to be? If so, does anybody have any tips? Hey all, am going to see one of my favorite bands later this month and am terrifically excited! However, as the concert is on a weekday, and I haven't been to the Nissan Pavilion in years, it's hard to imagine being able to deal in stride if, after the concert, we're obliged to submit to one of the Pavilion's legendary three-hour parking lot 2 mph waits. So, I was wondering if anyone had been to a big show recently (say, in the past year) at Nissan Pavilion and could attest as to whether it was still as bad as it used to be. Have they built those new lanes on 66 yet? And - this might sound crazy - but would it be possible to park somewhere a mile or so away, and then bike to the venue? Any and all recent experiences would be helpful!

Shows by Sale Date?

jckll — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:02:40 -0800

List of concerts/shows by date tickets go on sale? Wondering if there's a website (or other resource) that lists concerts by the date their tickets go on sale. I imagine they might not want to do this because it attracts scalpers, but I always seem to find out about concerts (big ones that sell out) way too late to get tickets for anything close to face value.

Does this exist?

Researching Acoustics/Acousticians

brynnwood — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:25:53 -0800

I'm looking for information about accoustics and, wait for it, acousticians. How does one train for this? Is it a branch of engineering? Does it entail studying architecture? Music? I've found only very general information or, on the other hand, very technical stuff. I'm looking to be able to ask an acoustician some (mildly) intelligent questions about his work for a broadcast. Any web resources you can think of would be really appreciated. Thanks!

I Wanna Rock

philad — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:33:26 -0800

California to NYC turnaround for a concert : How do I get cheap plane tickets and is it feasible to go from the airport to the show and then back to the airport and then back to California? Has anyone done something like this before? They're my favorite band (I've never seen them live) and I'm afraid I may run out of chances to see them if I don't just do it

Fun show in San Francisco this weekend?

mingodingo — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:13:16 -0800

San Francisco filter: What fun show (preferably theater, but comedy, music, etc. also an option) can I take my brother and his girlfriend to see when they visit this weekend? So my little brother and his girlfriend are coming to visit this weekend. I waited too long to get Phantom tickets, so I'm trying to find another fun San Francisco show to see with them, preferably on either Friday night or Sunday night. I'd prefer a musical/play, but a funny comedy show or a good concert would also be an option.

Also, while seeing something in SF would be ideal, a Berkeley show would also be an option.

Thanks, guys!

looking for a specific website that lists concerts in Germany

helios — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:42:16 -0800

I'm looking for a specific website that I used to visit which listed clubs/shows in Germany. Please note that my question is not about finding *other* sites with concert info in Germany; I'm just looking for this one specific site because I can't find it anymore.

In 2004/2005 when I was visiting Germany I found a great website which presented a comprehensive list of concerts and clubbing in certain cities in Germany. I think it covered 4 or 5 cities, and Berlin and Munich were 2 of them. It was a very simple, text-based design; I think the background was bright blue and the info was written in boxes that were bright colors (maybe green/red). I'm pretty sure it was all written in German. The site only covered some specific German cities and didn't seem to have any other purpose.

Does anyone know what website this is/was?

The economics of travelling bands

Xere — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:19:49 -0800

I'm told that for bands, the money is in live gigs - not much comes in from album sales. However. I was at a concert in Los Angeles recently, full house of about 500. Three bands, of which two had recently played Coachella. $25 general admission. This, to me, seems like terrible money. What's really going on? Help me overthink my plate of beans. So $25 x 500 = $12500 in ticket sales. Split that up between the three bands, and each gets $4166. This doesn't seem much, considering that two of the bands were from middle US, and one from London. Flights, extra baggage fees for equipment, hotels, crew members...

It's about 5 members to each band. London band: doesn't it cost ONE person about $900 to fly coach from London to LA? $4166 won't cover five members and their road crew. Mid-US bands: isn't it about $400, also flying coach? That's $2000 in flights, leaving only $2000. And each band member gets $500 before the venue takes its cut.

I'm assuming more money is accumulated over the course of playing several venues, but it seems that they're only playing five. Similar general admission fees. The mid-US bands accumulate more money here, but London seems to still be playing for pocket change.

The venue's already well-established, even without rock concerts. They don't seem to need to bring bands in at a loss in order to get their venue's name out there.

Not mentioning the bands, just in case this ever gets them into hot water with Upper Management. And anyway, I'm fairly certain this is a common scenario.

No, that isn't "the shocker".

Inspector.Gadget — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:58:30 -0800

There was once a great website listing nearly all of the upcoming metal and hardcore shows on the East Coast, or at least the Mid-Atlantic region. What was it? Is it still active?

Who picks the music they play at concerts when the band isn't playing?

cptspalding — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:59:12 -0800

Who picks the music played at a concert when a band is not on stage and why do they pick the songs they do? I've always wondered who picks the music played at concerts when a band is not on stage, such as the period between opening act(s) and headliners and while people are filing in/out.

Are the choices made by the headliner (or someone associated with the headlining band/performer), the record label, the house, or the person running the soundboard? Is there any rhyme or reason behind the selections such as a label wanting to promote a certain artist, or the band trying to give exposure to artists they like, respect, etc.? For those who have gotten to do this, are there any "rules" you've followed to help manage the crowd's energy level, enthusiasm, etc. ?

I've been to some shows where it seems that a lot of care has been given to the music played during these interstitial periods and it really enhances the experience by either acting as a "pallet cleanser" between acts or continuing to build a certain energy level or vibe.

While at some shows it seems like someone just plugged in an iPod, set it to shuffle and walked away.

Rising sun rock and roll?

soma lkzx — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:56:43 -0800

Tokyo Damage Report's list of shows and venues has sold me on going to see bands play while I'm in Japan, are there any resources like this for cities besides Tokyo? Turns out that going to a show alone isn't so bad when you're in a foreign country and your cultural/language skills are that of a 2 year old - I just need to know where to go! My musical taste in this case is just guitars and energy; I'll take anything from hardcore to twee to psychobilly. I think my guidebook has things like jazz pretty well covered, but feel free to bring suggestions from that end of the spectrum as well.

I'm going to be hanging around in indeterminate cities between Tokyo and Nagasaki for the next ten days, so the net is pretty wide. Show lists, venue lists, or even venue names would all be really helpful.

(And while I'm at it, if you have any amazing suggestions on less rock-n-rolly things to do or festivals in the next week, you can drop that in, too!)

Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall

holdkris99 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:03:06 -0800

Tell me some indie/punk shows/venues I MUST see in England/Amsterdam/France/Spain (but mainly England) this fall (mid-August through October). I am most interested in small to midsize shows (bands that haven't broke through in the U.S. would be great) and venues that I might not necessarily find unless I am looking for them specifically on Pollstar or something similar. I know this is a very open ended question, but so is my trip. Thanks. Oh, and, As great fun as they may (or may not) be I am too old in body (if not mind and spirit) for the giant festival scenes.

Finding Concerts Made Easy.

ryecatcher — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:40:41 -0800

LosAngelesConcertFilter: Is there some site that lists all the live acts playing at various venues around town, broken down by date? Like, if I want to see who is playing this weekend in LA I can just hop on to this wonderful site and it'll show me who is at The Wiltern, Spaceland, Bowl, etc.?

I realize I could just hop around from site to site but you don't know me and here's the thing: I'm lazy and I like things to be made as easy as possible for me.

Yes, I could also flip through the Weekly.

But seriously, there has to be something else that's even easier than that.

Dawson City Music Festival

Space Coyote — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:09:06 -0800

Dawson City Music Festival - before I dive in head first and just book a hotel and flight right now, tell me what I need to know about the trip and the festival. Any advice and things to make sure I bring / prepare for from people who have gone in the past would be much appreciated. I'm not much of an impulse traveller, so I want to get out of my comfort zone a bit, and go some place I'd never normally get to.

The TicketMonster is coming to eat you!!!

gauchodaspampas — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:28:39 -0800

With the internet making it much easier to sell things remotely, how is Ticketmaster still able to virtually monopolize event ticket sales? It seems like breaking into the ticket vending business ought to be made easier by the internet, but still ticketmaster controls most ticket sales in the United States. I know that they often have exclusivity agreements with venues or teams, which is still a huge part of it. But are the bonuses they offer still really worth it? Why is the possibility of other vendors coming in and offering better deals than TM not enticing enough to events and venues? And why don't more venues choose to save money by selling their own tickets online? I guess I can see why. I would require additional staff to handle that operation. So maybe a better question is, are places that do this just throwing money away, or are they onto something that others just aren't following? Getting back to exclusivity. I would think that it'd be hard for a new company to just come into the business and start selling tickets to big arena and stadium events. But what prevents them from starting with smaller venues by just offering better prices than TM? What else is preventing other companies from breaking into the ticket vending biz?

And please, PLEASE, let's not turn this into a Ticketmaster pile-on. Just the facts, ma'am.

How do I find copies of music posters, flyers, live recordings, from a specific Steely Dan concert from the 70’s?

elationfoundation — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:45:40 -0800

My Fathers birthday is coming up and I want to give him a piece of the past. How do I find copies of music posters, flyers, live recordings, from a specific Steely Dan concert from the 70’s? The concert is Steely Dan, the venue was Winterland in San Francisco, and the date was May 5th 1973. My father is an amazing storyteller and very often talks about his first big concert. He remembers everything… enough in fact for me to figure out exactly what concert it was.

I have been scowering the internet for groups that collect and trade in that sort of thing so I can get either a copy of any of the publicity or an original. A live recording would also be great but I doubt technology allowed for people to sneak in and do that in the 70’s. I have had no luck in finding anyone who has anything though.

The concert is Steely Dan, the venue was Winterland in San Francisco, and the date was May 5th 1973. If anyone knows where I could find any memorabilia from this concert it would be amazing.

moospace

Pants! — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:30:02 -0800

I hate to say anything nice about myspace, but it seems that it is the best source for upcoming tour dates. Conundrum: Unfortunately, I can't filter bands by location. For instance, for this list of bands, tell me when they're going to be in my city.

Since they're all posted in what looks to be the same format, I'd like to use some service that let's me load all of those tour dates into a database, do some WHERE clauses, and get my own custom show list.

Even better, I'd like someone else to handle all of the heavy lifting and offer this as a service on the web.

Also: this obviously doesn't have to use myspace data, but I trust data from bands or promotors a lot more than a random guy on the internet (see footnote 2)

1) I don't have a myspace account, so if I can do this as a member, I apologize.
2) I'm aware of the user-driven web 2.0 concert content. But it often misses lots of bands, in my experience

Best concert seats at MSG for The Police?

snatchos — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:43:42 -0800

Going to watch my first favorite band (The Police) at MSG in August - where to sit? I'm so excited that The Police are touring this year - they were my first favorite band as a kid and I can't wait to see them! I'll be watching at Madison Square Garden in August and want some advice where to sit. I don't mind paying the $$ to see these guys as it's a once in a lifetime for me but I want to have the best seats that will give me the best view and experience.

My gut instinct is that the best seats would be inthe lower bowl at an angle to the stage (section 50-59 or 74-80). Or maybe row A of the section right above those? My initial thoughts were that floor seats centre stage 10-20 rows back would be the best but I'm not sure what the view will be like (people standing on chairs, etc) and I'm not sure what the experience will be like (close proximity, people pushing, etc).

Any advice about the MSG concert experience and best seats for an event like this would be much appreciated. Also, any lines on where I can get tickets at reasonable prices - right now brokers are selling these tickets at about $2000 apiece and only 1 or 2 listings are appearing on eBay every day.

Thanks!

Live music in London

gravelshoes — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:21:59 -0800

Where can I find the most comprehensive online listings of live music in London?

Is it possible to meet The Who before or after current shows?

after_hours — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 09:12:22 -0800

AgingBritishRockStarFilter: This is both incredibly random, and a longshot, but does anyone have any recent experience of meeting The Who on their present tour? If so, how did you manage this? Or are they fairly isolated from the likes of me (obsessive Who fanboys)? I'm going to my first show tomorrow night, and it would be a dream come true to talk to the boys, if only briefly behind the arena.