madison square garden
Madison Square Garden Added A New Billy Joel Concert For January 13th, 2021 : What Does This Mean?
How does live music make it back?
How To Buy Tickets To Concerts… Sometimes Really Cheaply
I am not buying my Dylan tix for another month.
Kings Of Leon, Madison Square Garden, Friday, February 14th, 2014, Reviewed
Perhaps married life has softened the band, the growing old, the changing of the guard, and the world’s hostilities, the relatively low sales volume of the pretty good Mechanical Bull, the hit and miss rate on their own songs; while they still seem way too distanced, they don’t have the stench of arrogance any more.
Phish At Madison Square Garden,Saturday, December 28th, 2013, Reviewed
I went to see the Knicks at Madison Square Garden a week before, the Knicks lost, and it is the exact same thing as this set. Exactly. That’s what it felt like at the Phish concert. You come in with hopes, they play lacklustre for three hours, put on a sport to get it close and then it’s over. Better luck tomorrow.
Z100 Jingle Bell 2013 At Madison Square Garden, Friday, December 13th, 2013, Reviewed
EDM is so folded into popular music that it didn’t appear as a THING at all, so according to Z100, pop music 2013 is dance pop and that’s really it. Perhaps they are right, or perhaps it was just a bad year for Z100 talent promoters.
Rod Stewart At Madison Square Garden, Monday, December 9th, 2013, Reviewed
There is still no crime in giving people precisely what they bought and there is no crime in growing old and missing a step and Rod Stewart did exactly that in his “Live The Life” concert at Madison Square Garden, Monday: he gave the people what they wanted and he missed a step
Elton John At Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, December 4th, 2013 Reviewed
I don’t think John can help himself; fronting a full swing full scale rock and roll band, he has no problem pounding the drums into submission. It is such hard work with all sense of fun or camp for that matter, long time gone, that it is a storm warning: why feel if you can over feel.
Madison Square Garden Renovated And Better Than Ever
The 7th Avenue entrance not only was speed lightning to get into but the “Chase Square” is absolutely gorgeous (you can see my picture there) though after you get past the wow factor, it is the same old windows to buy tix from
"The History Of The Eagles" At Madison Square Garden, Friday, November 8th, 2013, Reviewed
The trick with countries in the middle of civil wars is the same as the trick with the Eagle: knowing when to get up and leave. The second half of the show plunders the post Greatest Hits, where whatever minimal charm the snide smelly superstars ever had was lost for good. So I left.
Ready To Get Ripped Off Again: MSG Change Their Section Numbers, The Thieving Scum
What if you charge the old section 200 prices for the new 200 section prices, then guess what? Then you are paying $100 for a section 400 which you used to get, just two years ago, for $40
Muse At Madison Square Garden, Monday, April 15th, 2013, Reviewed
Of the Brit rock supergroups to invade and remain in the States, only three matter, and of the three Muse are the least popular and the best. But what does that say? That Matt Bellamy abstains from Chris martin’s mewling egotism and Bono’s Messianic braggadocio for a plainspeak rock star singlemindedness?
Biffy Clyro At Madison Square Garden, Monday, April 15th, 2013, Reviewed
The band are pros, neither in awe or nor indifferent to their surroundings, the set is a jet propelled wonder so good live, you have to wonder if it’s the producer who is botching the job on record.
Day One Of Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, Friday, April 12th, 2013 Reviewed
In the end, this was about BB King and Buddy Guy and Chicago Blues, at least that’s my story!
Fleetwood Mac At Madison Square Garden, Monday, April 8th, 2013, Review
On Monday night when Stevie and Lindsay shared the stage while Fleetwood and especially Mac kept them steady, it seemed like a type of symbiosis. Everybody was better and especially Stevie managed an artistic habitation I have never seen the pair share before unless you go back to the early early pre-Mac 70s.
New World Punx At Madison Square Garden, Saturday, March 30th, 2013, Reviewed
New World Punx were excellent at proving the tools for swift, loud, LED inspired release. The duo are very, very busy, there will be no Youtube of them having a cigarette while prerecorded tapes air, this was two master DJ working at a feverish pitch while being listened to by a huge following , 6.5 million people, worldwide.
Pink At Madison Square Garden, Friday, March 22nd, 2013, Reviewed
The pop singer with the powerful voice hasn’t changed much in the proceeding years, she has just gotten bigger and better and in one of the remarkable Arena shows you will ever see, she was both a bigger than life cut out character, and a personable, friendly singer, with many hit songs to choose from
Jason Aldean At Madison Square Garden, Saturday, March 2nd 2013, Reviewed
The hits hit good, “Big Green Tractor” is masterful and “Dirt Road Anthem” a major singalong, than he does the impossible and doesn’t embarrasses himself dueting with a video taped Kelly Clarkson on “Won’t You Say”.. He saves “Night Train” and “1994” from the latest album. And is a capable and smart band leader.
Maroon 5 At Madison Square Garden, Saturday, February 16th, 2013, Reviewed
This is all lucid momentum and the band seldom slow the pace or lower the volume and by the three quarters mark they reel off “Harder To Breathe” , “Wake Up Call” and “One More Night” in succession. One from each album and genius setlist programming.
Phish At Madison Square Garden, Friday, December 28th, 2012, Reviewed
The “rust” on the first set meant the band weren’t willing to scale the heights of jam, it was a ridiculously tight, 12 songs in 75 minutes with a fast on its feet rockabilly “Kill Devil Falls” and the full length three days late gravity defying”The Little Drummer Boy” played live for the first time since 2004
12-12-12 Concert For Hurricane Sandy Victims At Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, December 12th, 2012 Reviewed
People who watched it from home told me Governor Christie is really really fat people who watched it at the Arena told me Billy Joel is drunk and I can tell you that being stuck at MSG for the six hours of 12-12-12 was like being at a never ending PBS fundraiser.
Z100's Jingle Ball 2012 At Madison Square Garden, Friday, December 7th, 2012, Reviewed
More like a High School cafeteria than the Billboard 200 comes alive, Taylor is dating Harry and Justin has broken up with Taylor’s best friend forever, meanwhile Ed, the perennial guy no one sleeps with is scurrying between TS and 1D mutterring “Don’t call me Ginger”. Is this any way to run the US Top 10? I mean, honestly.
Vintage Trouble At Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, November 5th, 2012
The r&b band are used to Arenas, they have opened for the likes of Queen’s Brian May and Bon Jovi, a concept manager Doc McGhee (who was involved with Bon Jovi along with an impressive list of other bands) invented to get maximum exposure along with the Los Angeles four piece maximum r&B.
The Who At Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, November 5th, 2012 Reviewed
I saw a performance of Quadrophenia back in 1996 (three times actually) with Entwistle’s bass and I can tell you absolutely they are equals. And what they have in common is that as an opera, they are written to be played. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t the Who who plays them. Q stands alone
The Wanted At Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, November 28th, 2012, Reviewed
The next day “Page Six” had a blurb about Max George being caught making out with Lindsay Lohan at a club. The Wanted get Lindsay Lohan. One Direction? Taylor Swift. Next.
Carly Rae Jepsen At Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, November 28th, 2012, Reviewed
Over and beyond CRJ’s first post THE SONG album the terrible Kiss, not really deserving of too much consideration , she isn’t much of a performer. With a rock backing band, she is is engaging but bland, pretty but vacant. In other words, she is the Phillip Phillips of Canada
Justin Bieber's "Believe" Tour At Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, November 28th, 2012
He really wants to be the new MJ, it is MJ like MJ t Motown25 saying “yeah the oldies were good” before launching into “Billie Jean” with an “but the new ones are better”. For Justin, the old ones are bad and the new ones are worse.
Aerosmith At Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, November 20th, 2012 Reviewed
It is not Steve Tyler’s fault he grew old. and at MSG Wednesday night the boy was game as well as gamey, it is Steve Tyler’s’s fault he dresses like Stevie Nicks. And it isn’t Joe Perry’s fault he is the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” of Keith Richards wannabes but that mustache? That’s Joe’s fault.
Cheap Trick At Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, November 20th, 2012 Reviewed
A huge disappointment, these are the guys Lennon chose to play with him on Double Fantasy, these cats are the real deal. I plan to see em next time they headline.
Madonna At Madison Square Garden, Tuesday, November 13th, 2012, reviewed
Overall it was an exciting two hours of fun and spectacle and it’s befitting that Madonna’s photo is next to Elvis “The King” Presley, for she is still the reigning queen of pop
Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band At Madison Square Garden, Friday, April 6th, 2012, Reviewed
With the house lights up, the E Street Band entered to a complete recording of Sinatra’s “New York, New York” before a blistering, very, very smart “Badlands”. The momentum took the band straight thru the lights dimming full throttle “We Take Care Of Our Own”.
The Black Keys At Madison Square Garden, Thursday, March 22, 2012, Reviewed
Two guys and three back up musicians playing blues and rock but mainly blues, one of them moves the other one sits behind his drumkit center stage and bangs em hard. And they performed for three quarters of an hour, then the three musicians left the stage, and they played a s duo and then all five played together.
Arctic Monkey At Madison Square Garden, Thursday, March 22nd, 2012, Reviewed
An overlong hour song set was more than a taste but even from a distance the band had an excellent dynamic, seldom jamming, always at service to the songs, and with a pretty good leader in Turner, they had problems making an impression.
Kool And The Gang At Madison Square Garden, Thursday, March 1st, 2012, Reviewed
Kool And The Gang might be a nostalgia band but they are a completely pro nostalgia, capable of getting the mid-40 Van Halen fans to shake their ever widening booties
Van Halen At Madison Square Garden, Thursday, March 1st, 2012
the band barreled through one hit after another turning the Arena into a sweaty rock and roll club. Interspersed by Dave’s consistently self-amused commentary on the action and Eddie’s short, fluid, guitar solos. They managed to cover just about all of the Dave era fan faves and still have time for a drum solo.
Swedish House Mafia At Madison Square Garden, Friday, December 16th, 2011
They sold out MSG in ten minutes of presale. And the audience were berserk, a truly fun buncha kids, who were like dayglo hippies on ecstacy instead of weed, and dancing up a storm. I, myself, who only white man dances, felt moved to shake it. But it wasn’t a “concert”. It was a DJ set.
Z100's Jingle Ball 2011 At MSG, Friday, December 6th, 2011, Reviewed
All the action was on the Top 40 and the Top 40 was ruled by dance, which made last nights “Jingle Ball” the most consistent night of live music this year. 10 artists and everybody at the top of their game
NEEDTOBREATHE At Madison Square Garden, Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 Reviewed
These born again Christians are pretty brutal if you can’t meet them half way but really, given the job at hand, they handled themselves OK. Friendly, Godl fearing, lotsa face scrunching. You could do worse.