The Haunt, Ithaca, NY Total shows: 41. 24 at the old Haunt on Green Street, 17 at the current location on Willow Street. Capacity: 500 current, ?? old location The Haunt opened in 1969 at the Green St. location. It was a long, narrow room with a stage at the far end, and a bar on the left side if you were facing the stage. The stage had fencing at the front. Sound was generally good. The sightlines weren’t great once you got too far back in the room. The place had a great vibe. Lots of big reggae bands played there over the years. The current location is one of my favorite rooms. It’s a little more square than the old room. The The sound is really good, the sightlines are good from almost everywhere. The bar is easy to get at. There’s also food, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually eaten there. Chuck Clark’s, Elmira, NY Counting 14 of the 15 shows I played here, I’ve seen at least 31 shows here. They were almost entirely local band shows, so there are probably some that aren’t on my list. One of the shows I played was on New Year’s Eve 1996. We played first, and then split and went to Binghamton. Capacity: Probably about 500 This was a local bar in Elmira, where I grew up. A lot of my friends, including most of my old band, were regulars. There was a big back room with a stage. There was music one or two nights a week back there. The sound was ok. There were tables in the back behind the sound board. There was also a second bar back there that was open if the show sold well. I think the biggest band I ever saw there was Warzone, but Flock of Seagulls and Quiet Riot both played there in the 1990s. Closed in 1998 or 1999. Max’s / Key West / Castaways / The Dock, Ithaca, NY 31+ shows total. 23 at Max’s, 4 at Key West, 3 at Castaways, 1 at The Dock. Capacity: 300? IIRC, this place opened as the Salty Dog in 1972. It has closed and reopened multiple times. Max’s was open from around 1991 until June or July 1993. There were a ton of metal, punk, and college rock shows there while it was open. Key West opened a few months later and was more of a bar and less of a venue at first, but had some shows. I played there once. It closed in 1998, I think. It reopened as Castaways in fall 1999. I worked there from shortly after it opened until summer 2000. The 3 shows on my concert list were not while I was working. I also worked the door at a bunch of shows there. It closed a few years ago and was reopened as The Dock. The Dock closed as a music venue two or so years ago, and appears to be a pool hall now. No longer a music venue. Tazmanian Embassy, Binghamton, NY Including the 13 I played here, I’ve seen 26 shows here. Capacity: ?? This was a local bar in Binghamton. There was a stage against the wall where the front door was, and a bar on the left side wall if you were facing the stage (on the right as you walked in). They made their money during the day. They ran an all day happy hour (8-6), so it was where all the old drunks hung out during the day. There was also a kitchen and a decent lunch business. At night, the regulars would leave and there were shows. Mostly regional bands, but the occasional bigger touring act. Closed in the early 2000s. Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 19 shows. 18 of those were They Might Be Giants shows. Capacity: 650 One of the billion Bowery Presents venues. There is a downstairs lounge and a back bar upstairs behind the performance space. Sound is pretty good. Sightlines vary. We often stand at the back behind the soundboard because the room isn’t that big, and there’s a drink rail there. Honorable mention: State Theater of Ithaca, Ithaca, NY 17 shows, including 1 that I played. The most recent one was Mike Gordon 3 days ago. What’s interesting is looking at my show list and realizing how many venues that I’ve seen about 8 shows in. I’ve seen the most shows in Ithaca, Syracuse, and Buffalo. But in Ithaca, the shows are largely concentrated in 3 venues. In Buffalo, they’re spread over 12+ venues.
I don’t have any way to confirm but I’m guessing it’s the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia. I started going to shows there in 1996 and I’ve been going regularly ever since. Great folks have been putting on great shows there consistently since the 90s and it’s one of my favorite rooms. Second place is probably the Trocadero in Philly, which closed recently. I was there all the time as a teenager and then occasionally after that.
I’ve been going to shows at First Avenue/7th Street Entry in Minneapolis since 1985 (now bringing my teenage son with me). Too many shows to count. Great club with great sound and a fantastic staff. Highlights include: Husker Du (best live band ever) The Replacements Robyn Hitchcock Richard Thompson Primal Scream Sun Ra Wilco Sleep Melvins D’Angelo The Church The Feelies Blur
First Avenue/7th St Entry So many amazing and thrilling gigs over the years in that hallowed former Greyhound bus depot. Even better, I had the opportunity to work on an exhibit about the venue’s 50 year history that opened this past spring. We were able to conduct 90% of our interviews on-site in the Mainroom of the club. Freaking dream job.
Must be Paradiso in Amsterdam. 45 out of 382 concerts, or 11.7% of all concerts I've visited. I've got tickets for Larkin Poe and Van der Graaf Generator, so concert #50 there won't be too far away.
Cumberland County Civic Center Portland, Maine (now known as the Cross Insurance Arena) Starting with first concert Cheap Trick/Moon Martin 9/29/79
In the Philadelphia area where I live, I've been going to Union Transfer more than any place in the past ten years. Out of state, it would have to be the 930 club. When a band does a smaller tour of the states, they sometimes skip Philly and play DC and NYC. Its a lot less stressful for me to drive and park in DC than NYC.
Me too. Union Transfer has a lot going for it. That venue really started a renaissance in the Philadelphia music scene
St. Andrew's Hall - Detroit Saw many a show at this venue from 1988 through 1993. Off the top of my head: Rave-ups Let's Active Poi Dog Pondering Jane's Addiction New Model Army Jellyfish Screaming Trees Lush A slew of local acts: Second Self, Crossed Wire, Orange Roughies, Elvis Hitler, See Dick Run, Rhythm Corps.....
Wembley Stadium (The old one) Wembley Arena Earls Court O2 London The Forum (Kentish Town London. Formerly The Town & Country Club)
Fillmore East (by a mile) Academy Of Music-NYC (1970's) Bottom Line (70's-80's) NJPAC-Newark, NJ (both rock & classical gigs, nice venue) MSG-(Hendrix, Blind Faith, Cream, ELP, Macca, etc.)
Orpheum Boston Berklee Boston Great Woods, Mansfield, MA Cape Cod Melody Tent, Cape Cod, Massachusetts Paladium, Worcester, Massachusetts Payomet, Truro, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Cant give numbers. Likely over 100 in each of Madison Square Garden, Beacon Theater, Wetlands and The Spectrum.
Even though I live in VA, I've been to more shows at Madison Square Garden than anywhere else. I think I've been to 60 shows there over the years. If DC had had the same basketball arena my whole life, that'd be #1, but my shows are split between Cap Centre and Cap One Arena...
Definitely in Seattle - my 20s, in the 90s- and definitely a club. Either the Crocodile Cafe, the Offramp, or RKCNDY. I’m thinking it was probably the Croc, as (pro tip for time travelers) there was always more room by the right speaker stack, farthest from the door. And not coincidentally, my right ear is a wee bit deaf. Best shows: Thinking Fellers Union? Quasi? Yo La Tengo? Guided By Voices (where I overheard Pollard in the men’s room suggesting they write a song about the Rat Pack to Mitch Mitchell)? Mark Eitzel? Hazel? Hard to say.
- Emo's (6th Street downtown and now Emo's Austin on Riverside) - Mohawk - Frank Erwin Center - Waller Creek Amphitheater at Stubb's BBQ
For me it's the LC/Express in Columbus, indoor and outdoor. Capacity is 2200 indoor, 5000 outdoor. Pretty spartan place but near downtown and always fun
I'd have to say the Fillmore East as well, but only about a dozen shows. I've moved around a bit since then. I have a lot of memorabilia from there. My wife, who I didn't meet until ten years later, went to high school at Stuyvesant, which was nearby. When Bill Graham closed the Fillmore, he basically just picked up and left. My wife made friends with the building security guard, who let her go upstairs to Bill's offices and take whatever she could carry. She took a ream of his personal business stationery, envelopes, PR photos, press kits, and, of course, psychedelic concert posters, some of which now comprise my collection, framed and displayed in our home.
My main batch of venues I’ve seen shows at regularly, all in the New York area Jones Beach Theatre, Long Island NY Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY Madison Square Garden, New York NY Beacon Theatre, New York NY Meadowlands/Giants Stadium E Rutherford NJ PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel NJ Times Union Center, Albany NY Palace Theatre, Albany NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center NY
