Taste of the '80s; Summer concert tours heavy on flashbacks
By Rebecca Schoonmaker , Staff writer Eagle-Tribune
Over the next few months, you can have "Nothin' but a Good Time" with "Jesse's Girl" like it was the "Summer of '69." Break out the Aqua Net; the '80s are back for the summer concert season.
Artists including Poison, Rick Springfield, and Bryan Adams are hitting the road in a big way. From the ultimate hair bands - Def Leppard and Skid Row - to the ladies who defined the decade - Cyndi Lauper and Pat Benatar, the area's big concert venues are delivering a taste of the '80s that's as sweet as Pop Rocks.
"People are kind of reinventing themselves," says Jon Page, CEO of Global Spectrum, the company that operates 65 concert venues across the country including the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield and the Mullins Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
"The Police are getting back together, which is huge," said Page. Also touring together for the first time in many years is Genesis.
But summer tours aren't stuck in the past by any means. Artists who have seen lots of radio success this year are hitting the road, too, like Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake and John Mayer. Others are out to test brand-new music, like classic rock band Rush, who released "Snakes and Arrows" earlier this month, and former "American Idol" Kelly Clarkson, whose new album "My December" comes out July 24.
Page adds that other popular tours are country music collaborations, which have been strong the past few years, and TV-themed productions like "American Idol," "Dancing with the Stars," and "High School Musical," which have taken their small-screen shows on the road.
And seeing a show may cost you less than last summer. The average ticket price has dropped slightly since big names like Barbara Streisand and The Rolling Stones, whose concerts were pretty pricey, brought the average up a bit last year, says Page.
One trend from last summer is back. Artists started touring in pairs and groups to give concertgoers more bang for their buck. This year, ticket promoters are trying to soften the blow of high-priced tickets. Ticketmaster is offering free iTunes of music by an artist when you buy a ticket to their show.
"It's basically to reward fans and expose them to new and existing music," says Bonnie Poindexter of Ticketmaster.
Page says The Police's shows are probably the most highly anticipated concerts of the summer, but it's not all about the big names. He says a lot of people are excited about seeing new artists this season, too.
"There's so much out there, some up-and-coming acts," Page says. "There's a lot of great stuff that's happening out there."
Plan your summer
Here's a look at who's coming through the greater Boston area:
June
1 and 2 - Dark Star Orchestra, 8 p.m., Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Tickets $20 in advance, $22 at the door.
23 - The White Stripes, 7:30 p.m., Agganis Arena. Tickets $44.50.
24 - 311 with The English Beat, 7 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $30 to $39.
25 - Boz Scaggs, 7:30 p.m., Bank of America Pavilion. Tickets $28.50 to $60;
Clay Aiken with the Nashua Symphony Orchestra, 8 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $35 to $59;
KC and the Sunshine Band, 8 p.m., Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Tickets $30 to $42.
26 - Poison with Ratt, Dokken and White Lion, 5:30 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $39 to $59.
27 - Josh Groban with Angelique Kidjo, 7:30 p.m., Verizon Wireless Arena. Tickets $49.50, $75.50 and $95;
Charlie Daniels Band with Marshall Tucker and the Outlaws, 7 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $32.50 to $57.50;
Family Values Tour with Korn and Evanescence, 2 p.m., Tweeter Center. Tickets $40 and up.
28 and 29 - The Police, 7 p.m., Fenway Park. Tickets start at $95.
28 - New England Country Music Festival with Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Brooks and Dunn, Pat Green and Sara Evans, 3:30 p.m., Gillette Stadium. Tickets $47.50 to $92.50.
29 - Steve Miller Band, 7 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $35 to $65.
30 - The Moody Blues, 7:30 p.m., Bank of America Pavilion. Tickets $35 to $60.
31 - The Moody Blues, 8 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $29.50 to $59.50
August
1 - Squeeze with Cheap Trick, 7:30 p.m., Bank of America Pavilion. Tickets $25 to $45;
1 and 2 - Dave Matthews Band, Tweeter Center. Tickets $80 and up.
3 - Bryan Adams with George Thorogood and the Destroyers, 7:30 p.m., Bank of America Pavilion. Tickets $35 to $50;
Allman Brothers Band, 7 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $25 to $56.
4 - Kelly Clarkson, 7:30 p.m., TD Banknorth Garden. Tickets $39.50, $59.50, and $79.50.
5 - Incubus with The Bravery and Simon Dawes, 7 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $35 to $43;
Crowded House with Pete Yorn, 7:30 p.m., Bank of America Pavilion. Tickets $25 to $45;
Chris Isaak, 8 p.m., Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Tickets $26 to $50.
7 - Alison Krauss with Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, 8 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $28 to $59.
7 and 8 - Allman Brothers Band, 7:30 p.m., Bank of America Pavilion. Tickets $35 to $50.
9 - Vans Warped Tour featuring the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, New Found Glory, The Matches, Pennywise, Evaline and more, noon, Tweeter Center. Tickets $52 and up.
Weird Al Yankovic, 8 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $33 to $43; O.A.R., 7 p.m., Tweeter Center. Tickets $66 and up.
11 - Meat Loaf: Bat out of Hell III: The Three Bats Tour, 7:30 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $29 to $59;
Def Leppard, Tweeter Center. Tickets $56 and up;
Muse, 8 p.m., Agganis Arena. Ticket info TBA.
12 - Hippiefest 2007 with The Turtles, The Rascals, The Zombies, Mountain and Mitch Ryder, 6 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $29 to $49;
Incubus, Tweeter Center. Tickets $90 and up.
14 - Gipsy Kings, 7:30 p.m., Bank of America Pavilion. Tickets $30 to $50;
Indigo Girls, 8 p.m., Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Tickets $32 in advance, $34 at the door.
16 - O.A.R. with Augustana, 7:30 p.m., Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Tickets $25 to $30;
