Thanks to iConcertCal, a small and mighty application for iTunes, I have assembled a list of fall concerts for students thirsting for a change of scenery and new sounds. There are great concert venues in New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachussetts that host music events from a wide spectrum of musical genres. My fall concert list represents only a sample of music within 130 miles of campus, so if you don't find what you're looking for here, get iConcertCal for yourself, available for free at iconcertcal.com.
This application lives inconspicuously in your iTunes visualizer. It asks you to enter your location and how far you're willing to travel to see live music. Then it sorts through the artists in your music library and lists the dates and locations of concerts in your chosen range. In addition, this application searches your music library for artists with upcoming album releases, keeping you up to date on new music by your favorite bands -- all in one easy-to-view place. The application also allows you to highlight concerts that interest you and makes it simple to share your selected concert calendar with friends via email or iConcertCal's new Facebook application. Through this program, you can pre-order upcoming albums with one easy click.
Thanks to iConcertCal, I learned that this weekend at the Calvin Theater, in Northampton, MA, is hosting two noteworthy live performances. On Friday Oct. 10, Andrew Bird is coming to town and The Black Crowes will perform on Sunday Oct. 12.
Through the years, I have read snippets about Andrew Bird's talent in live performance. Bird, like most great musicians, uses melody to describe that which cannot be adequately described in words and thus leaves the audience with a similarly awe-inspired silence. During his live performances, Bird plays the violin, guitar and glockenspiel, while singing and whistling. He reinvents his music every time it's played and, though I've never seen him live, this show promises to be one worth seeing. The Calvin Theater is not general admission, but it is both intimate and comfortable.
There are many different live music venues in Northampton, including The Pearl Street Nightclub, which will host Deerhoof on Oct. 24 and Iron and Wine on Nov. 25 with other great performers in between. The Iron Horse Music Hall will host Dr. Dog on Oct. 9, My Brightest Diamond on Oct. 28, Apollo Sunshine on Oct. 31, Ingrid Michaelson on Nov. 1, Sondre Lerche on Nov. 15, The Spinto Band on Dec. 6 and, one of my favorite mellow music duos, Beach House on Dec 11.
Northampton, MA is approximately 110 miles from Hanover.
TD Banknorth Garden, home to the Boston Celtics and Bruins, has arranged for many different live performances this fall. This enormous venue has 19,600 seats, recipe for a high-energy live performance of proportions big enough to attract epic musicians. There are still tickets available for Madonna's show on October 16th, a great opportunity to see a revolutionary performer affirm that she's still got what it takes to make a crowd go wild.
Tina Turner will return to the Garden on Nov. 16-17, The Who is playing there on Oct. 24 and, on Oct. 27, Jay-Z, Lil'Wayne and Ne-Yo are stopping by for Jam'N 94.5's Monster Jam.Coldplay will perform on the Oct. 29.
TD Banknorth Garden venue is only 129 miles away, right in Boston, MA.
Boston is one of the easiest places to see live music thanks
to the Dartmouth CoachParadise Rock Club, a small bar-like venue, will host three great bands in a row in late October: Yeasayer on Oct. 22, Lykke Li on Oct. 23 and Fujiya and Miyagi on the 24th.
The Orpheum, a famous music hall in Boston, will host a variety of performers that span many decades and music genres. Jason Mraz performs on Oct 17, Trey Anastasio of Phish on Oct 23, Alice Cooper on October 25th, Matisyahu on Oct. 27 and Of Montreal on Oct. 30.
Two of my favorite contemporary bands, The Decemberists (Nov. 6) and Kings of Leon (Nov. 12 and 13) are slotted to play the Orpheum. For a complete change of pace, Robin Williams will stop by for two stand-up comedy performances on Nov. 24 and 25.
This is just a taste of the live music in the area this fall. Due to the recent economic downturn, there are many affordable shows to attend and a better chance and getting tickets.For anyone looking to cash in on this unlikely perk to the recession, iConcertCal makes it possible to find live music from your favorite artists after just a small, free and easy download.
