Thursday, November 07, 2013

The Aragon Ballroom

I'm going to a concert with my son Tommy on Saturday night at the Aragon Ballroom. I haven't gone to a show there since I saw the Ramones thirty years ago. I was trying to explain to Tommy the rich history of that place, and even I was surprised by what I discovered. You know who has played that hall since the beginning of the rock and roll era? Everyone. I mean EVERYONE.

Take a look at this list, which I found here.

April 6-7, 1968: The Turtles / The Regiment / The Bubble Gum Machine
April 19-21, 1968: Traffic / The Circus / The Loved Ones
May 10-12, 1968: The Ohio Express (10), Dyke & The Blazers (10-12)
August 3, 1968: Herman’s Hermits / Sunshine Sequence
May 17-19, 1968: The Grass Roots / Howlin’ Wolf / The Rush Hour
January 18, 1969: Buckinghams / Operation Soul / Baby Huey & The Babysitters
January 25, 1969: Stevie Wonder / Motown Sound / Soul Machine
March 1, 1969: Marvin Gaye
March 7-8, 1969: Mitch Ryder / The Trends / Chicago Soul Sextet
March 21, 1969: Steppenwolf / Bangor Flying Circus / Three Dog Night
March 22, 1969: Procol Harum / Howlin’ Wolf / Litter / Little John Blues Band
March 28, 1969: Spencer Davis / Howlin’ Wolf / Albert Smith Blues Band
April 11, 1969: Iron Butterfly / Steve Miller Band
June 13, 1969: Ike & Tina Turner / Four Days & A Night / Dee Dee Turner
August 22, 1969: Moody Blues / Mickey, Larry & The Esiters / Conqueror Worm
November 26, 1969: Beach Boys
April 10, 1970: Pink Floyd / Rotary Connection / Mason Proffit
May 1, 1970 Al Kooper / The Byrds / Bangor Flying Circus/ Second City Cast / One Man’s Family
June 5, 1970 Jethro Tull / Sha-Na-Na
August 25, 1972: The Kinks / Foghat / Dr. Hook and His Medicine Show / Flash
September 30, 1972: Chuck Berry
January 19, 1973: Badfinger / Raspberries / Amazing Blondel
October 12, 1973: ZZ Top / Fleetwood Mac / Nazareth
March 22, 1974 Sly & The Family Stone
April 26, 1974 Eagles / Marshall Tucker
May 17, 1974 Blue Oyster Cult / Aerosmith / Sharks
May 24, 1974 Bachman Turner
October 18, 1974 Aerosmith
November 1, 1974 Lou Reed
March 8, 1975 Queen / Kansas / Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush
April 19, 1975 Kraftwerk /Greenslade
June 28, 1975 Spirit
July 13, 1975 Joe Walsh
October 10, 1975 J. Geils Band
December 15. 1975 Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes / Mountain / Heartsfield
April 9, 1976 Joe Cocker
April 21, 1976 Thin Lizzy
April 22, 1976 Santana
February 25, 1977 Journey /Heartsfield /Mr. Big
April 21, 1978 Elvis Costello /Mike De Ville /Nick Lowe
April 26, 1979 Van Halen /Robert Fleishman
July 13, 1979 Devo
August 2, 1979 Cars /Nick Glider
September 14, 1979 Clash /Bo Diddley /Undertones
October 19, 1979 AC/DC //Pat Travers
October 26, 1979 Talking Heads
November 16, 1979 Scorpions /Sammy Hagar
November 23, 1979 Tom Petty /F. Poodles
December 1, 1979 Jefferson Starship
November 22, 1980 Police /XTC
August 22, 1981 Pretenders /Bureau
April 3, 1982 B-52′s Video Dance Party / The Bongos
September 24, 1982 Joe Jackson
October 31, 1982 George Thorogood /Johnny Winter /Big Twist
November 24, 1982 Adam Ant /One Bullet Theory
December 4, 1982 Stray Cats /Marshall Crenshaw
March 18, 1983 English Beat / Thompson Twins
March 26, 1983 Psychedelic Furs /Depeche Mode
May 21, 1983 U2 / Dream Syndicate
July 15, 1983 Foghat /Krokus /Peter Tosh
November 25, 1983 Cheap trick /Aldo Nova /Danny Sparks
December 16, 1983 Eddie Money /Saga
Febraury 18, 1984 Billy Idol/Elvis Brothers
July 7, 1984 R.E.M. /Dream Syndicate
December 27, 1984 Bryan Adams /Honeymoon Suite
June 21, 1985 Howard Jones/ Red 7
June 23, 1985 Tears for Fears /Gowan
November 24, 1985 Inxs /Cruzados
December 6, 1985 Stevie Ray Vaughan /Eddie Clearwater
March 13, 1987 Beastie Boys /Fishbone /Murphy’s Law
October 18, 1988 Midnight Oil /Yothu Yindi
December 10, 1988 Keith Richards and the X-Pensive Winos
February 9, 1990 Violent Femmes
March 16, 1990 Joe Satriani
November 30, 1990 Jane’s Addiction / Henry Rollins Band
November 29, 1991 Red Hot Chili Peppers /Smashing Pumpkins/ Pearl Jam
October 23, 1993 Nirvana /Mudhoney /Jawbreaker
November 25, 1993 INXS /Catherine Wheel
November 26, 1993 Bodeans /Lowen & Navarro
December 9, 1993 Smashing Pumpkins /Swervedriver Frogs
November 18, 1994 Green Day /Pansy Division
August 8, 1995 Weezer /Teenage Fanclub /That Dog
February 2, 1996 Lenny Kravitz /Triple Fast Action
October 17, 1997 David Bowie/ DJ U-Sheen
October 21, 1997 Foo Fighters /Talk Show /Treble Charge
September 16, 2002: The Rolling Stones.