Guns N’ Roses at Fenway ushers live music back to Boston

Live music’s calculated, paced return to Boston post-pandemic reached an eardrum-pounding, cymbal-crashing crescendo Tuesday night as Guns N’ Roses opened Fenway Park’s 2021 concert series in front of tens of thousands of fans.

The ’80s extravaganza marked the first large-scale concert in Boston since early 2020. Guns N’ Roses was originally scheduled to play Fenway last July 21, but the pandemic derailed just about every nationwide touring act.

But fans had a little patience … and waited over a year to see Slash, Axl and the rest of the band.

“I knew Axl would come through for us,” said GNR fan Donna Cote, who joined family members in pre-concert drinks at the Cask ‘n Flagon.

“I’ve been waiting more than 10 years for this to happen. This used to be my favorite band ever. It’s been a while,” said one local fan and musician who goes by the name Dizz Sticks.

Fenway Park has become a popular touring destination for headliners like Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen over the last 20 years. The park has a capacity of more than 37,000 seats, but concert capacity can vary depending on an act’s stage setup. Fenway’s events staff has numerous other musicians lined up through the fall, including Billy Joel, Green Day and Aerosmith.

A front-row ticket to Tuesday’s Guns N’ Roses show cost more than $2,000, according to third-party ticket vendor websites.

But for concertgoers, getting into the show was priceless.

“This is our first concert back since COVID,” said Angie Carroll, who traveled to Boston from New Hampshire with her husband.

“This is phenomenal. So many of our concerts had been canceled, so this is the first one that we’re back at,” Cote said. “We can’t go to Kenny Chesney, but we’re going to Guns N’ Roses, so that’s even better.”

The return of concerts at Fenway is also music to local business owners’ ears. Concerts bring massive crowds to bars and restaurants while the Red Sox are on the road.

“Fenway is back. Everybody is out here enjoying the Red Sox, enjoying the concerts. We’re going to have a great rest of the summer and into the fall,” said Matthew Casey of Lyons Group, which operates Lansdowne Pub and other Fenway bars.

 

 

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3jiBgSq