The 40 greatest concerts in Boston history: 29

J Geils Band + Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | Cape Cod Coliseum | July 15, 1978
By PHOENIX STAFF  |  October 25, 2006

concerts_29

concerts_petty2
TOM PETTY, a guy who looks roughly the same now as he did in the 1970s.

No doubt, there have been dozens of legendary Geils shows over the years at just about anywhere you can play in and around this town. But, as Mark Kates remembers, there was always something special about the shows at the long-gone Cape Cod Coliseum. “There were two aspects: there was the gig and there was the parking lot. I’m not exaggerating — the parking lot was insane. So, you’re 18, you’re outta the house, and if you can get out to the Cape, I mean, what could be better? Part of the thing for that band is that they were so uniquely Boston. And the Coliseum became the place to go see them. So the Cape would become the gathering place for all these kids from the Boston rock scene whenever Geils played the Coliseum. It just symbolized what being young in New England was all about. And to get to see Tom Petty before anyone really knew who he was — that was great.”

403938373635343332313029282726
252423222120191817161514131211
10987654321
<< OasisMadonna + Beastie Boys >>

Were you there? Wish you were? Seen better? Tell us about it below.

Related: Tom Petty, Sound and silence, Boston music news: September 28, 2007, More more >
  Topics: Live Reviews , Mark Kates, The Beastie Boys, Tom Petty
| More


Most Popular
ARTICLES BY PHOENIX STAFF
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   MICHAUD FOR GOVERNOR  |  November 03, 2014
    However you’ve been following the race for Governor this election season, you’ve been hearing it from all sides, so we’ll make this one brief. We urge you to vote for Michael Michaud.
  •   ADVANCED BEAUTY LESSONS  |  November 03, 2014
    Described as a “body-positive visibility project,” Portland’s Jack Tar 207 is all about representation. Models are encouraged to bring their own clothing and personal belongings to the shoot, which owner-designer LK Weiss says brings out “a level of confidence that many people don’t feel in front of a camera.”
  •   LITERALLY LGBT  |  October 31, 2014
    A community-compiled list of important GBLTQ works through the years.  
  •   DEAR PROVIDENCE PHOENIX...  |  October 15, 2014
    Some made us chuckle, others made us choke up.
  •   BACK TO REALITY  |  September 18, 2014
    If you’re a student in southern Maine and are at all interested in arts and humanities, and have a budget of exactly $10 to spend on any one event, there’s a lot in your favor.

 See all articles by: PHOENIX STAFF