Scoop Time: Shea Stadium to Host Live Earth
We’ve got a juicy rumor that seems to be making the jump to fact. A number of industry sources have indicated to us that the North American segment of the Live Earth festival will be held at Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens.
Hey, Gore, Shea is a shithole. Perhaps the organizers were feeling a bit of nostalgia, as the home of the Mets will be closing after the 2008 baseball season.
Aside from the word of our sources, here’s another clue: The Mets will be away from the park from June 29th to July 11th, giving the organizers and field crew plenty of time to assemble and take down the stage and production elements.
The 07/07/07 Live Earth is a 24-hour festival billed as the “The Concert for a Climate in Distress.” Al Gore, the main spokeperson for the worldwide event, says it will take place at seven separate locations, each one on a different continent. Confirmed locations include London’s Hyde Park, Johannesburg, Shanghai, and Sydney. The venue in Antarctica has yet to be announced, but I have a feeling that will be an easy ticket no matter at which igloo the bands play.
The performers that have been announced at press time are:
* AFI * Akon * The Black Eyed Peas * Bloc Party * Bon Jovi * Corrine Bailey Rae * Damien Rice * Duran Duran * Enrique Iglesias * Fall Out Boy * Faith Hill * Foo Fighters * Genesis * John Mayer * John Legend * Kanye West * Keane * Kelly Clarkson * Kenna * Korn * Lenny Kravitz * Maná * Melissa Etheridge * Paolo Nutini * Pharrell Williams * The Police * Ray LaMontagne * Red Hot Chili Peppers * Robin Thicke * Sheryl Crow * Snoop Dogg * Snow Patrol * Tim McGraw
Read on for more on the storied history of rock concerts at Shea Stadium…
Over the years Shea has hosted a number of rock concerts, including a 1983 Police show. As such, The Police are the only confirmed band that has played the stadium before. Perhaps history will be repeated.
The history of rock concerts at Shea Stadium:
- August 15th, 1965: The Beatles
- August 23rd, 1966: The Beatles
- August 6th, 1970: The Summer Festival for Peace featuring Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix
- July 23rd, 1976: Jethro Tull
- October 12-13th, 1982: The Who
- August 6th, 1983: Simon and Garfunkel
- August 18th, 1983 : The Police
- October 10-11, 25-26, 28-29th, 1989: The Rolling Stones
- August 21st-22nd, 1992: Eric Clapton and Elton John
- October 1st, 3rd-4th, 2003: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Previously on Hidden Track: Al Gore Invents A Rock Concert, Three Big Names Added to Live Earth
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Jimi Hendrix DID play the Shea gig in August 1970. I know, I was there, I remember it as one of the greatest days of my life. think of it Peter Paul and Mary, Tom Paxton, Paul Simon, Poco, Creedence, Steppenwolf, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix all in one fantastic night.
I collect rare recordings. If anyone knows where to get a recording of that concert I would be most appreciative if you’d send me an e-mail ymskrecordings@aol.com
Thanks!
Peace, Love and Rock and Roll!!!
August 26th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Fuck all of you dickheads for calling Shea a shithole!
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:38 pm
If Hendrix was there, he was in the seats – I think I would remember him. We spent a good part of the day trying to sneak into the stadium. Must have walked around it 20 times. On one of our turns, a limo pulled up and out popped Richie Havens. We went up to him and asked him to get us in and he said, “sorry man – I wiash I could, but I just can’t.” On our next trip around, a limo pulled up and out pops Janis. She was wearing the same outfit she had on for Cavett. We went up to her too and she said “Get the fuck away from me you lousy fuckin kids.” When we finally got inside, no one believed that she was there, but when she came out, she certainly rocked the place despite her tirade about turning the lights down. I found Steppenwolf’s “Monster” to be the hit of the concert. I was sitting on the steps and Shea was definitely swaying. Amazing how many people don’t believe me when I tell them about this concert. I guess it wasn’t marketed very well.
February 11th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
HERE IS THE LIST I USED FOR MY PIECE:
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/ballpark/highlights.jsp
Blame the Mets! I always do.
February 11th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
how come Grand Funk Railroad isn’t on your list of performers
that played shea ?????? they played the stadium in July, 1971
February 11th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
AGAIN!!!
JIMI HENDRICKS DID NOT PLAY SHEA STADIUM ON AUGUST 6, 1970.. I WOULD REMEMBER IF HE WAS …… I WAS THERE !!!!!!!!
SHOW ME WHERE THIS IS PUBLISHED THAT HE WAS THERE !!!!!!
September 11th, 2007 at 12:33 am
I tried to explain this concert to my son after he watched the VMA and commented on the sad state of music right now.
I was 15 years old, sitting in the nosebleed section so we could smoke it up! My first love, the vibe of the stadium, the fucking music, OOWWWW. Once in a lifetime, unexplainable, still brings me right back to that place in time.
Hendrix was there. Didn’t he break a guitar???
More, give me more….
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:45 pm
hello STEVEB (you were asking if anyone remembered who played
shea stadium on august 6, 1970)i was 17 and stood on line from the night before with my then boyfriend (now husband)
as there wasn’t assigned seating and we wanted good seats… we sat just over the mets’ dugout, they were some of the best seats on the house ….. the show was magical …. the variety
of acts and music ….. bands just showing up and playing (like janis)….. all for the price of about $16.00 for 12 hours of music … peter yarrow opened the show and ccr closed the show …..i remember most of the performers (not in any particular order).. peter yarrow, pacific gas & electric, tom paxton,dionne warwick, johnny winter, the original cast of hair, ccr (i also remember the music stopping because the tiers were rocking up & down), paul simon, james gang, poco, 10 wheel drive, al kooper, richie havens, sha-na-na, miles davis, the young rascals, stepphenwolf,janis joplin (she was NOT a scheduled performer — she was a surprise guest — i remember her performance like i saw her yesterday ……she did “ball & chain”, “summertime”, “turtle blues” and “piece of my heart”, all while consuming a bottle of southern comfort) AND I DO NOT REMEMBER SEEING OR HEARING JIMI HENDRIX or otherwise (i would really like to know where it comes from that he was there)it is only recently that i have even heard any references to this show ….. for a long time only archivists and members of the audience had a vague memory of it….
well steveb … i hope this helps you ……
rock on
May 30th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
Steve B.
It was my first concert, I remember CCR stopping so all in upper deck could be brought down due to sway at shea
April 24th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
I attended the Festival for Peace concert (August 6, 1970) at Shea Stadium. What a great event. Janis, CCR, Paul Simon, The James Gang and many other groups. Concert began around 10 a.m. and ended around 11 pm.
Is there anyone who can give me a complete list of artists who performed at the show?
This upcoming Live Earth show reminds me of that concert.
Many Thanks.
Steve
April 10th, 2007 at 10:39 am
[...] Live Earth Lands at Shea Giants Stadium Al Gore’s been quite successful so far in inventing a seven-continent, 24-hour rock concert, and today he’s sticking it to Hidden Track. A month ago we relayed a reliable double-sourced rumor that Live Earth would take place at Shea Stadium, and our sources maintain that was the case. Only today, the Live Earth folks kicked us in the shins and said it will set up shop at Giants Stadium. Sorry ’bout that. [...]
March 15th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Does anybody know, where the London concert will take place? Wembley or Hyde Park? Wembley or Hyde Park? In Some articles there is written that concert will take place in Wembley. So what is true?
March 15th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
I saw that article, we’ll see what happens. I also read that Led Zep, Pink Floyd, and The Police will be headlining.
March 15th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
I’ve read, that concert will take place at Capitol.
March 8th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
One more for the list:
June 9, 1971: Grand Funk Railroad
March 7th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Hi there. Despite your math and your source, there’s one situational thing you didn’t take into account – the fact that the rear of Shea Stadium is now almost completely gone due to the construction of the new stadium. I don’t know how they’d get the trucks in to unload, I don’t know where the backstage would be (the picnic area is almost gone), and there is NO, repeat, NO parking left.
I was out there last weekend getting some shots of the construction so you can see for yourself:
http://flickr.com/photos/metsgrrl
Particularly http://flickr.com/photos/metsgrrl/409563254/
this is where field tickets entered the stadium when Springsteen played there. There used to be a huge area back there along with an enormous parking lot. Not any more.
I know that Shea is easily accessible via public transportation but it was a clusterfuck last year during the playoffs and they’d barely fenced off any of the one parking lot.
Plus it makes no sense that they’d allow the chance that the show could fuck up the turf in the middle of the season. Really, really illogical when Giants Stadium is freely available and has none of these logistical concerns.
March 7th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Shea = Shit Hole
March 7th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
“Paolo Nutini.” Ahhuhuhuh…huh..huh..ahuhuhh. “Nutini.”
March 7th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Ace, you know me better than I know myself. ‘Course, I stand by the sox not giving Pedro that 4th year.
March 7th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
REM opened for the Police at that Shea Stadium show in 83, right after releasing Murmur. epic.
March 7th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
I think what Stu is trying to say is, Omar Minaya has assembled a much better lineup at Shea.
March 7th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Maybe he’s trying to get more buzz going with the shitty lineup.
You know, anyone can get a great lineup for a great cause. But if you get a shitty lineup for a great cause, not only do you have buzz going about the great cause, but you have additional buzz going because people are also talking about how you managed to get a shitty lineup for that great cause.
“This is so smart, it’s retarded.”
March 7th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
i saw the clapton/elton concert there… not exactly the best place for a show..they covered the grass with a tarp. curtis stigers opened for them. if i remember right, the stage was right in centerfield where the apple in the hat is. clapton rocked..elton was pretty good too.
March 7th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Who’s playing that seventh continent — The Antarctic Monkeys? Heyyyyyyo (Hi, I’m Brian).