The Concert Search: Best Ways to Find Shows

An example of iConcertCal listing shows.|Screenshot from iConcertCal.com

Boston has a great local music scene and a plethora of resources for touring bands. With so many shows going on all the time and so many bands to keep track of, it’s easier to use these resources to check for shows and be at ease about being up to date.

LiveNation.com
This is a pretty obvious resource. Although LiveNation can be very annoying, it is a pretty good consolidation of the main venues in the area. Enter a zip code and search by venue, band, genre, etc. It is also possible to get monthly calendar updates for the chosen venues. Tip: Try to avoid buying tickets online. Sometimes they are cheaper at the venue.

iConcertCal
iConcert Cal is a listing of local shows that is easier to navigate. It is also more in depth. This is a free application that can be downloaded online. It creates a calendar that lists the appearances of bands in a subscriber’s iTunes. Subscribers can enter the zip code nearest to them and then scroll though the months. Also, whenever the subscriber plays that music on their iTunes, an alert pops up in the upper right hand corner letting them know if and when (and where and with who!) that band is playing, as well as any upcoming album releases.

DoDIY.org
This is a great resource for smaller local show spaces. It even has an Allston section. It is also not specific to Massachusettes, so remember to take advantage of this site at home. These are venues that won’t be featured on a site like LiveNation or listed in the iConcertCal since they are mostly houses used to host shows. These types of concerts have a different vibe. They’re a little more intimate but a whole lot of fun. The links on this site will redirect users to the specific venues.

Which way is North?| Screenshot from bostoncccompass.com

Counter Cultural Compass
The Counter Cultural Compass is a monthly zine and an online resource that is a really great collection of local happenings. Again, these are the shows people do not hear about unless they have local connections. The creator of the Compass also runs the Whitehaus, a house venue in Jamaica Plain and a record label for lots of great local bands.

Lemming Trail
Another site geared towards local events, Lemming Trail is set up like an online forum. Most of it is worth ignoring, but under the Events tab there is an in-depth listing of shows by date, from venues like the Paradise and the Great Scott to the Church of Boston and the Democracy center.

If there is a specific venue that looks like fun, make sure to follow their twitter as well for frequent updates. Don’t just stick to the same main venues. Lots of good bands pass through Boston, and they perform everywhere, not just the places that are well-known. An often overlooked venue is Newbury Comics, which has free in-store performances. These can be pretty crowded, so make sure to get there early. It’s often worth it since many of the bands stick around for signings as well. The Brighton Music Hall is another venue that may not come to mind right away, but it has hosted great bands and is right past campus.

Boston is a great place to listen to live music. With these resources, anyone can catch a show.

2 Comments on “The Concert Search: Best Ways to Find Shows”

  1. Also check out TourFilter (www.tourfilter.com) You can import your band library from iTunes and it will let you know when those bands are touring. It’s a little annoying because each city requires a separate login – so if you join as a Boston member, you can’t login on the New York City sub-section. That’s an awful user experience, but at least it achieves what it’s supposed to.

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