Ryan Benharris has gone through the list of concerts at Fenway Park since they started in 2003, and found that out of all 66 concerts, only one has had a black headliner - and that even then, Jay-Z had to share billing with Justin Timberlake.
Hosting one (or one half) of a concert by a non-white performer over the course of sixteen years on public permits is discrimination of the most blatant kind.
It’s not just on the city. It’s on the Red Sox. It’s on the artists like Zak Brown Band, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Phish, and Billy Joel to at least acknowledge that this is happening in Boston.
Entirely white performers at every show at Fenway Park don’t represent the Red Sox and they don’t represent Boston. The citizens of Boston deserve better than this bad look.
Do better @RedSox
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Comments
How many black performers
By anon
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 5:27pm
How many black performers have been denied the venue due to the color of their skin?
wow!
By berkleealum
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 11:34am
great question!
/s
wow this is a serious reach
By anon
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 5:30pm
the white guilt is so real with you and what ever idiot wrote this, its pathetic. artists choose on their own to perform at the td garden because their show will have a much, much, much better chance of their show selling out. how does that have anything to do with fenway????
This isn’t a reach using UHub
By Murkin
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 9:34pm
This isn’t a reach using UHub standards.
you mean double standards
By anon
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 8:48am
you mean double standards
You are the one jumping to conclusions
By SwirlyGrrl
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 9:50pm
Nobody called anyone a racist.
Somebody just asked a question.
When someone goes off the deep end because someone asked a question, well, isn't THAT a sign of guilt?
It’s “Going off the deep end”
By Ryan Benharris
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 9:33am
It’s “Going off the deep end” to ask a single question about why a venue that is an international tourist destination has had one black performer and one female performer in 16 years?
The quote was, "[it] is
By Joe Blow
Wed, 02/06/2019 - 2:37pm
The quote was, "[it] is discrimination of the most blatant kind". That's not asking a question.
I love that I’m an “idiot
By Ryan Benharris
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 9:31am
I love that I’m an “idiot with white guilt” while you’re a guy who has to post anonymously because youre too ashamed of your opinion to give your name
Probably posting anonymously
By Carmella
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 3:20pm
Probably posting anonymously so he doesn’t have an army of pink hats outside his house terrorizing his family because they don’t appreciate diversity of opinion.
Ah yes
By erik g
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 4:01pm
That well-known demographic of terrorizers, protesters from the women’s march who will hunt you down and stake out your house.
Which is to say: have you ever met or spoken to someone who wasn’t a trump voter? It might inform your ability to comment on things on the scary internet.
Odds are
By capecoddah
Sun, 02/03/2019 - 10:10pm
Odds are no. Trump had so many voters.
Pass the popcorn
By StillFromDorchester
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 6:36pm
This will be entertaining.
For this ownership group money talks...
By Anon
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 6:38pm
Making money any way possible is the what this ownership group does best ie selling fenway bricks, dirt etc. I agree those numbers look very lopsided but I think they would welcome any performer that can sell the place out. How do these numbers compare to concerts hosted at Gillette stadium & other 40k person capacity venues across the country? And not to nitpick but the majority of Dave Matthews Band is African/African American (though their fan base may not be).
Follow Up Question
By SwirlyGrrl
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 10:00pm
What performers of color could fill Fenway?
Not generically, but fill an arena the size of Fenway with people from the Boston area?
I'm thinking someone like Bruno Marz could sell that many seats ... but I'm old and white so I'm not that familiar with what is popular right now.
Those in the know should make some suggestions.
The Fenway concerts seem geared to "classic rock" favorites to lure old people with money to buy $100 tickets and merch, which rules out a lot of potential acts wanting to sign on.
Old and white is not a barrier
By Will LaTulippe
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 10:12pm
Make Kiss 108 happen, Swirls. Popular songs are played every 1h40m now.
Ariana Grande, trap rappers, and the giant rectangles of noise that are known as Imagine Dragons are among the most popular contemporary acts.
Please
By Pool Guy
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 11:27pm
Ahh yes.... those pesky "old" and apparently wealthy, white people. Can't we ship them off to Florida already?? $100 dollar tickets??? When's the last time you paid to go to a concert?
Beyonce and JayZ
By A Person
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 8:27am
Beyonce and JayZ sold out multiple arenas in each city of their European and US tour for On The Run II.
They played Gillette
By RichM
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 3:50pm
The stands hold 65,000 and whatever they can put on the field....sell a lot more tickets compared to Fenway.
I was going to compose a list
By Lmo
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 12:06pm
I was going to compose a list but, the same performers of color who fill The Garden?
$100 tix, I wish
By Stevil
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 6:15pm
Went to buy Billy Joel tix and they were $150, Ok, high, but fine for a treat. Then there was $40 convenience fee. We passed.
He'll sell out, but the fees are getting ridiculous.
Gave up season tix a few years back for the same reason.
BTS could easily fill Fenway.
By anon
Sun, 02/03/2019 - 10:50am
BTS could easily fill Fenway.
Spot on
By capecoddah
Sun, 02/03/2019 - 10:00pm
And don't forget the venue needs an overwhelming amount of suckers to buy 7 dollar sodas and 10 dollar beers (I may be out of touch on that exact pricing but I remember taking a second mortgage to buy beers at Garth Brooks in the 90s... my last concert attended).
I checked the top grossing acts of the last four decades on the wikis. Swirls is spot on globally. Classic rock/Arena rock was and still is king. The Jacksons being the glaring exception.
For the record, I don't get U2. I Ubered their last Gillette gig and can say that the attendees I transported don't really get them either.... but they sure liked saying they attended. Fyre mentality. Geesh.
I literally feel like this post is so not progressive
By TrophyWifeLinda
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 6:49pm
Daddy and I feel like the Red Sox make the most of making people feel welcoming. We have white ball GIRLS at the HOT corners. We asked a certain african american writer who said he loves listening to Lady Gaga and the Rolling Stones when trying to get home late at night after being at the bar and we even told him how much we like and accept his dreadlocks to let him know how culturally sensitive we be woke.
Do you know hard it is to get Beyonce, or Selena, or Kanye, or PSY, or A.R Rahman to come to Fenway? It turns out, because we resarched it, that those people don't eat the same type of culturally empowered equitable meals that we have at Fenway. So we thought we would be insulting them if we asked them to have a Fenway Frank or $8 cup of ice cream out of a plastic batting helmet. We're saving us the embarrassment of showing how unprepared we are to be more aware.
I'm not a huge country music fan, but many of them it turns out do like hot dogs and soul cycling and the type of all american well balanced foods that we offer and beer. We made the couscous decision not to invite people in case we offended them which would be worse publicity. So we did invite some country music people because they would not feel offended.
So I think the Red Sox should be commended for not doing anything racially insensitive? We have invited artists young and old. Transvestites love Lady Gaga, she calls them her tiny creatures, We are totally open minded and welcoming just like Brookline where we let some of those Metco kids come in to our public schools too. Our valedictorians do well.
People need to be more nice, and kind and appreciate that it takes all types and kinds and comments and we need to empower and support those who want give everyone voices and songs from everywhere.
We're not racist our sister's cousin in law is black. We love this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43gm3CJePn0
I'm hoping for NBA Young Boy to come and play HubWeek and Fenway next year and give an eloquent speech about becoming a millionaire as a millennial. It's all about the Benjamins!
Don't hate the player, hate the game.
#metoo
#soulcycle
#Benjamins
?
By dvg
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 7:24pm
?
Reddit Rules?
By tachometer
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 11:30am
Adam, can we please get Reddit style buttons so that we can downvote this crap to oblivion? I generally don't look at user names and I'm tired of wasting my time with the one or two sentences I read before realizing it's another wall of unfunny drivel from this user.
just catching on?
By anon105
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 7:14pm
that the lineup has been heavy from the start with members of the Not Quite Dead Yet Poets Society?
in b4
By erik g
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 7:33pm
Roman points out that technically, white is an ethnicity not a race. Or points out that actually, Hitler had some good ideas and the rest just got blown out of proportion. Whichever.
Nice troll, good troll
By Roman
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 12:11pm
will this little snack tide you over until dinner?
Wrong
By Boston_Bloke
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 9:59pm
Wrong. White is a color. Caucasian is a race. Irish-American, Italian-American, Polish-American, Armenian-American, Greek-American, those are ethnicities.
Unfortunately....
By Hardy Har Har
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 7:41pm
Snitch9ine won't be available for the foreseeable future.
Is any Boston music geared toward non-white audiences?
By Friartuck
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 8:17pm
I have to go to Lynn or Revere for Latin music..
Seneca rocks!
By Wiffleball
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 9:31pm
Nothing better than having Phaedra blasting out of thumpa-thumpa cars as they creep by. Happily, they seem to make housecalls all over Boston so I don't have to go to the "Latin Quarter" to get my fill.
/It is still okay to say "Latin Quarter"? I do so want to be, as the kids say, "excitant."
Don't apply a color to Latin music
By Boston_Bloke
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 11:08pm
Latin is Latin. Stop applying your own fixation about color. Some Hispanics are black, some are white. Many are mixed race. None worry about it.
Social justice warriors apply the term People of Color to Latinos to try to increase the ranks but in the end their focus is always African Americans.
You are so right...
By Friartuck
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 7:32am
Reggaeton is totally white people music, bachatta too I suppose?
Depends on the day, I guess
By Sock_Puppet
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 7:40am
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/8f/05/b1/8f05b1d3c47d770...
It's Bachata
By Boston_Bloke
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 10:00pm
And it's Dominican.
Have you ever been out in
By Lmo
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 12:07pm
Have you ever been out in Boston?
Who's The Black Jimmy Buffett?
By Oscar Worthy
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 8:30pm
The vast majority of Fenway shows are old geezer bands. Bands that have been consistently touring for years and maintaining the kind of concert fan base that will come out for stadium shows year after year. And how many Black artists fit that bill?
Look at who was on the R&B charts when Pearl Jam or Billy Joel were at their peak and see how many of those artists are touring and filling 20K+ venues anywhere. If Cameo or Bell Biv DeVoe are selling out baseball stadiums in every city in America but Boston, there might be more to this guys critique. But the issue at Fenway seems more about age and longevity than race.
mary j. blige, nas, laryn
By schneidz
Sun, 02/03/2019 - 12:05am
mary j. blige, nas, laryn hill, maxwell, erykah badu,... are still touring stadium venues.
MJB Has 1 Headliner Concert Scheduled for 2019
By Oscar Worthy
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 1:26am
At a minor league basketball arena outside of Memphis.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org
By schneidz
Sun, 02/03/2019 - 12:04am
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_and_Queen_of_...
That and newer, younger
By Refugee
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 12:16pm
That and hotter, newer performers will choose Gillette (cap 60,000) over Fenway (cap 35,000) or the Garden (cap 20,000)
Fenway's smaller, but commands a nostalgia premium.
+1; this is basic non
By schneidz
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 8:44pm
+1; this is basic non-inclusiveness in boston (persons tend to get bent outta' shape when the r-word is dropped).
the powers that be that make decisions on who to recruit to perform dont have a lot of black friends. so when they are planning a concert then rolling stones pop into their mind and not mary j.
why is sweet caroline the 7th inning stretch song and not poison (we give more love to some random singer than a local band that recorded one of the best songs of all time).
like a lot of things in boston, this just isnt intended for me.
BBD was a fine vocal act
By Will LaTulippe
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 9:18pm
But they're no band. The Roots are a band. Kool and the Gang are a band. Earth, Wind & Fire is a band. One of those three is busy with a nightly TV show. I don't know what the other two are up to, but I would be (expletive) delighted to see them at Fenway.
As for Jay-Z at Fenway, Big Pimpin' was, and always will be, my jam, and the greatest rejection of monogamy ever put into song (even though he chased Texas Yoko Ono in the end), but there's no chance I would ever pay a nickel to see a rapper in concert. I can stay home and listen to records for free. What guitar solo is Shawn Carter gonna bust out for me?
Ughh
By Boston_Bloke
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 11:11pm
I love R&B but I'll pass on BBD and Jay Z. I saw BBD at the Budweiser Superfest many years ago, they just aren't good live, and Jay Z is simply nasty.
The type of R&B I want to see isn't going to perform at Fenway or Gillette anyways .
I'm happy with India Aire, Jennifer Hudson or Patti LaBelle in smaller venues. It's all about quality, not quantity, who cares about the bean counters fixation on color.
No Lie
By capecoddah
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 11:30pm
When I read the headline of this article, I was all like "Well dang, I'd go see Earth Wind and Fire if they played Fenway". Then it occurred to me that I have no idea what race Earth Wind and Fire were. Teh Googles show they are black. Okay.
So now I need a rock solid bucket list artist or band to get all properly virtue signaled....
Harry Belafonte before he went insane...or dead... I have no idea. Too late for that anyway due to his insanity. Run DMC.... but it ain't the same without JMJ. Slick Rick! I would pay over 100 a ticket for Slick Rick..... the guy with the thing on his eye.... which brings me to Nicki Minaj. Is she black? I would attend a Minaj or Cardi B concert for free...... I owe Cardi B a favor anyway.
Virtue. Signaled.
And for the record, BBD were lab created, not artistically formed. Another fake band put it best "You know so much of the music we here today is preprogrammed electronic disco. You never get a chance to hear master bluesmen practicing their craft anymore
By the year 2006 the music known today as the blues will exist only in the classical records department in your local public library So tonight, ladies and gentlemen
While we still can let us welcome from Rock Island Illinois The blues music from Elliot Jake and Elwood Blue, the Blues Brothers"
Uninclusive
By Carmella
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 3:18pm
I find it wrong that in this day and age we are celebrating bands that are only made up of one race. How can any singular race band’s music be enjoyed when we know that the band that’s making the music doesn’t celebrate diversity?
Uninclusive
By Carmella
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 3:18pm
I find it wrong that in this day and age we are celebrating bands that are only made up of one race. How can any singular race band’s music be enjoyed when we know that the band that’s making the music doesn’t celebrate diversity?
Dig this,
By anon
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 7:45am
Dig this,
Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire - Live at the Greek Theatre '04
https://youtu.be/XzFPG4UtVko?t=3
Why Sweet Caroline?
By Waquiot
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 10:23pm
Because it was played once between innings and the fans reacted well to it. The batters come up to all genres of music, but for some reason that Neil Diamond song has stuck. It's odd, but since my favorite soccer club is know for singing a song from the Rogers and Hamerstein musical Carousel, I cannot criticize the taste of sports fan.
That said, perhaps the owners of said soccer club could perhaps experiment on some non-white acts. I mean, since they now have a bunch of concerts each summer, one or two days wouldn't hurt.
It predates Fenway's use as a Boston thing
By tachometer
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 11:49am
Jim Plunkett (not the quarterback) has been playing around Boston and Cape Cod for years and his fan base definitely leans towards the "townie" type. His shows feature a lot of call and response type stuff that he "trains" the audience in and his version of Sweet Caroline featured the now infamous "so good, so good, so good" by the audience. After they introduced recorded music in addition to the organ at Fenway when it was played it was almost a Pavlovian response in the stands by people who would see him and it ended up catching on with a wider audience through that. I saw Jim Plunkett many times long before recorded music and Sweet Caroline was a thing at Fenway and even introduced the "so good" chant to a bar I worked at in DC when in college which was well before that too.
Here's the originator.
Holy crap grampa
By Smart Arse
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 5:07pm
Damn that guy must be REALLY old.
(and you as well).
The background
By Stevil
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 6:25pm
At least how I recall hearing it from an insider, the young guy in charge of the music was having a baby and got The Call. Threw on Sweet Caroline because they were naming the baby...you guessed it, and made for the hospital. The rest, as they say, is history.
I heard something similar
By tachometer
Sun, 02/03/2019 - 7:11am
That could be the background as to why the song was first played over the PA system at Fenway. It's just that a lot of people think seem to think that the "so good" chant originated at the park but it was definitely a thing around town before that.
So unworld class. Next thing
By anon
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 9:38pm
So unworld class. Next thing you know people will be hurling racial epitaphs at Fenway Park.
Racial Epitaphs
By SwirlyGrrl
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 9:58pm
Trying to think of what that might look like.
Something like "Here Lies An Old White Idiot Buried In His MAGA Hat. Good Riddance."
Or maybe one of those angels in blackface on the tombstone?
Or better yet
By Smart Arse
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 10:29pm
the Governor of Virginia
Or
By Stephen Bickerton Sr
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 9:17am
Whoopie and Black faceTed Danson. Are they still touring?
Snoop dog. Does he still tour with women on leashes?
Bean Counter ! !
By Boston_Bloke
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 11:03pm
The diversity police are on patrol.
Adam can we get your input on
By anon
Fri, 02/01/2019 - 11:53pm
Adam can we get your input on this? It seems to me that you post these articles as click bait.
You need internet traffic on your site, a site that is often informative, and which many of us do appreciate. But sometimes you post articles like these that scream “comment here, to justify my existence to my advertisers”.
Fenway host concerts that will sell out. That’s all there is to it.
Your thoughts? Are you about to buy a ticket to a Chief Keef concert? Or is A Tribe Called Quest, a fantastic rap group, reuinting and coming soon to a stadium near me? Cause I would go.
What’s your favorite Tribe song?
Clickbait?
By adamg
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 11:59am
If what I'm posting offends you, don't click on it. Pretty simple.
Most people seem to follow that advice, because, based on my logs, I'm a complete failure at clickbaitery.
First, the page that gets the most views, by far, on any given day is the home page. I don't post links on social media directly to the home page, so strike one for my alleged clickbait efforts.
Second, the logs also show that over the past 30 days, almost half my visitors are "direct" visitors (46.2% to be exact), meaning they came here through a bookmark or typing in the URL, rather than following one of the links I so deviously spread around Twitter and Facebook (or which my minions so deviously spread around). Another 37% are coming in via search engines, which means they're looking for something specific.
So most people are not being baited by my links. They're repeat visitors (in a given month, about 72% are return visitors) who, for whatever reasons, just want to see what I'm posting. And because I sort of still adhere to blog style, you don't even have to click on a link on the home page to get the main point of most of my posts. If I had to depend on clickbait, I'd have had to declare bankruptcy long ago.
As for concerts at Fenway, I've never been to a single one, even though I'm right in Billy Joel's target demographic. I'm kind of a homebody, up here in the HubCave in our mountain fastness.
So, no, personally, the artist roster at Fenway doesn't affect me one way or or the other. But I am interested in the sort of city we are and are becoming. And in a city that is now minority majority, yes, I am very interested in things like the an analysis of the racial makeup of concerts at one of the city's largest venues, especially when they show that less than 1% of those concerts are by artists who aren't white.
An interesting thing about the clicks
By Waquiot
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 10:59pm
Twice, I've been looking for something, did a google search, and was directed to your page. The first was when I was curious if anyone had done anything on the Canterbury Brook (great work, by the way.) The other was today, when I was looking for a list of Fenway concerts after reading this (nothing, but if someone has a good list, please link.)
compared to what?
By Roger Fink
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 2:46am
It's a lot of work for somebody, but the same analysis for all the 40,000+ seat big-city concert venues would say a lot about to what degree this is a nationwide phenomenon and where Boston fits into it. There are going to be disparities and they would be interesting.
FWIW, I agree with Mr. Benhariss' sentiments.
Boston subconscious Racist
By Jay
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 3:07am
This could very welll be the only large city in the western world where you point out 65 white artist to 1 black artist in a city with a 2:1 white:black ratio...and the white people say you’re ‘reaching’.
Then they wanna complain about ‘the media’ giving the city a bad rep. You’re all doing that on this board-and y’all are the liberal ones.
You all deserve a round of applause for your adamantv enial and obtuseness. Truly inspirational racism, truly.
Black people (and white people) all over the globe know you’re here and it’s probably why they’re not eager to perform in one of Boston’s most famous venues. This is the majority of the audience.
Anyone who’s not disgusted at the count is a racist of some degree and that’s not really debatable.
So the residents of the city
By Lmo
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 12:16pm
So the residents of the city of Boston choose who plays at Fenway now?!? Nah, that’s BS.
Do performers contact Fenway to play concerts at the venue or vice versa? If Fenway is seeking out ppl to perform and not including artists of color, that is a problem, a big problem. But if performers contact Fenway to book the venue, who fault is it that artists of color haven’t played there?
You would need to ask Drake or Bruno Marz...
By Pete Nice
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 12:25pm
Because those two are really the only two big "non white" concert tours going around that didn't play there (except for a few Latin stars). The Jay Z/Beyonce concert was there, and they are in the top 5 concert tours out of anyone.
Everyone else probably isn't going to sell enough tickets. So except for Bruno and Drake, I can't think of anyone you could put in there that might sell out?
Migos, Nicki Minaj?
By Lmo
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 1:09pm
Migos, Nicki Minaj?
Mijos is with Drake and Minaj has bombed....
By Pete Nice
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 2:19pm
So I still can't think of many others except for some top Latin stars, who do well at other Boston venues (Garden and Agganis)
Black owned radio gave up on Boston too
By Boston_Bloke
Sat, 02/02/2019 - 10:27pm
If this is your concern in life then consider yourself privileged. There are people in Venezuela who haven't had a full meal in months but your concern in life is if Mary J Blige adds Fenway to her tour calendar.
Music is a genre not a color. Fenway attracts a certain music genre, mostly classic rock, that has nothing to do with color. R&B acts head to Lynn or Malden. Should we get our undies in a twist that Billy Joel isn't playing at the Lynn Auditorium? It's actually a nice venue and GREAT for seeing a concert. Much more intimate than Fenway. But you're too hung up on bean counting to see that many R&B artists perform at what is clearly an undervalued venue.
Another big issue is demographics. Bean counters focus too much on the color of the population. Boston has a large black population but it is heavily Haitian and Caribbean and not African-American.
That impacts the audiences available for concert tours.
Radio and the music industry are somewhat tied to each other. Media One is the largest black owned media company in the US and even they gave up on Boston. Media One couldn't make an urban contemporary formatted radio successful in Boston. Now iHeartMedia has it on 97.7 R&B, albeit an R&B station with a very bland, corporate tested playlist, that relies on attracting suburbanites who's taste in R&B is limited to pop acts like TLC and En Vogue. This station would fail miserably in Philly or New York competing against real R&B stations like WDAS and WBLS that play real R&B
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