That One Time Beastie Boys Played Worcester During the 2004 ALCS
We’re coming up on the anniversary of when Beastie Boys played Worcester while the Red Sox got played in the Bronx.
The two events took place on October 12, 2004. They are forever linked in my brain. At the time, I was hosting middays on the late and legendary WBCN. My job was to head out to Worcester and give away a few pairs of Beasties tickets before their show at the Centrum. I was posted up at the Uno’s across from the venue pre-show, armed with my enter-to-win box and a stomach full of butterflies, as the Red Sox and Yankees were about to get the ALCS underway in New York.
My plan was to give the tickets away, then belly up to the bar and watch the game. I know that might strike you as strange, especially if you listen to my show on the regular: I’m a huge Beasties fan. But this was Red Sox-Yankees in October. This was important. And then it wasn’t. As you probably remember, this was not the bloody sock game. Red Sox starter Curt Schilling was shelled for 6 runs in the first 3 innings on the way to a 10-7 Game 1 loss. I left the bar after the 3rd.
Beastie Boys Played Worcester
Hey, at least I got to see the Beasties, right? Their high-energy show was the perfect balm to soothe my Sox-related soreness. Again, this show was almost two decades ago, so my memory is a bit fuzzy. I seem to recall a tiki/island theme (complete with proper attire) for part of the set. And the band was touring behind To the 5 Boroughs, so plenty of jams from that album. Actually, just read the Boston Globe’s review of the show here. And take a look at the setlist below. I won’t bother sharing any lowlights from the Sox game. It still stings.