Billie Eilish Has Played 5 Boston Shows, A Look Back
At the 66th Grammy Awards, we saw Billie Eilish collect a few new trophies and perform her song, “What Was I Made For?” (from Barbie The Album). Though her website currently reads, “sorry there are no shows currently available” under the tour section, fans can’t help but wonder what’s next for Eilish and her brother Finneas this year. Here, we’ll reflect upon the five shows Billie Eilish has played in Boston since 2017. An impressive trajectory is worth pointing out.
To start, let’s clarify the Boston concert scene and how it works. In this greater metro area, we are fortunate to have live music venues of all shapes and sizes. However, there is intent behind that, as there is a protocol as how artists are booked.
Booking agencies and national promoters first look at the scope of the tour the artist is on. Often when they are early in their career, a club like Brighton Music Hall might be the best fit. For Eilish, it was at Sonia in Cambridge back in 2017. Then, upon hitting a high-level of ticket sales, or increased national demand, the artist may be booked in a larger capacity venue on their next tour. There’s a ladder you have to climb.
Let’s Take A Look At Where Billie Eilish Has Played Shows In Boston
Eilish’s rise in popularity was remarkable. Just five months after her 2017 club show, she returned to Boston and played Paradise Rock Club in March of 2018. Eight short months later, Eilish and company jumped up again to the 2,000 capacity House of Blues. This is where things really took off. The When We Fall Asleep Tour (on the heels of her mega-record When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?) had Eilish booked (and sold out) at the Rockland Trust Pavilion.
Now, we’ve reached the top. The next time Eilish graced Boston on a tour stop, she played the TD Garden. Opening with “bury a friend” and closing with “Happier Than Ever”,” Eilish would play 27 songs in total. It’s rare to see an artist launch through the Boston venue ranks as quickly as Eilish did. Keep in mind, there was a pandemic sandwiched in there as well.
With another stellar Grammy Awards performance and hit song after hit song, it’s safe to say Eilish will continue to be booked at the largest capacity venues possible when performing in the Boston area.
10 Years Ago Chris Cornell Played 33 Songs In Boston
The Shubert Theatre on a Friday night in mid-November was the place to be in 2013. A Seattle rock legend was in town on his solo acoustic tour. On this special night, Chris Cornell played 33 songs in Boston.
Two years earlier, Cornell has released a solo record entitled Songbook. This was a collection of live acoustic performances from his tour earlier that year. During his Songbook era, Cornell would tour the world as a solo act and play songs from his entire career. Just him, a guitar, and his iconic voice. This included a catalog that consisted of Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, solo records and he also plays covers.
Cornell’s 2013 tour consisted of 30 shows over October and November. The Boston date was in the middle of the trek that went from San Diego up the west coast to Seattle, then through Canada, and eventually down the east to Atlantic City.
The Boston evening started with Cornell slowly strolling onto the stage. Before long, he had played a collection of solo and Audioslave songs, opening with “Bend In The Road,” a track that would eventually make his 2016 record, Higher Truth.
Included in the 33 song set were Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, Cat Stevens, and Bee Gees covers. Mid-way through the set, Cornell told the adoring crowd how he tried to learn the song “One” by U2 but when he Googled the lyrics he accidentally came across the words to the Metallica tune by the same name. The result was the music and melody of U2’s “One” mixed with the words to Metallica’s “One.”
The main set closed with Soundgarden’s hit “Blow Up The Outside World.” This was a teaser of what was to come. Shortly into the encore Cornell states, “I’m going to just keep playing Soundgarden songs.” Four of them then followed, including a stripped-down version of the hard-rocker “Outshined.”
What was equally impressive to the fact that this show went on for three hours, was that Cornell had to be in New York City the next morning. Which meant he was going from the stage to directly back on the road through the night.
Cornell performed his solo acoustic show three times in Boston from 2011-2015. However, none of them came close to the performance length of that night ten years ago at the Shubert Theatre. Today is the sixth anniversary of his passing. To pay tribute to Chris Cornell playing 33 songs in Boston 10 years ago, here are six songs from his Songbook record.
Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.
