Roadrunner (venue)

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Roadrunner
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Tycho performing at the Roadrunner, Boston, in 2022.jpg
Tycho performing at the Roadrunner (2022)
Roadrunner (venue)
Address89 Guest St
Boston, MA
United States
Location Brighton
Coordinates 42°21′24″N71°08′38″W / 42.356647°N 71.143932°W / 42.356647; -71.143932
Public transit BSicon TRAIN3.svg MBTA.svg   Framingham/Worcester Line  
at Boston Landing station
Operator Anschutz Entertainment Group
Seating typeGeneral admission
Capacity 3,500
Construction
Broke groundApril 1, 2019
OpenedMarch 14, 2022
Website
https://roadrunnerboston.com/

The Roadrunner is a concert venue in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. Since its opening on March 15, 2022, the Roadrunner has been the largest general admission concert venue in New England, with a capacity of 3,500. The venue is named after Jonathan Richman's song "Roadrunner".

Contents

History

In October 1976, American rock band The Modern Lovers released the song "Roadrunner". Written by Jonathan Richman, the song details the freedom he feels while driving alone, specifically in Boston suburbs. Richman has described the song as an ode to Massachusetts Route 128. Elsewhere, it has been described as "one of the most magical songs in existence" and has had a significant influence on the culture of Massachusetts, with it even being proposed as the official rock song of the state. [1] [2]

On April 1, 2019, construction began on a new venue at 89 Guest Street. [3] After significant delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the venue was opened on March 15, 2022, with a concert by American bluegrass artist Billy Strings. [4] [5] [6] It was given the name Roadrunner as a tribute to Jonathan Richman's song. [7] [8]

In February 2025, the venue is set to host the Something in the Way Fest, featuring over 25 artists on Run for Cover Records. The event will introduce a temporary second stage. [9]

Size

With a capacity of 3,500, the venue is the largest general admission concert venue in New England. [10] [11] [5]

The entire venue is 50,000 square feet (approximately 4,645 square meters) in total. [8] Standing at 60 feet wide, the stage itself has been labeled "arena-sized". [10] [5]

Transportation and parking

The Roadrunner is located at Boston Landing station, part of the MBTA's Framingham/Worcester Line. [4] [12] Alternatively, the Green Line train stops at the Allston Street and Harvard Avenue stations, which, when walking, are approximately 15 minutes away from the venue. [12]

There is no parking area for cars at the Roadrunner, though the venue lists 71, 40, and 80 Guest Street as recommended parking garages.

Concerts

DateHeadliner(s)Opening act(s)Event/TourRef.
March 15, 2022 Billy Strings Venue inauguration [6]
March 17, 2022 Khruangbin Nubya Garcia Casa Surreal Tour [13]
March 18, 2022 [14]
March 19, 2022 Tom Misch Joel Culpepper NA Tour 2022 [15]
March 29, 2022 JoJo Tanerélle, Lindsey Lomis JoJo Tour 2022 [16]
March 20, 2022 Dropkick Murphys Jesse Ahern, Jim Lindberg, The Rumjacks St. Patrick's Day Tour 2022 [17]
March 24, 2022 Bleachers Charly Bliss Strange Desire live [18]
March 25, 2022 Gone Now live
July 26, 2022 [lower-alpha 1] Mitski The Weather Station Laurel Hell Tour [19]
July 27, 2022 [lower-alpha 1]
September 29, 2022 Japanese Breakfast Yo La Tengo Jubilee Tour [20]
December 2, 2022 [lower-alpha 2] Rina Sawayama DJ Coleslaw Hold the Girl Tour [21]
December 17, 2022 Foals Glove, Inner Wave Life Is Yours Tour [22]
May 9, 2023 Sabrina Carpenter Blu DeTiger Emails I Can't Send Tour [23]
September 22, 2023 Tegan and Sara Carlie Hanson Crybaby Tour 2023 [24]
February 18, 2024 [lower-alpha 3] S Club The Good Times Tour [26]
October 11, 2024 Dayseeker Alpha Wolf, Catch Your Breath, Kingdom of GiantsDark Sun Protocol [27]
October 13, 2024 Fontaines D.C. Been Stellar Romance Tour [28]
October 16, 2024 Declan McKenna Vlad Holiday Live in Concert: USA & CA '24 [29]
October 26, 2024 Okean Elzy The Lighthouse Tour 2024 [30]
October 28, 2024 Clairo Alice Phoebe Lou Charm Tour [31]
October 29, 2024
October 30, 2024

Notes

  1. 1 2 The concerts on July 26 and July 27, 2022, were originally scheduled for March 21 and March 22, 2022, but were rescheduled due to a run-in with COVID-19.
  2. Rina Sawayama's Hold the Girl Tour was originally scheduled for November 4, 2022, but was postponed when the artist sustained a vocal injury.
  3. The concert on February 18, 2024, was originally scheduled for November 13, 2023, [25] but was rescheduled, due to an unspecified "admin issue". [26]

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Jonathan Michael Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970, he founded the Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key acoustic and electric backing. He is known for his wide-eyed, unaffected, and childlike outlook, and music that, while rooted in rock and roll, is influenced by music from around the world.

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References

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