Tour Boston's Rock and Roll Past, Present, and Future

5.0 (39 reviews) 1 h 30 min Free cancellation

out of 5

39 reviews

5.0

Tour Boston's Rock and Roll Past, Present, and Future — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Tour Boston's Rock and Roll Past, Present, and Future, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Guided by a local musician, explore Boston’s rock and roll past, present (and future), on a walking tour through Boston’s Fenway neighborhood. Visit the sites of legendary venues like the Rat, Storyville, and the Boston Tea Party- The Velvet Underground’s favorite place to play in the whole country! Learn how pioneering DJs, producers, and educators sparked a revolution in how music was transmitted, recorded and taught. And trace Boston’s impact on the careers of iconic artists like B.B King, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Springsteen, Tracy Chapman, New Edition, Nirvana, Aimee Mann, Pixies, Radiohead, Peter Wolf, Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrison, Jonathan Richman and more. Scroll below to learn more….

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At a glance

Duration: 1 h 30 min
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 15 people
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: Tour Boston's Rock & Roll Past & Present by Soundscape Tours

Ages: Youth (16–20 years) · Adults (21–100 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Hear tales from the Rat, the cavernous club where many Punk and New Wave bands got their start
Included: Walk through America's oldest Victory Gardens still in use
Included: Examine Boston's impact on the Folk Revival in the 60s
Included: In the shadow of Fenway Park, stroll down lively Lansdowne street home to numerous venues

Not included

Not included: Food & Drinks not included
Not included: Gratuities

Itinerary

The Fens

15 min

Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the Fens is a treasured greenspace in Boston and features Americas oldest WW II, Victory Gardens. On the Modern Lovers EP, Jonathan Richman sings, “I walk through the 'Fenway with my heart in my hand". We will stroll through the gardens before heading into Kenmore Square.
Kenmore Square

20 min

For decades, Kenmore Square was at the center of Boston's music scene thanks to the numerous record stores, and venues like Storyville and the legendary rock club, The Rathskeller. Here, we will learn about the numerous garage, punk, and new wave bands that crawled out of "the Rat" in the 70s and 80s. The Police played here 4 times on their first US tour in 1979. This is also the venue where Pixies first shared the same bill as the Throwing Muses. Also, we will stop by "Nuggets" one of the last records stores left in the neighborhood before winding our around Fenway Park
Fenway Park

20 min

Walk down Landsdowne Street in the shadow of Fenway Park and hear tales of venues past and present including the Boston Tea Party, Venus De Milo, Avalon/Axis, Spit, and more! At present, local and national bands load in on Landsdowne street to play at the House of Blues or the new MGM Music Hall.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

We will meet in the lobby of the Verb Hotel, home to an exclusive collection of Rock and Roll artifacts from the David Beiber Archives including vintage concert posters, album art and tickets to historic shows.

End point

We will meet in the lobby of the Verb Hotel, home to an exclusive collection of Rock and Roll artifacts from the David Beiber Archives including vintage concert posters, album art and tickets to historic shows.