Trend Analysis
October 23, 2024
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Madison Square Garden
‘It’s a dream to play here’, ‘This is an iconic venue’, ‘I never thought I could reach a point where I could play here’ are all phrases I’ve heard artists say while performing at Madison Square Garden. No matter the genre, year, or audience, those sentiments about the venue never fail to hold true. And while making it big in New York is an achievement (we all know the song I’m referencing), one might wonder why Madison Square Garden is the achievement artists so poetically declare it to be while on stage. The truth is, it’s no larger or objectively better than comparable arenas artists play at while on tour. Rather, it’s the history that makes Madison Square Garden the dream venue of artists across the world.
When you look at the list of past performers at Madison Square Garden (MSG), it’s a prolific lineup. If there is an arena-sized tour coming through New York City, there is a high likelihood an artist will be performing at MSG. Geographically speaking, Barclays, an arena just a borough away, is roughly the same size as MSG, however many artists will choose to go to MSG for its iconic history. Located in the heart of Manhattan, the venue has hosted numerous record-breaking events for artists. Elton John has played the arena 60+ times and has said, "Madison Square Garden is my favorite venue in the whole world. I chose to have my 60th birthday concert there, because of all the incredible memories I've had playing the venue." Billy Joel, nicknamed the Piano Man, has played the arena 100+ times, and Harry Styles more recently finished a historic 15 consecutive sold-out nights in the Garden. When an artist plays on the MSG stage, their names are added to a list comprised of both their musical inspirations and the biggest stars in music history.
Beyond holding space for concerts, the Madison Square Garden stage has also been home of some of the most iconic pop culture moments. John Lennon famously performed for the last time on the MSG stage during an Elton John show. The Police ended their reunion tour at MSG. Recently, the iconic band, KISS, performed their last two shows ever on the MSG stage. Billy Joel summed up the history of these iconic shows when he said, "Madison Square Garden has the best acoustics, the best audiences, the best reputation, and the best history of great artists who have played there. It is the iconic, holy temple of rock and roll for most touring acts." When an artist steps on the MSG stage, they enter the lexicon of the start and end of many of their most iconic groups.
Culturally, Madison Square Garden is touted to be the best venue in pop culture. The venue's iconic rounded architecture makes it easily identifiable in films. In the Spider-Man series, Madison Square Garden provides a backdrop of web-slinging scenes. Because of MSG’s unique architecture and well known fact that it lies in NYC, it helps audiences understand the setting of SpiderMan and his protection of NYC specifically. Madison Square Garden’s iconic architecture pops up in Rocky II, paying homage to the famous fights that have taken place in the building, which include the infamous first fight between Muhammed Ali and Joe Fraizer. Even High School Musical 3 references Madison Square Garden, in the Sharpay Evans’ Song “I Want It All”, in the context of it being the biggest stage in the world! The use of MSG in popular films furthers the public and artist’s view of MSG as an iconic location.
Formed in a circle, the venue has a cable support ceiling, allowing the circular feel of the main arena area. The sleek form of the arena is thanks to a $1 billion restoration that occurred in 2011. This renovation turned the current structure into a form that allows for max use for both artists and visitors. Structurally Madison Square sits squarely above Penn Station, one of the prime Amtrak and Long Island Railroad stations. It is the only venue to sit above a massive transit hub, a fact that has and is currently highly contested. Transit authorities and Madison Square Garden officials continue to negotiate a path forward after NYC transit officials claimed Madison Square Garden’s size was not compatible with the space Penn Station needs to operate efficiently. As of the summer of 2024 officials were still in talks of how to compromise to allow both Madison Square Garden and Penn Station to operate in a safe and efficient manner.
This would be a great place to include a photo of MSG in one of the above mentioned movie appearances, or if you can find an image that breaks down its architecture– I’m sure something of the sort exists!
If I can make it there, I can make it, anywhere is a famous line from Frank Sinatra’s, “(Theme from) New York, New York,” a song that is true to the artist's emotion in playing in the iconic Madison Square Garden.
From its long list of infamous performances, important concerts, and pop culture relevance, the venue’s high regard comes warranted and deserved. Next time you find your favorite artist exclaim, ‘It’s a dream to play here,” about Madison Square Garden, you know why.
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