Concert: Guns N' Roses at Fenway Park 2023

 

August 21, 2023 Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

Once again Jason and I made the journey to home of the Red Sox to see my first favorite band!  We couldn't get into out pre-paid parking until 3:30 so we didn't leave until noon 30ish and didn't rush to get down.  We stopped at Jersey Mike's in Saugus on Route 1 for lunch, it always settles well for me, and it's delicious! 

We got to the lot just after 3:30 and got parked, I hate paying $55 for parking, but it's so hard to park around Fenway it's really the best option, or risk not being able to find a spot or parking a distance away.  I changed out of my vans and into my boots, they are better for walking and long term standing.  I'm sure glad I brought a change of footwear.  

We had a short walk to Fenway park from are parking lot.  I had decided I was not going to buy a shirt, I bought one two years ago, I have enough shirts I don't need anymore...I bought a shirt.  The two times I have been to Guns N' Roses were both at Fenway and they have multiple official souvenir booths outside and inside the park.  You don't even need to have a ticket to buy merchandise.  They had this awesome white shirt and I couldn't help myself.  Jason bought a green Boston Celtics themed shirt that was event and venue specific. We decided to bring them back to Vanatu and not carry them around, good choice.

Last time we sat on the side of the stage in the stands at Fenway, it was awesome, however this time we were on the turf facing the stage and it sounded so much better!  

Doors opened at 4pm and the Pretenders hit the stage at 530pm.  They were great, they played a bunch of songs that I knew and some that I didn't.  They finished up at 630pm.  I wouldn't purposely go see them again, unless my wife wanted to go or they were opening for another band I wanted to see.

 

I read online that Gn'R was going to hit the stage at 715pm, they came out at 742pm.  It was an awesome set, in total they played a 26 song set, close to 3 hours.  During Bad Obsession it started to rain, and they it really started coming down during Slither, but it was Welcome to the Jungle when the skies opened up!  

It was so surreal being on the turf at Fenway Park in the pouring rain with several thousand people all rocking out to Welcome to the Jungle!  I pretty sure they cranked up the volume for it too.  We got several songs this time that we didn't get at the last show.  We also got to hear their second live performance of their new song Perhaps.  Last time we got the debut of "Absurd" and we didn't think it was that great, however this time around it sounded awesome, the words are still ridiculous but the guitars were strong as hell.

  

I was shocked that they played "Reckless Life", it was released on G N' R Lies however it's a cover of a Hollywood Rose song. Hollywood Rose was Axl Rose's first band that also featured Slash and former Gn'R bandmates Izzy Stradlin & Steven Adler. 

After the show we headed out to the van, we both got soaked and I mean soaked from the rain.  I swapped out my footwear for dry socks and shoes and thankfully we had the new shirts to put on as well, sadly we had to ride home in wet shorts. 

 

We stopped at Sonic Drive -In in Peabody, Mass on the ride home, we don't have one in Maine.  The burgers were spot on and we got tots, so that is a winning combo.  Got back to my house a little after 2am, it was a long but worthwhile day!

Guns N' Roses

It's So Easy

Bad Obsession

Chinese Democracy

Slither

Welcome to the Jungle

Hard Skool

Reckless Life

Pretty Tied Up

Double Talkin' Jive

Perhaps

Absurd

Rocket Queen

You Could Be Mine

Estranged

Live and Let Die

T.V. Eye (The Stooges cover) (Duff on lead vocals)

This I Love

Anything Goes

Civil War

Slash Guitar Solo

Sweet Child o' Mine

November Rain

Patience

Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Nightrain

Paradise City

Songs we got last time 

Mr. Brownstone

You're Crazy

Better

I Wanna be Your Dog

Dead Horse

Songs we got this time

Bad Obsession

Hard Skool

Reckless Life

Pretty Tied Up

Perhaps

T.V. Eye (The Stooges cover) (Duff on lead vocals)

This I Love

Anything Goes

Patience

Pretenders

My City Was Gone

Talk of the Town

Kid

Biker

Boots of Chinese Plastic

Hymn to Her

Don't Get Me Wrong

Back on the Chain Gang

Thumbelina

I'll Stand by You

Brass in Pocket

Junkie Walk

Middle of the Road

Mystery Achievement

Until Next Time!