Robert Plant & the Sensation Space Shifters at Forest Hills on June 13, 2018 - Concert Review

For the second time, I saw Robert Plant perform this past Wednesday. Much like the first time, which was with my brother back in September of 2014, this concert was also in New York City, in a borough other than Manhattan.

This one was in Queens, at the old venue that used to be where the U.S. Open tennis tournament was held. Back then, I understand it was on clay courts, although the courts were greenish clay, and not the red clay of the terre batu of the French Open at Roland Garros. Indeed, there were some clay courts there, and they were red, not green like the old ones. There were also some actual lawn courts. Kind of got me in the mood to play on each different surface, although I am guessing that it would cost a small fortune to play here even for a day, or even for a few hours. Plus, it is not exactly the most convenient place to get to for someone from the Garden State, like me.

But, of course, we were not there for tennis at all.

No, this was another show, another legendary rock act, that I wanted to take my son to see. The thought that he could tell his grandchildren fifty or so years from now about how he saw some real rock legends, such as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Robert Plant, and hopefully quite a few others down the line appeals to me. Also, we seem to bond over music, he and I, and so concerts have become one of the experiences that we both seem to like to share. This one was a biggie, featuring an artist from one of rock's most legendary acts. 

The weather could not have been more accommodating, for which I am thankful. In some ways, this evening reminded me of another evening many years ago, back also in mid-June (June 11th, to be precise) in 1994, before my son was even a twinkle in my eye yet. On that day, my brother and father and I went to the Bronx to see Pink Floyd perform at the old Yankees Stadium. We actually passed the new Yankees Stadium on the way to Forest Hills yesterday, and there were some similarities to that evening generally. 

I will write a little note regarding actually getting to the venue later, at the end, because it is worth noting some things for any prospective interested parties who think about driving here.

For now, however, let's focus on the music, on the concert itself.

Sheryl Crow opened up for Plant. I would write a lot more about her setlist, except that we got to our seats quite late due to numerous circumstances, despite having left right after my son got out of school. With the traffic, road closures, and then security (and having to go through Guest Services), there were numerous ordeals that prevented us from getting to all but the last couple of songs or so of Crow's setlist. Still, what we did hear, both just outside of the stadium, and the final minutes of her set, when we were in the venue itself and at our seats, sounded good. And she got quite a solid reception from the crowd, as well. A strong opening act, I'd say. 

There were some old rock tunes dating back to the sixties between the end of Crow's set, and the beginning of Plant's set. That included the old Who version of "Leaving Here." Admittedly, I am more familiar with Pearl Jam's version, and although I have heard original version before, it still surprised me how much different, and dated, this one sounded. The much bigger surprise - one that had me tilting my head and wondering if my ears were deceiving me - was "La Poupée qui fait non" (translated to English: "The Doll That Says No") by Michel Polnareff and Franck Gérald. I know that song only from having listened to Polnareff for many years, but never expected to hear that song in a crowded stadium in the United States. That was another tune that caught my attention. 

After a surprising warm-up tune that sounded a bit like some old songs I remember hearing during the anti-apartheid struggle about Africa, Plant came on almost at exactly 8:30pm, opening with a classic Zeppelin tune, "The Lemon Song." He launched into a colorful setlist that blended some classic Zap tuns with his more recent solo material. There were even times when he seemed more willing to rock than he often is at other recent concerts, as he seems to have gotten a bit more of a laid back feel in recent years. Perhaps that was why "Whole Lotta Love" came as a big surprise, one which the audience clearly appreciated and welcomed with a loud and enthusiastic reception.

This show felt surprisingly short. He performed until just around 10pm, and maybe I am mistaken, but the performance that I saw him put on at Brooklyn's BAM four years earlier with my brother felt a lot longer. Don't get me wrong: it was a very good show. And the stadium, despite some of the inconveniences with long lines at security, complications with getting tickets, and the lack of parking, nevertheless has a good atmosphere. Supposedly, it has a seating capacity of 13,00, yet it feels smaller than that, and has a relatively intimate feel for a venue as large as it is. It feels like the kind of venue where there really are no bad seats. 

I should note again that the venue kind of fascinated me. I did not realize that this was the Forest Hills where the U.S. Open used to be held until we got there. And there were reminders of the historical past quite prominently all around, including an old scoreboard, walls adorned with greenery that seemed reminiscent of what I have seen at Wimbledon on television, and especially some markers revealing some interesting historical facts about prominent artists and athletes who have performed there. Those included, but are not limited to, the Beatles, Ray Charles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Connors, Billie Jean King, and Arthur Ashe, to name just a few. There are some pictures of these markers, and hopefully, you can read some of the stories behind these.

One that seemed especially interesting to me was the Beatles one, and not just because I am such a big fan. It revealed that around 31,000 fans showed up to see the Beatles at Forest Hills in August of 1964, which seemed amazing to me. Again, the place really is not all that large, and it felt crowded with less than 13,000 people attending. How crowded it must have felt with well over 30,000 people!

After the show, my son and I climbed to the top of the stadium, as I noticed that quite a few people who had those top seats had been looking out on the view there, which I imagined must be really nice. Sure enough, it gave out on a very nice view of the city at night, with the bright and colorful lights from Manhattan skyline visible peering over the rest of the city off in the distance. 

There was a guy there next to us who began talking to me, while my son went around and explored as much of the venue as possible, seemingly. This guy was a local, and he pointed to some apartments just below and said that this was where he lived. He went to these shows often as a result, and said that he waited until the last minute, until the day of, to get the best deals. It is a gamble, and sometimes, there are no tickets left. But usually, he got a great deal on the tickets. He told me that he had spent $39.50 for the ticket for this show. Less than $40 bucks for tickets to see a true rock legend. Impressive!

He went on to tell me that a few years ago, they were on the verge of knocking this place down. The stadium, and presumably the tennis courts, too, so that they could build condos. Despite it being a wealthy private club, I guess they were not raking in enough money, apparently. So, he said, they came up with the idea of making this a place to host concerts. It seemed to be successful enough, and he felt that the money they were generating now was likely enough to keep the threat of the wrecking ball and bulldozers to build some charmless condos was now done (hopefully). 

I looked around at this old stadium that once had been the site of great tennis matches with some of the biggest names that the sport had seen, and all of those beautiful (albeit pricey) courts of all surfaces down below. I thought also of how many music legends had played here, including an unbelievable 31,000 cramming in here combined on two consecutive nights to see the Fab Four at the height of Beatlemania in the summer of 1964. Other legends had played here, including Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones, to name just a few. My brother and I had some conversations here and there about the trend in North America to knock a venue down almost as soon as it acquires a little bit of real history. Usually, it is for a glittering new, spacious arena with a bunch of luxury boxes. Here, it would have been for condos. How depressing!

Frankly, I am not that old. Yet, I have some experience with seeing favorite venues knocked down, in favor of those glittering new sports arenas. Truth be told, I like the old Giants Stadium way better than the new Meadowlands Stadium, or the MetLIfe Stadium, as it's present corporate name is called (that can change anytime, of course). Yes, the Giants already won a Super Bowl while playing at the new stadium, for the 2011-12 season. And, for that matter, the one and only NFL playoff game that I ever wen to was in the new stadium. Still, the old stadium had more personality, and felt more colorful to me. That was the stadium that hosted the New York Giants since the 1976 season, and which hosted two NFL franchises, the Giants and the Jets, since the 1984 season. It hosted quite a few World Cup 1994 games, including a quarterfinal between Bulgaria and Germany that my brother and I went to (we also went to a World Cup warm-up game between Greece and Colombia). The Women's World Cup in 1999. Tons of major musical acts played there over the years, and it was host to some incredible concerts. Metallica and Guns 'n Roses in 1992, which my brother and I also went to. Some other major acts that played there included Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John, Bon Jovi, Genesis, AC/DC, and plenty of others through the years. There were some huge concerts featuring multiple major acts, as well. Ozzfest in 1997. Field Day in 2004. Live Earth in 2007. I went to quite a few of these concerts throughout the years, as well. True, MetLife will surely host some huge concerts, and probably has already. And it appears that it has been rewarded numerous World Cup matches for 2026, including the final match, so it will gain in historical significance, as well. Somehow, I suspect that right around the time that it does, it will be considered an outdated venue, and there might be calls to replace it. I went to a Giants game last year with a friend, and he mentioned that it was major sensory overload, which is understandable when you go see a game there. Everywhere you look, there are distractions. That was not the case with the old stadium. Sign of the times, it seems.

Yankees Stadium was another such stadium. My father and brother and I went there to see Pink Floyd back in 1994. I saw some Yankees games there, although not many, since baseball was never really my thing. But how many World Series titles did they win while playing there, often clinching the championships at that stadium. Granted, they built the new stadium almost in the same spot, but almost does not mean the same spot. To my mind's eye, they should have done what they did at Fenway Park, or Lambeau Field, and make improvements on the existing site. I would mention Chicago's Soldier Field, although that one's architecture (particularly from the outside) feels a little too strange for me, and did not retain the older feel that the old Soldier Field possessed. I still like the old Brendan Byrne arena, and feel that the Newark arena feels a little too much dazzle for me, like the new stadium that the Giants and Jets play in. Sometimes, you just want to watch a game, or enjoy a concert, without being overwhelmed with all of the bright lights and advertisements and other features of the stadium, in a clear attempt to wow those in attendance. I guess they needed all of that to justify the lofty price tag, which was way over the initial proposed budget.

Some venues are different. I feel that way about Downing Stadium on Randall's Island in the city. That is as basic a venue as you can get, and you see right away that it is old and feels a bit dated. Yet, it retains an older charm, and that means that the event you are seeing is the main attraction, period. I saw Lollapalooza there in 1996, and Pearl Jam there later that same year. Saw two Guinness Fleah's, as well. And Little Steven's Underground Garage Festival in 2004. Each time, the concert was far more important than the venue you were seeing it in. 

It is that kind of charm that Forest Hills Stadium possesses. It is a simple building. It does not dazzle you with big screens and loud advertisements everywhere, and clearly, upon casual inspection, you can see that the architecture is a relic of a bygone era. But think of the legends who have performed there, from major music acts, to some of the greatest tennis legends of all time. It's almost enough to send a thrill down your spine. They tore down Shea Stadium, another venue that had gained some serious history. The Mets played in several World Series there, and won two of them. The Beatles played in some historical concerts there, and there were other major events at the old Shea Stadium, as well. But they knocked that down, too, for some glittering new stadium. They advertise loudly, try to wow you with all that it has to offer. Admittedly, I have never been there. But it feels like the same old story, of an old place with some history and charm being torn down for what passes as the latest and greatest. 

But the place has survived. Forest Hills was perhaps about to get the wrecking ball, but somewhere, somehow, someone had the idea to save the place, and fittingly, to make it a concert venue once again. It is a bit dated and, frankly, they really could use more modern bathrooms, truth be told. I went before the show really got started, which I usually do, because interrupting enjoyment of the show for that is often annoying. However, I am thankful that I did not have to go number two, because for men, at least, that was not an option. At least in the men's room that I was directed to, and which was large enough to be the major men's room, it was only urinals, and the faucets were outdated things that had a definite temporary quality. Put in better bathrooms, and the place become much more convenient and enjoyable on many levels, just for that. Otherwise, it is a nice place, if a bit inconvenient to go to if you are coming from out of state (or even out of city). 

This place has character, although it is not easy to get to for many.  Indeed, it is a nice, pleasant place to see an event like this. But this is particularly true if you are a local. If you are not, then you might run into problems getting here. The guy that I spoke with, who's apartment was visible from atop the stadium, was surprised that I came all the way from Jersey. "You must really love Robert Plant!" he said. Yeah, but Plant was not playing in Jersey, and I did not expect the levels of inconvenience with getting to this venue.  Let me explain:

Getting there, at least from New Jersey, is a pain in the butt. Taking public transportation from Jersey to Forest HIlls would have been incredibly long and complicated, especially with a boy on a school night. But driving in, we had to deal with traffic and road closures. In fact, most of the annoying traffic was directly around the venue itself, with tons of road closures. You might think that a venue that touts itself as a 13,000 seat venue might make it a bit clearer that it does not offer parking at the site itself, which was a surprise to me. Also, the security line was ridiculous, and prepare for a whole lot of walking to get around. Not normally a thing I would criticize, because I like walking. But when you are running late...

All in all, though, a pleasant place, and a great evening of music at a venue small enough to feel intimate!

Setlist (taken from SetListfm for this show: (https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/robert-plant/2018/forest-hills-tennis-stadium-new-york-ny-7bea9284.html )

The Lemon Song (Led Zeppelin song) 

Turn It Up 

The May Queen 

Rainbow 

Going to California (Led Zeppelin song) 

Please Read the Letter (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss cover) 

Gallows Pole ([traditional] cover) 

Carry Fire 

Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You (Joan Baez cover)

Little Maggie ([traditional] cover) 

Fixin' to Die (Bukka White cover) 

Encore: 

In the Mood 

Bring It On Home / Whole Lotta Love / Santianna / Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin song)