Cambridge Common Concerts

Founded in the very heart of Harvard Square by J. Robert “Bob” Gordon, a strong proponent of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll as rocket fuel for creative expression, the Cambridge Common Concerts began in 1967 and ran for nearly eight years. Boston’s college population crossed the Charles to hear everything from the folk stylings of Chris Smither and James Taylor (who appeared with his brother Livingston and sister Kate, the only time they’d performed live together) to local heroes including The Modern Lovers, The Beacon Street Union, Ill Wind and The J. Geils Band and out-of-towners such as ZZ Top and Chicago. The concerts became a three-ring circus of unpredictable appreciation, with attendees surrounded by the smell of grass, long-braided hairy ladies and blistering rock ‘n’ roll.

In an area where “outdoor music” largely meant hearing Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops at the Hatch Memorial Shell, the Cambridge Common Concerts filled an emerging cultural scene’s need, and Gordon soon expanded his vision to create Summerthing, Polyarts and “ReCREATION,” the last of which planted the seeds for Boston’s “First Night” celebration (the largest New Year’s Eve program in the United States). The concerts continued well into 1975, when the politics of permits, police security and overtime became a factor in their production. Music continues in Harvard Square to this day, of course, with musicians who are permitted by the City of Cambridge to perform on a limited basis, but it will never be the same as it was decades ago, when there was smoke in the air, a “dance free” spirit and the truly unique vibe of a long-gone era.

(by Stephen Haag)