Here’s Why Concerts Stopped Happening At RPI Field House In Troy

Why did the RPI Field House stop hosting concerts? Yes, the venue is still very much active as an athletic arena with a focus on RPI Engineers Men's and Women's Ice Hockey teams, but what happened to the concerts?

The RPI Field House sits on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. For many in the Capital Region, RPI Fieldhouse is where we saw our first concert, our favorite bands, and where we hold our fondest concert memories.

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For the last seventy-six years RPI Field House has been home to countless sporting events and concerts, and it all started with an Interfraternity Ball on November 12, 1949, featuring big band leader Elliot Lawrence and his 16-piece orchestra. Here are some of the acts that followed:

• The Doors - 12/8/1967 - Jim Morrison was quoted to say, "If this is Troy, I'm with the Greeks" at this show.
• Bruce Springsteen - 12/12/1978
• Bon Jovi - 4/10/1987
• Ozzy Osbourne with Korn - 1/27/1996

Len Trievnor, Getty Images

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Some of the final major concerts that took place at RPI Field House were:

• Panic! At the Disco - 5/3/2008
• Fall Out Boy with Cobra Starship, All Time Low, Metro Station, and Hey Monday - 4/26/2009
• Passion Pit with Matt & Kin - 2/11/2013

More than a decade has passed since a major concert was held at RPI Field House. Competition is considered one of the top reasons the music died at the field house. MVP Arena in Albany and Saratoga Performing Arts Center, backed largely by Live Nation, take on the majority of touring acts.

RPI themselves have built other performance spaces such as on-campus acoustic and media spaces like the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, focusing on experimental and contemporary arts.