Advertisements promised 2 1/2 hours of “star entertainment.” The show had to be stopped three times when audience members jumped on stage. There were about 6,000 people in attendance (one source claimed “4,759 youngsters”).
Lou Christie, Bobbie Comstock and the Counts, The Secrets, The Fenways There were around 6,000 people in attendance. Guests included June Allyson, George Burns, Cyd Charisse, James Mitchell, and Allan Sherman. The Chiffons, The Shirelles, Freddie Cannon, The Impressions, Mary Jo Tropay, Little Peggy March, Al CaiolaĬomo returned to his home region to broadcast nationally for his “Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall” series of monthly TV specials. Part of a series of rock ‘n’ roll shows under the name “Porky Chedwick’s Groove Spectacular,” that were mostly held at other venues. The Drifters, The Coasters, Bo Diddley, The Flamingos, The Marvelettes, Jerry Butler, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, Bobby Vinton, Hank Ballard, Gene Pitney, plus many more including local singers Cecil Barber and Johnny Jack There were 12,365 people in attendance for this sold-out show. If you spot any errors or omissions, please let us know!Īll of the below information was compiled from historical newspaper accounts, band websites (both official and fan-sourced), and concert archival websites. Below you will find a comprehensive list of popular music concerts that took place at the Arena. And so, WYEP has done exhaustive research to reconstruct as much Civic Arena history as possible. While the Arena dominated the concert scene for artists too large for theaters but not ready for a stadium, its bookings began to decrease when other large-but-not-too-large venues opened up, especially the Palumbo Center in the late ’80s, the former amphitheater at Station Square in 1989, and the outdoor Burgettstown pavilion which would eventually have many names in 1990 (Star Lake, etc.).Īlthough the Arena was demolished in 2010 to make a newer arena across the street, the memories of the old space continue to be felt by music lovers. And other practical realities affected the Arena as a concert venue. For much of its final decade, it was known as Mellon Arena due to a naming-rights sponsorship. One thing that was not steady through the Arena’s existence is its name. All of the following artists performed at least 10 times at the Arena: Neil Diamond, Aerosmith, Billy Joel, Chicago, Kiss, ZZ Top, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Jethro Tull, Rush, James Brown, Rod Stewart, The Beach Boys, and Kenny Rogers. The Arena hosted more than a thousand concerts in its 49-year history.īrowsing the timeline of concerts that took place at the Arena, one can see the major ebbs and flows of popular music history during its time: the mini-festivals of early rock ‘n’ roll shows… the rise of psychedelic rock in the late ’60s… the prog-rock and dance music of the ’70s… the hard rock, glam metal, and emergence of college rock in the ’80s… the return of country in the ’90s… the sprouting of new teen pop and rap-rock around the turn of the century….Īnd yet some artists were fairly steady, at least within certain eras, and returned to the Arena seemingly year after year during their heydays. For many, the Civic Arena was the site of their very first major concert experience. Civic Arena concerts were a rite of musical passage for pop and rock fans in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Arena’s distinctive bubble-like look led immediately to a wide array of nicknames: the Silver Derby, the Chrome Dome, the Flipped Lid, the Costly Cupcake, the Big Beanie, and eventually - after the Penguins took up residency at the Arena in 1967 - the Igloo.įrom the beginning, the Civic Arena was a vital component to the live music scene in the region.
Although concerts were a part of its original intended uses, it was also home for the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League and the American Basketball League’s Pittsburgh Rens. The roof could be opened in two-and-a-half minutes.
The unique, retractable roof was the largest dome in the world at that time. Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena was a technological marvel when it opened in 1961.
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