Civic Arena Concert Memories

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PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 15: The future home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Consol Energy Center in the background along with teh Mellon Arena in teh foreground as photographed on December 15, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Igloo hosted plenty of great concerts over the course of its existence. I was lucky enough to take in a few of them.

After finding out that Pittsburgh will host the 2013 Frozen Four at the new Consol Energy Center, I immediately began looking ahead to Sept. 26. That will be my first trip to the new venue, albeit for a concert and not a hockey game. Me and some friends will visit Consol to see Roger Waters’ The Wall Tour – a spectacle I just couldn’t pass up.

Soon, however, I began looking back…back to some of the concerts I witnessed at the old Civic Arena. There were some damn good ones. Here’s a few of my personal faves:

Jan. 29, 1999: Black Sabbath
Openers Pantera almost blew the roof off the place before Ozzy and Co. even took the stage. Seeing Sabbath live was a near-religous experience for me. At the time, that’s about all I was listening to. Iommi, Geezer, Ward…incredible. Awesome, awesome show. Side note: these were the best seats I ever had for a concert at the Igloo and, ironically, the cheapest ($35.50!).

March 26, 1997: Metallica
Borrowed a buddy’s car and drove to Pittsburgh from IUP by myself to take in this one. The trip was well worth it. Metallica did not disappoint, and the post-show theatrics were something I’ll remember for a long time.

March 11, 1999: Rolling Stones
This was the second time I had seen the Stones, the first in Pittsburgh. I have no idea how these guys continue to tour at their age, but they always entertain. It was impossible to not have a good time, especially for an unemployed college grad (which was me at the time).

June 23, 2006: Pearl Jam
This one was special for a couple of reasons: Pearl Jam is one of the greatest bands of my generation (personal opinion) and this was the last concert I saw at the Igloo. My wife and I had a blast, despite not having the best seats. Vedder and Co. were great.