Civic Arena Concert Memories

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.