Monday, December 29, 2014

Atlanta Municipal Auditorium

  • 30 Courtland Street SE (at Gilmer Street), Atlanta GA
  • Capacity: 5000
  • Note: The building, built 1909, was sold to Georgia State University in 1979.
Atlanta Municipal Auditorium
Photo: Special Collections Department,
Pullen Library, Georgia State University
1970 
  • Steppenwolf - January 10
  • Jerry Lee Lewis - January 17
  • "WPLO Shower of Stars" - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens, The Strangers - March 14
  • James Brown - March 16-17
  • Santana, Allman Brothers Band, Insect Trust - March 19
  • Allman Brothers Band - March 26
  • B.B. King, Judy Clay, Wild Man Steve & His Revue - April 6
  • Johnny Winter - April 12
  • Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Norman Greenbaum - April 30 (D&B refused to play, blaming sound system; Norman Greenbaum performed for small crowd, for free)
  • Pink Floyd, The Guess Who - May 12
  • Van Morrison, Sabudi, Shelly Isaacs - May 14 (partial benefit for Community Center bail fund)
  • The Who - June 22
  • Steppenwolf, Chakra - August 3
  • Fleetwood Mac, Hampton Grease Band - August 20
  • Jefferson Airplane, Radar, Glen McKay's Head Lights - August 24
  • Mountain, Mylon LeFevre, Joel Osner - October 8
  • Ike & Tina Turner Revue, Chakra, David Kennedy & Fire Power - October 22
  • Bloodrock, Hydra, Rusha - October 31
  • "WPLO Shower of Stars" - Sonny James & his Country Gentlemen, Ray Price & his Cherokee Cowboys, Compton Brothers - November 28
  • Ten Years After, Stonehenge - December 1
  • The Band - December 10
  • The Temptations, Carla Thomas, The Bar-Kays - December 19
  • The Amboy Dukes, Bob Seger System, MC-5 - December 29
1971
  • Allman Brothers Band, Hampton Grease Band - January 16
  • James Taylor, Carole King, Jo Mama - March 2
  • Eric Burdon & War - March 11
  • "WPLO Shower of Stars" - Conway Twitty, Bill Anderson, Tom T. Hall, Bobby Bare, Jan Howard, Bobby Johnson & The Swinging Gentlemen - March 13
  • Blood, Sweat & Tears - March 25
  • Small Faces "featuring Rod Stewart," Savoy Brown, The Grease Band - March 30
  • Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes, Brownsville Station - April 1
  • Jethro Tull, Brethren, Younguns - April 13
  • Judy Collins - April 17
  • Mountain, Procol Harum, Hydra - April 29
  • Johnny Winter, Booger - May 15
  • "Super Heavy Blues Express" - Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Joe Turner, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Al Hibbler - May 16
  • Elton John, Mark-Almond - June 8
  • Edgar Winter's White Trash, Mott The Hoople, J. Geils Band - June 17
  • "WPLO Shower of Stars" - Conway Twitty & The Twitty Birds, Loretta Lynn & The Nashville Tennesseans, Dave Dudley & The Roadrunners, Anthony Armstrong Jones - June 26
  • Melanie, Janey & Dennis - June 30
  • Black Sabbath, Blues Project - July 7
  • Allman Brothers Band, Cowboy (7:30pm), Hampton Grease Band (2:30pm) - July 17 (2 shows)
  • Bloodrock, Savage Grace, Robert Savage Group - July 22
  • Mother Earth, Doobie Brothers - August 2
  • Emerson, Lake & Palmer; Humble Pie - August 4
  • Faces "featuring Rod Stewart," Southern Comfort - August 5
  • Ten Years After - August 11
  • John Sebastian, Savage Grace - August 12
  • James Gang, Mylon, Smoo's Barn Dance - August 17
  • Leon Russell, Freddie King - August 18
  • Savoy Brown - September 2
  • Alice Cooper, Lee Michaels - September 11
  • Long John Baldry, Cactus, Savoy Brown - September 23
  • It's A Beautiful Day, Boz Scaggs - October 16
  • Traffic, Fairport Convention - October 18
  • Mountain, J. Geils Band, Stray Dog - October 27
  • Cat Stevens, Mimi & Tom - November 10
  • Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage - November 11
  • David Cassidy - November 13
  • Emerson, Lake & Palmer; Yes - November 22
  • The Who - November 23
  • "WPLO Shower of Stars" - Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, Sonny James & The Country Gentlemen, Freddy Weller - November 27
  • Canned Heat, Gary Wright, REO Speedwagon - December 15
  • Bloodrock, Spirit, Crabby Appleton - December 20
1972
  • Alice Cooper, Redbone, White Witch - January 8
  • Smokey Robinson, Georgia Prophets - January 20
  • Quicksilver Messenger Service, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Malo featuring David Santana - January 24
  • Allman Brothers Band, Alex Taylor - January 25
  • Traffic, J.J. Cale - January 31
  • Melanie - February 16
  • Ike & Tina Turner Revue, Wet Willie - February 19
  • "WPLO Shower of Stars" - Waylon Jennings & The Waylors, Freddie Hart, Jim Ed Brown & The Gems, Stonewall Jackson & The Minutemen, Barbara Mandrell & The Mandrells - March 11
  • Joe Cocker - March 21
  • Emerson, Lake & Palmer - March 28
  • The Guess Who - April 5
  • Humble Pie, Alexis Corner, Edgar Winter - April 6
  • Jethro Tull, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - April 27
  • Jackson 5 - May 8
  • Chicago - May 15
  • Black Sabbath - June 19
  • The Staple Singers, Joe Simon, Stylistics- July 13
  • "Rock & Roll Revival" - Bill Haley & The Comets, The Coasters, Chubby Checker, Gary U.S. Bonds, Freddie Cannon, Bobby Comstock & The Comstock Ltd - July 15
  • Rare Earth - July 18
  • Leon Russell - July 20
  • Black Sabbath - July 22
  • Badfinger, Bloodrock, Kindred - August 3
  • Jackson 5 - August 7
  • James Gang, Captain Beyond - August 14
  • Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac, Silverhead - August 28-29
  • Allman Brothers Band, Wet Willie (8/30), Eric Quincy Tate (8/31) - August 30-31
  • The Al Green Review, The Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose, Herb Jubrit - September 16
  • T. Rex, Doobie Brothers - September 23
  • Yes, Eagles - September 30
  • Brother Bait, performing "Tommy" - October 10
  • Ten Years After - October 12
  • B.B. King, Bobby Womack with Peace, Eric Quincy Tate - November 6
  • The Hollies, Raspberries, Danny O'Keefe - November 8
  • New Riders of The Purple Sage, Eric Quincy Tate - November 14
  • "Bluegrass Music Spectacular" - Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Osborne Brothers, Jim & Jesse, Ralph Stanley, Lewis Family, Jimmy Martin, Mac Wiseman, Reno-Harrell, James Monroe, Clyde Moody, Curly Seckler - November 18 (12 hours!)
  • The Supremes, Jackson 5 - December 1
  • Humble Pie - December 14
  • Edgar Winter, Wild Turkey - December 16
1973
  • Rare Earth - January 20
  • Charley Pride, Freddie Hart - January 27
  • The Delfonics - February 10
  • Traffic, John Martyn, Free - February 14
  • Johnny Rivers, Brewer & Shipley - February 15
  • Stephen Stills & Manassas - February 17
  • Uriah Heep, Silverhead, Spooky Tooth - February 22
  • Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention, Dr Hook & The Medicine Show - February 26
  • "WPLO Shower of Stars" - George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings - March 10
  • Pink Floyd - March 24
  • Loggins & Messina, Doobie Brothers - March 29
  • Stephen Stills & Manassas - April 2
  • Wishbone Ash, Vinegar Joe, Dr Hook & The Medicine Show - April 26
  • Chi-Lites, The O-Jays, The Main Ingredient, Detroit Emeralds, Moments, Millie Jackson - May 2
  • David Gates & Bread - May 3
  • Waylon Jennings - May 12
  • Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge - May 28
  • George Carlin - June 21
  • Ike & Tina Turner - July 12
  • Black Oak Arkansas, Jo Jo Gunne - July 14
  • Beck, Bogert & Appice; Dr John - July 16
  • Curtis Mayfield - July 19
  • "CTI Summer Festival" - Esther Phillips, Milt Jackson, Hubert Laws, Hank Crawford, Johnny Hammond, Eric Gale, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Bob James, Ralph McDonald, CTI Strings, Frankie Crocker MC - July 21
  • Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, Speck Rhodes & The Wagonmasters - July 28
  • Cactus - August 3
  • Kool and The Gang, Ebony - August 5
  • Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - August 11
  • Roger McGuinn - August 22
  • Sha Na Na, Wet Willie - August 23
  • Roy Buchanan - September 6
  • Al Green, Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose - September
  • ZZ Top, Albert King - September 29
  • Yes, Eagles - September 30
  • Mott The Hoople, Aerosmith, New York Dolls - October 4
  • Pat Boone - October 9
  • Ten Years After - October 10
  • Joe Walsh, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, REO Speedwagon - October 11
  • Steve Miller Band - October 17
  • Arlo Guthrie - October 21
  • John Denver - October 25
  • Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn - October 27
  • John Mayall, Ballin' Jack - November 1
  • Freddie King, Tower of Power, Sylvester & The Hot Band - November 14
  • John McLaughlin & The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Argent, Papa John Creech - November 21
  • "Shower of Stars" - Hank Williams, Barbara Mandrell, Tom T. Hall, Johnny Rodriguez - November 24
  • David Crosby & Graham Nash, David Blue - November 28
1974
  • Slade, Brownsville Station - January 16
  • Emerson, Lake & Palmer - January 24
  • Billy Preston - February 14
  • Dave Mason, James Gang - February 21
  • B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Ann Peebles - February 25
  • Foghat, Maggie Bell, Frampton's Camel - March 27 
  • Beach Boys - April 11
  • King Crimson, Grin - April 13
  • Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Climax Blues Band - May 6
  • Procol Harum, Renaissance - May 8
  • Slade, 10cc, Brownsville Station - June 5
  • "Guitar Battle of the Century" - Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes, Cactus featuring Mike Pinera - July 26
  • Foghat, Brownsville Station - August 5
  • Choice, Stories, Brother Louie - August 19
  • Mountain - August 21
  • New York Dolls, White Witch - September 7
  • Joe Cocker - September 9
  • Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt - October 31
  • Lou Reed - November 7
  • Dave Mason, Poco - November 16

16 comments:

  1. Great Atlanta music history. Keep up the good work !!!

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  2. Hendrix played a triple bill there in 68 maybe.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, saw him there in '68 for my 16th birthday.

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  3. Great site, thanks!

    The November 21, 1973 Mahavishnu Orchestra/Argent/P.J. Creech concert was a fiasco, as Mahavishnu drummer Billy Cobham was a no-show.

    The M.O. took the stage, John McLaughlin telling the crowd that Cobham would arrive at any moment.
    The band remained onstage for an excruciating length of time, maybe 30 minutes, with McLaughlin asking the audience to "channel positive vibes," and "I feel good about this outcome," (or something like that) until he, too, sensed the futility of the situation, and said that there would, unfortunately, be no performance.

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    1. As hard as this is to believe, I was backstage for that show, and the reality was that Billy Cobham was stuck at the hotel with a stomach virus. I was literally standing there with McLaughlin as he heard the news. As you recall, he went out and announced that there would be no show, but that they would play the following Monday, which they did....I attended that night as well. A bizarre and unforgettable experience for a high school senior and guitarist. A kid in my class claimed he could get tickets and backstage passes due to his sister knowing the band....he was prone to being a blowhard, so we were skeptical....this time, he made good!

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  4. I saw Jimi Hendrix at the Auditorium in 1968. His first US tour.
    This is a great site! i could comment on several pages.

    Thank you.

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  5. Robin Trower. Don't remember the date.

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  6. saw my first dead show on 11/11/71, driving over from athens, live in colorado now

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  7. Yes, 1968. Went to see that show for my 16th birthday.

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  8. The times, they are 'uhh changin'....this comes from a 72 year old in Cobb County who attended some of these shows. Also, I graduated from Georgia State 'COLLEGE'....not university...in 1973. I guess I was a 'hoody at the time.

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  9. I saw Johnny Cash here on Sept 3 1970. It was a private show put on for some Atlanta prisoners who were bused in. I was only 6 years old but a friend of my parents was one of the organizers so we got invited to attend. I guess this venue got torn town in 1979? Too bad.

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  10. Santana performed at one of those Allman Brothers concert dates. Can't recall which one.

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    1. Good memory. Santana headlined 3/19/70 with the Allman Brothers and Insect Trust opening.

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  11. I always wondered about the exact date I saw Melanie Safka in Atlanta, now I know. June30,1971. Don't have time to write and share right now but I will soon. I wonder if the Melanie show was recorded, anybody know? Thanks.

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  12. I saw James Taylor and Carole King there in March of 1971. We went to see James, and we didn’t know who she was. I remember when she was playing the guy with me said, “this gal is good. And she was — Tapestry came out later that year… a classic for sure. I loved James Taylor; he was hippie music. :-)

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  13. I was there, too! It’s still in my top five lifetime concerts. Somehow we’d already heard about the Tapestry album. It was a big reason why we went, though were huge JT fans as well. Loved how he played host throughout the whole thing, and how the musicians wove together through the entire concert. So excellent.

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