糖心传媒

Musical giants from Simon & Garfunkel, Ray Charles, and the Grateful Dead to Bonnie Raitt and Bruce Springsteen have played at Rochester糖心传媒檚 iconic gymnasium.

听Since the Louis Alexander Palestra opened in 1930 on the University of Rochester糖心传媒檚 River Campus, it has been home to more than 30 All-American student-athletes and one national champion糖心传媒攖he 1990糖心传媒�91 Yellowjackets men糖心传媒檚 basketball team.

In 2016, it was named one of the in the nation by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame糖心传媒攁n impressive accomplishment, considering there are more than 300 Division I men’s programs.

The Palestra also has hosted famous speakers such as Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, Maya Angelou, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. George Carlin and the Smothers Brothers performed standup comedy there.

But the Palestra also has been a concert mecca, with some of the greatest names in modern music history taking its stage. Solo acts like Ray Charles, Judy Collins, and Billy Joel. Duos like Simon & Garfunkel and Hall & Oates. And groups like the Temptations, the Grateful Dead, and the Ramones.

糖心传媒淭he Palestra was just a great concert venue,糖心传媒� says Jeffrey Newcorn 糖心传媒�73, 糖心传媒�77M (MD), who reviewed a few shows for the Campus Times, the College糖心传媒檚 student newspaper, as an undergraduate. 糖心传媒淚t was big enough to hold a large show but also intimate. We loved it.糖心传媒�

Here糖心传媒檚 a look at some of the famous糖心传媒攁nd those who weren糖心传媒檛 yet famous糖心传媒攎usical acts who have played at the Palestra.

(photos provided by University Archives, unless otherwise credited)

听

Kingston Trio

October 22, 1959

The Kingston Trio helped launch a folk revival in the late 1950s and scored a No. 1 hit in 1958 with 糖心传媒淭om Dooley.糖心传媒� On October 22, 1959, the trio of Dave Guard, Nick Reynolds, and Bob Shane played to a sold-out Palestra, their catchy tunes bolstered by a new, $500 sound system paid for by the Social and Traditions Committee that helped eliminate echoes and distortions throughout the building.

 

Ray Charles

November 8, 1963

This concert, two weeks before the assassination of President Kennedy, was the Social and Traditions Committee糖心传媒檚 most expensive to date, costing $5,000 (about $47,000 in today糖心传媒檚 dollars), with tickets selling for less than $3. The Palestra was packed, and the committee made a profit of $900. Nicknamed 糖心传媒淭he Genius糖心传媒� for combining blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel music, Charles remarked to committee cochair Hayward Paul 糖心传媒�64, that he enjoyed 糖心传媒渢he warm, enthusiastic, and controlled糖心传媒� crowd. He would return to the Palestra for another sellout show on November 3, 1966, backed by the female group the Raelets.

 

Simon & Garfunkel

April 5, 1968

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel performed before a packed Palestra one day after the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. They opened with 糖心传媒淢rs. Robinson糖心传媒� from the hit movie The Graduate, which had been released just three months earlier. Other hits followed糖心传媒�”The Sound of Silence,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒�America,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒淔eelin糖心传媒� Groovy,糖心传媒� and more糖心传媒攁nd the duo performed two encores. 糖心传媒淚f it糖心传媒檚 possible to give sitting ovations after each song, then this deed was done,糖心传媒� wrote Campus Times reviewer Jan Zuckerman 糖心传媒�71.

 

Judy Collins

February 29, 1968

听Judy Collins糖心传媒檚 performance at the Palestra came in the aftermath of the Tet Offensive糖心传媒攁 major turning point in the Vietnam War in which an increasing share of the American public came to believe it had been misled about the duration and human costs of the war. The folk singer performed about 20 numbers, including an antiwar song called 糖心传媒淟a Colombe糖心传媒�, which Collins said was 糖心传媒渄edicated to the boy who was to turn 18, like many other boys whose birthdays are coming up soon.糖心传媒� The somber opening lyrics set the tone:

Why all these bugles crying
For squads of young men drilled
To kill and to be killed
Stood waiting by this train?

 

Dionne Warwick

October 10, 1968

听Although Warwick performed a beautiful rendition of 糖心传媒淥ne Hand, One Heart糖心传媒� from West Side Story, which transitioned into 糖心传媒淲hat The World Needs Now Is Love.糖心传媒� Campus Times reviewer Ray Singer found her performance 糖心传媒渄isappointing.糖心传媒� He wrote that Warwick 糖心传媒渢ried, but her voice strained and occasionally cracked.糖心传媒� Singer noted that Warwick shone, however, while singing 糖心传媒淎lways Something There to Remind Me.糖心传媒�

 

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

November 1, 1968

The smooth quartet from Detroit wowed the crowd with hits such as 糖心传媒淭racks of My Tears,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒淚 Second That Emotion,糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淥oo Baby Baby.糖心传媒� But it was their rendition of 糖心传媒淭he Look of Love糖心传媒澨切拇�媒攖he first time they had ever performed the Burt Bacherach number live糖心传媒攖hat drew the loudest cheers. Three photographers took countless shots of the show for possible use on the group糖心传媒檚 next album (alas, Rochester did not make the cut).

 

Blood, Sweat & Tears

February 20, 1969

The blues-rock band had performed on the popular Ed Sullivan Show the week before and had recently released the album Blood, Sweat & Tears, with hits such as 糖心传媒淵ou糖心传媒檝e Made Me So Very Happy糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淪pinning Wheel.糖心传媒� The recording would reach number one on the charts and be named Album of the Year at the 1970 Grammy Awards. Six months later, the band would enjoy headliner status at the legendary Woodstock music festival.

 

Peter, Paul and Mary

April 11, 1969

The legendary folk trio turned in a masterful performance, singing hits such as 糖心传媒淚f I Had a Hammer,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒淏lowin糖心传媒� in the Wind,糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淧uff the Magic Dragon.糖心传媒� As Daniel Smirlock 糖心传媒�72 wrote in the Campus Times, 糖心传媒淭hey put on a show so entertaining and so vital糖心传媒攜et so unlike the majority of concerts today糖心传媒攖hat it suddenly became 1960 instead of 1969.糖心传媒�

The concert kicked off what the newspaper called a 糖心传媒渕iracle weekend糖心传媒� for students, with a rising comedian performing the following evening at the Auditorium Theater in downtown Rochester. The comedian was Bill Cosby.

(photo provided by Scott Brande ’72)

 

B.B. King

September 19, 1970

More than 3,500 people showed up糖心传媒攑erhaps the largest gathering at the Palestra to date糖心传媒攐n a hot Saturday evening, and the heat inside forced King to take a 10-minute break. The blues legend dedicated 糖心传媒淧lease Accept My Love糖心传媒� to his late friend, Jimi Hendrix, whose untimely death had taken place just the day before. Hendrix, King said, 糖心传媒渕ade a lot of us very happy while he was alive.糖心传媒� The crowd was still stomping and shaking the floor when the house lights were turned on. 糖心传媒淭he gym floor seemed to take abuse equal to 750,000 basketball games,糖心传媒� the Campus Times noted.

 

The Grateful Dead

November 20, 1970

In what possibly is the in Palestra history, the Grateful Dead rocked the building with a concert that lasted until 3:30 a.m. and had fans screaming for more. After the second set, it was announced that 糖心传媒渟ome friends from across town糖心传媒� had joined the party. Jefferson Airplane糖心传媒攍ike the Dead, a San Francisco Bay Area-based band糖心传媒攈ad been playing two miles away at the Community War Memorial. After their show ended, guitarists Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady learned the Dead were still playing and headed to the Palestra.

Freelance photographer Peter Corrigan remembers a 糖心传媒渂uzz passing through the crowd糖心传媒� after the Dead sang 糖心传媒淐asey Jones.糖心传媒�

From left, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Jorma Kaukonen, and Bob Weir as members of the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane jam in the Palestra in 1970. (vintagerockandrollphotos.com / Peter Corrigan)

糖心传媒淐asady could be seen behind the Dead糖心传媒檚 amplifiers, and when some in the crowd noticed him, (Dead guitarist) Phil Lesh began playing the opening bass line to 糖心传媒榃hite Rabbit,糖心传媒櫶切拇�媒櫶切拇�媒� Corrigan remembers. 糖心传媒淛orma came on stage with his guitar, did some tuning, and then they launched into the incredible jam. It was an unforgettable evening.糖心传媒�

Kaukonen and Casady jammed with the Dead for a few songs, including 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 All Over Now糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淩eelin糖心传媒� and Rockin,糖心传媒� before an excited crowd.

糖心传媒淚t was incredible,糖心传媒� says Jeffrey Newcorn 糖心传媒�73, 糖心传媒�77M (MD), now a psychiatrist in Greenwich, Connecticut, who reviewed the concert for the Campus Times. 糖心传媒淚 was a Dead freak, and there they were, right on campus! It was phenomenal. And then to have members of the Airplane join them? The jam session was fantastic, just an amazing moment.糖心传媒�

So amazing, in fact, that Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at a Grateful Dead concert.

The Dead would return 11 months later, on October 26, 1971. Fans waited three hours outside the Palestra and were treated to a .

 

REO Speedwagon

December 1, 1972

Blues and rock band Canned Heat was the headliner, but it was a young group from Illinois added to the bill just two days earlier that stole the show. Long before it would become a staple on the Billboard charts with hits like 糖心传媒淐an糖心传媒檛 Fight This Feeling,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒淭ime For Me To Fly糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淜eep On Loving You,糖心传媒� REO wowed the Palestra crowd with what Campus Times reviewer Michael Dinhofer called 糖心传媒済ood old rock and roll.糖心传媒� Dinhofer noted that the band 糖心传媒渄id justice to every tune they played simply by being down to earth.糖心传媒�

 

Dave Mason

October 6, 1973

The former lead singer for Traffic played to a half-empty Palestra. 糖心传媒淲hat a waste!糖心传媒� wrote Vincent Frank in the Campus Times. 糖心传媒淵ou passed up a chance to see one of the most underrated rock performers play an evening of some of the greatest music you糖心传媒檇 ever want to hear.糖心传媒�

Frank predicted Rochester students would regret the decision.

糖心传媒淒ave Mason won糖心传媒檛 have to play to half-filled gyms very much longer,糖心传媒� he wrote. 糖心传媒淣ot if he keeps delivering such great performances.糖心传媒�

Frank was right. Now 76, Mason remains a popular act on tour and in 2004 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

The Temptations

March 31, 1974

The Temptations came in fresh off their win as Favorite Soul/R&B Group at the American Music Awards six weeks earlier. Sponsored by the Black Students糖心传媒� Union, the performance featured the Temptations accompanied by a Motown rhythm section and a nine-piece brass orchestra and included what the Campus Times called 糖心传媒渁 brief but intense set of about 15 of their greatest hits,糖心传媒� including 糖心传媒淐an糖心传媒檛 Get Next To You,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒淕et Ready,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒淭he Way You Do The Things You Do,糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淢y Girl.糖心传媒�

 

Peter Frampton, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel

February to November, 1976

There was arguably no greater year for concerts at the Palestra than 1976, when three budding superstars performed within a nine-month period.

Peter Frampton played before a capacity crowd of 3,000 on February 7, 1976糖心传媒攋ust one month after Frampton Comes Alive! was released. It would be the best-selling album of that year, with hits such as 糖心传媒淪how Me The Way,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒淏aby I Love Your Way,糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淒o You Feel Like I Do?糖心传媒�

Frampton strode onstage in a yellow outfit, looking 糖心传媒渓ike a lean Roger Daltrey,糖心传媒� according to the Campus Times review, and performed for nearly three hours. 糖心传媒淔rampton put on the most electrifying rock performance the Palestra has seen in years,糖心传媒� the Campus Times wrote.

Two months later, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band rocked the arena with another two-and-a-half-hour show on April 17. The bearded Springsteen, whom the student newspaper called 糖心传媒渁 26-year-old rock and roll poet from New Jersey,糖心传媒� wore a blue suit and turned in an energetic performance, with songs such as 糖心传媒淭hunder Road,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒淕rowin糖心传媒� Up,糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淏orn To Run.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淏ruce Springsteen turned the Palestra into a sweat rock theater Saturday night,糖心传媒� the Campus Times wrote.

The 1976 trifecta was completed on November 7, when a rising star from the Bronx named Billy Joel played before 2,000 fans, a strong crowd but 500 shy of a sellout. The concert cost the UR Concert Committee $12,500, and $5,200 went to Joel and his band. The rest was used to cover production, advertising, and lighting. Tickets were $3.50 for students and $4.50 for the public. Joel played 糖心传媒淎ngry Young Man,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒淧iano Man,糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淣ew York State of Mind糖心传媒� among other songs, and he made the crowd laugh with an impression of Jimmy Carter, who had been elected president of the United States just five days earlier.

糖心传媒淟ast night at the Palestra, Mr. Joel played and sang with a fury and confidence few performers could match,糖心传媒� Brian Kelly wrote in the Campus Times. 糖心传媒淎fter his fourth encore, Joel shook as many hands as he could grab and took a deep bow before leaving the court.糖心传媒�

 

Bonnie Raitt

March 2, 1977

Raitt gave Rochester something to talk about with a 15-song concert that included two encores and a preview of what would be her first hit: a cover of 糖心传媒淩unaway,糖心传媒� the song made famous by Del Shannon in 1961. The song was included on Raitt糖心传媒檚 sixth album, Sweet Forgiveness, which was released a month after her Palestra concert.

 

The Kinks

December 8, 1977; April 28, 1990

The English group was one of the most influential bands of the 1960s, and their song 糖心传媒淵ou Really Got Me糖心传媒� reached number one on the charts in 1964. The band, led by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, played at the Palestra late in 1977 and again for Dandelion Weekend in 1990.

 

Hall and Oates

November 8, 1980

The popular duo opened their Saturday evening show with a rarity糖心传媒擩ohn Oates on lead vocals糖心传媒攆or 糖心传媒淗ow Does It Feel To Be Back,糖心传媒� which had peaked at number 30 on the Billboard charts earlier that year. Other hits followed, including 糖心传媒淩ich Girl,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒淪he糖心传媒檚 Gone,糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淪ara Smile.糖心传媒� Campus Times reviewer John Swanson found the show 糖心传媒渟olidly entertaining糖心传媒� but noted that 糖心传媒渕any people considered the $7.50 ticket price too high.糖心传媒�

 

R.E.M.

April 13, 1983

The alternative rock band scored chart hits with 糖心传媒淟osing My Religion,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒淓verybody Hurts,糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 the End of the World As We Know It.糖心传媒� But in 1983, they were just a three-year-old group struggling for success.

R.E.M. opened for The English Beat, which fused Latin, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock, as part of Dandelion Weekend. The Campus Times review was not kind: 糖心传媒淭heir biggest handicap seemed to be a lead singer (Michael Stipe) who was hard to understand in the first place and pseudo-esoteric lyrics such as 糖心传媒楪ardening At Night糖心传媒� in the second.糖心传媒�

 

10,000 Maniacs, Violent Femmes, The Fleshtones

February 16, 1985

It was a New Wave invasion as three bands entertained a crowd of nearly 1,900. The Fleshtones were the biggest 糖心传媒渃rowd pleasers糖心传媒� according to Campus Times reviewer Chris Bourne, who correctly predicted that the obscure opening act糖心传媒�10,000 Maniacs糖心传媒攈ad the brightest future. 糖心传媒�(Lead singer) Natalie Merchant has great style on stage and is altogether pleasant to watch,糖心传媒� Bourne wrote. Four albums by 10,000 Maniacs would reach the top 50 in the US, and their 1989 hit 糖心传媒淭hese Are Days糖心传媒� reached number one on the billboard charts.

LISTEN: Talking with the Violent Femmes, WRUR

The Ramones

April 12, 1986

The New York City-based punk rock band put on a loud, spirited concert for nearly 2,000 fans. Many engaged in 糖心传媒渟lam dancing,糖心传媒� jumping in the air and running hard into other fans. The tone was set by opening act The Mosquitos, who emerged from 糖心传媒渕anhole covers糖心传媒� on the Palestra floor. 糖心传媒淐reatures of every color, shape, and size crawled out,糖心传媒� according to the Campus Times. 糖心传媒淪ome had mohawks, others had chains, some had hair held up in the air through mysterious devices.糖心传媒�

 

The Bangles

March 31, 1989

The all-female band, with hits like 糖心传媒淢anic Monday糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淲alk Like an Egyptian,糖心传媒� performed before a crowd that included hundreds of screaming teenagers. 糖心传媒淭hanks for the nice spring evening, Rochester!糖心传媒� lead guitarist Vicki Peterson shouted out on a chilly evening. 糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檙e not really used to this since we糖心传媒檙e from Southern California, but we糖心传媒檒l try our best to heat things up.糖心传媒�

The next day, April 1, 糖心传媒淓ternal Flame糖心传媒� became the number one pop song in the US. Six months later, the Bangles broke up.

 

Goo Goo Dolls

October 7, 1995

The alternative band from Buffalo came to the Palestra one month after the release of their single 糖心传媒淣ame.糖心传媒� That song would reach number 1 on the Billboard charts and remains one of their biggest hits. The album A Boy Named Goo was released seven months earlier and was certified double platinum (two million copies sold) by year糖心传媒檚 end.

 

Beck

March 29, 1997

Beck David Hansen糖心传媒攌nown simply as 糖心传媒淏eck糖心传媒澨切拇�媒攚as the headliner for a triple act concert that began with Atari Teenage Riot, who took the stage at 8 p.m. 糖心传媒渁nd did not stop swearing or screaming for a half hour,糖心传媒� Campus Times reviewer Otis Hart 糖心传媒�97 wrote.

They were followed by The Cardigans, who had appeared on Late Night with David Letterman the night before. They played their hugely popular song 糖心传媒淟ovefood 糖心传媒�(love me, love me, say that you糖心传媒檒l love me). At 10 p.m., Beck took the stage, just a month after winning a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance. 糖心传媒淏eck was amazing,糖心传媒� says Anne-Marie Algier 糖心传媒�16W (EdD), associate dean of students at the College. 糖心传媒淗e walked through the crowd in a hooded sweatshirt when Atari Teenage Riot played, and no one knew he was there. When he returned backstage, he said, 糖心传媒楾hese people deserve a great show, and I am going to give them all I糖心传媒檝e got!糖心传媒櫶切拇�媒�

Hart wrote: 糖心传媒淏eck put on what might have been the best concert UR has ever held.糖心传媒� Algier agrees. 糖心传媒淭hat was the best sounding show in that space,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淏eck brought his own soundboard, and it was top of the line.糖心传媒�

 

Lifehouse, Michelle Branch, The Calling

September 23, 2001

A trio of rising acts played the Palestra just 12 days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Lifehouse had a big hit with 糖心传媒淗anging By A Moment,糖心传媒� which peaked at number two on the Billboard Top 100 that June. Branch糖心传媒檚 糖心传媒淓verywhere糖心传媒� was climbing the charts and would peak at 12 on Billboard糖心传媒檚 Top 100 that November. The video from the song won the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards 糖心传媒淰iewer糖心传媒檚 Choice Award.糖心传媒�

 

Janelle 惭辞苍谩别

October 1, 2011

The multi-talented singer, songwriter, science fiction author, and actress came to the Palestra just a year after winning an MTV Video Music Award. She would go on to earn eight Grammy Award nominations and win the Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award in 2015.

 

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