Back in the day with Fleetwood MacAZStarnet.com
The last concert held at Arizona Stadium was headlined by Fleetwood Mac, which was touring behind the release of a little-known gem called "Rumours."
Described as the hottest band in the country at the time, Fleetwood Mac shared the stage with superstar artists Kenny Loggins and the Marshall Tucker Band, along with local band Arizona.
An estimated 67,000 people jammed the football field and nearly filled the stands that hot Saturday night on Aug. 27, 1977, to make for the largest crowd of rock fans Arizona had ever seen.
Tickets were $8 to $10, and the show grossed some $430,000. The Arizona division of the American Heart Association was the major beneficiary.
Still, authorities estimated hundreds of people got in free in the crush that ensued once the gates opened. The surging crowd knocked a deputy down a flight of stairs, and a 16-year-old girl was trampled and suffered an injured elbow.
Fans had started camping outside the stadium at 6 p.m. the night before, 23 hours before the music was scheduled to begin.
The concert ended about 11:30 p.m. after more than six hours of music. Fleetwood Mac played for more than two hours, and an Arizona Daily Star reviewer said Stevie Nicks' vocals and the guitar of Lindsey Buckingham stole the show.
Large clouds of marijuana smoke hovered above the crowd, along with sporadic flares and firecrackers.
Overall, authorities called the concert a peaceful event and nowhere near the mayhem they had prepared for.
Afterward, Chuck Raetzman, UA's superintendent of grounds, labor, maintenance and transportation at the time, was quoted as saying the field suffered no severe damage.
He added that if any part of the field was still faded by the time the Wildcats' televised home-opener rolled around, it would be painted green for television. The center of the field reportedly suffered the most damage from "compaction."
Concern over Arizona Stadium's field was one of the main reasons ASUA moved the stage to the sidelines, off the playing field, for Wednesday's performance.
Remember it fairly well
ReplyDeleteOne of the best summers. I was 19 and after finishing freshman year(Radio TV and Film major/Creative Writing minor) I attended a photograghy workshop in Bisbee - 5 days of shooting and learning.
ReplyDeleteThen summer school in Guadalajara where I learned little Spanish but I met a boy from Roanoke. When the session ended he came to Tucson and we attended the concert.
Seeing Fleetwood Mac was the icing on a long sweet summer.
Me, too. FM was amazing of course And Kenny Loggins played the famous 10 minute version of Angry Eyes. It was hot AF that day, too, but what else would you expect in August in Tucson.
ReplyDeleteMy first year at NMSU in Las Cruces. Dropped my bags in my apartment and headed to Tucson. I was full in love with Stevie Nicks and she didn't disappoint. What a great concert!
ReplyDeleteI just these comments. Warms my heart.
ReplyDeleteI was there. It was hot and awesome!
ReplyDeleteI got in free by being picked to work as a volunteer security whatever. Mostly keep people in line before the concert. During the concert, I was able to work near the stage. Awesome! Big fan of Marshall Tucker and of course, Stevie Nicks. The night before, we got a mini Fleetwood Mac concert, with their sound check. My dorm at UofA was right next to the stadium. Those were the days.
ReplyDeleteI was there!!
ReplyDeleteGreat concert. Saw some dude walking around screaming “ludes for sale”. Had about 100 of them in a baggie. Blew my mind. At the end of the show, I found my friend which I had lost earlier walking through the crowd with his arm around the lude dude.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot Little Feat playing before Marshall Tucker.
ReplyDeleteLittle Feat ? At this concert ? Arizona Stadium ?
DeleteI was also a voluntary security my job was to make sure everyone drank there booze before entering. Everybody was smoking pot. It was a great day
ReplyDeleteAlso in a neighboring dorm - Hopi Lodge. Every room was full for the night before and after with friends and acquaintances from all over the west. Great show - minor correction - started 11:30 am, ended late.
ReplyDeleteAnd then the little pot plant sprouted mid-field. The groundskeepers kept it going for a while until a picture of it made the Daily "Mildcat" front page. Good times - great music.
I was there as a freshman and it was my first "concert" - what a way to start a fun filled life full of live music !!! I wore a deerskin & feathers halter top I had "made" just for the event. Probably danced until I couldn't stand up (the memories are a bit foggy by now). But I do remember it was tremendous fun and some of the best music ever. Thanks UofA for the fun !!!
ReplyDeleteI was there as well. Great. Show. 👍
ReplyDeleteI was there. Marshall Tucker, Kenny Loggins and and band calked Arizona. Back stage with the best of friends. A benifit for Stevie's Dad. President if the AZ heart association 🥰
ReplyDeleteI went to that concert and was pretty sure one of the opening acts was a group called Pages.
ReplyDeleteDon’t think Pages or Little Feat were there, but do remember the summer Arizona heat and great music. I was waiting to start flight school at Williams AFB in November 1977 and was there with my wife and a bunch of classmates from the Air Force Academy. Road trip from Chandler to Tucson. Great concert!!
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