Freedom Hall – Then And Now
Posted by dcate | Posted in Concerts, Johnson City, Memories, Regional History, Tri-Cities Music | Posted on 21-09-2008
11
A few weeks ago, we finally had enough of the memories of Freedom Hall.
Together with Jared and Tom on The Buzzcutz Podcast, we were recalling all of the great rock and roll concerts we attended at Freedom Hall Civic Center in Johnson City back in the seventies and eighties and we can’t figure out what happened since then.
It seemed almost every weekend, you could join your friends in Johnson City and see a rock show from one of the nation’s biggest acts. Although we have one concert coming up in a few weeks, the most popular “shows” at Freedom Hall now are Jehovah’s Witness conventions, gospel concerts and church gatherings.
The only other rock show this year was ZZ Top back in May and you have to wonder what’s up at this – our municipal auditorium.
We’re doing some research on that question and before we discuss those ideas, we thought it would be a good idea to put together the definitive list of all the concerts held at Freedom Hall and compare what we had then and what we have now.
If anything, it’s a good index for our memories because it’s hard to recall those dates and times, but having that information connects the dots and more importantly it reveals the difference between then and now.
Perhaps after we get the list, we can all work toward finding out what the deal is at Freedom Hall.
This facility is supposed to be a “Civic Center” and I personally feel the need to wonder why the leaders and marketing department here refuse to culture this complex as an entertainment center and with-hold great cultural opportunities for the citizens in this region..
You can help. Review our list and help us gather any additional dates. Our goal is to have the complete concert calendar for Freedom Hall and we’ll start with what we know. Feel free to chime in with dates or memories.
(Above – Elvis Presley at Freedom Hall in 1976)
November 26, 1974
Foghat
April 24, 1975
Rush
Fly By Night Tour
August 4, 1975
Poco
The Eagles
August 21, 1975
Jethro Tull
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
October 13, 1975
Rush
Ted Nugent
Kiss
Artful Dodger
December 6th, 1975
Black Sabbath
Manfred Manns Earth Band
Ruby Star
Grey Ghost
January 31, 1976
Deep Purple
March 17th, 1976
Elvis Presley
April 20, 1976
The Bruce Springsteen Band
- Bruce at Freedom Hall – Courtesy of D Cortner
April 24, 1976
Kiss
Rush
The Kids
May 14, 1976
Santana
Ted Nugent
Starcastle
May 31, 1976
Yes
Pousette Dart Band
July 7, 1976
Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
July 19th, 1976
Kiss
December 11, 1976
Kansas
February 13, 1977
Stevie Ray Vaughn
February 19, 1977
Elvis Presley
February 26, 1977
Kiss
April 15, 1977
ZZ Top with Blackfoot
World Wide Texas Tour
May 19, 1977
Peter Frampton
The J. Geils Band
Foghat
August 16, 1977
Bad Company
November 24, 1977
AC/DC
The Motors
UFO
December 10, 1977
Todd Rungren and Utopia
March 10, 1978
Emerson Lake and Palmer
June 23, 1978
Rainbow
July 12, 1978
Kansas
April 29, 1978
Journey
Montrose
Leblanc and Carr
September 9, 1978
AC/DC
Cheap Trick
January 27, 1979
Boston
Don’t Look Back Tour
April 17th, 1979
Eric Clapton
Backless Tour
April 27, 1979
Cheap Trick
March 17, 1979
Rush
October 20th, 1979
Blue Oyster Cult
Robert Palmer
September 29, 1979
AC/DC _ Highway To Hell
Mother’s Finest
Sammy Hagar
December 14, 1979
ZZ-Top
June 28, 1980
Alice Cooper
- Flush The Fashion
August 15, 1980
AC/DC – Back in Black Tour
Nantucket
October 25, 1980
Van Halen
November 7, 1980
Frankie Valley and The Four Seasons
July 11, 1981
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
October 7, 1981
Judas Priest
Point of Entry Tour
December 12, 1981
Rush
April 23, 1982
Ozzy Osbourne
Diary of a Madman
December 4, 1982
Van Halen
The Bandit Band
Saturday, May 28, 1983
Def Leppard
June 1, 1983
ZZ-Top
October 18, 1983
Iron Maiden
Quiet Riot
September 30, 1984
Ratt
Blackfoot
November 2, 1984
Rush
January 3, 1986
Kiss
April 3, 1986
Aerosmith
Done with Mirrors Tour
May 3, 1986
Metallica
August 11, 1986
Dokken
Krokus
Friday, May 2, 1986
Sunshine Promotions presents
Ozzy Osborne
Metallica
Friday, January 22, 1987
Def Leppard
February 13, 1987
Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble
March 20th, 1987
Bon Jovi
Cinderella
July 6, 1987
Motley Crue
Girls, Girls, Girls Tour
January 1, 1988
Kiss
Ted Nugent
January 22, 1988
Def Leppard
Hysteria
April 29, 1988
Aerosmith
White Lion
- Permanent Vacation Tour
May 2, 1990
Aerosmith
- Pump Tour
With Joan Jett
July 18, 1990
Kiss
December 4, 1990
Ratt
Vixen
February 1, 1991
AC/DC
November 8, 1992
Bad Company
May 9, 1993
Joe Walsh and Glenn Frey
Party of Two
March 28, 1996
Widespread Panic
April 2, 1993
Metallica
May 1, 1997
Stone Temple Pilots
December 5, 2000
Elton John
November 20, 2001
Widespread Panic
August 30, 2002
Tesla
October 29, 2003
Three Doors Down
Seether
Shinedown
March 11, 2004
John Mayer
Guster
August 23, 2006
Staind
Three Days Grace
Soil
March 8, 2008
Three Days Grace
Breaking Benjamin
Seether
May 30, 2008
ZZ Top
A couple more I remember going to with my Dad that I didn’t see on the list. Would have been in the 86-88 range.
Huey Lewis and the News came through on the Fore! tour with Robert Cray opening. This was in 86 or 87.
Stevie Ray Vaughn was on his Superstitious Tour and played on a Friday the 13th. Maybe 87?
Thanks Rich.
Hope you are well.
I’ve seen a few things out there on ole’ Huey Lewis and the Freedom Hall show, but haven’t found a date yet, but I’ll keep a lookin.’
I’ll check into Stevie Ray too – there was a date back in ’77, but haven’t found an eighties gig yet.
Added a few more today including a July 7th show of Bob Seger.
Oops. Found that Stevie Ray Gig…
February 13, 1987
http://www.awpi.com/SRV/collectors.html
Davis
Won’t know the dates but will get close to the year.
Seems to Me
Kenny Loggins say 1979 ish
Cheap Trick was back in 81 with UFO opening
Molly Hatchet…..Barely remeber but I was with Steve Thompson and maybe even you you I think…..probably 1980
Scott,
How could I forget that Kenny Loggins concert! Thanks for reminding me. We’re still building the list.
Having trouble with Cheap Trick and Molly Hatchet and old Steve is helping us come up with names and dates as well as Bubba Spence.
Steve mentioned it would be great to have Woody recall some of those too, because he had a terrific memory.
Hope all is well in the UK! Can’t wait to get a baby picture!
Cheap Trick and UFO…..I remember going with Belinda Smith and others….I remember the big massive EYE that opened the UFO portion of the concert. Then Cheap trick came on after….I couldn’t find any reference to it on the web though.
I know Steve Thompson will remember Molly Hatchett…..Now that I think about it it might have been David Meyerand and Greg Taylor who went also….It was NOT a good night for me and I DO NOT remember much of the concert at all…..if you know what I mean.
Did you not go with Jim Thweatt to see Triumph. Now I am stretching my memory but they opened up for Foreigner I have a memory of you talking about the Blinding LightShow and you thought it was pretty cool that Triumph was Canadian….
I know what you mean about that memory problem. We’re not talking RAM or ROM either…
I went to see Triumph with Kathy Urquhart I’m pretty certain. Jim and I didn’t attend too many concerts together, but it was a great show and although I can’t find anything about the Johnson City date, it still is a great memory altogether.
The Cheap Trick/UFO show @ Freedom Hall in ’81 was on Friday April 10 I’m pretty sure.
WE SAW MOUNTAIN IN ’74. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE FIRST SHOW. ALSO DOOBIE BROTHERS SOMETIME LATER.
I remember Wet Willie, Nantucket and Foreigner on December 8,1978, as it was my 15th birthday.
The very next weekend was ZZ Top. Not sure who was with ZZ as I got “stoned and missed it”, crashed in the car. Early in 1979 was the ” Rock and Roll Marathon” with Humble Pie, Mother’s Finest and Frank Marino and Mahogoney Rush. ( Another band, possibly Nantucket was there for this concert as well.
I’ll keep searching my ” damaged from those days ” memory for possiblr further submissions.
Hey man cool blog I have a question about the jan 3 86 kiss show I was to young to go to that one but a coworker went and told me that they were in make up. I think he’s crazy. I’ve been a die hard army member since I was in fifth grade in 87, and it doesn’t make sense. He says he thinks it was a one time thing. At freedom hall? Can you please find me some info please oh and if you can find out who opened for them.