Civic Arena played big part in birth of 'megaconcert' industry
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Pittsburgh skyline from within Civic Arena at opening ceremonies. -
Paul McCartney played the Civic Arena, February, 1990. -
On Sept. 15, 1986, the ceiling of the Civic Arena dazzles as the stage is set for a concert.
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When I became involved in the music business in the late '50s, all concerts were held at the 3,700-seat-capacity Syria Mosque in Oakland or the 2,000-seat Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall across the street.
Surprisingly in the early days of rock, it was difficult for one act to sell out these small venues, and promoters often had a hard time dealing with management at these venues, who preferred any act over a rock act because of potential noise and other problems.
There were other issues. Although the Syria Mosque was considered the prime venue for all types of concerts, it didn't have air conditioning and often was too hot during the summer to host shows.
Pat DiCesare, 72, started his music career in the late '50s as a singer and songwriter before moving on to record distribution and concert promotion.
In 1973 Pat DiCesare Productions brought on partner Rich Engler to form DiCesare-Engler, which became one of the top grossing concert promoters in the country.
In 1998 DiCesare-Engler was sold to entertainment giant SFX, after which Mr. DiCesare spent two years as CEO of the Regatta Management Group. Mr. DiCesare, who focused on the real estate side of DiCesare-Engler, still invests in and manages real estate.
He can be reached at pat@pittsburghconcerthistory.com
At the time, most promoters believed Pittsburgh didn't need another concert venue. But the Civic Light Opera was the exception. It was meant to be played in the summer and needed an open-air venue. The CLO played stadiums and other outdoor facilities but needed a permanent home for the summer that would be both comfortable and provide theater-style seating. Having a retractable domed roof made sense and would ultimately give birth to the construction of the Civic Arena.
When the Civic Arena -- now the Mellon Arena -- was built, I did not think that it would be a rock music venue. Who would want to see a concert in a gigantic sports facility?
So when the arena was ready to open in 1961, promoters were uneasy about risking their money at such a large venue. Not only did they fear the public would not want to pay to see a concert in such a huge facility, but the artists' agents also were unwilling to let their act be the first to try this "experiment." The agents wanted to be sure that the audience could see and hear their performer.
I had to hand it to the architects, though. When I saw the finished product, it was a beautiful sight, and I was proud that Pittsburgh had such a venue. It felt like space-age technology. The roof could open, it had an ice floor for hockey and skating shows, and at the same time it could host a concert.
The Ice Capades officially opened the arena on Sept. 19, 1961. During its 20-day run, the Ice Capades sold 189,270 tickets for a gross sale of $514,483. This was a phenomenal success. Suddenly everyone thought that the new arena was the right venue to have in Pittsburgh.
Although the Civic Arena was built with the initial help from the Kaufmann Foundation as a home for the Civic Light Opera, the public soon regarded the venue as a sports facility. Edgar Kaufmann Sr.'s foundation had contributed $1 million to push the idea of constructing it, but unfortunately he died before it was completed. He probably would have been disappointed with how the arena became more of a home for sports teams than the CLO.
First Published May 30, 2010 12:00 am
