9 campus concerts we can’t forget

1- Elvis Presley

Fieldhouse: May 27, 1956
UD Arena: April 7, 1972; Oct. 6, 1974; Oct. 26, 1976

Elvis jailhouse rocked UD Arena three times in the 1970s, but his first shows at UD were performed at the Fieldhouse, now part of Frericks Center. According to the Dayton Daily News, the King arrived 90 minutes late to his Fieldhouse matinee show, and fans in the audience screamed through his whole 30-minute set, making it impossible to hear.

2- Diana Ross and the Supremes

Fieldhouse: Jan. 19, 1968
UD Arena: Oct. 24, 1982

Just a year before UD Arena opened, the Student Government Association brought Diana Ross and the Supremes to campus. A decade and a half later, Ross returned for a solo show at
the Arena.

3- Aerosmith

UD Arena: April 19, 1976; Nov. 3, 1978

Getting a spot on the general admission floor for this Aerosmith concert cost fans only $7.50 (about $40, adjusted for inflation). Dream on, Swifties.

4- R.E.M.

UD Arena: Sept. 26, 1989

Gen Z, before asking your parents if they went to the show, make sure to call the band “R-E-M” and not “rem,” or it might be the end of the world as you know it.

5- The Wiggles

UD Arena: Nov. 10-12, 2000

During the intermission of the Barney Musical Castle Tour in 2000, The Wiggles performed live in front of an American audience for one of the first times. Five audiences at UD Arena were treated to a children’s show that has nearly no record other than in the memories of those who attended. 

6- The Beach Boys

UD Arena: March 29, 1973; Nov. 22, 1975; Aug. 10, 1976; Nov. 20, 1977; April 23, 1980; March 27, 1983

The crowds at UD Arena must have been a favorite for the Beach Boys — or they just toured a lot. As the band surfed around the U.S.A., it made six stops on campus.   

7- Elton John

UD Arena: Oct. 3, 1973

Elton John may be the most recent recipient of the coveted EGOT — having won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award — but just over half a century ago, Rocket Man took the stage on campus.

8- Tina Turner

UD Arena: Sept. 10, 1987

The Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll set out on her record-breaking Break Every Rule tour with a whopping 222 stops around the globe. She rolled into the Arena on the river for a show on what would become the highest-grossing female artist tour of the decade.

9- Lupe Fiasco

UD Arena: March 31, 2012

One of the final concerts to be played at UD Arena was a benefit show put on by the student-run Charity Concert Committee. The performance supported the Boys and Girls Club of Dayton, with many of its members in the audience.

Photographs courtesy University Archives.