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Who doesn’t love and remember the Richfield Coliseum, that beacon of cement and boring architecture down I-77 situated amongst prairie fields and grazing farm animals?

With the help of some concert posters (many pulled from this awesome Facebook page) and a stray ticket stub or two, take a trip down musical memory lane to a time when the biggest bands in the world caravanned into the tiny town and tickets were less than $20.

What was your favorite show at the Palace on the Prairie?

This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2013.

Scene's award-winning newsroom oftentimes collaborates on articles and projects. Stories under this byline are group efforts.

52 replies on “20 Musical Memories From the Richfield Coliseum”

  3. I have good memories from here (high school graduation and concerts), but now I live in Richfield and am glad it is gone. The area is so much more beautiful having been returned to the park system.

  6. January, 1978, 8th grade, my first concert, at time The Hottest Band in the Land – KISS! It snowed about 6 or 7 inches during the show. Was a mess trying to leave. Got home about 4 am. Was in school at 7:30 am proudly wearing my concert shirt.

  7. was at the Snowiest Kiss Concert ever also… tooo funny… freezing nite and epic show.. Angel opened!!! are you sure it was 78?

  9. Black sabbath-ted nugent-heart-bruce springsteen-blue oyster cult like 5 times-z z top-jethro tull 3or 4 times! Fleetwood mac-j geils- michael stanley-van halen cant even remember all the great times there!

  10. My first concert ever was Black Sabbath in 81 also saw many Iron Maiden concerts there in the early 80s and Zztop and Deep Purple

  12. we could never leave out Pink Floyd as they gave us a gift by having a third show at the cement block (The first two were at the old stadium).

  18. YES! Was the very first rock show at the not fully completed Colliseum. Was very different from Public Hall for us concert goers. Love the smaller halls but great memories in Richfield Colliseum. Thanks!

  19. Never forget Frank Sinatra at the Grand Opening & Elvis who was so HUGE and what a dud a junkie is. He could hardly walk on & off stage. Oxygen tank was there. He just kept taking pills…… I was so spooked by him I wanted to leave.

    Best show was Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, as well as John Bonham & John Paul Jones. THey just blew me away in sound check & their show. What beautiful men they were & vocals were terrific as was Jimmy’s guitars. Led Zeppelin was the greatest act!

  22. Every concert I went to there was awesome, I loved being able to walj around on the inside of the seats and still watch the concert.

  26. I attended many concerts there and still have the T Shirt I got for Yes in 1974. It was the Relayer tour. I also saw: Led Zeppelin (See note below), Queen (2X and best live show ever) Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy, Bad Company, Kansas, Foghat, Climax Blues Band, Yes (2x), Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Electric Light Orchestra.

    About 8 years ago I was playing in a rehearsal studio that was also a recording studio and the engineer and I got to talking about seeing Led Zeppelin. I explained when and where I had seen them and he said “Hold on a minute.” He pulled out a box of cd’s and rifled through it pulling out a bootleg recording of the exact concert I was at in 1977. I how have a copy of that show, I still can’t believe it.

  27. Elivs, kiss, john cougar mellemcamp opening for michael Stanley band, Clapton, police, stones … So many good shows and then the grateful dead runs in the early 90’s

  31. AC/DC (several times), Judas Priest, Metallica, Guns n Roses (2x), The Dead ( 3x), Gloria Estefan, Sebastian Bach, Queensryche, Springsteen,

  34. Either the Scorpions and Bon Jovi on the “Love At First Sting” tour or Journey and Bryan Adams on the “Frontiers” tour. I saw so many shows there….and miss the place to this day.

  35. Used to live about half a mile down the road. My God the traffic! But many good memories going there for events. 1st concert AC/DC Flick of the Switch. Hell who doesnt remember the Cavs there, the Chevaliers!? The Force!

  36. REM 1989 Green Album Tour. Drove from BGSU and back after the show. Great time with old buddies

  37. Frank Oct ’74. Tossing M&M’s down my girlfriend’s dress, and then going in after them

  40. How can you leave out Michael Stanley Band from this list????!!! I’m very disappointed in you Scene Magazine!!

  41. Seen Paul McCartney and Wings there 76. Would have seen George Harrison there if it wasn’t for a snowstorm. I did see Kiss there during the storm of Jan 78.

  42. ZZ Top! Had just lost my job on my birthday and my husband got me tickets. It was great !

  43. KISS! My first concert ever, and we would not be deterred by the snowstorm that night. More memories include Springsteen and the E Street Band, Elton John, The Allman Brothers, and REO Speedwagon. The price of all of those tickets combined was probably less than the price of one ticket for the average ticket price today.

  44. Won tickets for RATT, with Bon Jovi as the opener. Jon tripped over the flooe lights next to the drum riser. Saw Neil Young, Rush, Judas Priest, all great cheap shows. What about the open container cops that busted everyone like Ninjas?

  45. Saw the Grateful Dead several times there. Couldn’t forget my first concert ever though, Fat Elvis in ’75.

  49. Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac. Bare Naked Ladies. Best was the 1976 graduation ceremony choir of Brunswick High School!

  50. My mother,who is 85 years young,just today ,said what a grand night it was to see Frank on opening night there,and she still has a commemorative coin that was given at the concert!She said she does remember the only bad thing was they had a horrible traffic jam,and many people were late arriving because of it!,,,,,,,otherwise,fabulous!

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