The Civic Auditorium is feeling the love.
The memories have flowed in all week, from emails, letters and comments on this blog. Keep ‘em coming, folks.
One of my favorites so far was a story from a local fan who recalled seeing former Boston Celtics center Dave Cowens stretching his back near the Celtics bench during warm-ups. He saw Cowens chatting up two young boys in wheel chairs next to the bench. When Cowens got up, he shook their hands and went to the locker room.
I love that kind of personal memory, that maybe only one fan saw.
We’ll keep collecting these through next week. Then I’ll write the column for next Sunday. Meanwhile, we’d like to run everything I get from you in our online edition the same day.
Have fun!
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watching Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights hockey from 2005-2007.
Tom, on your original post about the Civic on person mentioned you should include memories from the Blatt also. I agree. The Blatt brings back so many great memories for me. I had my first real paying job there as a snow cone vendor. I remember Dick Clark’s caravan of Stars every year along with the Beach Boy’s annual visit. I once had the chance to be a bat boy durning CWS. Friday night High School football. Losing the Blatt to me is one of the saddest losses Omaha will have to endure. I am not sure if TD Ameritrade park will ever hold those memories but I am sure that the Quest will oneday be just as big in Omaha. Looking forward I wonder if 50 years from now some OWH reporter will be asking us for our memories of the Quest Center. The importance the Quest brings to Omaha is great. I can now say I saw Phelps in the Olypic trilas. I have seen NU play for a national title in volleyball. The continued saga of CU/NU basketball and volleyball. NCAA basketball tournys. Roger Water’s, Fleetwood Mac and so many other big name preformers. The River City Roundup.
The civic has been a place that has been more like home than Quest so far. I like the car shows and having the car shows on so many levels was nice it always seemed like it would take hours and each corner was a new discovery the travel shows and home shows were the same. The civic was also the home to a NBA team the KC-Omaha Kings that and watching Nate Archibald play in OMAHA with all the skill and speed he had back then. I still have my first game ticket were I was able to Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlin. Myself and my two boy had graduation ceremonies there it was the passing of time that will be going away for many in Omaha. The civic was also the birth place of MAV hockey and I ask where did the milk jugs with quarters go?? I saw Elvis there and I think he never left the building and all the other great music stars that played there and for 5 to 8 dollar tickets. Yes it will be missed – I hope that Durham will gab enough stuff to make a special section to the Civic and Rosenblatt
My dad took me to Civic in the 1960′s to watch a closed circuit telecast of a Nebraska football game. I can only imagine what the quality must have been but at the time it was really cool. I think that it was NU/Missouri and the Huskers lost.
Oh I also remember the old Boats, Sports and Travel shows and seeing the “Harmonicats”– This serves as a reminder to parents…It’s pretty simple to make deposits into the kids memory banks!
Rosenblatt memories! We moved to Omaha in 1962. I lived on South 23rd Street, about a mile away from Rosenblatt via Deer Park Boulevard. I can remember lying in my bedroom on summer nights and hearing the P.A. announcer’s voice echoing over the hillsides. I was 11 at the time and absolutely transfixed by baseball. Went several time to see the Omaha Dodgers in their last year here. I remember going there on July 4 with my family just to see the fireworks, lying on the grass outside the fence and watching them explode overhead.
Back in the days of the double-elimination CWS, Mom, Dad and I would sometimes spend the entire day at the park, taking in four games. I remember following Bob Garibaldi (Santa Clara) in 1962, and watching Steve Arlin’s 15-inning, 20-strikeout game in 1965. We saw Sal Bando play, Rick Monday, Don Kessinger … I never caught a baseball at a ball game, but one windy, chilly night, a ball was hit onto the roof above us, and later rolled off and dropped into the lap of the guy sitting next to me. … I also remember running up to the back of the grandstand and watching the stadium organist play.
Central High football games at Rosenblatt always seemed to be cold affairs. I went because my brother played trombone in the marching band. They still were wearing ROTC uniforms in those days.
At Bancroft Junior High, I could look out of my math classroom window and see Rosenblatt on the hilltop across the way and daydream about baseball. I remember how excited I was to learn that the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs would play an exhibition game there that spring, in 1965. I went to the game, of course; Ernie Banks and Carl Yastrzemski were on the field, and it seems to me Rico Petrocelli, the Sox rookie shortstop, had a good day.
My last game at Rosenblatt was the day before I left for college, in 1969. Don’t remember the details, just remember sitting in a box along the third base line, soaking up the sun and watching the Royals play in their first year there. Some good names in future Royals history — Splittorff, Fitzmorris, Healy, Boros. I have lived in Illinois since and never got back for another game, although I drove past a number of time on visits home. It will always live in my memory, the announcer’s call reaching out to me through the summer evening …
Brian, we grew up real close to each other. I grew up at 23rd and K sts. My house is now part of the South High Gym. Going to Marrs Jr. High, Bancroft and Indian Hills were our two rivals. I still remember the Santa lucia festivals in little Italy. For South Omaha Boys the Blatt was a special part of our lives. I still remember the cold nights for South playing football also. I had a gym teacher at Hawthore Elementry school that use to play semi-pro ball at the Blatt (can’t remember the name of the team nowdays). Like you also I moved away from Omaha for most of my adult life but when ever I did go back the Blatt always seemed to find its way to my agenda. Before taking this job in China I spent 7 years back in Omaha and I was a proud owner of a “Save The Blatt” bumber sticker on my car.
It is sad when places like the Blatt and the Civic Center give way to new venues. I can only hope that in 50 years in the future people will remember the Quest and TD Ameritrade with the same foundness that we remember the Blatt, Civic, Merrits Beach, Peony Park and Aksarben.
CharlesNChina, I would have walked past your house many times. My mother was a librarian at South Branch Library at 23rd and M, and in the days before I-80 cut through, I would walk down 23rd Street to the library from my house a mile and a half north.
The semipro team was the Omaha Mustangs. I think I saw their first game at Rosenblatt.
I read a Dick Cavett blog months ago about an event I think took place at Rosenblatt. He was a teenager and an aspiring magician, and he got hired to work at (I think) a racing event of some kind there, probably late ’40s or early ’50s. Somehow it ended up with him never getting paid. … I just looked up the link. It’s a fun read, and even though the stadium is never named, it sounds like The Blatt
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/25/how-do-you-open-for-a-mind-reading-horse/#more-82484:
Brian, I would have had to known your mom. I use to go to the library a lot. When I was 12 I use to deliver the OWH and they had a substation right next door to there. My mom and dad owned a laundry mat across the street from there. I am wondering if you knew the Trobridges or Van Moorlinghams they both lived fairly close to you on 23 and B.
Mom was the children’s librarian at South Branch in the early/mid-60s, would go around to all the schools and present reading awards. She learned how to pronounce a lot of Czech and Polish and Lithuanian names that way! She became head librarian there around 1968 or ’70 and served in that role until her retirement in 1980. Worked with a lot of South High kids on papers and research.
Can’t say I remember the Trobridges or Van Moorlinghams. I knew a lot of people a couple of blocks east — I delivered OWH for four years on 20th and 21st Streets, Deer Park and Hoctor Boulevards, A Street and Van Camp.
I remember standing in the first few rows in front of the stage when Grace Slick was doing a show. After 3 songs into her
act, some guy yelled up “play White Rabbit”. She covered the microphone, bent over and said “that takes too much energy” and went with the next number. She eventually did do the song, but after her comment, I no longer cared.
Growing up in central Nebraska, a trip to Omaha was quite an affair! My fondest memory of Civic was back in the fall of 1995. My younger brother and I (ages 21 and 17 at the time) attended the R.E.M. concert. Opening act was Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians. Great concert and a special time for my brother I, as it became the first time we really had a chance to bond as young men and not just kids. That concert has created a lasting memory that my brother and I still talk about to this day.
Other events I enjoyed over the years were the annual Nebraska Fertilizer Institute show, the Metro Holiday basketball tournament and watching Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher dominate the Mo’ Valley!
Dana Altman and the Bluejays beat Eddie Sutton’s OK St Cowboys and the beginning of the New Era in CU Hoops.
I was at that game as well, that was one hell of a basketball game
Early in the Nebraska vs. Creighton renewed series. The Huskers starting line-up I believe was Carl McPipe, Andre Smith, Curt Hedberg, Brian Banks not sure of the other guard. The Jays outworked that very physical Husker front line. Joe Cipriano got two technical fouls and was tossed. I don’t remember who even played for the Jays. I’m sure a good Jay fan can recall their starting line-up. The special part of the memory was the energy in the old Barn with Husker fans and Jay fans rooting on their teams but in the end a great night of basketball with your friends and neighbors. The Civic was part of the renewal of that great in state rivalry.
So many memories of both places:
Rosenblatt – watching Bob Garibaldi pitch for Santa Clara in 1962; Pro Football exhibition games in the mid 60′s; Omaha Mustangs; playing in and winning the ’66 Metro Championship football game in below zero wind chill; district and state baseball championships; Omaha Dodgers and Royals; Oddibe McDowell hitting the longest home run I have ever seen in person; World Herald fireworks nights; great place to have fun with the family; etc. etc. etc.
Civic – Closed circuit telecast of Nebraska/Oklahoma the day after the Kennedy Assasination; Intercity then Metro Holiday Basketball Tournaments, Rolling Stones in concert before most people knew much about them; State Basketball Tournaments ’65-’68; great concerts over the years; Kansas City-Omaha Kings and the teams they played and the great players along with that- Wilt Chamberlain breaking the NBA career rebounding record in Omaha, “Pistol” Pete Maravich, Norm Van Lier, Jerry Sloan, Celtics legends, etc; Creighton basketball from Paul Silas to when they left for the Quest, and the great teams and players that they brought in as an independent power – Dave Bing and Syracuse, Bob Lanier and St. Bonaventure, etc., then the great Valley players after their independent years; Boat, Sports and Travel Shows, Auto Shows, including seeing the Batmobile from the Batman TV series; taking my kids to see Michael Jordan “ref” a charity basketball game; high school and college graduations; etc. etc. etc.
Civic – Although I moved away from Omaha 32 years ago, I have 20 years of memories attending events at the Civic with my first one as a Cub Scout parading on the floor during a citywide exhibition. From that point I remember many, many basketball games through the years including the Holiday high school tournament, Creighton games (most memorable – Guy Lewis’ Houston team, Al Maguire’s Marquette team, Larry Bird and Indiana State), and the KC-Omaha Kings with Tiny Archibald.
Then there were all the other variety of events such as: boxing (Golden Gloves), wrestling (always good for a laugh), the circus, getting Karl Wallenda’s autograph at a Boat and Travel show shortly before he died, various concerts like Steppenwolf (the band was really wasted), and front row for the Fifth Dimension minus one of the female lead singers who was absent because of an emergency appendectomy making it the “Fourth” Dimension.
The one event that didn’t involve sports or entertainment but really stays clear in my mind was the night George Wallace made an appearance. I was there for a high school government class project to observe a political rally. There were some protesters at the front of the audience and not soon after he began talking things became tense with shouting and gestures and then all of sudden chaos erupted. Chairs were flying with an all-out brawl on the floor and everyone else looking for an escape. We ran through a crowd of people who were getting clubbed and sprayed with Mace. I’ll never forget the sights, sounds, and smells of that night. Our teacher gave us an A+ for our project.
Thanks for the memories!
As a young buck back in the late 70′s and early 80′s my close friends and I attended many Rock concerts at the Civic. I recall seeing The Cars, Boston, and ELO there . ELO was absolutely fantastic with their “laser light” show and space ship that opened up at the start of the concert. To this day they were the best I ever saw and that includes other concerts from CCR at Pershing in Lincoln, Heart & Blacfoot at Rosenblatt, Frank Zappa at the Orpheum, and others too many to mention.
At The Cars concert we were having a great time when 2 dummies started a fight right in the middle, down front. Everyone cleared out and we let them go at it. After the concert we found out that one of the dummies was one of our buddies. We didn’t even know it was him or maybe were having too much fun rocking out. We still give him crap about it to this day.
Great times at the Civic!
I NOTICED YOU SAID KISS PLAYED IN 1984..WELL THAT WAS NOTHING COMPARED TO THEIR FIRST OMAHA SHOW IN 1977!!! AT MY HIGH SCHOOL,(TEE JAY IN C..B.) OVER 300!!! STUDENTS SKIPPED SCHOOL THAT DAY,ONLY ONE PLAYER WAS AT BASKETBALL PRACTICE!!! THERE WERE AT LEAST 3,OOO PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE DOORS 2 HRS BEFORE THE SHOW AND IT WAS TURNING INTO A POSSIBLE TRAGIC SITUATION WITH PEOPLE GETTING CRUSHED UP AGAINST THE BUILDING. PANIC STARTED TO SET IN WHEN SOMEONE WAS ABLE TO GET ONE OF THE DOORS OPEN ENOUGH THAT THE CROWD LITERALLY RIPPED IT OFF ITS HINGES AND RUSHED IN LIKE A HUMAN TSUNAMI!!!. THE SHOW WAS SUCH A SUCCESS THAT THE BAND ACTUALLY ADDED ANOTHER SHOW FOR THE NEXT NIGHT AND IT SOLD OUT IN HOURS!!!!!…THAT SHOW LITERALLY PUT OMAHA ON THE ROCK CONCERT MAP….. BY FAR THE MOST MOVING AND EMOTIONAL ROCK SHOW EVER HAD TO BE THE NIGHT, (AND LET US NOT FORGET THE MUSIC HALL WHERE ROCK LEGENDS PLAYED BEFORE THEY WERE HOUSEHOLD NAMES,THOSE INCLUDED ARE,:”THE BOSS” BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ,TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS,ELVIS COSTELLO,GEORGE THOROGOOD,WHOSE BROTHER IS OR WAS AN OMAHA FIREMAN!),THE ROSSINGTON-COLLINS BAND PLAYED THE MUSIC HALL. IT WAS THE FIRST LIVE SHOW FOR THE REMAINING BAND MEMBERS OF LYNARD SKYNARD WITH THE WIFE OF SURVIVING BAND MEMBER GARY ROSSINGTONS ‘WIFE DALE KRANTZ TAKING ON LEAD VOCAL DUTIES. THE SHOW BUILT TO SUCH AN EMOTIONAL PITCH, THAT DURING THE FIRST LIVE NON VOCAL TRIBUTE OF THE SONG FREEBIRD,THAT DALE KRANTZ HAD AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN AND RAN OUT OF THE BUILDING AND WAS FOUND CRYING HYSTERICALLY, RUNNING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF DODGE STREET!!!!…….2500 HARDENED ROCK-N-ROLLERS WERE ALL CRYING THAT NIGHT AND TO THIS DAY WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT WAS ONE OF THE MOST MOVING MOMENTS OF MY LIFE. I DOUBT IN THE HISTORY OF ROCK MUSIC WAS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ARTIST AND AUDIENCE AS THERE WAS THAT NIGHT . OTHERS THAT HAVE PLAYED THE “OLD BARN”……….BOB DYLAN……ERIC CLAPTON…..STEVE MILLER……ELO (ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA),OPENED THAT BANDS BIGGEST TOUR IN OMAHA,WITH A HUGE SPACESHIP THAT “FLEW OUT INTO THE CROWD!!…..JOE WALSH…STEVIE RAY VAUGHN WHO WAS KILLED IN A HELICOPTER CRASH NOT LONG AFTER…,EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER…JETHRO TULL….FLEETWOOD MAC….HEART….AEROSMITH WERE YEARLY REGULARS…..BAD COMPANY…..BOSTON…KID ROCK…..MOODY BLUES……CHICAGO…..JACKSON 5 (WITH MICHAEL WHEN HE WAS VEY YOUNG)……OSMOND BROS……ZZ TOP A FEW TIMES….PARALIMENT….FUNKADELIC……BLUE OYSTER CULT,THE LOUDEST CONCERT EVER!!….URIAH HEEP…OZZY OSBOURNE……DAVID GILMOURE AFTER HE LEFT PINK FLOYD……AND I’M SURE I’M MISSING MANY MANY MORE THESE JUST A FEW I CAN RECALL OFF HAND……………………….AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST,,THE ONLY THING MY FATHER AND I EVER WENT TO TOGETHER JUST HIM AND I,NOT REALLY LIKE FATHER AND SON BUT JUST AS TWO GUYS, FRIENDS I DARE SAY,CHECKING OUT THE TOP SHOW CARS IN THE WORLD ,AT THE ANNUAL MIDWEST AUTO SHOW,WHICH HAD AN UNBELIEVABLE ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT TO IT IN THE 70′S THAT JUST ISN’T THERE ANYMORE. WELL ,TIME FOR A NAP AND I CAN’T WAIT TO CLOSE MY EYES AND HAVE SOME OF THE BEST TIMES OF MY LIFE COME BACK TO ME NOW THAT OLD MEMORIES HAVE COME RUSHING BACK!!!…THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO REFLECT ON A FEW,…RUSSELL MOHR 1960-?,,,,ROCK-N-ROLL NEVER FORGETS
How about Bob Lanier getting thrown out of the game vs Creighton in the first few minutes.I think for throwing an elbow.Also the great Bob Portman.Had there been a three point line then Portman would have avaraged fifty a game!!!
I DON’T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS RECALLED IT YET, BUT OMAHA IS MENTIONED IN, WHAT HAS TO BE, ONE OF THE TOP 20 ROCK -N-ROLL LYRICS OF ALL TIME. I WON’T EVEN NEED TO SAY THE BANDS NAME BECAUSE ANYONE WHO WAS BETWEEN 12 AND 40 AT THE TIME THIS BAND WAS AT THE TOP OF IT GAME WILL KNOW WHO WROTE THIS!!!!..”WHOLE BUNCH OF KIDS IN OMAHA,WERE WAITING FOR THE BAND TO RETURN FROM THE SHOW,FEEL’N GOOD, FEEL’N RIGHT,THE HOTEL DETECTIVE, HE WAS OUT OF SITE!!!!!!!!….ALL ABOUT SOME ROCK-N-ROLL SHENANIGANS THAT TOOK PLACE AFTER A SHOW AT THE OMAHA CIVIC AUDITORIUM!!!
The All City Music festival that’s what comes to my mind. The singing, and the playing of instruments with all the other schools in omaha… what a show. Being brought up in the heart of Little Italy, taking the number 3 or the number 1 bus up town to the… (AUDITORIUM) was really a great time, especially when I was working for one of the Italian resturants, and I was selling the first ever (one person pizza, about 7 inches in diameter) at the battle of the bands concert. Does anyone remember any of those bands? The Ringling Brothers Barnam & Baily Circus. The only time I was ever alowed to travel past 10th & Pacific Street, I was about 6 years old (1956), saw the circus at the auditorium. Man was that some day, the magic of it all. To bad I ended up some where around 17th and Fort street, when I was suppose to be at the Christ Child Center on 10th and Williams Street. I was found lost in a grocery store, they called my mom and $7.50 later I was brought home in a safeway cab. Last but not least the fight between Mohammad Ali and George Foreman held at the auditorium. That big screen, closed circuit TV, never been around so much excitement over a fight. Let me just say that when big George went down the people in the auditorium just went nuts. You had to be there to believe it. Thanks for the memories.
could you update us on Scott Gutschewski’s status and 2012 schedule??
Saw 3 Dog Night some 30 plus years ago in the Civic, then saw them aagain t the Orpheum with the Omaha Symphony a couple of years ago with my girlfriend(turned wife of course).
Also saw Dave Cowen, but only for a half, after being ejected at the half for flashing only half the peace sign to the ref. Did get to see John Halvicek and Nate “Tiny” Archibald, along with “Slamm’n” Sam Lacey, who hit the front of the rim more often than not, but still good solid journeyman center.
Great memories, much like the Coliseum in Lincoln.
You cannot remember the Civic without mentioning the late Charlie Mancuso. Mr. Mancuso literally spent his life in that building and sadly passed away in it at his desk around 1978. I witnessed first hand his work as the longtime manager of the Civic including his normal 12-16 hour work days. He was the ultimate promoter of Omaha by bringing in the sport teams, shows, and concerts to the Civic including many mentioned on this site. He personally picked up Elvis at the airport and brought him back tot he Civic for his show. I am sure many will remember him standing outside his office near the entrance with his “trademark” cigar, suit coat, with an Eagles “Hotel California” t-shirt on…he was real character and anyone working at the Civic knew Mr. Mancuso was in the building! He and “his family” served Omaha and the Civic well for many years..