The Agora to the Coliseum: A history of legendary Cleveland concert venues – cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio You cant examine the history of the concert industry and its historic music venues without Northeast Ohio. After all, the first major rock and roll concert took place at Cleveland Arena 70 years ago.

The Moondog Coronation Ball, put on by Alan Free, Leo Mintz and others, helped usher in the rock and roll era on March 21, 1952. But it was just the start of Cleveland playing a major role in the genres evolution with a collection of legendary concert venues that played host to the greatest artists of all time during pivotal moments in their careers.

A free event at Music Box Supper Club in Clevelands Flats celebrates the areas lineage of premier concert halls, arenas and clubs. Backed by an all-star panel of historians, CLE Rocks Presents No Sleep Till Cleveland, will revisit the legacies of The Agora, Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland Stadium, Public Auditorium, Leos Casino, Musicarninval and more.

[Reserve your table for CLE Rocks Presents No Sleep Till Cleveland]

The event, hosted by cleveland.com life and culture reporter Troy L. Smith, will be recorded as an episode of the CLE Rocks podcast. Attendance is free. But you must reserve a table at the Music Boxs website.

The panel includes Deanna R. Adams, author of fiction and nonfiction works including Rock and Roll and the Cleveland Connection and Clevelands Rock and Roll Venues. Also on hand will be veteran TV and radio reporter Mike Olszewski, author of multiple books on Cleveland history including Smoky, Sweaty, Rowdy, and Loud: Tales of Clevelands Legendary Rock & Roll Landmarks, and Susan Csendes, a veteran box office manager and disc jockey who worked at The Agora, The Odeon and Tower City Amphitheatre during their heydays.

Together, the panel will discuss the impact of some of the most important moments in Cleveland music history, such as Bruce Springsteens famous 1978 Agora concert, Led Zeppelin performing at Musicarnival the same day as the Moon Landing, the glory days of Richfield Coliseum and more.

CLE Rocks Presents... No Sleep Till Cleveland is sponsored by Wonderstruck Music & Arts Festival, taking place July 9 and 10 at Lakeland Community College, featuring some of the best local, regional and national music artists in the world. Get your TICKETS today.

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The Agora to the Coliseum: A history of legendary Cleveland concert venues - cleveland.com