PLEASE NOTE:

Although performances are noted here, all shows for the following venues are described in more detail on their venues pages:

• O’Shaughnessy Auditorium
• The Guthrie

---

 

Traffic appeared at the “St. Paul Civic Center (Formerly St. Paul Auditorium)” on January 18, 1972.  Presented by Howard Stein.

---

 

Deep Purple, Buddy Miles and His Band, and Uriah Heep at the Met Center, January 21, 1972.  Triangle Productions.  The ad that Pepsi published had a hilarious (okay, mildly amusing) typo, calling the third act “Uriak & Heet.”

 

 

 

Marshall Fine’s review was headlined, “The bands battle, but for last place,” not a good omen.

Uriah Heep opened the show, which drew 11,000 fans.  He put Heep in the “downer rock” genre that Grand Funk Railroad created.  The group’s appeal escaped him, but their listeners, “whose mean age was probably 16,” appeared to enjoy them.

Buddy Miles came next, and he was “his fat, sassy self.”  Fine called him a “barely competent drummer whose style consists of mostly flash and little savvy.  He overpowers most of his songs with a blaring horn section and his pale voice.  He butchered Neil Young’s mystical ‘Down by the River,’ losing all subtleties, favoring the cheap emotional twist of the voice and an overly apparent drum part.”

Deep Purple closed the show and Fine found them to be “simply boring.”  In fact, Fine found the whole concert depressing because of the “music quality and the vibrations from the crowd.”

At one point, a policeman chased a youth down the aisle, presumably for crashing the gate.  He collard the youth, handcuffed him, and led him away.  To that youth, wherever he may be:  It wasn’t worth the trouble.

---

 

On January 23, 1972, Gordon Lightfoot performed two sold-out shows at the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium.

Sly and the Family Stone at Met Sports Center, February 4, 1972

Weather Report, Orchestra Hall, February 18, 1972

Delaney and Bonnie, O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, February 22, 1972.  Opened by Kevin Odegard and His Friends.

---

 

Alice Cooper, Edgar Winter, and Redbone appeared at the St. Paul Civic Center on February 27, 1972.

 

 

 

---

 

Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin at the Guthrie, February 27, 1972

Andy Williams and Henry Mancini at Met Sports Center, March 3, 1972

Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival, March 4, 1972

Richard Harris, Minneapolis Auditorium, March 5, 1972

Emerson, Lake & Palmer appeared at the St. Paul Civic Center on March 16, 1972.

---

 

Savoy Brown, Fleetwood Mac, and Long John Baldry appeared at the St. Paul Auditorium on March 19, 1972.

 

---

 

Wayne Cochrane and the CC Riders, March 23, 1972

---

 

In April 1972 the Insider devoted pages to a discussion of racial discrimination in the music business, saying that black musicians were not being hired except at all-black or “head” clubs.  This topic had also been addressed in its June 5 – 19, 1971 issue.

---

 

Linda Ronstadt appeared at the XL5 Club on April 3, 1972

---

 

Joe Cocker, Met Sports Center on April 3, 1972

 

 

---

 

Mason Proffit and Jackson Browne appeared at the St. Paul Civic Center on April 8, 1972

 

---

 

Humble Pie, Alexis Korner, Free, Minneapolis Auditorium, April 13, 1972.  Presented by Howard Stein.

 

---

 

Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley were scheduled to appear at the St. Paul Civic Center, April 16, 1972.

Ten Years After, Wild Turkey, Procol Harum, Met Center, April 19, 1972.  Presented by Howard Stein.  See ad above under April 13.   Tony sez, “If I remember right, they had the stage sideways in the middle of the hockey rink, turned 90 degrees from how it usually is…more of a “bowl” seating…never saw them use the stage like that again…”

---

 

The Minneapolis Auditorium began refusing to hold concerts by some hard rock groups like Alice Cooper and Jefferson Airplane after an incident at the St. Paul Civic Center, where windows were smashed after a Black Sabbath concert.  This explains the first concert I found for the year, on April 21, 1972:

Rod McKuen played the Minneapolis Auditorium, to “what must have been the best-groomed straight-arrow audience ever at” the venue, according to Linda Hoeschler of the Star.  She reported that his performance was much more varied than the show presented two years ago, but “nevertheless soon settled into tedium.”

---

 

James Brown appeared at the Met Center on April 28, 1972.

---

 

Creedence Clearwater Revival performed at the Met Center on May 5, 1972.  Freddie King and Tony Joe White opened.  One memory of this show is that it ended early when someone threw a roll of toilet paper on the stage.

 

 

 

---

 

It’s a Beautiful Day at the Guthrie, May 7, 1972

Manfredo Fest performed at the Fox and Hounds on May 11, 1972

 

---

 

JEFF BECK

The Jeff Beck Group’s show at the Minneapolis Armory, scheduled for May 14, 1972, was cancelled, possibly for unrest on the U of M campus.  Tranquility was to be the opening band.  It was a Howard Stein Production.  John Richardson reports that he got his money back, but was bummed because Tranquility broke up after their equipment was stolen.

On  July 24, 1972, the Jeff Beck Group was officially disbanded and Beck’s management put out this statement:

The fusion of musical styles of the various members has been successful, within the terms of individual musicians, but they didn’t feel it had led to the creation of a new musical style with the strength they had originally sought.

 

Beck-[Tim] Bogart-[Carmine] Appice, the newest reincarnation of the Jeff Beck Group, appeared at the Minneapolis Armory on April 5, 1973.

---

 

Elton John performed at the Minneapolis Auditorium on May 16, 1972

The Snoose Boulevard Festival was held in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood  from 1972 through 1977.  Click on the link for much more about this interesting part of Minneapolis musical history.

---

 

Todd Rundgren made his Twin Cities debut at the Guthrie on June 4, 1972, with Hello People opening.

 

Jethro Tull performed at the Met Center on June 5, 1972, presented by Howard Stein.  Thick as a Brick tour, tickets $7.95.  Mary Hamel opened.

 

Wikipedia says:

The album is notable for only including one song, which spans the entire album. Thick as a Brick was deliberately crafted in the style of a concept album (and as a “bombastic” and “over the top” parody). The original packaging, designed like a newspaper, claims the album to be a musical adaptation of an epic poem by a (fictional) 8-year-old boy, though the lyrics were actually written by the band’s frontman, Ian Anderson. The album was a commercial success and topped the US charts.  Following the release of the album, the band set out on tour, playing the entire album with some extra additions that took the performance from 40 minutes to over an hour to perform.  [Band member Martin] Barre recalls the first live performances being “a terrible experience” as there was a lot of complex music with a variety of time signature changes to remember. During the show, the entire band stopped in mid performance when a telephone rang on stage, which Anderson would answer, before carrying on with the music. [John] Evan read the news and weather reports halfway through the show.

Todd S. posted:

Thick as a Brick was ALL T.A.A.B., right down to a phone left on stage as the band left after its encores …. Then the phone rang and rang and rang, until Ian Anderson appeared, rushing to the front of the stage to lift the receiver… and as he answered, he listened, then looked out at the crowd and said ” It’s … for YOU!”

---

 

THE ROLLING STONES AT THE MET 1972

Rolling Stones performed at the Met Center on June 18, 1972.  The concert was marred by gate crashers, counterfeit tickets, and teargas, and ultimately cut short, but the Stones were reportedly gentlemen.  17,500 attended.  Tickets were $6.  Stevie Wonder opened, using the synthesizer on songs that would make up the album “Innervisions.”  Presented by Howard Stein and Sunday Promotions.

Jon Bream provided a mini-review of the show on November 23, 1997:

The double-disc “Exile on Main Street,” arguably the band’s finest album, had just been released, and the single “Tumbling Dice” was rolling up the charts. Opening act Stevie Wonder, perhaps at his creative peak, did a 10-minute drum solo in his first number that wasn’t appreciated by the 17,300 concertgoers. Jagger, in a purple jumpsuit with pink sash, rocked for 15 songs and 75 minutes. The lack of air conditioning was as annoying as the ineffective sound system. (Or was it the arena’s acoustics?) Most memorable was the tear gas that filtered into the building from police skirmishes with ticketless fans outside the arena. (three stars out of five stars)

Peg Meier and Mike Anthony of the Tribune filed a story on June 19, 1972:

Ticketless Stones fans, police clash

As 17,300 young people stomped and cheered the Rolling Stones Sunday night at the Metropolitan Sports Center, another 1,000 or so were chased away from the outside of the building by a few rounds of police-tossed tear gas.

Hundreds of ticketless youths tried to crash the gate to view what many people consider to be the most popular rock-music group today.

Others milled around the outside of the building – drinking, smoking and listening to the music pulsating through the walls.  Most of them ignored pleas from authorities to disperse.  there apparently were no serious injuries – just weeping eyes from the tear gas and cuts from flying bottles and rocks.

Police said there were only a few arrests, such as the two young men who were picked up trying to break into the Rolling Stones’ van.

It had been the most eagerly anticipated concert in recent Twin Cities history, the auditorium having been sold out in four hours on May 24.  Ticket scalping began the same day, and continued until concert time, with some sellers asking as high as $65 for $6.50 tickets.   …..

Police gave a number of warnings to the outside crowd at least an hour before the tear gas was used.  Few left the area   Some members of the crowd tossed beer bottles and firecrackers toward the police, but most of the injured people were other youths who arrived late for the concert and were in the line of fire.  ….

[Sports Center Manager Bob] Reid had about 300 security guards and ushers and policemen on duty last night, the greatest number in the history of the sports center.  About 100 men are on duty on an average hockey night.

Only one star has outdrawn the Rolling Stones here.  His name is Billy Graham and he attracted 20,000 people a few summers ago.  ….

Head Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, eyes surrounded by sparkles and wearing a purple jumpsuit, was, as usual, the star of the show, strutting, bumping, twisting, jerking and occasionally chugging a bottle of beer.

About half of the 75-minute set was oldies but goodies – “Gimme Shelter,” “In Love in Vain,” and “Midnight Rambler.”  During the latter song Jagger flagellated the stage with a golden belt.  The rest of the show came from “Exile on Main Street,” their new album:  “Tumbling Dice,” “All Down the Line,” and others.  The big finish was “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Street Fighting Man,” a song that was banned on many radio stations before the political convention months of 1968.

Jagger flung rose petals from a basket as the Rolling Stones bowed off stage.  They would return on June 9, 1975 at the St. Paul Civic Center Arena.

---

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

Uncle Sam’s opened on July 6, 1972, after the building – the former Depot – had been closed for a year.  Photographer Mike Barich went to take pictures but it was so crowded that he couldn’t shoot.

New Riders of the Purple Sage, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, and the Exciting All Girl Group Fanny performed at the Minneapolis Auditorium on July 10, 1972.

Three Dog Night, Buddy Miles, and Black Oak Arkansas appeared at the Met Center on July 15, 1972.

---

 

July 23, 1972, was the date of this musical extravaganza at the Minneapolis Auditorium, sponsored by the Minneapolis Musicians’ Association – who were they?  This was quite a mixture of musical modes, with Rock! Rock! Rock! provided by Skogie and the Flaming Pachucos, Mr. Poster Maker.  Thanks to the Facebook folks for helping to figure out the year of this huge event!

 

---

 

Alice Cooper played the Minneapolis Armory on July 27, 1972, presented by Howard Stein.  Special guest star Wishbone Ash.  Mark Stang also remembers a third act called Captain Beyond.

 

---

 

B.J. Thomas was scheduled to perform at the Minneapolis Auditorium on July 28, 1972, but the show was cancelled because of illness.  Presented by Sunshine Productions and the Minneapolis Aquatennial.

David Cassidy – At Last in Person!  July 30, 1972 at the Minneapolis Auditorium.  Presented by Sunshine Productions and the Minneapolis Aquatennial.

Mark Naftalin appeared at the Guthrie on July 30, 1972.

---

 

On a night in late July 1972, the Minneapolis Tribune reported that a group of 20-25 black youths went to at least three Minneapolis bars that were owned by blacks or had primarily black clientele.  They demanded that the bars be closed by 8:00 pm, and one reportedly carried a high-powered rifle.  Among the bars were the Peacock Alley and the Cozy Bar and Lounge.  Only one apparently closed down for the night.  The issue turned out to be that there was a meeting that they wanted people to go to.

---

 

TAKE OUT THE TRASH

Uriah Heep, Long John Baldry, and  a group called Jerry LaCroix and White Trash were to appear at the Minneapolis Auditorium on August 3, 1972.

 

 

Speculation is that White Trash did not appear because their drummer, Robert Ramirez, had died on August 3.  I did a search for  White Trash, and found shows in:

• Chicago on July 25 (where the fight was that eventually killed Ramirez)
• Detroit on July 27
• Indianapolis on August 1
• Allentown, PA on August 4 (failed to appear)
• New York City on August 5

The ad below, published in the Minneapolis Star the day below the show, only mentions Long John Baldry and Uriah Heep.

 

 

---

 

B.B. King entertained at the Minneapolis Auditorium on August 6, 1972.  Presented by Grodnik/Sharpe.

Rick Springfield performed at the Radisson South on August 9, 1972.

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer appeared at the Minneapolis Armory on August 10, 1972, presented by Howard Stein.  Blue Oyster Cult also on the bill?

Local group Batch, featuring our friend Arne Fogel, performed at Powderhorn Park in the summer of 1972.  There is footage of this event taken by the incredible Michael Yonkers, available on YouTube.  Arne sings “Domino.”  Others in the band are Barry Thomas Goldberg, Gary Paulak, and Gary Lane.

The Osmonds, the Heywoods, and Jan Baker appeared at the Met Center on August 19, 1972.

Argent performed at the Guthrie on August 20, 1972

Bobby Goldsboro, August 30, 1972

Black Sabbath, Armory, September 5, 1972  (written in Mike Barich’s appointment book)

 

Leon Russell appeared at the St. Paul Civic Center on September 10, 1972.  Nitzinger opened.

 

 

---

 

“Seasons at McGovern Rally,” September 11, 1972

The Allman Brothers Band and Eric Quincy Tate were scheduled to play the Minneapolis Armory on September 12, 1972, presented by Howard Stein and Owen Husney.  The concert was postponed because the band had postponed its national tour.  The concert was rescheduled for December 7, 1972.  That concert was cancelled – see below.

Peter Yarrow did a solo at the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium on October 2, 1972.

Bonnie Raitt graced the Whole Coffeehouse at the U of M on October 6 and 7, 1972.

Grand Funk Railroad appeared with Black Oak Arkansas at the Met Center on October 13, 1972

Buffy Sainte-Marie appeared at Northrop Auditorium on October 22, 1972

Steel guitar player Curly Chalker performed at the Star Spangled Banner VFW Post 1149 in South Minneapolis (3018 – 17th Ave. So.) on October 22, 1972.

The Moody Blues appeared at the Met Center on October 29, 1972.

Bread performed at the Minneapolis Auditorium, November 10, 1972

Chicago appeared at the Met Center on November 18, 1972.

---

 

DEEP PURPLE AND FLEETWOOD MAC

Deep Purple and Fleetwood Mac Plus Dick Heckstall-Smith appeared at the Met Center on December 3, 1972.  Triangle Productions.

 

 

 

---

 

Judy Collins performed two shows at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium on December 6, 1972, presented by Fred Krohn.

The Allman Brothers were to appear at the Minneapolis Armory on December 7, 1972, rescheduled from September 12, 1972.  The show was cancelled due to the death of the group’s bass guitarist, Berry Oakley, 24, who was killed in a bus-motorcycle accident in Macon, Georgia, on November 11, 1972.  (Minneapolis Star, December 7, 1972)

Boz Scaggs and Dr. John appeared at the Guthrie on December 10, 1972

Leo Kottke appeared at the Guthrie on December 20, 1972

Sunshine Productions and Capitol Records presented Preview “73” featuring the Raspberries, Special Guest Stars from England Flash, and Introducing Bang.  Minneapolis Armory, December 28, for the unbelievable low price of $3.