Augusta Civic Center
| Location | Augusta, Maine |
|---|---|
| Owner | Augusta, Maine |
| Type | Multi-purpose Arena |
| Capacity | 6,777 |
| Opened | 1973 |
The Augusta Civic Center is a multi-purpose arena located on Community Drive off Civic Center Drive and next to Highway I-95 in Augusta, Maine.
It has a total of 49,000 square feet (4,600 m2) and 26 rooms. The main room is 32,000 sq ft (3,000 m2). The facility includes a main auditorium, two ballrooms, and 23 flexible capacity rooms and full catering services. The arena can host many events such as concerts, gatherings and sporting events.
On May 24, 1977 Elvis Presley played at the Center during his Spring Tour. The Arena planned to have Presley perform August 17 and 18, 1977. The previous day, on Aug. 16, 1977, Presley was pronounced dead at age 42 at his Graceland home in Memphis, Tennessee due to heart failure after years of prescription drug abuse . The center sold over 12,000 tickets for the two scheduled shows planned.
The Grateful Dead performed on two occasions - once on September 2, 1979 and a two night run spanning October 11-12, 1984.
Phish performed on October 19, 2010 during their Fall Tour.
Pearl Jam performed during their No Code Tour on September 26, 1996, with The Fastbacks as their opening act. Chicago Bulls player Dennis Rodman attended the show and during the climax of "Alive", came onstage to offer Vedder some red wine. To the excitement of the crowd, Vedder responded by hopping on Rodman's back and riding him piggyback style across the stage while singing. Rodman later received a Walkman carved with Vedder's initials containing the concert recording and cited this as one of his most thrilling experiences.
The Center hosts concerts and sporting events such as basketball, cheerleading, dance, boxing, fencing, and wrestling The center is used for high school, collegial and youth competitions and games, most notably the Maine State High School Basketball tournament each February. The Center is used mostly by colleges such as University of Maine at Orono, University of Maine at Augusta, Central Maine Community College and many other local schools.
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