It is certainly not as pretty as it once was but to many of us who grew up in Nashville in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, it will always be beautiful. It opened in 1962 at a cost of $5 million dollars. The value that it has given many of us is worth a million times that. It is our Taj Mahal, Nashville style.
I am talking about Municipal Auditorium. Before Bridgestone Arena, before Murphy Center, before Starwood, and on and on, there was Municipal Auditorium. Yes, it looks archaic when you compare it to other big and new arenas, but that is okay. This was our guy. Our escape. Our Taj Mahal.
I will not run down the numerous concerts that it hosted throughout the years because you would be reading for another week. I will tell you a few that stand out for me. Heart and John Cougar in 1982. The Police with The English Beat in 1982. And, the greatest concert that Nashville ever had—Van Halen in February of 1984. I will never ever forget Huey Lewis opening for .38 Special on January 20, 1984 in the most bizarre, to me, opening act for a southern rock band but the show was next level amazing.
All took place in our Taj Mahal.
Recently, I have been in the building doing radio for the Nashville Kats’ games and so many emotions come back when just sitting up in the stands. It is one hundred percent therapeutic. Then, I saw the professional fighters league host a big time MMA event that was live on ESPN and they made our Taj Mahal look spectacular. In fact, I had to do a triple take to make sure it was the same building and it was.
Here is the point—I know someday they will tear that building down. In today’s business climate, it is just the way it is. Unless it is a Wrigley Field or a Fenway Park, most of these places will be no more. Already in Nashville, they have Ascend Amphitheater, Belmont University has the Fisher Center and now, the Pinnacle has all opened up. Shiny new venues that really are nice. Word has it that another small arena might be coming down the road soon. All will compete with each other and sadly, municipal auditorium will not be mentioned for most of these shows. I hope I am wrong, but you never know.
It is okay as I have written about it before. I don’t need many pictures to remind me of the many good times I had inside of that building. The friends, some who are sadly no longer here, will live forever in my heart because of moments we shared at concerts at Municipal Auditorium. Seeing Michael Anthony toast us before the Van Halen show because we could see backstage. Seeing a pizza box top thrown from the top of the building that took forty-five seconds to come down and hit the lead singer of the band Autograph in the head. He got mad and stormed off. You could try doing that a million times and it would never happen again.
Until that wrecking ball shows up, I will still attend events at our Taj Mahal. It is rustic. It is grainy and it will always be, absolutely beautiful.
