Yesterday's news that the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City will be closing in September was met with mixed reaction. Haters weren't too fond of the venue's location, (frankly who wanted to navigate through thousands of clueless tourists?) nor the ridiculous parking fees. But one thing that was undeniable is that the mid-sized venue had impeccable sound and was intimate enough to house arena to stadium level musicians in its 40 years. What makes it worse that the venue is shutting down to make way for a Harry Potter themed park. Oy vey.
Here are some of the most memorable musical moments in Gibson Amphitheatre history (well at least the ones that were caught on YouTube since Frank Sinatra's performance hasn't made on there yet):
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*Gibson Amphitheatre to Close Its Doors
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10. The Gorillaz, 2010
Whenever the Damon Albarn-led group is in town to play a show, which isn't often, it's always a spectacle. No one has ever left a Gorillaz show disappointed, especially at a venue like this.
9. No Doubt, 2012
The group's six night stand at the venue proved to be one of the few times fans got to see them perform their new material in a live setting. All of the shows were sold out and with more new material on the way, No Doubt showed they could still bring it.
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8. Jenni Rivera, 2012
This was one of the late singer's final shows before her untimely death in December. She was in great form and sounded great. She will be missed.
7. Guns N Roses, 2006
No, it's not the original lineup. However that doesn't take away from Axl and company performing in this setting when they've taken their show to much larger venues worldwide. Oh, and Izzy Stradlin showed up to play a song or two during the stand, that's must count for something, right?
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6. Kanye West, 2008
It's surprising to hear that Kanye played this venue since it seems too small to fit his ego. Hey-oh! Without the pomp and circumstance that surrounds his shows, it's obvious (at least from the video) that the rapper/producer brought his A-game (which always does) and turned this into a memorable performance.
5. Pearl Jam, 2009
The Seattle rockers' string of shows was memorable. Mixing in classics and material off their new record Backspacer, the four-night stand was full of surprises, including seeing them do the Temple of the Dog rarity “Hunger Strike” with Chris Cornell.
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4. KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas
For most of the show's history (1998 and 1999 being the exceptions), the venerable radio station held its end-of-the-year bash at the Gibson, which saw some of the biggest names in rock play short sets in front of a revolving stage. There were too many quality performances to name, but here's one that should set the mood right.
3. Eric Clapton, 2011
One of many classic rock icons to perform at the venue, Ol Slowhand played many of hits before a packed crowd. Granted he doesn't rock as hard as he used to but the venue, as said many times before, provide an intimate setting for fans willing to shell out the big bucks.
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2. Janet Jackson, 2011
Granted her shows have been few and far between in recent years, but the youngest of the Jacksons can still hold her own.
1. Weezer, 2010
Before their fans tried to raise money for them to stop making music, Weezer were once a venerable rock band. They played the venue in 2010.
Obviously a top 10 list can't begin to cover the amount of memories made at the Gibson. So tell us, which shows will you always remember?
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Daniel Kohn is a writer based in Southern California. With bylines in an assortment of outlets, Kohn primarily specializes in music with other interests ranging from sports to food. As a transplant, Kohn loves the beautiful weather and is glad he no longer has to deal with brutal winters. If you see him, say hi and of course, he’s always willing to down a beer or two…if you’re paying.