Driving to the grocery store, I was listening to Stairway to Heaven on Sirius ’70s. A memory came back to me from high school. If somebody saw me, they’d probably wonder why I was sitting alone in my car laughing and singing along to “And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.”
I went to the Led Zeppelin concert in the Seattle Kingdome on 7/17/1977. I was seventeen. Oh my!
What was I laughing about alone in my car? Not the weird numerology. There was a rumor running throughout our state that the Kingdome’s roof was going to collapse due to Led Zeppelin’s decibels. Looking back decades later, doesn’t that seem ridiculous?
Construction on the the Kingdome, which would become home to the Seahawks, Sounders and Mariners began in 1972. The huge concrete dome opened in 1976. Led Zeppelin was the fourth or fifth concert held there since the opening. It was the loudest at the time.
I remember feeling fear about going to the concert. I might die at the concert. Or see others die.
I didn’t know much about Led Zeppelin until my brother, who is two years older than me, went to the University of Washington. I’d visit him at the dorms. They were blasting Led Zeppelin out the windows. Led Zeppelin was all the rage at that time.
When a friend asked me to go to the concert with him, I couldn’t wait. Then the rumors started that construction on the mega dome was faulty. Contractors had been fired during construction. One crew didn’t know what the other had done before them. There were rumors that construction workers refused to go into the Kingdome because they knew it would collapse.
The Kingdome in Seattle.
Yes, the concert was LOUD. The Kingdome wasn’t a great concert venue because it had a lot of echo. 65,000 people risked their lives to attend the concert. I think we all came out alive.
The Kingdome had issues when ceiling tiles fell onto a seating area:
During the 1990s, the Seahawks’ and Mariners’ respective ownership groups began to question the suitability of the Kingdome as a venue for each team, threatening to relocate unless new, publicly funded stadiums were built. An issue was that neither team saw their shared tenancy as profitable; both teams also questioned the integrity of the stadium’s roof as highlighted by the collapse of ceiling tiles onto the seating area before a scheduled Mariners game in 1994. As a result, public funding packages for new, purpose-built stadiums for the Mariners and Seahawks were respectively approved in 1995 and 1997. — Wikipedia
After remembering the concert and the anticipation of the roof collapsing, I did some research. Here is more that I found on Wikipedia:
The stadium’s construction encountered numerous issues; in January 1973, six support beams for the roof were toppled as one or two of them buckled, bringing down the others in a domino effect. By January 1974, the stadium reached 50 percent completion; only reaching 60 percent completion in July, it was clear that Drake (the first construction company hired — with the lowest bid) would not reach the December deadline at that point. It was also apparent that Drake was ill-prepared to work on a project with such scale, with numerous errors, delays, and short-staffing slowing down construction. Efforts to renegotiate the contract failed, and on November 22, Drake stopped work on the Kingdome. The county fired Drake on December 10, bringing in Kiewit to finish construction on the stadium
Wow. There were construction issues after all. On March 26, 2000, the Kingdome was imploded. (Another weird numerology coinkidink…My son’s birthday is March 26.)
What memories do you have from concerts in your younger days?
What was your favorite concert and venue?
Here’s a Youtube link to my favorite Led Zeppelin song::
I was second row sitting behind Christie Brinkley at a Billy Joel concert. I won’t forget that. Also one of the Springsteen concerts where he played for like 3 1/2 hours….
How fun was that!
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I’m sorry. I know you were talking about tiles falling, but I’m stuck on the image of you sitting in your car doing your best Rober Plant impersonation of him signing: “And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.” Move over Robert, Elizabeth has got this one. Ha, ha. I’ll be thinking of that song now the rest of the day. Ha, ha.
Ha! Yes, I was singing and smiling. Enjoying the moment.
I was there too… drove down from Canada 🇨🇦. My brother was 17, I was 16, another friend too 16. We parked my brother’s Toyota Corina South parking lot on Saturday morning… it’s a one of a kind preshow experience. 🙂
I returned to Seattle Feb 3, 2024 to Lumen Field site, got an official stadium tour. We went up on the Toyota Fan deck its called today for games. I looked out at the baseball stadium today…. and thought hey we were fans that came in a Toyota… and remained “on deck” for Led Zeppelin. “You know sometimes words have two meanings” High point of the stadium there… “The forests echo with laughter “
That’s amazing you were there, too. Thanks for sharing your memory!
I’m jealous! Zeppelin was one group I never got to see…
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I liked Led Zeppelin better on records. All I remember from the concert was how loud they were. Plus worrying about the Kingdome crashing.
Fearing death might take the joy out of concert attendance , yes.
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Just a little!
As a young person, we all went to the Cap Center (outside DC). Acoustics were bad, everybody who was anybody played there. They had a big parking lot – lots of tailgating but the roads to it were residential. Traffic would back up for miles. I had 5th row tickets to see LZ in 1980, then Bonham died… Had to wait for Plant & Page tour of “No Quarter.” Another venue fave was the Merriweather Post Pavilion. Outdoor venue, it was a fun place, no parking, everybody played there. The live version of Running on Empty was recorded there.
Wow. I remember the parking issues and it taking forever to leave any concert. Plus our home town was an hour away from Seattle. Late nights!
That was the issue with the Cap Center. I was in Baltimore and had to drive on 95 then the Capital Beltway…. Often times we just sat on the cars after the show waiting for the crowd to thin out.
Yes, that’s what we did, too.
Never a big fan of Led Zeppelin, but I LOVED Roberts Plant’s “Now and Zen”. I also feel that Hearts rendition of “Stairway to Heaven” performed at the Kennedy Center was way better than the original. Anyway, just my opinion, which seems counter to about 5 trillion people that loved them.
I never have hard Heart’s version of “Stairway to Heaven.” I did see Heart in a roller rink in Everett, WA. They were local and unknown at the time.
You have GOT to go on YouTube and see it. Search “Heart Stairway to Heaven”. It was so freaking good, Robert Plant was crying. And as you watch it, know this…they had NO rehearsal time built in.
I will watch it! Thanks.
I love that song: stairway to heaven. But I haven’t attended a proper concert ever!
I used to go all the time in my late teens and early 20s. I haven’t been to a concert in decades, though.
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OMG – I can’t tell you how much I love this history of the Kingdome. I watched the implosion but had forgotten about the ceiling tiles falling.
Led Zeppelin seems like a concert worth risking your life to go to! How awesome!
I was wondering what you’d think about this post. The Kingdome was such a big deal in its day!
Such a big thing. I saw Pink Floyd there in ’87. 🙂
That must have been amazing!
I can’t believe it because I was also at that Led Zeppelin concert in 1977. It was my only KingDome concert; most of mine were at the Paramount or Key Arena. I was nearly 21 and my parents wanted me to drive my younger brothers to the concert. I wasn’t happy about that. My usual concerts were Chicago, and Elton John. Not hard rock which is indeed VERY loud.
That’s amazing we were both there. It was my one and only Kingdome concert, too. I also went to the Paramount or Key Arena. I saw Elton John! 😊
That is so cool that you were there too!
Agreed!
I love Led Zeppelin. I can’t imagine getting to see them in concert.
I like them better recorded. It may have been the Kingdome with the echo, but it was too loud. It was exciting to see them, though.
I agree. I’m not a huge live music person.
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Well, now I’m spending time reminiscing about the concerts I attended while in high school and college! In high school, my friends and I went to see the “Summer Jam” bands at Arrowhead Stadium in KCMO. I remember The Beach Boys being there one year. Also went to see Harry Chapin in college, where he signed a tee shirt of mine (not while wearing it). I’ve seen Three Dog Night and Los Lonely Boys. Also had the pleasure of watching an impromptu stop by Third Day at an amphitheater area in our town. Now, tickets are too expensive so my concert days are probably over!
Those sound like great concerts! Isn’t it fun to remember those days?
What an interesting memory, and how cool that you saw Led Zeppelin live (even if the sound quality wasn’t great)!
I saw Foo Fighters at America West Arena (basketball stadium downtown) in 2005. My parents wouldn’t let me go alone, so my cool Uncle Steve took me and my cousin. It was a blast! I also saw both Bon Iver with Fleet Foxes at Comerica in 2011, and then Sigur Rós and The Postal Service at Comerica in 2013. Lesser known, but some of my favorite bands–really great experiences and memories!
I love how music can trigger memories. How fun to go to a concert with an uncle and cousin. I think the smaller, less known concerts are better.
Yes, the smaller venues are great! In the early 2010s, I used to go to concerts at a (at the time) new venue called the Crescent Ballroom. Tickets were $5-20, so within my budget as a younger person. I have a lot of great memories!
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Love Led Zeppelin, what a cool memory.
Led Zeppelin! Oh that would have been cool back then, now too.
My most memorable rock concert was seeing the Stones. They were beyond anything I’d ever heard or seen before.
I would have loved to see The Rolling Stones! Even more than Led Zeppelin.
Seattle back then had to be amazing!
I’ve lived in Seattle ten years ago and I’m visit now.
It was a beautiful place to grow up and go to college.
I bet it was! Thanks for sharing