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The University of Arizona's McKale Center in its early days. This photo was taken Feb. 13, 1973, the year the facility opened.
arizona daily star 1973
Did you know...
The last concert at McKale Center was country superstar Garth Brooks, who played a two-hour sold-out show before a crowd of 13,500 fans in June 1996.
Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore also packed the place. He spoke to a capacity crowd of 15,000 in October 2004.
Other notable concerts included former Beatle Ringo Starr sharing the stage with Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor and Nils Lofgren for a benefit concert in fall 1992; and rockers Van Halen packing the venue that spring.
McKale's largest basketball crowd to date was on March 4, 1978, when the Wildcats took on Arizona State University — 15,176 crammed into the center.
McKale Center, which opened in 1973, is Tucson's largest indoor venue. Seating capacity has fluctuated over the years. It now seats 14,545, roughly 5,000 more than the Tucson Arena (9,500 seats). But McKale is rarely used for anything other than basketball games and commencement ceremonies.

News Elsewhere

Show biz returning to McKale in April?

Superstar rapper plans 1st concert there in 10 years
By Kevin W. Smith
arizona daily star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.21.2008
University of Arizona is getting ready to celebrate "Graduation" with superstar rapper Kanye West.
West is set to perform at McKale Center on April 24, the first concert there in a decade.
The date was announced on the rapper's Web site and confirmed Wednesday by Adesina Dowers, a spokeswoman for Universal Music Group, which houses West's label Roc-A-Fella Records.
Officials at the UA stressed that contracts for the show were still being worked out.
"We are doing everything we can to make sure this show happens," said Tommy Bruce, UA student body president. "It could potentially be very exciting."
The West show is being organized by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, but it would be open to all. Bruce said he could not yet estimate ticket prices.
West's people got lucky when they picked one of the few dates in April when McKale wasn't booked, said Stephen Kozachik, the UA's assistant athletic director for facilities and capital projects. He was expecting the West concert contract to arrive on Tuesday, but by Wednesday afternoon, he was still waiting.
ASUA has tried to bring several acts to McKale during the last two years, said Bruce, who leads the student association.
"It's just a very difficult thing to do," he said. "We try very hard to make these types of things happen."
McKale has a heavy athletic schedule, Kozochik said. "There's just no down time in this building."
The venue also lacks a loading dock, which presents a logistic hurdle for major concert tours, Kozachik said.
"We've obviously been very careful with the usage of McKale," said UA athletic director Jim Livengood. "Tommy Bruce has worked really hard to bring a concert on campus for the good of the students. So I think it's in our best interests to help them. It's not something we're interested in getting into a steady diet of at all."
Livengood said that any concert profit would go to ASUA, with the athletic department taking only enough to cover costs.
Major concerts at the UA campus have been scarce in recent years. Death Cab for Cutie and Franz Ferdinand played a sold-out double bill at Centennial Hall in 2006. In 2007, rappers Talib Kweli and Ghostface Killah performed separate shows on the campus.
Considered one of the most popular hip-hop artists on the planet, West would easily be the biggest and hottest name to play Tucson in some time.
Tucson would be the seventh and so far the only Arizona stop on West's "Glow In The Dark Tour," according to www.kanyeuniversecity.com. The tour also includes hip-hop acts Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D. Rhianna will appear on some dates but was not scheduled to perform in Tucson.
West started out as a hip-hop producer, creating beats for the likes of Jay-Z. He released his solo debut, "The College Dropout," in 2004. That album and its follow-up, 2005's "Late Registration," both went multi-platinum.
He has become known for his radio-ready and infectious beats found on hit singles "Gold Digger," "Jesus Walks" and "All Falls Down." His lyrics often reference collegiate life and range from soul-baring to over-the-top braggadocio.
In 2007, West released his third full-length album, "Graduation," which went straight to No. 1. The album's first single, "Stronger," was named song of the year by Spin magazine.
In addition, West earned four Grammy Awards in Los Angeles earlier this month, including best rap album for "Graduation."
He also performed at the Grammy ceremony, paying tribute to his mother, Donda West, who died in November after undergoing surgery. She was 58.
Read more music and entertainment news at aznightbuzz.com
● Arizona Daily Star reporters Bruce Pascoe and Cathalena E. Burch contributed to this story.
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