Memorial Hall, or Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building, is a multi-purpose auditorium located in Kansas City, Kansas. The 3,500-seat auditorium, which has a permanent stage, is used for public assemblies, concerts and sporting events. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[2] It was designed by architects Rose & Peterson in Georgian style.[1]
Establishment
This venue was built in 1923 then opened in 1925 as a combination civic auditorium and war memorial for World War I veterans.[2]
Events
Many iconic rock bands in the 1960s and 1970s played here. During its September 11, 1972 concert at Memorial Hall, Pink Floyd performed its first Kansas City metro concert and new concept album, The Dark Side of the Moon, five months before the record-setting album's release. REO Speedwagon recorded parts of their first live album, 1977's Live: You Get What You Play For, including the album's closing track, "Golden Country," at the venue on October 31, 1976. Side 4 of Peter Gabriel's 1983 double-LP, Plays Live, including the songs "Shock the Monkey", "Humdrum", "On the Air", and "Biko", was recorded at Memorial Hall on December 4, 1982.
Roller Derby
Memorial hall is home to the 20+ year WFTDA sanctioned Kansas City Roller Warriors various roller derby teams. KCRW often hosts out of town and international roller derby teams from around the country and globe. The league is made up of 100+ volunteers consisting of KC metro and surrounding residents that volunteer their time, effort and passion to making KCRW a successful organization.
Memorial Hall hosted some games of the Kansas City Steers of the American Basketball League from 1961 to 1963.
The earliest documented Pro Wrestling event at Memorial Hall took place on February 23, 1931 when Charlie Fischer defeated Billy Wolfe in 39 minutes.[3]
From the early 30's until the mid 1940's, Professional Wrestling ran twice a week all year long at Memorial Hall. From 1946- 1987, Professional Wrestling was held once a week, all year round.[4]
On April 23, 2009, the movie "K.C. On The Mat: The History of Professional Wrestling in Kansas City," premiered at Memorial Hall. The documentary focuses heavily on the importance of Memorial Hall. Legends of the past like Harley Race, Butch Reed, Roger Kirby and Bob Geigel all attended the premier.[6]
Other Events
The Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools district holds an annual convocation for staff at the venue each August. All district staff are present for this event.
Janis Joplin played two shows (6pm and 8pm) on June 14, 1970 [13]
Led Zeppelin played 2 Shows on November 5, 1969 (7:00pm & 9:30pm) with tickets costing $3.50, $4.50, and $5.50. Jon Bonham was tired by the 2nd show. He kept passing out at the drum kit, being held up at times by roadies.[14]
.JPG)
