1/24/1998 America, Sundome, Sun City West, AZ


 23 years ago today...

January 24, 1998 - Sun City West, AZ

Soft-rock trio America performed in concert in a retirement community at the Sundome.

I like "Horse With No Name," "Sister Golden Hair" and a few other radio hits from America, but the show on this night was a yawner. Maybe the low-energy vibe was a byproduct of the concert being held in Sun City West, a 55+ active adult community.  I'm in that demographic now, but in 1998 it wasn't my scene.

When Del Webb opened the Sundome in 1980, the 7,000-seat venue was the largest single-floor theatre in the nation.  Not all seats were good.  To the thrill of residents, the Sundome debuted with the Lawrence Welk Show live on stage.

Arizona State University managed the Sundome from 1984 until Maricopa County took over and then back to ASU for its final years.   It closed in 2010 and was finally demolished in 2013, making way for a Fry's Food Store.  Fry's incorporated iron gates, a mosaic and arched architecture from the Sundome in its construction as a salute to its past.

America will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary while on tour in 2021 and is scheduled for the Good Life Festival at Schempf Farms on Nov. 6 with Don Felder, formerly of Eagles, and the fake Guess Who band, discussed here two days ago.

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