Rock stars, air guitars and a politician or two: Fresno State Amphitheater remembered

Over the span of the past six decades, the amphitheater at Fresno State has been the site of politician rallies and rock concerts, movie nights and days of simple sunshine.

There’s a shared memory in the space, one that isn’t lost on those who passed by on the way to class or gathered in crowds to see their favorite bands or threw down a blanket for afternoon naps on the grassy slope.

It wasn’t lost on Jim Boren, the former Fresno Bee editor and executive director of the Fresno State Institute for Media and Public Trust, when the school began demolishing the 57-year-old outdoor amphitheater last week.

He tweeted a photo of construction crews trenching dirt with the caption: “Happening now⁩. Fresno State tearing down historic amphitheater to make way for new student union. Robert F. Kennedy spoke at this amphitheater only days before his assassination. Also the scene of convocation after 1970s student protests. History should be remembered.”

Indeed, few places on campus elicit more memories and nostalgia.

“The amphitheater was a crucial part of the campus and the community,” says Saul Jimenez-Sandoval, the college’s provost and vice president of academic affairs.

Built in 1963, the 5,000-seat amphitheater almost immediately became a central gathering place for students and the larger community. It was chosen as the spot for a memorial service following President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. On Nov. 26, 1963, classes were canceled for the day as students and faculty joined together with the community in mourning.

Over the years, it was the hub for political rallies and visits from dignitaries. It also became the primary venue for the university’s Dog Days and Vintage Days celebrations. It hosted film screenings (“Rocky Horror Picture Show” was popular) and saw all levels of local and touring performers.

“It was both a meeting space and a celebration of who we are,” Jimenez-Sandoval says.

Some of the concerts were legendary.

Others, mere legend.

Some recall Prince performing at the amphitheater in 1985, though it could not be confirmed.

Performances from Mike + the Mechanics and Hootie and the Blowfish are confirmed.

In recent years, the tree-lined amphitheater, with its sloped concrete-and-grass seating, became less viable as an entertainment venue, Jimenez-Sandoval says. It was not ADA compliant. Accessibility became an issue. As did the lack of a green room and limited capability to house modern sound equipment.

While the physical structure will be replaced, its historical significance cannot be overlooked, he says.

“It was exactly right for the time and place.”

Here is a timeline of some of the events that defined the amphitheater. It is a small and incomplete sampling, to be sure.

1960s

Robert Kennedy was just a month into his presidential campaign when he stopped for a rally at the Fresno State Amphitheater on April 19, 1968. More than 5,000 were in attendance for the address, which lasted a little more than an hour and included a prepared speech and a question-and-answer session. It ended with a mob of well-wishers “seeking a handshake with the popular younger brother of the late John F. Kennedy,” according to a story in the Collegian at the time.

Less than two months later, on June 6, Kennedy was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

1970s

A 36-year-old rabble-rouser named Ralph Nader drew 8,000 to the amphitheater in November 1971, urging students to become more active in the fight against pollution while calling for the word itself to be struck from the dictionary, according to a story in The Fresno Bee.

“The word should be ‘environmental violence,’” he said.

It was Steve Martin who drew the amphitheater’s largest crowd to date, with a pair of performances in September 1978.

That was the year he released “Wild and Crazy Guy” and was named the must current of all the comedians on Newsweek’s New Comedians list.

Both shows sold out at $8 a ticket. In all, the performances made $101, 806 and became one of the highest-grossing concert stops in Fresno at the time – second only to Elvis Presley, who played two shows at Selland Arena in 1973.

1980s and 1990s

Some of the most iconic events at the amphitheater were the series of annual air-guitar competitions that ran in conjunction with Vintage Days and were hosted by radio station KKDJ. Competitors would perform lip-sync versions of popular hits in full costume, with choreography and stage props (the fake guitars).

There were official judging categories and prizes.

A group called Circle of One took home the top prize in 1991 with an MC Hammer medley. They beat out 11 competitors to win portable stereos and trips to Hawaii and Napa, according to a Fresno Bee review of the event.

The number of live musical performances are almost too numerous to count.

Tom Petty played the amphitheater on April 15, 1983. It was the first outdoor concert of the season and the performance sold out, according to a review in The Bee. Petty closed the show with a cover of the Isley Brothers classic “Shout.”

Radiohead played the venue in 1995. The band already had a minor hit with “Creep” and was on the cusp of becoming Coachella-headlining superstars.

Metal bands Incubus and Tool each played in 1998. Side note: Tool is at the Save Mart Center on Wednesday.

The late 1990s saw the amphitheater hosting the first two years of the Smoking Grooves tour, with performances from Ziggy Marley, Cypress HIll, the Fugees, George Clinton and Erykah Badu.

2000s and beyond

Fresno was the first stop on the Vans Warped tour in 2000, with a lineup of pop-punk and ska that included Green Day, Weezer and NOFX (Fresno’s Let’s Go Bowling also played).

The tour returned to the amphitheater in 2001 with AFI, the Ataris and Distillers.

The Warped tour would later move to the parking lot outside the Save Mart Center.

On the political front, Joe Lieberman used the venue for a campaign rally in 2000. He was the Democratic vice presidential nominee at the time, running alongside Al Gore. The rally was notable for not allowing dissenters. According to a story in The Bee, several people were turned away for their visible support of other candidates.

The Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union

With the amphitheater removed, the campus is moving forward with a new 84,000-square-foot student union. It will continue to serve as a central hub for students on campus, with meeting spaces and dedicated areas for student organizations, Jimenez-Sandoval says.

The $60 million project is expected to be completed in fall 2021.

This story was originally published January 13, 2020 at 2:34 PM.