"Lines formed hours before every concert and once the doors opened it was a free for all, mad dash for the front row. Blond-headed surfers, pretty girls, and young adults were part of the common crowd." ~ Mark Kalbfleisch, my dad.
The Memorial Coliseum had a large impact on the small city of Corpus Christi during its existence. Not only was it Corpus' only concert hall for decades, but it was the structure that housed many other memorable events that the older generations of Corpus Christians will never forget. The memories might include someone's first concert, a graduate's high school or college graduation, a 15 year old girl's quinceanera, or a sporting event or convention that inspired them to achieve great things later on in their life. However, the Coliseum also shaped many citizens of the city politically. The purpose, funding for features such as air conditioning, the design, existence of rock concerts, social effects of increasing beer sales, capacity, and architecture were key controversial issues that split the city of Corpus Christi in half and fueled endless political debates for decades. Eventually compromises, updates, and major changes were made to the Coliseum along with the rise in the age of Rock n' Roll that heightened its role in Corpus Christian society. The Coliseum became a multi-purpose convention center that attracted many events of all types. The local hockey team, The Ice Capades, played many games, the annual circus attracted many people of all ages for a different type of entertainment than the usual norm, and of course the numerous concerts. Memories of these concerts range from Johnny Cash to Selena y los Dinos to the unforgettable Elvis Presley. Due to the 1956 performance made at the Coliseum by Elvis caused Rock n' Roll shows to become temporarily banned in Corpus Christi.
"My first concert at the Memorial Coliseum was in 1956 when I was 12 years old and in eighth grade. My friend, Cynthia, asked me if I wanted to go see Elvis with her. My question to her was 'Who's Elvis?' Now I can look back and laugh. She said he was a singer who made 'Heartbreak Hotel.' The price was $5 dollars each. I asked my parents if I could go and they were floored by the amount that the tickets cost. We did get to go and when we got there the chairs were on the floor to sit in and it was beautiful inside. When Elvis came on, everyone screamed. Elvis was attractive and appealed to everyone. The show was good and I was glad I went. I'm still an Elvis fan. It was in the newspaper the next day and was printed (because) it said he wiggled and shook and jumped around. It was the first they heard of that. They said that if they knew that, they wouldn't have let me go. I feel lucky because a lot of people didn't get to see him in Corpus." - Kathy Walzel Corpus Christi Caller Times
Then the American Bank Center opened in 2004 and took the place of the Coliseum as Corpus' new multi-purpose entertainment complex. This left the Coliseum to permanently close on September 13, 2004 after its last circus performance three days earlier. This left the Coliseum to become abandoned and the city to decide what to do with it. The public and the council constantly went back and forth trying to find a solution. No one could decide on what to redevelop it into, how to finance the redevelopment, or the decision of demolition. "Keep it up or tear it down" became the key issue of the city for the next few years.
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08/02/07, David Kassabian C.C. Caller Times
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The battle between most residents and the city council flares up and continues to be apparent in the city's past as the citizens want to keep the building so it can attract tourists and sustain their fond memories of their childhoods, while the council wants to tear it down because it is the option that best fits in the city's tight budget.