Elvis performed on September 9, 1970. Phoenix officially opened the first tour of the 70s after his stints in Vegas and the Houston concerts. More than 13,000 people filled up the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum to see Elvis Presley perform.
This distinctive arena with its saddle-shaped roof, which sat 13,730 for ice hockey and 14,870 for basketball, was the home of the Phoenix Roadrunners of the Western Hockey League from 1967-'74 and the WHA from 1974-1977 and of the now-defunct International Hockey League from 1989 to 1996, the Phoenix Suns of the NBA from 1968-1992, the Arizona Thunder of the World Indoor Soccer League from 1998-2000, and the Phoenix Mustangs of the now-defunct WCHL from 1999-2000. The Coliseum was again home to pro sports starting in 2006, when the IBL's Phoenix Flame played home games there until their move to Grand Canyon University. During the Suns' tenure there, the Coliseum was affectionately referred to as "The Mad House on McDowell (named for McDowell Road, the street in Phoenix where it is located) by both fans and the local media1.
<Elvis came back to perform in Phoenix on April 22, 1973 for another sell-out concert.
Elvis played his last concert in Arizona on March 23, 1977 in Tempe. He played at the Arizona State University Activity Center now called Wells Fargo Arena. Constructed in the spring of 1974 as the Arizona State University Activity Center and at a cost of $8 million, the facility also plays host to graduation ceremonies and a variety of concerts and shows. The building replaced Sun Devil Gym as the primary arena for the Sun Devils' basketball team.
We enjoyed seeing the Elvis venues and many other attraction not related to Elvis. Our trip was over, and a long drive back to California was in front of us.
1 According to : Wikipedia
