Perhaps you've heard: The Moody Foundation is putting $20 million toward giving the great Moody Coliseum an extreme makeover, as evidenced by the conceptuals provided by SMU (more follow after the jump). But that's but half of what the Hilltop needs to fund the project, expected to run closer to $40 million; the university's seeking additional donors, for those so interested in kicking in. Says SMU President R. Gerald Turner, though, half is plenty for now: "With this generous gift from the Moody Foundation, the coliseum will be ready for the future."
And what will the $40 million buy, other than an extreme case of Moody Madness? From SMU's announcement:
The project will feature new premium seating, as well as courtside retractable seating designated for students and renovation of the entry lobby and concourses. Technology improvements will include new video boards, scoreboards, sound system, broadcast capabilities and heating and cooling systems. In addition, office suites, restrooms and locker rooms will be upgraded.SMU's announcement goes on to recount the myriad events held in the coliseum since its opening in '56, including countless concerts. Which brings us to the bonus round of this particular item: For Your Thursday Listening Pleasure.
Let's begin with the oldest set I could find: Jimi Hendrix at Moody Coliseum on August 3rd, 1968. An exceptional audience recording.
And here you'll be able to hear, in its entirety, the recently Peter Gabriel-less Genesis at Moody on March 19, 1977.
Seven months later, on October 15, the Grateful Dead played the coliseum. An extraordinary soundboard of that show, featuring a rendition of "Mama Tried," can be found here.
And here's a show I attended: Pearl Jam's legendary Moody appearance on November 12, 1993 -- when Eddie Vedder revealed, at the end of set-opener "Rearviewmirror," that SMU really stands for "Satan's Methods Universal."
