El Monte Legion Stadium
I traveled by this Stadium all of my early days in California but was never allowed to go near the place. I saw all the posters as I walked along the streets of San Gabriel and Alhambra. I remember posters for Ike and Tina Turner and James Brown. I remember my dad saying that there were always fights at the stadium - If you loved early James Brown then this was the place to go. I think all of the early black rock and roll musicians played there; being young and naive I thought that this was their home base.
I remember my cousin Ron taking me to a bar near the stadium in El Monte to see The Righteous Brothers - ( You've Lost That Lovin Feelin) but they had moved on to some other city, this was just before they became really popular.
I traveled by this Stadium all of my early days in California but was never allowed to go near the place. I saw all the posters as I walked along the streets of San Gabriel and Alhambra. I remember posters for Ike and Tina Turner and James Brown. I remember my dad saying that there were always fights at the stadium - If you loved early James Brown then this was the place to go. I think all of the early black rock and roll musicians played there; being young and naive I thought that this was their home base.
I remember my cousin Ron taking me to a bar near the stadium in El Monte to see The Righteous Brothers - ( You've Lost That Lovin Feelin) but they had moved on to some other city, this was just before they became really popular.
Your weren't allowed in the stadium and I wasn't even allowed to go into that city.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in E.L.A. so when I turned 13 the first place I wanted to go was the El Monte Legion. My dad told me not to get into any fights unless I had too and made my older brother come with me.
ReplyDeleteWell no fights, not even close to one. People left us alone and that's what the two of you would have found. So for my first concert I got to see James Brown.
I've been to lot's of concerts and still go to the Fillmore here in San Francisco.
No matter where I've gone for a concert I have never had a fight. I was even at the 1969 stones concert where the Hells Angels did the security some people got in fights with them, they got me stoned on acid couse I did not fear nor showed any fear and treated them like anyone else.
Recently I saw the Cult at the Warfield in San Francisco where once more the Angeles showed up in large numbers for the show.
Once more we smoked up with all those mean bikers you'd be afraid of.
BOOOOOOOO!
Oh my gosh!
We were 13 and 10 at the time. Oh my gosh!
ReplyDeleteMy Wife and I used to go to the dances at the legion in the 1950's before we got married, and I boxed in the Golden Gloves finals in 1964 at the legion. (I lost).
ReplyDeleteKIKI
My Uncles would all pile in the car on friday nights to go dancing and such at the stadium. I begged and begged to go but no way was my mom and grandma letting me go with all those uncles to that "Wild" music place. Sad...I really wanted to. Sometimes I could hear the beat in the distance.
ReplyDeleteI am 57 years old and grew up in Lakewood, CA. I remember the radio commercials on KHJ and KFWB for concerts held there. "Come to the El Monte Legion Stadium....No Levi's or Capri's PLEASE"
ReplyDelete