OT; Fifty years ago today...

[WSTLion87]

On May 3, 1974 at the Scandlon Gymnasium on the campus of King's College in Wilkes-Barre there was a good spring concert- Mott the Hoople was the headline act and opening for them was this somewhat up and coming band that was introduced at the show as "The Queen." Well, they dropped "The" from their name and the rest is history. Urban legend has it that Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor walked from the Scandlon Gym down to Public Square (A bit of a stroll if you are familiar with W-B) then, went in a few stores on Public Square. They walked back to the gym and absolutely no one recognized them! Had they tried this same walk two or three years later they likely would've been mobbed! Was anyone here at that show? Thanks...

 

[laKavosiey-st lion]

On May 3, 1974 at the Scandlon Gymnasium on the campus of King's College in Wilkes-Barre there was a good spring concert- Mott the Hoople was the headline act and opening for them was this somewhat up and coming band that was introduced at the show as "The Queen." Well, they dropped "The" from their name and the rest is history. Urban legend has it that Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor walked from the Scandlon Gym down to Public Square (A bit of a stroll if you are familiar with W-B) then, went in a few stores on Public Square. They walked back to the gym and absolutely no one recognized them! Had they tried this same walk two or three years later they likely would've been mobbed! Was anyone here at that show? Thanks...

This is why the rick doesn’t see bands in arenas cause this story is full of magic

 

[Tgar]

Same tour a day or two earlier or later they opened for Mott at the Ag Arena at the Allentown Fairgrounds we were in 11th grade and had a van full of 11th and 12th graders from Wilson High School in West Lawn at the show.

Ag arena was a low ceiling dump used for showcasing cows, sheep and other animals. Quualudes rules the day, vomit was anll over the place and there were massive numbers of people passed out everywhere. Great scene! No Cops!

Anyway, Queen comes out and rips through their first album with the highlight being Keep yourself Alive. Great set, they rocked.

Out came Mott, a little miffed quite frankly, but they delivered as well. Fun night, got in at 3 am, didn’t crash the van or kill anyone, and I think everyone I drove made it to school the next day.

Thanks for the memory .

 

[EPC FAN]

Same tour a day or two earlier or later they opened for Mott at the Ag Arena at the Allentown Fairgrounds we were in 11th grade and had a van full of 11th and 12th graders from Wilson High School in West Lawn at the show.

Ag arena was a low ceiling dump used for showcasing cows, sheep and other animals. Quualudes rules the day, vomit was anll over the place and there were massive numbers of people passed out everywhere. Great scene! No Cops!

Anyway, Queen comes out and rips through their first album with the highlight being Keep yourself Alive. Great set, they rocked.

Out came Mott, a little miffed quite frankly, but they delivered as well. Fun night, got in at 3 am, didn’t crash the van or kill anyone, and I think everyone I drove made it to school the next day.

Thanks for the memory .

My future wife was at that concert. She was a Senior at Bethlehem Catholic. I read the post about King’s College to my wife. She said she saw them at Ag Hall. I then read your post and, BOOM!, here we are.

 

[WanderingSpectator]

Based on the ad, they were just “Queen”.

IMG-2335 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-2335 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[WanderingSpectator]

Same tour a day or two earlier or later they opened for Mott at the Ag Arena at the Allentown Fairgrounds we were in 11th grade and had a van full of 11th and 12th graders from Wilson High School in West Lawn at the show.

Ag arena was a low ceiling dump used for showcasing cows, sheep and other animals. Quualudes rules the day, vomit was anll over the place and there were massive numbers of people passed out everywhere. Great scene! No Cops!

Anyway, Queen comes out and rips through their first album with the highlight being Keep yourself Alive. Great set, they rocked.

Out came Mott, a little miffed quite frankly, but they delivered as well. Fun night, got in at 3 am, didn’t crash the van or kill anyone, and I think everyone I drove made it to school the next day.

Thanks for the memory .

IMG-2336 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-2336 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[PSUAVLNC]

Same tour a day or two earlier or later they opened for Mott at the Ag Arena at the Allentown Fairgrounds we were in 11th grade and had a van full of 11th and 12th graders from Wilson High School in West Lawn at the show.

Ag arena was a low ceiling dump used for showcasing cows, sheep and other animals. Quualudes rules the day, vomit was anll over the place and there were massive numbers of people passed out everywhere. Great scene! No Cops!

Anyway, Queen comes out and rips through their first album with the highlight being Keep yourself Alive. Great set, they rocked.

Out came Mott, a little miffed quite frankly, but they delivered as well. Fun night, got in at 3 am, didn’t crash the van or kill anyone, and I think everyone I drove made it to school the next day.

Thanks for the memory .

Wilson High School Tgar!!!!!
Very cool!
I was RHS 78.

 

[rudedude]

Grateful Dead Scranton Catholic Youth Center 4/13/71

 

[rudedude]

This is why the rick doesn’t see bands in arenas cause this story is full of magic

Weren’t you at the Mann Center for Arctic Monkeys? (14,000)

 

[[email protected]]

Wilson ‘75 tgar

 

[Tgar]

Wilson ‘75 tgar

Shot you a PM.

 

[Tgar]

Grateful Dead Scranton Catholic Youth Center 4/13/71




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That wasn’t on my bingo card.

 

[laKavosiey-st lion]

Weren’t you at the Mann Center for Arctic Monkeys? (14,000)

Celebrating moms b day yo

 

[laKavosiey-st lion]

Next (too) big show I’m attending is The Hives (5000?) but me n 2 are on the floor

 

[step.eng69]

On May 3, 1974 at the Scandlon Gymnasium on the campus of King's College in Wilkes-Barre there was a good spring concert- Mott the Hoople was the headline act and opening for them was this somewhat up and coming band that was introduced at the show as "The Queen." Well, they dropped "The" from their name and the rest is history. Urban legend has it that Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor walked from the Scandlon Gym down to Public Square (A bit of a stroll if you are familiar with W-B) then, went in a few stores on Public Square. They walked back to the gym and absolutely no one recognized them! Had they tried this same walk two or three years later they likely would've been mobbed! Was anyone here at that show? Thanks...

Prior to 1968 when the new Scandlon Gym was built, Kings built a football field and BB Gym along Wyoming Ave. (RT. 11) in Kingston, PA. the gym was also utilized by Kingston High School & Edwardsville HS played there frequently. I attended many BB games at the old Scandlon Field.
I mapped what I believe (remember) the location of the field before the expressway was constructed over Wyoming Ave.

• "Jan. 1947: Father Scandlon and Father Connerton obtain war surplus furniture, equipment, and textbooks for student use and secure government funding to build a gymnasium at Vaughn's Corners in Kingston and a student union on a former parking lot."
• 
  
• "Dec. 1968: The brand new, $2.2 million ($17.9 mil in 2022) gymnasium on North Main Street is dedicated as Scandlon Gymnasium. It features a competitive swimming pool, rifle range, hand-ball courts, and seating for 3,600 spectators. Two days after the dedication, the basketball team faced off against Notre Dame in a special inaugural game."

 

[Nitt1300]

Thanks very little for reminding me how old I seem to be these days. Don't know where I was in May of '74 except that it wasn't stateside. But I loved Queen's first album when I heard it.

 

[EPC FAN]

Prior to 1968 when the new Scandlon Gym was built, Kings built a football field and BB Gym along Wyoming Ave. (RT. 11) in Kingston, PA. the gym was also utilized by Kingston High School & Edwardsville HS played there frequently. I attended many BB games at the old Scandlon Field.
I mapped what I believe (remember) the location of the field before the expressway was constructed over Wyoming Ave.

• "Jan. 1947: Father Scandlon and Father Connerton obtain war surplus furniture, equipment, and textbooks for student use and secure government funding to build a gymnasium at Vaughn's Corners in Kingston and a student union on a former parking lot."
• 
  
• "Dec. 1968: The brand new, $2.2 million ($17.9 mil in 2022) gymnasium on North Main Street is dedicated as Scandlon Gymnasium. It features a competitive swimming pool, rifle range, hand-ball courts, and seating for 3,600 spectators. Two days after the dedication, the basketball team faced off against Notre Dame in a special inaugural game."

View attachment 570599

My younger daughter graduated from The McGowan School of Business at Kings College. BS in Accounting. Two cousins also graduated from King’s McGowan. All have done very well.