From Elvis to Selena: Amarillo’s Incredible Concert History

Amarillo has quite the history when it comes to big concerts. From Elvis and Stevie Ray Vaughn, to Kiss and Twisted Sister; we've welcomed them all. Here's a look through some of Amarillo's concert history.

Elvis

The King himself was no stranger to Amarillo. Just visit The Nat one time and ask about the history of the place, and you'll find out

Elvis made several stops in Yellow City. He even recorded a live album here titled Amarillo '77.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

If you're a Stevie Ray fan, YouTube is a treasure trove of footage. Especially when it comes to Stevie performing in Amarillo.

There are several videos of him performing some of his biggest hits. The video above was from a performance in '89.

SELENA

SELENA was no stranger to Yellow City. The iconic singer was recorded singing to a fan in this video.

Twisted Sister

I don't know anyone who doesn't love "We're Not Gonna Take It." Twisted Sister appeared in Amarillo in 1984 much to the dismay of police and parents alike.

Dee Snider, who was 29 at the time, was arrested and charged with public lewdness. Parents weren't happy about some of things that Dee was saying.

A news article from the time states that police reports claimed his remarks regarding rebelling against parents, teachers, and police as "anti-social and un-American."

He posted a $75 bail.

KISS

This news clip features a snippet of KISS performing in Amarillo in December of 1979. Apparently, once again, some parents weren't real happy about it. Prayer vigils ensued. There's even a marquee sign with the phrase "A *KISS* Betrayed Jesus" on it.

To be fair, it was Judas that betrayed Jesus.

Hoobastank

The lineup for this one was crazy. They shared the stage with Seether and 3 Doors Down. In the video, Yellow City sings along to "The Reason."

ZZ Top

Texas' favorite bearded boys are no stranger to Amarillo. Here's a video of "Legs" taken from one of their more recent stops.

They were supposed to be in Yellow City last year before hitting the road with Def Leppard.

In 1978 they appeared in Amarillo along with Muddy Waters. I have to imagine that was one amazing concert.

Blink 182

This one is more recent. I couldn't believe it when I heard they were coming to town. One of the best concerts I've ever been to was the Pop Disaster World Tour featuring Blink, Green Day, and Jimmy Eat World. Here's a clip of their stop in Yellow City.

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Even if it is Lynyrd Skynyrd playing, it isn't okay to yell "free bird" at the stage. Here's a video of Skynyrd playing in Amarillo in '91.

Van Halen, Ted Nugent, and More

There are several other concerts of interest that have happened in Amarillo. Van Halen followed up AC/DC in 1980. The Clash appeared in 1982. Rush came to Amarillo several times.

The '80s and '70s were great for concerts. Black Sabbath was here. Aerosmith, Ratt, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Joan Jett, Judas Priest, Journey, Alice Cooper, and Ted Nugent (several times) all made runs through Amarillo in that time.

It's not all rock 'n' roll though. Boyz II Men came to Amarillo in 2012. Pitbull was here in '09. Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, Brooks & Dunn, and Carrie Underwood have also all played here.

Hopefully one day soon, we can get back to having more of these concerts in Amarillo.