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Lane County Music History Project

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Erb Memorial Union Ballroom (EMU) (1950-2014)

Categories: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, Eugene, Venue

Location: 1228 University St, Eugene, in the middle of the University of Oregon campus.

Building History

The EMU underwent remodeling in 2015

Concert History

1950-51

1951-52

1952-53

1953-54

  • Jazz great Dave Brubeck and his band playing a concert in the EMU in November 1953. Brubeck and his quartet were regulars on the college circuit in the 1950’s.

1954-55

1955-56

1956-57

1957-58

1958-59

1959-60

1960- 61

1961-62

1962-63

1963-64 Little Concert Series

  • John Williams (Nov 12 )
  • Henry L Scott – piano humorist (March 5)

1964-65

Little Concert Series (Chamber music)

1965-66

1966-67

Little Concert Series 

1967-68

  • Grateful Dead with Quicksilver Messenger Service, PH Phactor Jug Band and Headlights by Jerry Abrams. (Jan 30, 1968)

1968-69

1969-70

  • The Rhythm Method (Nov 8)
  • Son House (Nov 17)
  • Joe Williams (Blues) (Dec 8)
  • The Sons (formally the Sons of Champlin) with the Portland Zoo (Jan 24)
  • The Eclipse -dance (Feb 14 )
  • 33 AD from Seattle for the Lemon, Orange Squeeze Dance (March 6)
  • Mark Spoelstra – country western/blues singer (March 12)
  • The Phantom from Portland (Dance) (April 4)
  • Stop (Dance) (April 18)
  • The Bards (May 2)
  • Fifth Dimension – Spring Prom at Mac Court followed by two dance bands in the EMU; Bill DeSuze Band (EMU Ballroom) Lloyd Cherrybird Spring Band (EMU dining room). (May 5)
  • John Hammond Blues Band with River (May 9)
  • Mass Media from Portland
  • Abdula (folk)
  • Searchin’ Soul, Ouroboros, Motley Hotz (benefit concert for Mountain Grove New School)

1970-71

  • Mass Media (Oct 1970)
  •  John Lee Hooker (Oct 30 & 31)
  • Sweets Mill String Band, Jon, Jim Loney (Nov 14)
  • B. B. King (Feb 3)
  • Talking Heads

1971-72

1972-73

  • Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen with Ramblin’ Jack Elliot (Jan 18, 1973)

1973-74

1974-75

  • Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders (Dec 15, 1974)

1975-76

  • Wheatfield (Jan 8, 1976 )

1976-77

1977-78

  • B.B. King (Feb 3, 1978)

1978-79

1979-80

  • Talking Heads, Pearl Harbor & the Explosions (Oct 3, 1979)
  • Rick Danko, Paul Butterfield (Nov  1979)
  • BB King (Jan  1980)
  • Graham Nash/Leah Kunkel (Mar  1980)
  • King Bees (May 1980)
  • Heath Brothers
  • The Smokey Valley String band (1980)

1980-81

Fifth Annual Blues Festival: Big Walter Horton, Floyd Dixon Band, Pete Karnes Blooz Band, John Nicholas, JC Burris, John Lee Hooker, Blind Joe Hill, Little Charlie and the Nightcats

1981-82

1982-83

  • English Beat
  • Bow Wow Wow
  • Iggy Pop
  • The Ramones – May 2, 1983

1983-84

  • X – Feb. 2, 1984
  • T Bone Burnett

1984-85

  • The Ramones with The Rats from Portland and Junk 57 from San Fran opening (Dec 1, 1984)
  • The Blasters (Feb. 25, 1985)
  • Los Lobos (March 15, 1985)
  • True Believers (March 15, 1985)

1985-86

  •  The Replacements (Dec 7, 1985)

1986-87

  • Guadalcanal Diary, R.E.M (Oct 2, 1986)

1987-88

1988-89

1989-90

  • Pixies, Bob Mould (Oct 31, 1989)

1990-91

  • Los Lobos (Oct 8, 1990)

1991-92

  • Phish (Oct 10, 1991)

1992-93

  • Mudhoney, Eugenius, Supersuckers  (Dec 1, 1992)
  • Faith No More with Babes in Toyland and Kyuss (Jan 17, 1993)
  • L7 with 7 Year Bitch and Love Battery (Apr 7, 1993)

1993-94

  • Widespread Panic (Nov 2, 1993)
  • Crain, Unwound (Mar 31, 1994)

1994-95

1995-96

  • Pavement with Silkworm (Jan 24, 1996)
  • Gin Blossoms (Mar 5, 1996)

1996-97

  • Les Claypool & The Holy Mackerel (Oct 17, 1996)
  • Beck (Feb 10, 1997)

1997-98

  • Kicking Giants (Nov 21, 1997)

1998-99

  • Kenny Wayne Sheppard (Jan 6, 1999)
  • Bob Dylan (June 14, 1999)

Tagged With: EMU, UO

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