Northwest Dance & Music Venues

The U.P.S. Field House
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington
The UPS Field House, a facility of the University of Puget Sound, was popular venue to attract some of the better known groups rocking the Pacific Northwest in the 1960's

Some of the bands that rocked the UPS Field House or fought it out in the battles of the bands in the 1960's were:


"Freedom Child" Alexis
Amazing Rhythm Aces
John Baldry
The Bandits

B.B. King
Beach Boys

The Beau Brummells
Black and White Affair
Buddy Miles Express
Cold Blood with Lydia Pense
Deep Summer
Don & The Goodtimes
Dusty Springfield
Edgar Winter Group
Elvin Bishop
Elvis
The Faces

Gary Lewis & The Playboys
The Grease Band

The Guess Who
Gypsy
Jan and Dean
John Baldry
The Knickerbockers
Liverpool FIve
Merrilee & The Turnabouts
Mourning Sunn
Ohio Players
Paul Revere & The Raiders
Rafael Mendez

The Rascals
Ray Charles
Righteous Brothers
Sam the Sham and The Pharaos
Sly & The Family Stone
The Sonics
Steppenwolf
Steve Miller Band
The Stone Temple Pilots
Sugarloaf
Superband
The Turtles

The Syndicate of Sound
Three Dog Night
Tower of Power
Van Halen
Yardbirds
The Young Rascals

 



Jimmy Page & The Yardbirds at the UPS Field House

Don & THe Goodtimes at the UPS Field House - 1966 - Photo Courtesy of Candy Lentz
Don and The Goodtimes at the UPS FIeld House - Thanksgiving 1966


The Rascals Backstage at the UPS Field Houose

If you have more information, photos, one liner quotes, or stories to share about this popular music venue, please send them to our Webmaster


UPS Field House in 1956
I saw Three Dog Night in the 60's at the Fieldhouse and sat about three feet from them on the low stage. Wow, what a group they were!..

Jim Martin, Tacoma, Wa. "Coupe DeVille", "Sky River", "Fortunate Sons"

The Bandits opened for the Knickerbockers summer 1966 at the UPS Field House 

Peter Simpson, November 2003



I think I remember seeing the Yardbirds opening for the Beach Boys at UPS Field House in the 60's.  I was sitting in the upper level with a view of back stage and remember that they wouldn't stop playing and get off stage to allow the Beach Boys on.  So the manager for the Beach Boys pulled the plug.  It was an amazing show especially for someone who had gone to see the very clean cut Beach Boys and then was blown away by the very bad boys from England.

Steve Beard, September 2005

I went to my first concert there in 1979.  There was a new band that never played the northwest... Van Halen!

Steve Vervalin, March 2007

Superband!  We were on top of the world, with our 1961 "Cadillac" 9-passenger funeral limo, and seven crazy guys from Bellevue and Seattle.  We put out a quazi-cover of "Sympathy For The Devil" which had received a small amount of airplay.  When we played, the song had 4-horns on the record (vinyl 45), so I ran to the other side of the stage and picked up the "valve" trombone to add the part.  My only brass experience. I've always been a keyboardist, but this was the ONE time I wasn't, so I'll always remember the UPS fieldhouse in that way.

Joel Johnson, November 2008

I saw Edgar Winter, The Guess Who and Tower of Power perform there. The Stone Temple Pilots stopped by my music store and picked up some supplies before their show there.

Jack Dolan, May 2013


Courtesy of Denny Mellor


If you have corrections, a neat photo or more information, please send it to:

Make a donation using PayPal.  It is fast, free and secure.
Last Update:  27 December 2018
Credits:  Dennis Rutt, S. Carlson, Ed Konschuh, Jim Adams, Warren Smith, Brad Johnson, Candy Lentz, William J. Wolfenbarger, Jim Martin, Wes Ervine, Peter Simpson, Nikki Johnson, Steve Vervalin, Joel Johnson, Denny Mellor, Barry Breen, Jack Dolan, Ed Peterson, Neal Overman