Image Via KPCC
Former Location –
The auditorium was the launching point of the first American tour of The Rolling Stones. The Buffalo Springfield played their first concert here as well in 1966.
Other acts that played here include: The Doors, Elvis Presley, The Tubes, Boston, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, The Jackson 5, Deep Purple, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Black Sabbath, Cheap Trick, Rush, Pink Floyd, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Blue Öyster Cult, Deep Purple, The Cars, Journey, Kansas, Styx, Warren Zevon, and ZZ Top.
On September 11, 1981, the auditorium was irreparably damaged when it was struck by a small plane, it was demolished soon afterwards.
Notable Concerts Held At Swing Auditorium Include:
8/1/1981 – Iron Maiden
7/25/1981 – Rick James
7/23/1981 – Blue Öyster Cult
7/2/1981 – Ozzy Osbourne
5/13/1981 – Humble Pie
3/7/1980 – Rush
11/9/1979 – Rainbow
12/29/1978 – Cheap Trick
12/1/1978 – Ramones
2/18/1978 – The Tubes
1/8/1978 – Grateful Dead
1/28/1977 – Santana
8/24/1976 – Fleetwood Mac
2/28/1976 – Deep Purple
2/14/1976 – The Kinks
3/7/1975 – Faces
2/9/1974 – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
7/13/1973 – The Doobie Brothers
3/17/1972 – Yes
2/5/1971 – Three Dog Night
12/5/1970 – Elton John
10/22/1970 – It’s a Beautiful Day
9/20/1969 – Creedence Clearwater Revival
8/8/1969 – Led Zeppelin
12/6/1968 – Eric Burdon & The Animals
12/16/1967 – The Doors
11/3/1967 – Buffalo Springfield
7/14/1967 – The Grass Roots
4/15/1966 – The Byrds
5/15/1965 – The Rolling Stones
Swing Auditorium
689 E Street
San Bernardino CA 92410
it was one of the best places to a concert…it was like a high school gym with a stage on the long wall and seats in the back and lots of room to stand up…it was during the days when you could actually lean on the stage and not get thrown out!!!
It was one of the best places to go for those of us who didn’t have the means to get all the way to LA or San Diego or San Francisco to see our favorite bands play live. It was always so cool to have the free-form dance area down front. I stood the whole time up front at each concert.Buffalo Springfield, Hendrix, Janis Joplin, my all-time favorite Jefferson Airplane, Moody Blues, Blues Image, Cock Robin, Wishbone Ash, Ike & Tina Turner, Lee Michaels with his drummer Frosty, It’s a Beautiful Day, 3 Dog Night, Ballin Jack, etc. So fun.
Do you remember who It’s a Beautiful Day played with? I’ve been trying to figure it out. Jethro Tull?
I saw Judas Priest there in 1981. Man those guys cranked! I was surprised to hear that an airplane crashed into it later that year and the place had to be torn down. That was a bummer!
Went to several concerts here. Great place. Didn’t see any mention of Leon Russell with a band of mostly
Mad Dogs and Englishman tour alumni, minus Joe Cocker of course. Saw Hendrix there as well. The night was way over sold
and as we exited Swing the cops and guard (?) were spraying the crowd with tear gas. Had the exchange student with us
on the night before he returned home. Not the best lasting image of the US but great concert!
Swing was the best! From Cheap Trick (x3), Pretenders, G Dead, Sammy Hagar(x2), Jethro Tull, UFO, Ted Nugent, Scorpions,, Bobby “the Polka King” Vinton and so many more…of all the crap that a plane could run into in San Bernardino, it has to crash into Swing. That was a sad day.
Went to many concerts ar The Swing. My 1st was Iron Butterfly when I was 15. Loved going there for 3$ or there about for a ticket. Sad it is gone!
Lived in riverside started with chuck berry ………..to led zepplin in 1972 front row. Roger loosely
the Def Leppard concert was 11/11/81 but the plane crash was 9/11/81. Did they play with a hole in the roof?