Grand Olympic Auditorium
Encyclopedia
The Grand Olympic Auditorium is the former name of a sports venue in Los Angeles, California
, United States
. Located at 1801 S. Grand Avenue, the venue was built in 1924 specifically for the 1932 Summer Olympics
, which saw the boxing
, weightlifting
, and wrestling
events held there. At the time it was the largest indoor venue in the U.S.
, originally seating 15,300. The grand opening of the Olympic Auditorium was on August 5, 1925, and was a major media event, attended by such celebrities as Jack Dempsey
and Rudolph Valentino
.
Throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s it was home to some of the biggest boxing, wrestling and roller derby
events and has become somewhat of a landmark for boxing history.
The 1960s and 1970s were a major boom period for the Olympic, as major wrestling events were held at the arena every other Friday night, as well as being the home to the roller-derby's Los Angeles T-Birds
.
Some scenes in the 1976 film Rocky
were filmed at the venue.
In 1980, The Grand Olympic Auditorium became a musical venue. This period in music performances began with a concert by the band Public Image Ltd.
which was produced by Punk Rock impresario David Ferguson
and his independent CD Presents production company. This was the first concert held at the auditorium since the early 1970s and is credited with beginning the Olympic's reputation for being a notorious Punk Rock venue. Thereafter legendary promoter Gary Tovar and Goldenvoice Productions started booking shows at the venue, concerts by the likes of GBH
, The Exploited
, T.S.O.L., Circle Jerks
, Angelic Upstarts
, The Dickies
, Wasted Youth, Dead Kennedys
, The Vandals
, D.O.A.
, Love Canal
, Bad Religion
, FEAR
and M.I.A.
etc. were happening monthly.
In 1986, the music video for Bon Jovi
's "Livin' On A Prayer
" was recorded in the auditorium. The music video for Janet Jackson
's "Control
" was recorded here as well in the same year.
The arena closed its doors in the mid 1980s when promoter Mike Le Bell discontinued his weekly wrestling shows due to low attendance figures when the boom of the professional wrestling era began. This was when the wrestling scene shifted from Los Angeles to Dallas' World Class, and later Minneapolis' AWA and Stamford's WWF, now known as the WWE. It reopened in 1993, but the capacity was reduced to about 10,000. Currently the Auditorium seats 7,030 for boxing and wrestling, 4,514 for seated concerts, and 7,007 for general admission concerts. Up to 773 seats can be put on the arena floor, which measures 12,100 square feet (110' by 110').
Throughout the early and mid 1990's, the venue was often the host of many large, all-night rave
parties, often held outdoors in the back parking lot, as well as inside the auditorium. On New Year's Eve of 1996/1997, a large-scale rave called In Seventh Heaven was being held at the Olympic. Dozens of people had to be taken to the hospital from a suspected overdose of a Legal high called Liquid fX, which was being handed out at the party. The event which had already gathered over 10,000 ravers was shut down by the LAPD before midnight, sending much of the crowd into the street, where a melee broke out between upset revelers and riot police.
On July 16, 2000, ECW
held its Heatwave pay-per-view at the Grand Olympic Auditorium. It was ECW's first, and only West Coast appearance.
Rage Against the Machine
played their final show in September 2000 at the Olympic Auditorium before their break-up a month later. The concert was filmed and later released in 2003 as a DVD and CD Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
.
Wrestling legends such as Freddie Blassie, John Tolos
, Buddy Roberts (as Dale Valentine), The Sheik
, Fritz Von Erich
, Gorgeous George
, The Great Goliath, Black Gordman, Bobo Brazil
, Buddy Rogers, Roddy Piper
and Chris Adams competed in the arena at one point in their careers, along with the legendary Mil Mascaras
and André the Giant
. Adams was one of the last big draws at the Olympic before promoters Mike Le Bell and Gene LeBell
ended its wrestling cards in 1982. Adams went to Portland afterwards and eventually to Dallas to join Fritz Von Erich
's World Class Championship Wrestling
, as the sport's top wrestling city shifted from Los Angeles to Dallas before Vince McMahon's WWF
reached national prominence. In fact, World Class, under booker Ken Mantell, did have plans to expand their fanbase and promote cards in Los Angeles during the mid 1980s at the Olympic, but those plans never materialized.
Until 2005, the Olympic Auditorium was host to many music concerts and shows, as well as boxing and wrestling. The arena is famous for its box office number RI-9-5171 which is no longer in use. The arena is one of the last known major boxing and wrestling arenas of its respective golden eras still in existence today.
In June 2005, the Glory Church of Jesus Christ, a Korean-American Christian church purchased the entire property, thus the name Grand Olympic Auditorium ceased to exist. In 2007, the arena was given a new facelift back to its original brown coat of paint that was abandoned in 1993 when the arena reopened.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located at 1801 S. Grand Avenue, the venue was built in 1924 specifically for the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
, which saw the boxing
Boxing at the 1932 Summer Olympics
These are the results of the boxing competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Medals were awarded in 8 weight classes. The competitions were held from August 9, 1932 to August 13, 1932.-Medal summary:-Participating nations:...
, weightlifting
Weightlifting at the 1932 Summer Olympics
The weightlifting events at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles consisted of five weight classes, all for men only. The competitions were held on Saturday, July 30, 1932 and on Sunday, July 31, 1932.-Medal summary:-Participating nations:...
, and wrestling
Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics
At the 1932 Summer Olympics, 14 wrestling events were contested, for all men. There were seven weight classes in Greco-Roman wrestling and seven classes in freestyle wrestling...
events held there. At the time it was the largest indoor venue in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, originally seating 15,300. The grand opening of the Olympic Auditorium was on August 5, 1925, and was a major media event, attended by such celebrities as Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
and Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
.
Throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s it was home to some of the biggest boxing, wrestling and roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
events and has become somewhat of a landmark for boxing history.
The 1960s and 1970s were a major boom period for the Olympic, as major wrestling events were held at the arena every other Friday night, as well as being the home to the roller-derby's Los Angeles T-Birds
Roller Games
Roller Games was the name of a sports entertainment spectacle created in the early 1960s in Los Angeles, California as a rival to the Jerry Seltzer-owned Roller Derby league, which had enjoyed a monopoly on the sport of roller derby — and its name — since its inception in 1935. Roller Games...
.
Some scenes in the 1976 film Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
were filmed at the venue.
In 1980, The Grand Olympic Auditorium became a musical venue. This period in music performances began with a concert by the band Public Image Ltd.
Public Image Ltd.
Public Image Ltd are an English post-punk band formed by vocalist John Lydon , guitarist Keith Levene and bassist Jah Wobble, with frequent subsequent personnel changes. Lydon is the sole constant member of the band....
which was produced by Punk Rock impresario David Ferguson
David Ferguson (impresario)
David Ferguson is an international outsider-culture impresario, activist, music producer and concert promoter. Over his career – most of which has been spent on the West Coast—he has worked with musical acts such as The Avengers, John Lydon David Ferguson is an international outsider-culture...
and his independent CD Presents production company. This was the first concert held at the auditorium since the early 1970s and is credited with beginning the Olympic's reputation for being a notorious Punk Rock venue. Thereafter legendary promoter Gary Tovar and Goldenvoice Productions started booking shows at the venue, concerts by the likes of GBH
Charged GBH
Charged GBH are an English Street punk band, formed in 1978 by vocalist Colin Abrahall, guitarist Colin "Jock" Blyth, bassist Sean McCarthy and Drummer Andy " Wilf" Williams. GBH were early pioneers of English street punk, often nicknamed "UK82", along with Discharge, Broken Bones, The Exploited...
, The Exploited
The Exploited
The Exploited are a Scottish punk band from the second wave of UK punk, formed in 1979. Originally a street punk band, they transformed into a faster hardcore punk band with a heavy political influence. From about 1987 on they changed into a crossover thrash band...
, T.S.O.L., Circle Jerks
Circle Jerks
The Circle Jerks are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. It was formed by Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris, and future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson. They were among the preeminent hardcore punk bands of the L.A. scene in the late 1970s.The band...
, Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts are an English punk rock/Oi! band formed in South Shields in 1977. The band espoused an anti-fascist and socialist working class philosophy, and have been associated with the skinhead subculture...
, The Dickies
The Dickies
The Dickies are an American punk rock group formed in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, U.S. in 1977.-History:The Dickies were among the first punk rock bands to emerge from Los Angeles...
, Wasted Youth, Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
, The Vandals
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
, D.O.A.
D.O.A. (band)
D.O.A. is a hardcore punk band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They are often referred to as the "founders" of hardcore punk, along with Black Flag, Bad Brains, Teen Idles, and Minor Threat. Their second album Hardcore '81 was thought by many to have been the first actual reference to...
, Love Canal
Love Canal
Love Canal was a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, located in the white collar LaSalle section of the city. It officially covers 36 square blocks in the far southeastern corner of the city, along 99th Street and Read Avenue...
, Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, FEAR
Fear (band)
Fear is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1977. The band is credited for helping to shape the sound and style of American hardcore punk, the group started out as part of the early California punk rock scene, and gained national prominence after an infamous 1981...
and M.I.A.
M.I.A. (band)
M.I.A. was a 1980s punk rock band from Orange County, California. The band's sound was generally hardcore and thrasher, though they produced more melodic and progressive sounds in their later albums...
etc. were happening monthly.
In 1986, the music video for Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
's "Livin' On A Prayer
Livin' on a Prayer
"Livin' on a Prayer" is Bon Jovi's second single from their Slippery When Wet album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora with Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well-received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band...
" was recorded in the auditorium. The music video for Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's "Control
Control (Janet Jackson song)
"Control" is the fourth single from Janet Jackson's third album Control. The song was written by Jackson, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Its arrangement, built upon complex rhythmic tracks, showcased state-of-the-art production. The song is about...
" was recorded here as well in the same year.
The arena closed its doors in the mid 1980s when promoter Mike Le Bell discontinued his weekly wrestling shows due to low attendance figures when the boom of the professional wrestling era began. This was when the wrestling scene shifted from Los Angeles to Dallas' World Class, and later Minneapolis' AWA and Stamford's WWF, now known as the WWE. It reopened in 1993, but the capacity was reduced to about 10,000. Currently the Auditorium seats 7,030 for boxing and wrestling, 4,514 for seated concerts, and 7,007 for general admission concerts. Up to 773 seats can be put on the arena floor, which measures 12,100 square feet (110' by 110').
Throughout the early and mid 1990's, the venue was often the host of many large, all-night rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
parties, often held outdoors in the back parking lot, as well as inside the auditorium. On New Year's Eve of 1996/1997, a large-scale rave called In Seventh Heaven was being held at the Olympic. Dozens of people had to be taken to the hospital from a suspected overdose of a Legal high called Liquid fX, which was being handed out at the party. The event which had already gathered over 10,000 ravers was shut down by the LAPD before midnight, sending much of the crowd into the street, where a melee broke out between upset revelers and riot police.
On July 16, 2000, ECW
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
held its Heatwave pay-per-view at the Grand Olympic Auditorium. It was ECW's first, and only West Coast appearance.
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
played their final show in September 2000 at the Olympic Auditorium before their break-up a month later. The concert was filmed and later released in 2003 as a DVD and CD Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium is the most recent album released by Rage Against the Machine on November 25, 2003. It is a recording of two shows Rage played at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in their hometown of Los Angeles on September 12 and 13, 2000...
.
Wrestling legends such as Freddie Blassie, John Tolos
John Tolos
John Tolos, nicknamed "The Golden Greek", was a Canadian professional wrestler, and professional wrestling manager.-Canadian Wrecking Crew:...
, Buddy Roberts (as Dale Valentine), The Sheik
Ed Farhat
Edward George Farhat was an American professional wrestler best known as by his ring name The Sheik...
, Fritz Von Erich
Fritz Von Erich
Jack Barton Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Fritz Von Erich, better known today as a wrestling promoter and the patriarch of the Von Erich family...
, Gorgeous George
George Wagner
George Raymond Wagner was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Gorgeous George...
, The Great Goliath, Black Gordman, Bobo Brazil
Bobo Brazil
Houston Harris was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Bobo Brazil. He is credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling...
, Buddy Rogers, Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...
and Chris Adams competed in the arena at one point in their careers, along with the legendary Mil Mascaras
Mil Máscaras
Aaron Rodríguez , best known as Mil Máscaras , is a semi-retired Mexican professional wrestler and actor, who has starred in several films with fellow luchadores...
and André the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
. Adams was one of the last big draws at the Olympic before promoters Mike Le Bell and Gene LeBell
Gene LeBell
Ivan Gene LeBell is a former American Judo champion, instructor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and professional wrestler born in Los Angeles, California. LeBell has worked on over 1,000 films and TV shows, and has authored a number of books.In 2000, he was promoted to 9th Dan in US Ju-Jitsu...
ended its wrestling cards in 1982. Adams went to Portland afterwards and eventually to Dallas to join Fritz Von Erich
Fritz Von Erich
Jack Barton Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Fritz Von Erich, better known today as a wrestling promoter and the patriarch of the Von Erich family...
's World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
, as the sport's top wrestling city shifted from Los Angeles to Dallas before Vince McMahon's WWF
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
reached national prominence. In fact, World Class, under booker Ken Mantell, did have plans to expand their fanbase and promote cards in Los Angeles during the mid 1980s at the Olympic, but those plans never materialized.
Until 2005, the Olympic Auditorium was host to many music concerts and shows, as well as boxing and wrestling. The arena is famous for its box office number RI-9-5171 which is no longer in use. The arena is one of the last known major boxing and wrestling arenas of its respective golden eras still in existence today.
In June 2005, the Glory Church of Jesus Christ, a Korean-American Christian church purchased the entire property, thus the name Grand Olympic Auditorium ceased to exist. In 2007, the arena was given a new facelift back to its original brown coat of paint that was abandoned in 1993 when the arena reopened.
Physical features
- 32 by 40-foot portable stage.
- 55-foot ceiling height
- 2 large loading docks
- 13 dressing rooms
- 8 concession stands
- 5 ticket windows
- 2.8 kilowatt-per-channel stereo PA system with CD and cassette tape player, 2 wireless microphones and 1 wired microphone.
- 7 restrooms, all renovated (3 are handicap accessible)
- 10 C.M. Loadstar motors (4 for flying sound, 4 for stage lighting, 2 for additional lighting) plus 2 aluminum trusses (20.5 inches by 20.5 inches by 40 feet).
- 200 telephone lines, installed by AT&TAT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
- Parking lot with 550 spaces; another 2,300 spaces at nearby garage.
- Fully equipped VIP (seating up to 40) and press rooms.
- 2 merchandising stands.
- Three 200 ampere 480/277 volt 3-phase, 4-wire transformers, including an isolated transformer.
- One 400 ampere 480/277 volt 3-phase, 4-wire transformer.
- 40 kW Caterpillar generator for "back-up" emergency lighting.
- 8-zone (dual control) dimming system for house lights by Lutron.
- 50' x 50' aluminum lighting truss with 72 par fixtures, permanently installed.
Film location
- The ChampThe Champ (1979 film)The Champ is a 1979 remake, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, of the 1931 Academy Award-winning film of the same name which was directed by King Vidor. It stars Jon Voight, Faye Dunaway, and Ricky Schroder. It is also the final film for actress Joan Blondell....
- The Main EventThe Main Event (1979 film)The Main Event is a 1979 comedy starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal, written by Gail Parent and directed by Howard Zieff.The film received negative reviews from critics, but was among the Top 10 highest grossing films of the year at the box office...
- RockyRockyRocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
- Charlie's Angels: Full ThrottleCharlie's Angels: Full ThrottleCharlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels. It opened in the United States on June 27, 2003, and was number one at the box office for that weekend and made a worldwide total of $259.2 million.The cast again includes Cameron...