were opening for Uriah Heep at this show. Elvis Presley played his final New Year's Eve show at the Civic Arena on December 31, 1976, and played to a sellout on June 25 and 26, 1973. The arena has hosted other major concerts by every act from Frank Sinatra to Garth Brooks to Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. By the mid-1970s the arena was among the premier venues in the nation, with Billboard magazine naming it the 9th best in the U.S. on December 30, 1976. Sly and the Family Stone, The Steve Miller Band, Grand Funk Railroad, Boz Scaggs, and The Beach Boys all played the arena in 1974. The Bee Gees performed two concerts here on September 4–5, 1979 during their Spirits Having Flown Tour. The Jacksons performed at Pittsburgh Civic Arena on August 13, 1981, during their Triumph Tour. Guitarist Randy Rhoads played one of his final shows here with Ozzy Osbourne on February 2, 1982. He would die 45 days later. Duran Duran performed February 28, 1984, during a snowstorm and their Grammy win was announced onstage. Pop superstar Michael Jackson performed three concerts at Pittsburgh Civic Arena on September 26, 27 and 28, 1988 during his Bad World Tour. Pop singer Britney Spears performed at the arena once in 2001 on her Dream Within a Dream Tour and in 2009 to a sell-out crowd as a part of her Circus Tour. Then country singer Taylor Swift played a show in the arena during her Fearless Tour on October 1, 2009. The Doors recorded their May 2, 1970, concert at the Civic Arena. This would be released 38 years later as "Live in Pittsburgh 1970" aka "Pittsburgh Civic Arena (The Doors album)". It is considered by most music critics to be The Doors very best live recording. The Grateful Dead's performances, on April 2–3, 1989, were recorded and later released as a live album, entitled, Download Series Volume 9, as well as sparking a riot by "Dead Heads" on the final day of the concert, an event that was national news and featured by Kurt Loder on MTV News following the arrest of 500 by the Pittsburgh Police. The Rolling Stones performed three times in the arena: July 22, 1972; March 11, 1999; and January 10, 2003. Josh Groban performed here in August 2007 as part of his 'Awake' tour. The final event was to be