This is part of my history and guide to my adopted home - Terre Haute, Indiana.
Introduction
This page was written because when I was writing about Steve Martin and his "feud" with Terre Haute, I started finding references to the bands and entertainers who performed at the Hulman Center. There did not seem to be a single page with all of them listed, and so this page was born.
Hulman Center
In the 1970s, and all the way through to the 2020s, Indiana State University had a reputation of bringing word-class acts to perform at the Hulman Center. Construction of the 10,000 seat multi-purpose Hulman Civic University Center on Cherry Street, between Eighth and Ninth Streets, started on December 17, 1971. Named after local businessman Tony Hulman who offered an initial $2.5 million challenge gift, the Center cost $10 million and was opened on December 14, 1973.
The name was soon changed to simply the Hulman Center shortly after it opened. The first event was an Indiana State University Sycamore Basketball game on December 14, 1973.The first concert was on February 15, 1974, when country star Chalie Pride performed to an audience of over 8,000. The August 26, 1977, Alice Cooper performance drew the Center's biggest crowd of 11,200. The last performance was by John Mellencamp on May 20, 2020. The Center was completely renovated between 2018 and 2021.
Hulman Civic University Center
One of my postcards
The Performances
A list of performances at the Hulman Center:
Sorted by Artist
- Aerosmith / Rush / Thin Lizzy - May 26, 1976
- Aerosmith / Rush / Thin Lizzy / Bachman Turner Overdrive - March 20, 1975
- Alabama - March 14, 1982
- Alabama / Janie Fricke - January 21, 1983
- Alan Jackson - January 14, 1997
- Alice Cooper / Burton Cummings / The Dictators - August 26, 1977
- America - April 23, 1975
- Amy Grant - February 3, 1989
- Anne Murray - October 2, 1993
- Bad Company - November 13, 1992
- Barry Manilow - August 26, 1976
- Beach Boys - October 16, 1977
- Beach Boys - October 10, 1981
- Big & Rich / Gretchen Wilson - November 6, 2004
- Billy "Crash" Craddock / Freddie Fender - January 24, 1976
- Billy Currington / Brad Paisley - January 28, 2006
- Billy Ray Cyrus - October 1, 1993
- Black Sabbath / Head East / Target - February 11, 1977
- Black Sabbath / Van Halen - August 25, 1978
- Blackfoot - October 6, 1984
- Blizzard of Ozz - January 9, 1982
- Blue News - August 18, 2012
- Blue Oyster Cult (Cancelled) - September 18, 1975
- Blue Öyster Cult / ELO / Widowmaker / Starz / Angel - September 29, 1976
- Bob Dylan - October 14, 1978
- Bob Dylan - November 2, 2001
- Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band / Sweet - April 16, 1978
- Boston / Rick Derringer / Nils Lofgren - March 1, 1977
- Boston / Sammy Hagar - October 24, 1978
- Brantley Gilbert / Aaron Lewis / Josh Phillips - April 27, 2018
- Brantley Gilbert / Michael Ray / Canaan Smith - January 30, 2016
- Bread - March 20, 1977
- Brett Eldredge - October 8, 2015
- Britny Fox - November 11, 1988
- Brooks & Dunn / Joe Nichols / Josh Turner - February 19, 2004
- Bryan Adams / Cock Robin - September 7, 1985
- Bullet Boys / Winger / Cinderella - March 8, 1989
- Carrot Top - October 14, 1998
- Cece Winans - September 12, 2009
- Charlie Daniels Band / Juice Newton - August 31, 1981
- Charlie Pride - February 15, 1974
- Cheap Trick / Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band / The Easthills - November 22, 2015
- Cheap Trick / The Romantics - April 20, 1980
- Chicago - July 25, 1975
- Conway Twitty - February 1, 1980
- Conway Twitty - October 29, 1992
- Conway Twitty / Loretta Lynn - November 15, 1975
- Conway Twitty / Loretta Lynn - October 30, 1976
- Conway Twitty / Loretta Lynn - October 29, 1977
- Crystal Gayle / Ronnie Milsap - January 4, 1978
- Damn Yankees - February 16, 1991
- Doobie Brothers / Henry Gross - July 22, 1977
- Doobie Brothers / Ross - December 15, 1974
- Eagles / Dan Fogelberg - May 4, 1975
- Earth, Wind, and Fire / The Emotions - November 21, 1976
- ELO / Styx / Widowmaker - September 10, 1976
- Elvis Presley - July 9, 1975
- Elvis Presley - September 26, 1977
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer - June 14, 1977
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer - January 24, 1978
- Engelbert Humperdinck - February 24, 1978
- Eric Carmen Band / Sweet - January 23, 1976
- Eric Church / Brantley Gilbert / Jon Pardi - January 28, 2012
- Foghat - May 6, 1978
- Foghat / Starz - February 25, 1978
- Foreigner / Giuffria - April 27, 1985
- Frank Sinatra - June 23, 1978
- Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - March 26, 1976
- Garbage / Lit - October 25, 1999
- George Jones - September 8, 2000
- Glenn Campbell - June 15, 1975
- Golden Earring / Nazereth - February 6, 1978
- Gordon Lightfoot / Mimi Fariña - November 11, 1976
- Grand Funk Railroad / Eric Burdon - February 7, 1975
- Gretchen Wilson / Van Zant - March 3, 2006
- Guess Who - August 28, 1975
- Guess Who - December 1, 1975
- Hall and Oats / Sea Breeze - February 12, 1983
- Hank Williams, Jr. - November 17, 1974
- Harry Chapin Band - June 13, 1976
- Harry Chapin Band - August 8, 1979
- Heart / John Mellencamp - September 29, 1982
- Helen Reddy - February 20, 1975
- Humble Pie / Spooky Tooth / Montrose - March 1, 1974
- Humble Pie / Spooky Tooth / Montrose - March 29, 1974
- J Geils Band / Maggie Bell - April 5, 1974
- Jake Owen / Eli Young Band / The Cadillac Three - September 13, 2014
- Jake Owen / Eli Young Band / The Cadillac Three - October 10, 2014
- James Brown - September 19, 2006
- James Taylor - November 19, 2002
- Jars of Clay - November 17, 1998
- Jason Aldean / Luke Bryan / Ash Bowers - April 10, 2010
- Jethro Tull / UFO - October 17, 1975
- Joe Nichols / Chris Young - August 30, 2015
- John Denver - November 7, 1978
- John Denver - April 12, 1980
- John Mellencamp - March 28, 1984
- John Mellencamp - October 30, 1987
- John Mellencamp - April 11, 2005
- John Mellencamp - May 20, 2020
- John Mellencamp / Los Lobos - February 26, 2007
- John Mellencamp / Los Lobos - October 26, 2007
- John Michael Montgomery - January 25, 1996
- Johnny Cash / June Carter Cash - March 25, 1977
- Josh Turner / Easton Corbin / Maggie Rose - November 15, 2012
- Journey / Bryan Adams / Steve Perry - April 9, 1983
- Journey / Greg Kihn Band - September 28, 1981
- Judas Priest / Heaven - January 27, 1983
- Kansas / Starcastle / Sea Level - December 11, 1976
- Kenny Chesney / Sara Evans / Phil Vassar - February 17, 2002
- Kenny Rogers / Linda Davis - November 30, 2015
- Kiss - January 5, 1977
- Kiss - January 1, 1981
- Kiss - February 18, 1988
- Kiss / Econoline Crush - December 12, 1998
- Kiss / King Kobra - March 23, 1986
- Kiss / Queensrÿche - December 6, 1984
- Kiss / Rush / Mott the Hoople (Mott cancelled) - November 21, 1975
- Kiss / Slaughter / Faster Pussycat - May 17, 1990
- Kiss / Uriah Heep - January 25, 1977
- Larry The Cable Guy / Reno Collier - February 13, 2005
- LeAnn Rimes - May 16, 1998
- LMFAO / Hyper Crush - October 7, 2010
- Loggins & Messina - October 25, 1975
- Loverboy / Prism - April 18, 1982
- Lynyrd Skynyrd / Outlaws - April 13, 1976
- Lynyrd Skynyrd / ZZ Top - March 2, 2000
- Mark Chesnutt - November 17, 1991
- Marshall Tucker Band / Charlie Daniels Band / Head East - March 27, 1976
- Marshall Tucker Band / The Outlaws / Elvin Bishop - February 21, 1976
- Matchbox Twenty - October 4, 2000
- MC Hammer / Boyz II Men - July 31, 1992
- MercyMe - April 29, 2016
- Mike Posner / Brain Trust - October 15, 2011
- Miranda Lambert / Charlie Worsham / Little Big Town - September 8, 2011
- Molly Hatchet - March 11, 1980
- Mötley Crüe - March 12, 1990
- Mötley Crüe / Faster Pussycat - March 20, 1990
- Neil Sedaka - October 9, 1976
- Nickel Creek - October 10, 2004
- Olivia Newton‐John - April 26, 1977
- Ozzy Osbourne / Starfighters - January 29, 1982
- Peter Frampton - October 17, 1979
- Petra / DeGarmo & Key - October 9, 1986
- Poison / Ratt - January 16, 1987
- Poison / Warrant - October 5, 1990
- Rascal Flatts - January 28, 2005
- Rascal Flatts / Chris Cagle - January 23, 2004
- Rascal Flatts / The Band Perry - February 7, 2013
- Ratt / Great White / Kix - April 18, 1989
- Reba McEntire - February 12, 1993
- REO Speedwagon / 38 Special - February 18, 1981
- REO Speedwagon / Aerosmith / Montrose - September 28, 1974
- REO Speedwagon / Be Bop Deluxe - September 30, 1977
- REO Speedwagon / Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band / Brownsville Station - December 5, 1975
- REO Speedwagon / Survivor - September 6, 1982
- REO Speedwagon / Survivor - January 18, 1985
- REO Speedwagon / UpShot - April 16, 2015
- Rita Coolidge - November 17, 1977
- Robin Trower - August 7, 1976
- Rodney Carrington - February 8, 2007
- Rodney Carrington - October 3, 2015
- Rodney Carrington / Barry Martin - February 15, 2003
- Rodney Carrington / Mark Gross - September 11, 2004
- Rush / Charlie Daniels Band / Pat Travers / Henry Paul - September 6, 1979
- Sammy Hagar / Dokken - March 27, 1985
- Sawyer Brown - October 22, 1993
- Seals & Crofts - October 1, 1975
- Shania Twain - October 17, 1996
- Shania Twain - October 17, 1998
- Sheryl Crow / Gary Allan - October 18, 2013
- Skillet / Disciple / Decyfer Down - April 7, 2009
- Statler Brothers / Barbara Mandrell - December 9, 1979
- Statler Brothers / Barbara Mandrell - March 8, 2002
- Steve Martin / Steve Goodman - November 13, 1978
- Streets / Loverboy - February 5, 1984
- Styx - September 8, 1983
- Styx - April 7, 2016
- Styx / Mahoganay Rush - March 30, 1978
- Survivor - January 6, 1982
- Ted Nugent - November 30, 1978
- Ted Nugent / Gentle Giant / Starz / Wet Willie - July 9, 1976
- Ted Nugent / Nazareth - May 21, 1977
- Ted Nugent / Toby Keith - March 12, 2005
- Tesla / Great White - November 6, 1989
- Three Dog Night - October 11, 1974
- Tim McGraw - November 18, 1997
- Todd Rundgren's Utopia / Starcastle - November 7, 1977
- Tom Jones - October 22, 1977
- Tom Jones - May 1, 1979
- Travis Tritt - October 21, 1993
- Travis Tritt - November 2, 2002
- Van Halen - October 1, 1982
- Van Halen / Talas - October 21, 1980
- Vince Gill - March 7, 1996
- Whitesnake / Quiet Riot - November 13, 1984
- Why on Earth - January 1, 1983
- Willie Nelson / Waylon Jennings - February 6, 1994
Other Artists
Other artists had performed at Indiana State University, but not at the Hulman Center:
On April 16, 1966, Billy Joe Royal, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Keith Allison, Linda Scott, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Steve Alaimo, The Knickerbockers, and The Viceroys all played at Indiana State University. Most bands before the building of the Hulman Center played in the Tilson Auditorium.
The Yardbirds - November 9, 1966
Diana Ross and the Supremes - March 7, 1969
Neil Diamond - October 16, 1971
King Crimson / Mountain - December 11, 1971
James Cotton Band / Curtis Mayfield - February 10, 1972
Yes - November 17, 1972
Johnny Cash - April 14, 1973
Sources and Resources
Concerts at Hulman Center (Guestpectactular)
Hulman Center (Indiana State University)
Hulman Center (Rock Tour Database)
Hulman Center (Wikipedia)
Hulman Center Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
Hulman Center Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
Hulman Center, Indiana State University Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
Hulman Center, Indiana State University Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
Hulman Center, Indiana State University Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
Hulman Center Terre Haute Concert Setlists (Setlist.fm)
Hulman Civic Center, Indiana State University Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
Hulman Civic Center, Indiana State University Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
Hulman Civic University Center Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
Hulman Civic University Center Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
Indiana State University Terre Haute Concert Setlists (Setlist.fm)
ISU Hulman Center (Songkick)
ISU Hulman Center Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
ISU Hulman Center Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
ISU Hulman Center Concert History (Concert Archives) - A great collection of memorabilia
Tony Hulman (Wikipedia)