Olympia Stadium - Grand River & McGraw

[Downriviera]

I rode the Grand River bus to Olympia in 1975 to audition for the Junior Red Wings to become the organist for the Jr. Wings games. I didn't have a driver's licence yet. I didn't get the gig [[which was a volunteer position) but a good friend [[who was better than me, and better suited to the job) got the gig and I went to several games with him, watching from the side of the press box, where the organ console was located. There was a white Rodgers [[electronic) theatre organ console on one side of the press box and a Hammond B-3 on the other side, both had deep cigarette burns to the consoles where Art Quatro would set his burning fags when he had to play suddenly. I met Lincon Cavalari and the head electrician of the building--his name escapes me now, but they were a fine, professional group of men that ran Olympia.
As a customer I saw Red Wing games there, it was superior to the Joke Lewis arena from a sightline perspective, and the cheapes seats in the top balcony were still close to the action. I also saw the Harlem Globetrotters there.

56packman, you mentioned Art Quatro. I remember he played a melody after the Wings would score, everyone called it the Red Wings Polka. I always wondered if that was his original or if it was some other tune. I also heard there was a recording of the Red Wings Polka, I'd love to have a copy of that for sure. I'm really happy that they have brought back the organist for some of the games at the Joe. I hate the canned music.

[eno]

Yeah Downriviera, I usually confuse Howie Young For Bryan Watson. What was Howie Young famous for?

[baskerville holmes]

I remember the Ice Capades and some sort of circus event at Olympia as well as the Harlem Globetrotters. I saw a lot of Red Wing games including Game 6 of the 1966 Stanley Cup Finals, in which the Canadians clinched the cup on a disputed goal in overtime. I was devastated because had the Wings won, my uncle's company would have engraved the cup and I would have gotten to see it. On that night after the game, I met my childhood football hero, the Lion's Terry Barr, crossing Grand River after the game.

And, on Sept 6, 1964 I saw my first concert there. It was this quartet.
From Liverpool.

Bob Jared