Pink Floyd concert in 1988 led the way to more performances at Ohio Stadium

Ohio State football is celebrating a century at the Horseshoe this year. In recognition of that, The Columbus Dispatch will be sharing special Ohio Stadium content throughout this week.

In addition to football games, Ohio Stadium has also been home to some notable concerts.

“We're always looking for artists that we can bring into the stadium for big events. It's tough because there aren't a lot of acts that can fill a place this big,” said David Redelberger, director of interactive marketing for the Schottenstein Center and Nationwide Arena.

“Concerts are a big piece of the tradition and history of the Stadium. So it's always fun to break out of the arenas and do a big show over there,” Redelberger said. “We've had a lot of fun stuff there over the years, and I'm sure there will be more to come.”

The first concert at the stadium was in May 1988, when Pink Floyd performed. It also was one of the largest in Columbus, with nearly 64,000 people in attendance. A reserved field or stadium ticket cost a mere $20.

The band returned to the stadium in 1994, drawing more than 70,000 people.

The 1990s ushered in many other big bands as well. Here's a snapshot of some of the concert events that have rocked Ohio Stadium:

⋅ Genesis, May 1992: The concert drew 73,000 fans, and, according to our reviewer, the big news was that Phil Collins' voice was on the mark. A question about Collins' voice arose when the singer had left a stage in Florida after a couple of songs because of a bad cold ahead of the Columbus performance. As our reviewer said: "Not once did Collins back off a vocal. Not once did he lack passion or take the easy way out of a song."

⋅ Billy Joel and Elton John, August 1994: With nearly 70,000 fans in the stadium, one might think that the two stars together would make for a dynamic duo in their "Face to Face Summer Tour '94". Yet, the musicians "excelled most when they were not on stage together," our reviewer wrote.

⋅ U2, May 1997: The PopMart mega tour arrived in Columbus to an adoring crowd. According to our reviewer: "Darting through the crowd to the tune of M's Pop Muzik like a prizefighter and his entourage, Bono and the rest of U2 pranced through the stadium to the enormous stage, bringing the crowd to its feet, where it remained for the next two hours."

⋅ Rolling Stones, September 1997: Although 60,000 fans were on hand at the stadium, the show never reached "the sense of delirium you would expect from one of the greatest bands in rock 'n' roll history, and from the band's faithful following," wrote our reviewer. Although Mick Jagger and the band gave its all, our reviewer noted: "Throughout, the crowd response was oddly tempered. It was certainly the quietest gathering at Ohio Stadium in recent memory. ... "

⋅ July 2003 brought the “Summer Sanitarium” tour, featuring Mudvayne, the Deftones, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit and Metallica: The event, which showcased a plethora of talent, was noted for Metallica's two-hour set, according to our reviewer: "The ferociously speedy yet taut songs were multi-dimensional. Packed with punk attitude, these songs of vivid, tormented characters came to life with exciting and often complex musical twists and turns."

⋅ Buckeye Country Superfest, featuring Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney and more, June 2015: Standout country entertainment galore kicked off the inaugural event at Ohio Stadium that drew 90,000 fans. Although it was a rainy start to the first day of the two-day event, the weather did improve as the day wore on. "Artists — including Blake Shelton, Tyler Farr and an Ohio State University-jersey-clad Cassadee Pope — played on a covered stage but seemed to appreciate the calm forecast for their fans. 'Somebody knew we needed to party tonight,' remarked performer Lee Brice as the sun poked through the clouds and tanned limbs clutching Lime-A-Rita tallboy cans waved in the breeze." And headlining Day 2 of the event was Kenny Chesney, who said that his headlining set was "a dream come true."

⋅ Buckeye Country Superfest, featuring Lady Antebellum, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley and more: June 2016: The two-day event filled the 'Shoe once again with country fans eager to see top-notch acts. "Aldean brought the strongest set of the night (June 16), sounding even better than he does on his albums," our reviewer wrote. "He kept it relatively simple, focusing on the music. The interruptions to address the crowd were brief; he once reminisced on his first stint in Ohio years ago at a bar — a venue that surely paled in comparison with the thousands gathered to see him headline the 'Shoe."

⋅ Buckeye Country Superfest, featuring Keith Urban, Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert and more, June 2017: Families filled the stadium for the event, and our reviewer noted that: "A diverse set of acts formed a sort of family of their own." Among the standout performers, her review also highlighted: "Miranda Lambert, in a fast-moving, electrifying set that revealed a deep knowledge of the varied roots of country music as well as an ability to translate those traditions into personal statements and a gift at collaborating with other musicians and songwriters, bounced from one mood to another without losing the depth of her songs."

⋅ Taylor Swift, July 2018: Performing before a packed stadium, our reviewer took note: "Saturday night two songs, coming from opposing perspectives, displayed Swift’s razor-sharp emotions as well as her poetic ability with a love song. 'Look What You Made Me Do' was accompanied by a costume change and fashion-shoot videos, serving to accentuate the intrusion of her celebrity on her personal life. The killer, bitter lines delivered over a deep hip-hop groove, came as stark relief to the sentimental hooks in 'End Game,' which followed."

⋅ Jay-Z, Beyonce, DJ Khaled, August 2018: "Beyonce and Jay-Z didn't need to fill Ohio Stadium Thursday night to prove their cultural cachet," our reviewer wrote, although the stadium was full. "Queen Bey, who reigned resplendent through all 2.5 hours without tiring, knew exactly what each song called for and provided accordingly. 'Drunk in Love' needed playful hair whipping. 'Formation' required choreography sharper than new scissors. Show highlight 'Resentment,' delivered at the end of a catwalk stretching far into the crowd, needed nothing more than her unmatched voice decrying Jay-Z's unfaithfulness to hush the tens of thousands. That particular relational blemish formed the crux of the story that played out onstage during the show's second half."

⋅ Buckeye Country Superfest, featuring George Strait, Blake Shelton and more, June 2019: "Returning after a one-year hiatus, and dropping from two days to one," our reviewer noted, "Buckeye Country Superfest nonetheless managed to book an enormous act in Strait, who has 60 No. 1 hits." Fans came from as far away as Kansas City, Missouri, to see the country music superstar.

⋅ Buckeye County Superfest, featuring Luke Combs, Morgan Wade, Kameron Marlowe, Zach Bryan and Cody Jinks, July 2022: Country music fans — 63,000 of them — were more than ready for the event to return after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. Two-time Grammy award nominee Combs, who was the headliner of the event, was escorted by the Ohio State University Marching Band. As our reviewer noted: "Combs' charisma and his connection with the audience was captivating as the crowd sang the words to his 13 No. 1 singles."

margaretquamme@hotmail.com

Becky Korver contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: From Pink Floyd to Jay-Z, the top concerts to come to Ohio Stadium