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The Summit At 3700 Southwest Fwy.


kristiw

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Staff edit: According to an article in the Texas Monthly Magazine dated December 1982, the address for The Summit is 10 Greenway Plaza. The address is aligned with the naming numerical system to correspond with the rest of the Greenway Plaza campus. (1 Greenway Plaza to 20 Greenway Plaza.) Decades later, the address has changed to 3700 Southwest Freeway. 

My first visit to The Summit was for a live concert... it was either '77 or '78 (making me around 10 at the time).

My older sister took me to see The Village People. There were no chairs on the floor, and I remember smelling so much pot, and seeing clouds of smoke, lots of drugs, drinking, and very friendly people. One of my sister's friends picked me up and put me on his shoulders so I could scream my little girl lungs out! It was probably the best memory I'll ever have of The Summit, especially before all the changes (chairs, security, political correctness) took place. No, my mother had no idea.

I loved The Village People, and was in love with the construction worker only to find out later he'd never be in love with me. So I moved onto Leif Garrett.

Thank goodness I grew out of that one...

Please share yours.

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My first visit to The Summit was for a live concert... it was either '77 or '78 (making me around 10 at the time).

My older sister took me to see The Village People. There were no chairs on the floor, and I remember smelling so much pot, and seeing clouds of smoke, lots of drugs, drinking, and very friendly people. One of my sister's friends picked me up and put me on his shoulders so I could scream my little girl lungs out! It was probably the best memory I'll ever have of The Summit, especially before all the changes (chairs, security, political correctness) took place. No, my mother had no idea.

I loved The Village People, and was in love with the construction worker only to find out later he'd never be in love with me. So I moved onto Leif Garrett.

Thank goodness I grew out of that one...

Please share yours.

I saw Leif Garrett at the Astrodome in 1979 and then a few years ago at the 19th Hole. I met him before the show and he signed all 5 of his albums, a copy of his CD with F8, his "Leif Garrett Collection" CD (I want the Japanese version with 6 extra songs on it) plus a picture for my Cousin. I talked with him more after the show about how I never thought I'd be headbangin' to "Leif Garrett". lol

I've also seen the Village People about 3 or 4 times but I was never in love with any of them - Joan Jett, Doro Pesch, Tiffany, Leather (Chastian), Saraya, Lee Aaron and a couple of the Bangles is another story.

Anyway, my 1st time to the Summit was to see KISS in 76 - WOW - What a show that was!

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I graduated high school at the Summit, and saw many concerts and wrestling shows there. The complete KISS show from The Summit, 9/2/77, is on the DVD box set "KISSology".

Most of the concerts there were taped professionally, so there are lots clips on YouTube.

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I only have one memory of the Summit and it was a Rockets Game. Ever since that game I have loved the Rockets ever since and and also during the not so good Rocket years. I dont remember if it was a playoff game or regular season game and all I know is that it was packed, we were in the nose bleed section, all I could see was red and yellow and it was very loud, and we won. I was only five and had lots of energy so after the game I was running up and down the steps and was the happiest I ever been. Its one of my best memories. I also have been to Lakewood its very nice and big. Great Church.

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I saw KISS in the Summit but I don't remember the year. Moody Blues Long Distance Voyager in '82 I think. Marshall Tucker around '79 they filled The Summit. Around '85 I saw them again at Rockofellers and there were seats left. We sat in the balcony for that one, talk about a contact high. The last concert I went to there was Bob Seger in the early '90s. I will miss it and the dome.

joe

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I think we discussed The Summit in the Joel Osteen Lakewood Church topic? Merge?

any way, I still have all or most of my ticket stubs of the numerous concerts we witnessed at the New Summit. When it was new everyone used to marvel at the big screen monitors they had above the stage. The cameras would zoom in and out of the crowds and man did they get some bizarre stuff. This was Girls Gone Wild waaaaay before the show these days. "Take it off" was heard all across the place and that's just what they did! :wacko: I had no idea they filmed Queen in 1977 at this venue and we were there! Yikes! The Summit started out pretty good but the crowds were geting way too wild and the restrooms were very inadequate for the ladies, just too small and not enough stalls. The lines would go for a mile it seems so many of the women would go in the mens. Insane. They had some of the best shows ever and I'm glad I got to see them while they were in their prime.

That rock concert era is over and can never be captured again. The music business is a totally different world now and you have to remember that there was NO MTV during the Summits reign. You only saw the stars on album covers or on TV specials like Don Kirshners Rock Concert or SNL. The trick was to party before going to the Summit. Teens had to be cheap since you had already blown your $ on the ticket which was about $6.00 to $10.00 each. Unheard of these days. As the years passed the shows started attracting a bad element like people pushing hard drugs to unsuspecting kids and others stealing T-shirts that were just bought, fights and overdoses. There must have been numerous suits as well from parents.

It was sort of funny seeing people waiting for thier rides to pick them up on the frwy side. You could see bodies just strewn across the lawn passed out. Can imagine what it looked like from the freeway? :lol: lol

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My best memory of the summit involves UH basketball.

UH won an NCAA regional there. I was pretty young but remember Lamar was also in that regional and they pulled a bit upset over Maryland (I think it was the terps).

I also remember SWC Tournament titles there. UH and Arkansas played quite a few times in that one.

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My best memory of the summit involves UH basketball.

UH won an NCAA regional there. I was pretty young but remember Lamar was also in that regional and they pulled a bit upset over Maryland (I think it was the terps).

I also remember SWC Tournament titles there. UH and Arkansas played quite a few times in that one.

Your right, hardly anyones mentioned anything about the sports games at The Summit.

Never in our wildest dreams did we think someone would be up on that stage preaching one day!LOL :lol:

One day Ozzie Osborn singing his satanic songs next day old Osteen bible thumping.

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The Summit was a great venue for concerts before it became the "Godatorium". I hated seeing Houston let it go. The acoustics in the new Toyota Center are awful. Right now Houston does not have a decent place for concerts. That's a shame.

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Right now Houston does not have a decent place for concerts. That's a shame.

Your absolutely right!

The only place that seems adequate is the Verizon Theater and its minuscule compared to the old Summit.

Cynthia Woods has to be the biggest insult's to a big city as Houston. The layout and design would have worked great in ummmm San Diego or anywhere on the West Coast but not Texas. BIG MISTAKE.

Give it a test. Spend lots of $ for a ticket. We are now in June so humidity is like 90% already. Park what about 1/2 mile away. By the time you walk from your auto midway your already sweating it up. By the time you get to gate your exhausted. (and I'm not even a heavy person). Take a lady and see how they get upset. On last visit and I do mean last, we stood there soaked and then turned around and walked out. Waste of time and $, not too mention so far away from Downtown its just not worth the trip. Cynthia Woods Pavilion needs to go on "Crater Houston" like NOW. Works for west coast but not Texas. :(

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I saw Queen at the Summit in 1977 and before that I saw them at the coliseum. I saw David Bowie twice at the summit and I saw Cyndi Lauper once and was in the Money Changes Everything video. I saw the Moody Blues, Genesis, Chicago, Aerosmith, Bad Company, Traffic, Fleetwood Mac, Heart all at the summit.. and I think thats all.

Edited by EastEnd Susan
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Right now Houston does not have a decent place for concerts. That's a shame.

Your absolutely right!

The only place that seems adequate is the Verizon Theater and its minuscule compared to the old Summit.

Cynthia Woods has to be the biggest insult's to a big city as Houston. The layout and design would have worked great in ummmm San Diego or anywhere on the West Coast but not Texas. BIG MISTAKE.

Give it a test. Spend lots of $ for a ticket. We are now in June so humidity is like 90% already. Park what about 1/2 mile away. By the time you walk from your auto midway your already sweating it up. By the time you get to gate your exhausted. (and I'm not even a heavy person). Take a lady and see how they get upset. On last visit and I do mean last, we stood there soaked and then turned around and walked out. Waste of time and $, not too mention so far away from Downtown its just not worth the trip. Cynthia Woods Pavilion needs to go on "Crater Houston" like NOW. Works for west coast but not Texas. :(

Couldn't agree more. CWP is a joke. Why ANYONE would pay $50-$100 to go sit on the the grass with the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes to see a concert, I'll never know. I wonder why they never have concerts at Hofheinz Pavilion anymore? Not big enough I guess.

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The Summit - 4th row, floor. 1989ish. REM with Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians. Lost our damn car after the show due to tryptamines

We saw Prince at Hofheinz Pavilion back in 2000 or so. Great venue but only seats 8,000. That was what made it great.

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Saw Elvis there in August 1976---$12 a ticket!!! I'd give a jelly donut to see pics of that show (like an idiot I DID NOT bring a camera)

Now thats a historical comment! Most long time Houstonians think The Dome was the last place Elvis cavorted about in. Not to mentioned it was one year before he kicked the bucket. -_- Never would have dreamed he was at the Summit. I really need to copy all of those ticket stubs I mentioned and post here.

and yep, CWP is an embarassment to our great city! To make matter worse they added a tall wall wrapping around it to prevent people from scaling the embankment. It really makes you feel like your walking into a prison of sorts. Whats next barbed-wire with electrodes?

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Couldn't agree more. CWP is a joke. Why ANYONE would pay $50-$100 to go sit on the the grass with the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes to see a concert, I'll never know. I wonder why they never have concerts at Hofheinz Pavilion anymore? Not big enough I guess.

No kidding!! You can get SLE for free at Miller Outdoor, and you can bring your own food and drinks.

joe

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I need to add some of those groups to my Summit web page. If you guys think of any more groups that played there, let me know.

Summit venue

That's a cool site you have! I've seen (of course) The Village People, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Prince (his Purple Rain concert)... and I remember my sister going to see Aerosmith. I want to say she saw Peter Frampton too, but I can't confirm that one.

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