Buffalo in the ’70s: Up in the Oranges, hanging on for dear life

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

As hockey season gets underway in Buffalo, inevitably someone will wax poetic about the great old days of watching the Sabres at Memorial Auditorium.

Buffalo News archives

While the memories might be sweet, the modern hockey fan might not last even one period without complaint.

This 1973 photo shows the extreme pitch of seats in the Orange section of the Aud as compared to the grade in the Upper Blue section just below.  Even the most thrilling fights on the ice were often outmatched by the hundreds of people fighting vertigo after standing up too quickly from their perch in the Orange section after a beer or three.

The photo also shows one of The Aud’s features which even the most nostalgic fan has a hard time recalling with warmth. Look at the legs underneath the lighted sign, and remember the obstructed Upper Blue seats, from which fans watched a good portion of the hockey action on ancient television sets dangling from the underside of the Oranges.

The plastic-backed orange seats date to the 1971 expansion of The Aud, when the roof was raised to make room for the upper level.

The wooden blue seats—which before the expansion were gray—dated back to the original construction of Memorial Auditorium in 1940.

The Aud closed in 1996 as the Sabres (as well as the Bandits and Blizzard) moved into Marine Midland Arena (now First Niagara Center.)

Memorial Auditorium was slowly dismantled in 2009, and the site is now covered with canals replicating the original Erie Canal. The canals are open for paddle boats in warmer weather, and ice skating when frozen. A marker in the canal points to where The Aud’s center ice faceoff dot once was.

Buffalo in the 70’s: WYSL/WPHD Album Charts and Jock Pics

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Buffalo, NY – Ranging from 1971-1979, these singles and album charts from WYSL and WPhD are a great snapshot of what Buffalo was listening to musically and on the radio in the 70s.

And as far as the jock photos– let’s just say we all looked great in the 70s. Thanks to Paul, who gave me most of these charts for “safe keeping” a few years back.

 

Robert W Taylor, Crystal Beach
1977
Tom Tiberi– Slick Tom, ad for the first World’s Largest Disco. August 25, 1979.
August 25, 1979.
Jim Nowicki, August 11, 1979
August 11, 1979
August 11, 1979
Dean Matella wearing an “I love You Buffalo” t-shirt. Wear a MILK Mustache ad. August, 1979
August, 1979
Jim Nowicki, July 1979.
July 1979.
Nancy Miller, May 1979
May 1979
Tom Tiberi, May 1979
May, 1979
Chuck Stevens, April 1979
April 1979
Dino in the Morning April 1979
April 1979
Kevin Hines, Club 747 ad for the first computerized disco, April 1979
April 1979
Chuck Stevens March 1979
March 1979
Dino in the morning March 1979
March 1979
Nancy Miller March 1979 14 Rock WYSL Non Stop Music
March 1979
Kevin Hines March 1979
March 1979
Jim Nowicki Feb 1979
Feb 1979
Nancy Miller Feb 1979
Feb 1979
Dean Matela, Dec 1978
Dec, 1978
Nancy Miller, Oct. 1978
Oct. 1978
Robert W. Taylor
Sept. 1978
Jim Nowicki
Aug 1979
Nancy Miller
Larry Norton July 1979
July 1978
Jim Scott, June 1978
June 1978
John Piccillo JP, June 1978. Milk Mustache I Love You Buffalo t-shirts
June 1978
Larry Norton, May 1978
May 1978
Harv Moore May 1978, American Top 40
May, 1978
John Piccillo, April 1978
April 1978
March 1978 Rick Arnay
March 1978
Bill Potter Jan. 1978
Jan. 1978
Tom Atkins 1977 American Top 40
1977
JP John Piccillo November 1977
November 1977
Rick Arnay October, 1977
October, 1977
John Piccillo, Crystal Beach ad. September, 1977
September 1977
Craig Matthews, June 1977
June 1977
Chuck Stevens June 1977
June 1977
Kenny Davis May 1977
1977
Kenny Davis April 1977
April 1977
Robert W. Taylor 1977
April 1977
Harv Moore April 1977
April 1977
Sean Grabowski 1977
February 1977
Grabowski October 1976
October 1976
Grabowski October 1976
October 1976
Jim Scott, September 1976
September 1976
Harv Moore, July 1976
July 1976
John Piccillo WYSL, “Laverne & Shirley Sing” 1975
Grabowski
1976
1976
Robert W Taylor 1976
Robert W Taylor 1976
1976
1976
Robert W Taylor 1976
Robert W Taylor 1976
1975
1975
Grabowski, 1975
Grabowski, 1975
Jim Scott, 1975
1975
1975
Tom Tiberi, 1979. Burger King at Main & Utica, Just Opened!
Tom Tiberi, 1979. Burger King at Main & Utica, Just Opened!
1979
1975
Kevin O'Connell. WYSL, 1971
Kevin O’Connell. WYSL, 1971
WYSL 1971
WYSL 1971
WYSL, 1971
WYSL, 1971
Jack Evans WYSL
WPHD 1979
WPHD 1979
WPHD 1979
Taylor & Moore, WPHD 1979
May 1978
May 1978
Jim Nowicki, May 1978
Jim Nowicki, May 1978

 

Reformatted & Updated pages from staffannouncer.com finding a new home at buffalostories.com
Reformatted & Updated pages from staffannouncer.com finding a new home at buffalostories.com