On November 1, 1965, the Rolling Stones took the stage at the Rochester Community War Memorial. Seven minutes later, several thousand fans rushed the stage, police pulled the plug, and the show was over. It might be the shortest headline set in rock history, and it happened right here — in an arena on the Genesee River that has been the center of Rochester’s live entertainment universe for seven decades.
Today it’s called Blue Cross Arena, but locals still call it the War Memorial. The name changed after a $41 million renovation in 1998, but the building’s DNA hasn’t. This is a mid-century arena that has hosted everything from hockey brawls to Grateful Dead marathons, from Elton John in his rhinestone prime to Bruce Springsteen on The River Tour. It seats up to 14,000 for concerts, and on the right night, every one of those seats is shaking.
Built for a City That Needed It
The Rochester Community War Memorial opened on October 18, 1955, dedicated to the men and women of Monroe County who served in the World Wars and Korea. It was Rochester’s answer to a question every mid-size American city was asking in the postwar boom: where do 10,000 people go on a Saturday night?
The answer, for four decades, was Exchange Boulevard. The War Memorial became home to Rochester’s professional hockey and lacrosse teams, but it was the concert bookings that gave the building its legend. Led Zeppelin played to a standing-room crowd on September 11, 1971. The Who tore through the arena on August 9 of that same year. Elton John brought his showmanship to the stage in September and October of 1972. Bruce Springsteen played the War Memorial in August 1978 and returned in December 1980 on The River Tour.
The Grateful Dead were practically regulars. The band performed at the arena ten times between 1973 and 1985. Their November 5, 1977 show was recorded and later released as Dick’s Picks Volume 34, and parts of their September 2, 1980 performance appear as bonus tracks on Dick’s Picks Volume 21. For Deadheads, this building is sacred ground.
The 1998 Renovation
By the mid-1990s, the War Memorial was showing its age. The city committed $41 million to a gut renovation that expanded capacity, added luxury suites, modernized the concourses, and brought the arena up to contemporary standards for both sports and entertainment. It reopened on September 18, 1998, as the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial — a mouthful that most Rochesterians immediately shortened.
The renovation preserved the arena’s downtown riverfront location while giving it the infrastructure to compete with newer buildings. Today, Blue Cross Arena is managed by VenuWorks and serves as home ice for the Rochester Americans (AHL) and home turf for the Rochester Knighthawks (NLL), while continuing to book concerts, family shows, and special events year-round.
The Concert Experience
Concert capacity tops out around 14,000, which puts Blue Cross Arena in that productive middle ground — large enough for arena-level headliners, small enough that the energy in the room stays concentrated. The hockey configuration seats 10,662, but concert layouts open up the floor and push capacity higher.
The sound in the room depends heavily on the production. Like most arenas of its vintage, Blue Cross rewards touring acts that bring their own systems and engineers who know how to work a concrete-and-steel building. On a well-produced show, the room delivers. The lower bowl, closer to the stage, generally offers the best combination of sound and sightlines.
What the arena has going for it beyond acoustics is atmosphere. This is a building with history baked into the walls. The same floor where Led Zeppelin played is the same floor where the Amerks skate. There’s a weight to that continuity, and on a big concert night, the crowd feeds off it.
Getting There and Where to Eat
Blue Cross Arena sits at 100 Exchange Boulevard, right on the Genesee River in the heart of downtown Rochester. Public parking is available on Court, Broad, and Exchange Streets. The Court Street Garage and Washington Square Garage, both about two blocks away, offer event parking for around $12. If you’re coming from the suburbs, I-490 drops you practically at the front door.
Downtown Rochester’s dining scene has come a long way, and you’ve got solid pre-show options within walking distance. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, housed in the former Lehigh Valley Railroad Station overlooking the Genesee River, is a Rochester institution — expect smoked meats, a rowdy atmosphere, and a crowd that’s probably headed to the same show you are. Next Door by Wegmans offers a more refined experience with Japanese-inspired dishes, hand-rolled sushi, and grilled Wagyu beef. For Italian, Panzari’s is a five-minute walk south on Exchange, with wood-fired pizza, house-made pasta, and a wine list worth arriving early for.
Insider Tips
Lower bowl seats near center ice (or center stage, depending on the night) are the sweet spot for concerts. The upper bowl can get cavernous on shows that don’t sell out, so check the seating map before buying — sections closer to the stage will always deliver a better experience than cheap seats behind it.
The arena’s downtown location means you’re in walkable range of bars, restaurants, and the East End entertainment district for post-show drinks. If you’re driving, get to the garages early on sold-out nights — street parking fills fast and the garages hit capacity for major events.
One more thing: if someone tells you a story about seeing a legendary act at the War Memorial, believe them. This building has seven decades of concert history, and half the people in Rochester seem to have a personal chapter in it.
For upcoming events and tickets, visit bluecrossarena.com.