In the bicentennial summer of 1976, a record number of major rock acts hit the arena/stadium circuit across North America, including Paul McCartney and Wings, the Who, Elton John, Kiss, the Beach Boys, the Band, the Stills-Young Band, Yes, Peter Frampton, and Genesis. These were often part of multi-artist bills that ran for well over six hours, starting long before the sun set.
Peter Frampton Looks Back at Frampton-Mania and Difficult Aftermath in New Doc Trailer
Inevitably, they didn’t all go over very well. “It is obvious that this is not the Big Bicentennial Bonanza that was anticipated,” syndicated newspaper columnist Lisa Robinson wrote in her Rock Talk column. “Talk to any rock star, and you’ll immediately become engaged in The Discussion: Why the huge, outdoor stadium shows don’t necessarily work.”…