Lucas Oil Stadium Opening Last Week

A selection of photos from the Lucas Oil Stadium Opening held last Thursday, August 14, 2008.  The photos are provided courtesy of El Mexicano. 

Dan Jehl wrote on the AFW Calendar Blog:

[…] I must say something about the official “Opening Ceremonies” of the new Lucas Stadium for the Colts in Indianapolis on Aug. 14.  Fort Wayne was well represented and can be proud of just how and what came down there.

This was the “big” showing of the new stadium.  The RCA Dome will now be all gone.  Besides the usual speeches and people recognition of the Mayor and others,  there was musical entertainment.

And that was the higlight! 

Steven Stills, formerly of Cosby, Stills and Nash (and Young) was the headliner and was a yawner.  Then came Marnée, an 11 year-old girl from Fort Wayne, who nobody knows. She sang and played her guitar, upstaging Steven Stills and waking up the crowd.  

Then came Mellencamp.  He called at 4 p.m. and said he would come.  He did his “Small Town” and rocked (and left).

Then came Fort Wayne’s “Voices of Unity Foundation Choir” to do the national anthem in their special unique style designed by their director Marshall White.  And they upstaged the headliner too.

That was it for musical entertainment-Steven Stills, John Mellencamp, and two features from Fort Wayne-Marnée and Voices of Unity.  And Fort Wayne saved the day and made it happen.

Voices of Unity came back for the closing, after lots of speeches, and did a moving rendition of “America the Beautiful.” 

Be proud!

Photo Set