1st Mariner

Among arenas seating between 10,000 and 15,000 people, 1st Mariner was the year's highest grossing with nearly $16 million, Billboard magazine said in its year-end issue. It's the second year in a row the 1960s venue has received the honor. In 2009, it came in third behind Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, N.J., and the MGM Grand's Garden Arena in Las Vegas. 1st Mariner opened in 1962 as the Baltimore Civic Center, and has drawn the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen over the years despite its age. After nearly 50 years in business, city officials are seeking funding to replace it with a bigger, slicker facility.

Reporter Chris Kaltenbach reviews a concert by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band at 1st Mariner Arena November 25. Funny thing about reviewing Bob Seger in concert: his song titles pretty-much write the review themselves: “Old Time Rock & Roll,” “We've Got Tonight,” “Rock & Roll Never Forgets,” “Night Moves.” If only he had recorded Carole King's “You've Got a Friend,” my work would be done. Thirty-two years after last playing 1 st Mariner (it was known as the Civic Center back then)

Former 1st Mariner Bank executive Daniel McKew has landed a job at Baltimore's CFG Community Bank. CFG Community announced Tuesday that McKew will become its president. McKew left 1st Mariner after a year as its president. Previously, McKew served as chief executive of SunTrust Equipment Finance & Leasing Corp. in Towson. CFG Community Bank and its holding company, Capital Funding Bancorp, are operating under a consent order with state and federal bank regulators to shore up their corporate governance and management review processes.

Dirt-bike racing has cost Tyler Bowers two broken legs, more than 10 broken fingers (he's broken each finger in both hands at least once), a collapsed lung, a lacerated spleen and so many concussions that he's lost track. Is this a great life or what? "I just love being on a bike; it's as exciting as it gets," says Bowers, the reigning class champion of Arenacross, an engine-roaring, dirt-pounding indoor competition coming to Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena this weekend.

The best moment of Tuesday night's 'Watch the Throne' tour stop at 1st Mariner Arena - and there were plenty of candidates -  came 17 songs in, when Jay-Z and Kanye West ditched the flashy, multi-piece set and sat down, side by side, like old friends on a stoop. As an Auto-Tuned Nina Simone sample of "Feeling Good" poured through the speakers, Jay-Z wiped his brow after removing his snakeskin Yankee snapback. Kanye announced that this song, "New Day," was his favorite from "Watch the Throne" and its opening verse was his "favorite ever.

Chris Brown performed Wednesday night at 1st Mariner Arena as part of his F.A.M.E. tour. Frequent Midnight Sun contributor Jeremy Trucker has this review: Before seeing Wednesday night's F.A.M.E. tour at 1st Mariner Arena, I wasn't convinced Chris Brown's talent was special enough to warrant his continued, well, fame.  After seeing the mediocre show, I remain unconvinced.  Brown has charisma and he can dance, though I'm not prepared to say he can sing live.  But there are lots of charismatic kids out there who can dance and lipsync and auto-tune.  Kevin Federline can dance, for instance, and network programming is 93% Simon Cowell-produced singing competitions.   In fact, I'd venture a guess that Cowell and his record company fat cats could find plenty of kids in Baltimore alone with the charisma and talent to match a Chris Brown.   Though the upper level was closed at Wednesday's show, Brown still has fans, mostly young women, who show up and pay good money to swoon over his slow jams and bop around to his pop hits.  As long as that is true, there will always be songwriters (30 plus in  thirty-some "F.A.M.E.

Poor ice conditions at 1st Mariner Arena put a damper on the inaugural Baltimore Hockey Classic, the city's first pro ice hockey game in 14 years. Frank Remesch, general manager of 1st Mariner Arena, on Wednesday expressed optimism that the Washington Capitals would play another preseason game there in 2012. Still, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis wrote on his blog that “the people in Baltimore were really terrific to work with.” A Capitals spokesman said Thursday morning that the team isn't prepared to make any decisions on potential future preseason games in Baltimore at this time.

By most measures, the inaugural Baltimore Hockey Classic at 1st Mariner Arena was a success. The game brought in a sellout crowd. Many of the announced 11,082 fans got into the action, wearing either the Washington Capitals' red or jerseys from the departed Baltimore Clippers, Skipjacks or Bandits. And organizers say the event was a hit financially. But Tuesday night's ice hockey showcase was missing one key ingredient: quality ice. Puddles formed on the ice during the Capitals' 2-0 preseason loss to the Nashville Predators.

1st Mariner Arena, which turns 50 next year, was unharmed after today's earthquake. Building inspectors toured the facility after the earthquake and found only a few cracks on the walls. "The building's infrastructure is in solid shape," said spokeswoman Jamie Curtis. Only Cirque du Soleil experienced a glitch as a result of the tremors. The circus was setting up for Wednesday, the first of five nights at the arena, and had to temporarily pause the installation for the building to be evacuated, like most everywhere downtown.  The circus's engineers also toured the venue after the earthquake and found scant damage.

Three men were stabbed near 1st Mariner Arena late Friday night after an argument between two groups escalated into a physical altercation, according to a Baltimore Police spokesman. Officers responded to the scene in the 200 block of W. Baltimore St. at 11:15 p.m. to find three victims who were stabbed, police said. Two men, ages 19 and 20, were transported to a local hospital for treatment, while a third victim refused medical treatment at the scene, according to police.