Who performed the best Hall of Fame Festival concert? Aerosmith? Vassar? Jett? Journey?

CANTON − Concerts have long been a highlight of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival.

Venues have changed over the decades, from downtown Canton to the Stark County Fairgrounds to the 23,000-seat Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Musical acts have included Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Rick Springfield, Huey Lewis & the News, Hootie & the Blowfish, Aerosmith, Maroon 5, Toby Keith and Brad Paisley.

So what were the greatest Hall of Fame Festival concerts of all time? That's a highly subjective question, and varies by concertgoer, but The Canton Repository asked a handful of local music lovers to share their favorite festival concert memories. Here's what they had to say, beginning with my favorite:

Ed Balint: Dream on! Aerosmith rocked Canton

My all-time favorite Hall of Fame Festival concert was when Aerosmith kicked off the Concert for Legends era at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (formerly Fawcett Stadium) in the summer of 2015.

Major stadium upgrades and renovations wouldn't be completed until 2017, but it didn't matter. Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and the rest of the legendary band strutted and rocked in spectacular fashion. The concert is still vivid in my memory.

Watching the show from the south stands, it was close enough. Aerosmith's potency resonated from down on the field up through the entire stadium, the atmosphere purely electric. Visually, sonically and stylistically, the band was in prime form, cranking out numerous hits, including "Love in an Elevator," "Livin' On The Edge," "Rag Doll," "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing," "Walk This Way," "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion."

My thought was the same as many attendees: I can't believe Aerosmith is rocking out live in Canton, Ohio. Wow! The performance easily eclipsed the previous Aerosmith concert I had seen at Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland years earlier. This one clearly had more oomph, more gusto, more everything. And watching the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group in an open air stadium on an August summer night was the cherry on top of a rock 'n' roll sundae.

Aerosmith set the stage for future Concerts for Legends, including other superstar acts like Kid Rock, Imagine Dragons, Tim McGraw and Journey.

Joanne Murray: Phil Vassar climbs on top of a piano

Joanne Murray helped with Hall of Fame Festival concerts during her nearly 30 years working for the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Although she was usually too busy aiding with logistics to enjoy the shows as a fan, country music artist Phil Vassar stands out.

"I especially remember Phil Vassar being so incredibly gracious to all of us, kind, down to earth, and a fan favorite at the Ribs Burnoff because he gave 100% to his performance," she said of the 2005 concert. "I remember him climbing on top of his piano during one song and the crowd loved it."

A rowdy, enthusiastic party host, Vassar closed out the Stark County Fairgrounds show with a medley featuring Van Halen, Prince and Wild Cherry's “Play That Funky Music.”

Bugs Bunny in the dressing room

Murray doesn't only remember the music. She also recalls the eccentric contract rider requests made by some of the artists.

"One trio would not ride in the same van from the airport to the venue, and would also not ride in the same vehicle with their luggage, so we had to provide three vehicles for the performers and a separate van just for the luggage," she said.

Contract riders "typically stipulate things such as food and beverage requirements and can get as crazy as requiring M&Ms but only the green ones.

"But the most unusual one was when a performer requested that a framed picture of Bugs Bunny be prominently displayed in his dressing room," Murray recounted. "So, yes, we had the picture there! When he walked into the dressing room, his eyes immediately went to the Bugs Bunny picture, and he said, 'Once I see the Bugs Bunny picture, I know that you have attended to every single item in the rider and I don't have to look or worry any further.' I thought that was genius."

Paula George: Journey concert becomes massive singalong

Paula George has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival volunteer since 2001.

Two of her favorite festival concerts are Aerosmith in 2015 and Journey last summer. Both shows were part of the Concert for Legends series at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

"That's really up there," the Canton resident said of Aerosmith. "As an audience member, I was in awe of it and that we could put something on that well. Aerosmith, I was just in awe of them. Steven Tyler sounded great."

Journey, however, is her top festival show.

"Journey was by far the best because the stadium just rocked," George said. "That crowd was just one voice that night. Everyone just sang. They had a great time. I felt the stadium shake and that was great."

While helping out at the concert as a festival volunteer, George sang along to hit songs like "Don't Stop Believin'," "Open Arms," "Lovin,' Touchin,' Squeezin'," "Lights" and "Faithfully."

"I'm listening to my headset because I was vice chair of the committee," she recalled. "And I'm running around because I'm trying to put out problems and normal things. Arms were up in the air swaying back and forth; it was just a great concert."

Dane Kane: Ranking his all-time favorite Ribs Burnoff concerts

Dan Kane, who retired in 2021 as The Repository's entertainment writer and editor, divides the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival concerts into two eras − the Ribs Burnoff (with shows either in downtown Canton or at the Stark County Fairgrounds) and Tom Benson Stadium.

"Considering the exorbitant price of concert tickets these days, it's wild that each of these major music acts performed in concert at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Ribs Burnoff with free admission," he said. "Eight of these shows happened at the Stark County Fairgrounds; the Jett and Springfield shows were held on Market Avenue in downtown Canton."

Here are his top 10 Ribs Burnoff era concerts:

1. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

2. Pat Benatar

3. The Doobie Brothers

4. Huey Lewis & The News

5. Smash Mouth

6. Hootie & the Blowfish

7. Eric Church

8. Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes

9. Gretchen Wilson

10. Rick Springfield

In a 2013 column, Kane brought the Joan Jett concert back to life.

"What I loved about this concert, held on a stage on Market Avenue S, was her rock ’n’ roll spirit and edge," he said of the 2001 performance. "I’ll never forget Ms. Jett performing Iggy Pop’s 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' and having her 'little doggies' in the audience howl for her. It was hard to imagine I was just a few blocks away from my office."

Claudette Hankins: Country music artist Jimmie Allen gives rousing opening set

Claudette Hankins' favorite festival shows included Jimmie Allen, the country music artist who opened for Brad Paisley in 2021 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

"Jimmy has such a powerful voice and blends together every musical style to make his country music hits," the Jackson Township resident said.

“I also loved Maroon 5 in 2018," Hankins added. "Totally entertaining. And the fireworks at the end was spectacular. I get very excited about these concerts and always invite a group of friends to join me.”

Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com

On Twitter @ebalintREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Pro Football Hall of Fame concert memories: Aerosmith, Journey, Hootie