At 6:20 p.m. July 11, 1980, the Rupp Arena gates opened for a concert by The Who. It was the British rock group’s first show in the area since a December 1979 performance in Cincinnati, where 11 young people died while trying to get into Riverfront Coliseum. A first-come, first-seated policy, or festival seating, was blamed as a factor in the deaths. Rupp Arena sells concerts on a reserved-seating basis, but officials wanted to make sure safety was a priority. Ten Lexington fire officials, at least four undercover police narcotics officers and an estimated 150 off-duty police and private security officers watched for trouble from the 21,000 fans in attendance. No injuries were reported, but 40 people were arrested on a variety of drug charges. Tickets for the show cost $8 to $12.  Photo by Christy Porter | Staff