To this day the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium is one of the most recognizable and beloved buildings in the region. Listed on the National Historic Register in 1978, for over ninety years, with the exception of the ten-year closure from 1986-1996, the Memorial Auditorium has drawn audiences to a variety of events, from Big Bands and violin virtuosos to the Beach Boys and Rolling Stones. Since its reopening in 1996, the auditorium stage has welcomed artists such as Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, Melissa Etheridge, Yo Yo Ma, Ellie Goulding, comedians George Lopez, Mike Epps and Ron White and bands from The Doobie Brothers, The Moody Blues, Duran Duran, Death Cab for Cutie and The Avett Brothers. Memorial Auditorium is a sentimental venue for the many thousands of graduates from regional high schools, colleges and professional schools that hold their commencements each May and June in the building. It has lived up to its mission as a multi-purpose venue, as it still serves as the venue of choice for not only entertainment and sporting events but meetings, conferences, banquets, receptions and speaking engagements.