Actually, Paul McCartney was the first gig at the Consol Energy Center. Lady Gaga played there recently and, of course, RUSH played last night.
The new arena is quite impressive and the acoustics are fantastic considering the venue (arenas often don't have very good sound). Rumor has it that many bands are already considering filming/recording shows in the arena for the audio quality. Lady Gaga has already booked a February show to record a live performance there.
As for the Pens or other sporting events, all I have to say is this:
"Put a lot of C4 in the Igloo and turn it into a pile of scrap metal. The new arena is phenominal! Not a bad seat in the house."
