The Beatles American Tours
Welcome to this section titled The Beatles' American Tours. This
section contains information concerning the Beatles tours of the U.S. and Canada
from 1964-1966. Information will be given concerning song lists (what The
Beatles were playing on each tour), other groups and singers touring with them,
as well as background of each venue The Beatles played. I hope you enjoy this
informative section.
THE INVASION BEGINS!!
(February 7-21, 1964)
This 2-week "tour" was the very first trip for the Beatles to America.
After securing a total of three appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, and having
the number one single (I Want To Hold Your Hand) and number one album (Meet The
Beatles!), America was primed and ready for the Fab Four's invasion of America.
- Feb.9: Ed Sullivan Show, New York City, New York:
The Beatles perform live in front of 728 audience members on the Ed
Sullivan Show. An estimated 73 million people watched this show on TV making
it one of the highest rated TV shows of all time. They appeared twice on the
show, the first half of the show singing All My Loving, 'Till There Was You,
and She Loves You; the second half saw the Beatles rip into I Saw Her Standing
There and I Want To Hold Your Hand. During rehearsals, a third show was taped
for broadcast on Feb. 23, two days after the Beatles have left for England.
- Feb.11: Washington Coliseum Washington D.C.:
The Beatles first live concert appearance took place at the Washington
Coliseum in Washington, D.C. The Beatles traveled down by train from New York
to Washington D.C and were driven to the Shoreham Hotel. The Beatles took the
stage at the Coliseum at 8:31 p.m following two other acts, Tommy Roe and the
Chiffons. The Beatles performed Roll Over Beethoven, From Me To You, I Saw Her
Standing There, This Boy, All My Loving, I Wanna Be Your Man, Please Please
Me, 'Till There Was You, She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Twist and
Shout, and Long Tall Sally. The concert was filmed by CBS for a special closed
circuit presentation to be screened at movie theaters on March 14 and 15.
- Feb. 12: Carnegie Hall New York City, New York:
The Beatles arrived by train from Washington D.C back to New York to
perform two shows at Carnegie Hall. Upon arrival, the Beatles showered and
changed before going on to Carnegie Hall for the two 30 minute shows. One show
took place at 7:45 p.m., with the other show taking place at 11:15 p.m.
Attendance at this concert was 2,900 Beatles fans for each show, with 300
extra seats available for adults. Promoter Sid Bernstien and New York disc
jockey Murray the K emceed the show (See Washington Coliseum for list of songs
performed at Carnegie Hall).
- Feb. 16: Ed Sullivan Show Deauville Hotel Miami
Florida: Miami was the site of the second Ed Sullivan Show, to be
broadcast from the Deauville Hotel. The Beatles left New York by plane this
time on Feb. 13th and landed at Miami International Airport at 4:00 p.m. They
checked into the Deauville Hotel, with John and wife Cynthia sharing one room
, and Paul with Ringo in another (George was disgruntled because he had to
share a room with disc jockey Murray the K). On Saturday, Feb.15, the Beatles
rehearsed before a live audience, with the Beatles performing on The Ed
Sullivan Show on Feb. 16 in front of 3,200 people. They performed She Loves
You, This Boy, All My Loving, I Saw Her Standing There, From Me To You, and I
Want To Hold Your Hand. The Beatles remained in Miami for a week during which
time they met up with Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), and also enjoyed home
cooking from one of the policemen and his wife. The Beatles flew back to
England at 5:18 p.m on February 21, 1964.
BEATLES FIRST AMERICAN TOUR
(August
19 - September 20, 1964)
This was the first real
Beatles concert tour of America.
Consisting of 32 shows in 34 days, The Beatles wound up breaking attendance
records as they appeared at major arenas throughout the U.S and Canada. On the
bill with The Beatles was the Bill Black Combo, the Righteous Brothers (backed
by The Exciters), and Jackie DeShannon. The Beatles song list for this 1964
tour:
- Twist and Shout**
- You Can't Do That
- All My Loving
- She Loves You**
- Things We Said Today
- Roll Over Beethoven
- Can't Buy Me Love
- If I Fell
- I Want To Hold Your Hand
- Boys
- A Hard Day's Night
- Long Tall Sally
(**-For some shows, The Beatles would open with I Saw Her Standing
There, delete She Loves You, and close with Twist And Shout).
- August 19: Cow Palace San Francisco,
California:
The start of the Beatles North American tour begins on the West
Coast at San Francisco's Cow Palace. The Beatles left London at noon on August
18th. After brief stops at Winnipeg, Canada and Los Angleles, The Beatles
landed at San Francisco International Airport at 6:24 p.m. with 9,000
screaming teenagers in the reception room. The show began at 8:00 p.m with
17,130 people in attendance. Backstage, the Beatles held a press conference,
and even had a picture of them taken with child star Shirley Temple. At 9:20
p.m The Beatles took the stage dressed in dark blue suits. Jelly beans were
being pelted at them while they were performing. This would become a ritual at
every concert due to George Harrison talking about Ringo stealing his "jelly
babies" which were softer candies than jelly beans. The show was stopped twice
because of the hail of jelly beans. On this night, they performed 10 numbers
in thirty minutes before being transported by ambulance (their limousine was
besieged by Beatles' fans) to the airport and their next concert in Las Vegas.
- August 20: Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada:
The Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada was next on the Beatles
tour. The Beatles arrived at McCarran International Airport at 1:00 a.m. on
the morning of August 20th. At 3:00 p.m. the Beatles were driven to the
convention center to perfom two shows, one at 4:00 p.m., and an evening show
at 9:00 p.m. Both shows were advanced sell outs with a total audience of
around 16,000.
- August 21: Coliseum Seattle, Washington:
The Beatles next concert was at the Coliseum in Seattle, Washington.
14,720 fans attended the show. Backstage at the Colisuem the Beatles held a
press conference, and as they were walking back to their dressing rooms, a fan
fell 25 feet from an air vent right in front of Ringo Starr. When he asked the
fan if she was all right, the fan ran away towards the crowd. The Beatles went
on stage at 9:30 p.m., and were done 30 minutes later. They had problems
getting their Cadillac back because it was sent out as a "dummy" car to
distract fans from the Beatles leaving, and such was swamped by fans who
damaged the car. The Beatles were whisked away by ambulance again.
- August 22: Empire Stadium, Vancouver, Canada:
Vancouver Canada saw the Beatles play the first of three concerts in
Canada on this tour (two other concerts would come later in the tour). The
Beatles played Empire Stadium to a crowd of 20,261 fans in the arena, with
thousands more outside who couldn't get tickets. The Beatles went on stage at
9:23 p.m. and after the show were driven away in three limousines with a
motorcycle escort to the airport.
- August 23: Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles,
California:
On this date, The Beatles played the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles,
California. All 18,700 seats were sold out with other fans trying to view the
concert by climbing up trees in the nearby hills. The Beatles went onstage at
9:30 p.m. with John Lennon announcing "Welcome to you in the trees." This
concert was taped for possible future record release. At 10:05 p.m., The
Beatles left the stage, and were driven away in a limousine to a rented
mansion where a private party had been arranged. There the Beatles would get a
short two-day break before heading out on tour again.
- August 26: Red Rocks Ampitheater Denver, Colorado:
After their two day hiatus, The Beatles went back to touring, this time
appearing in Denver at Red Rocks Ampitheater. This concert was not a sellout,
with 5,000 of the 7,000 seats taken (due possibly to the lack of mass
transportation around Red Rocks Ampitheater). The group stayed at the Brown
Palace Hotel until being driven to the theater some twenty miles outside
Denver. The Beatles went onstage at 9:30 p.m. and due to the thin air in
Denver, kept running out of breath during the show, so oxygen cannisters were
placed on stage for the group to use.
- August 27: Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, Ohio:
Unlike the British tours, America was providing them with problems of
getting from one show to the next due to the longer distances between shows.
This was the case when the band flew to Cincinnati from Denver for a concert
at the Cincinnati Gardens. The appearance was almost cancelled because the
Musicians Union demanded that local groups should share the bill with the
Beatles. After hundreds of phone calls from angry fans, the Union withdrew
their request. The Beatles arrived at the Gardens at 6:00 p.m. and talked to
Elvis Presley on the phone backstage. Then, they held a press conference in a
private room, and at 9:35 took the stage in front of 14,000 people.
- August 28-29: Forest Hills Tennis Stadium Queens,
New York City:
Two sold out Beatles' shows were played here at Forest Hills on August
28 and August 29. 16,000 fans were in attendance on each occasion. The Beatles
arrived at the stadium by helicopter, but their concert on the 28th was
delayed because the helicopter and pilot left without permission. When the
helicopter finally returned, The Beatles then went on stage at 9:50 p.m.
- August 30: Convention Hall Atlantic City, New
Jersey:
Three days after the Democratic National Convention was held here, The Beatles
played one concert here. Over 19,000 Beatles fans attended the concert which
started at 8:30 p.m. After the show, the Beatles left the hall in a laundry
truck, as leaving by limousine would have been impossible.
- September 2: Convention Center Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania:
An hour's drive from Atlantic City, The Beatles next stop was Philadelphia's
Convention Hall. 13,000 fans attended the concert, with the Beatles going
onstage at 8:00 p.m.
- September 3: Indiana State Fair Coliseum and
Grandstand Indianapolis, Indiana: Home of the Indianapolis 500
motor speedway, The Beatles performed two shows at the Indiana State Fair. The
first show took place at 5:00 p.m in the State Fair Coliseum, with the second
show at 9:30 p.m. at the Grandstand. There were approximately 30,000 people at
the two shows.
- September 4: Milwaukee Arena Milwaukee,
Wisconsin:
The Beatles flew into Milwaukee's General Mitchell Field on September
4th for a concert here. Over 1,000 fans were on hand but the Beatles plane was
instructed to land at the opposite end of the field. As the Beatles left the
plane, they headed to the hotel without any fans seeing them. At the Coach
House Motor Inn, the Beatles gave a press conference (minus John who had a
sore throat). The press asked them why they had avoided their fans at the
airport. The Beatles replied that it hadn't been their decision to do so. At
9:08 p.m. The Beatles took the stage at Milwaukee Arena (no attendance figures
given). After the concert, they were driven back to the hotel, where they ate
dinner and were given antibiotic shots as they now were suffering from colds.
- September 5: International Ampitheater Chicago,
Illinois:
The Beatles played one concert here on September 5th. The Beatles arrived at
Midway Airport at 3:00 a.m., and were driven to the Sahara O'Hare hotel at
O'Hare International airport. Radio disc jockeys gave out information as to
where the Beatles were staying, and the hotel was besieged by screaming fans,
not giving the Beatles any peace and quiet. 15,000 fans attended the concert
with 4,000 more waiting outside the ampitheater. The Beatles went onstage at
9:20 p.m. and after the concert were whisked away to the airport.
- September 6: Olympia Stadium Detroit, Michigan:
There were two Beatles' shows here at Olympia Stadium in Detroit. A number of
fans were thrown out of the stadium for throwing jelly beans at the Beatles.
At the press conference, Paul was asked about girls being thrown out of their
concerts for throwing jelly beans. Paul replied "It has become a bit of a
trademark with our shows, but we'd prefer they throw nothing at all."
- September 7: Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto, Canada:
The second of three Canadian appearances by The Beatles. Over 10,000 fans
awaited their arrival at Toronto International Airport.The group were driven
to the King Edward Hotel which was also under siege by fans. In fact, when the
Beatles got to their suite, they found a 14 year old girl hiding in a linen
closet. The Beatles did two shows here at Maple Leaf Gardens, setting
attendance records previously held by a hockey game played here. The group
drew a total of 35,522 people for both shows. The Beatles took the stage at
5:30 p.m. for the first show, with them taking the stage for the second show
at around 10:00 p.m.
- September 8: Forum Montreal Quebec, Canada:
Upon The Beatles arrival at Dorval Airport for two shows at Montreal's Forum,
it was reported that Ringo Starr recieved death threats from a fanatic who
threatened to kill "the English Jew." Besides the 5,000 fans awaitng their
arrival, there were also a heavy police prescence from the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police. The death threats were taken seriously, and at 5:20 p.m., when
the Beatles took the stage, a detective was crouched behind Ringo's drums, and
even Ringo was scared enough to crouch down while he played. 21,000 fans total
appeared at the two shows. The detective stayed by Ringo's side the remainder
of the visit there, and once aboard the plane Ringo remarked "I am English,
but I'm not Jewish".
- September 11: Gator Bowl Jacksonville, Florida:
With this concert, The Beatles had to deal with the elements. Hurricane Dora
was heading towards Jacksonville, and ended up causing terrible damage to the
city. With this in mind, The Beatles' plane was diverted to Key West Florida
the morning of Sept. 11th, until Hurricane Dora left Jacksonville. The Beatles
arrived in Jacksonville later on in the day, and were taken to the George
Washington Hotel. A press reception was held here also. Originally, The
Beatles didn't want to play here until they were assured the audience would be
segregated, which was part of their promoter's contract. Because of Hurricane
Dora, 9,000 ticketholders didn't make it to the concert. 23,000 fans did
attend with the concert starting at 8:30 p.m. With winds still blowing at 40
mph. Ringo's drum set even had to be nailed down, and at one time an attendant
had to hold Ringo down because he thought he'd be blown away.
- September 12: Boston Gardens Boston,
Massachusetts:
Home of the NBA's Boston Celtics, The Beatles performed here on
September 12th. 13,909 fans attended the show.
- September 13: Baltimore Civic Center Baltimore
Maryland:
Two Beatles concerts were held here in Baltimore, with each drawing more than
13,000 fans.
- September 14: Civic Arena Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania:
The Beatles performed in front of 12,603 fans at Pittsburgh's Civic
Arena. There were 4,000 fans waiting at Greater Pittsburgh Airport, and their
escort to the Civic Arena was lined along the streets with hundreds of Beatles
fans.
- September 15: Public Auditorium Cleveland, Ohio:
For this concert venue, the local radio station WHK had been deluged
with ticket requests. So much so, that the radio station decided to
computerize the requests and pick out the lucky 12,000 ticketholders. During
the show, fans began to rush the stage. The chief of police came onstage to
stop the show, but the Beatles didn't understand what was going on, so they
kept playing All My Loving until the police chief pushed George away from his
microphone. After ten minutes, the show continued with the police chief
threatening to cancel the show for good if one more person got out of their
chairs.
- September 16: City Park Stadium New Orleans,
Louisiana:
The Beatles played one show here in New Orleans to an audience of
12,000 fans on September 16th. On the way from the airport to their hotel,the
streets were lined with hundereds of fans. Mayor Schiro had officially
delcared Sept. 16th as "Beatles Day", and presented each of them a key to the
city. For the first time on this tour, manager Brian Epstein allowed a
newsreel cameraman to film the group's press conference. After the press
conference, The Beatles ran into Fats Domino, and had a chat with him. At 9:25
p.m., The Beatles took the stage at City Park Stadium, and within fifteen
minutes, fans started rushing the stage, only to be kept back by policemen
wielding nightsticks, though no one was hurt.
- September 17: Municipal Stadium Kansas City,
Missouri:
September 17 was scheduled to be the Beatles off-day from touring.
However, this would change due to the insistance of Charles O. Finley, owner
of the Kansas City Athletics baseball team. Noticing that Kansas City wasn't
on the agenda for this tour, he went to San Francisco to meet with Brian
Epstein at the Cow Palace. He offered $50,000 for the Beatles to appear, with
Brian not responding, saying that other promoters were offering $100,000 for a
Beatles concert. When Charles Finley offered a record $150,000 for a Beatles
show, Brian accepted, knowing the publicity and prestige of such a price.
Although the stadium could hold 41,000 people, only 20,208 attended, losing
money in the meantime for Charles Finley. The Beatles came onstage and did the
song Kansas City/Hey,Hey,Hey,Hey to start the show. The show had to be stopped
when hundereds of fans rushed the stage. Beatles publicist Derek Taylor asked
the crowd to settle down, or the police would have to cancel the show. Two
businessmen took the sheets the Beatles used during their stay at the hotel,
and cut them up into one-inch squares and sold them for $1.00 apiece.They did
sell them all, netting them $159,000.
- September 18: Memorial Coliseum Dallas, Texas:
The Beatles arrived in Dallas and were driven to the Cabana Motor Hotel. The
opening of the show was delayed because of a phoned in bomb threat. No bombs
were found. However, fans were discovered hiding in washrooms and under the
stage. This concert venue saw the last press conference of the tour. 10,000
fans saw the Beatles perform here,in which the tickets were sold out in a day.
After the concert, The Beatles were flown by plane to a ranch in Missouri for
a couple of days rest, while their entourage stayed behind at the hotel.
- September 20: Paramount Theater, New York City,
New York:
The final venue on the Beatles 1964 American Tour. This concert would
be a charity concert with proceeds benefitting Retarded Infants Service and
Cerebal Palsy of New York. Entitled An Evening With The Beatles , the
Beatles performed before an audience of 3,682 people consisting of Beatles
fans as well as New York's bejewelled elite. The Beatles were due to go
onstage at 10:45 p.m. but due to the fans screaming continuously for the band
to appear, the other acts' performance times were cut back, so that The
Beatles could go on 45 minutes earlier at 10:00 p.m. Meanwhile, outside the
theater was 100,000 Beatles fans with 200 policemen trying to control them.
After the concert, The Beatles flew back to London on a BOAC Boeing 707 jet at
9:35 p.m.
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
(August 15-31, 1965)
The Beatles second visit of the U.S., and unlike the first tour was
shorter in duration. During this visit, their second movie titled Help!
premiered in New York, adding more fuel to an already frenzied U.S. version of
Beatlemania. On the bill with the Beatles during this tour was Brenda Holloway,
The King Curits Band, Cannibal and The Headhunters, and Sounds Incorporated
(with a troupe of disco dancers). The Beatles song list for this tour:
- Twist And Shout
- She's A Woman
- I Feel Fine
- Dizzy Miss Lizzie
- Ticket To Ride
- Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
- Can't Buy Me Love
- Baby's In Black
- Act Naturally**
- A Hard Day's Night
- Help!
- I'm Down
(**- NOTE: For some shows, the Beatles would drop Act Naturally, and
play I Wanna Be Your Man instead)
- August 13-14: The Ed Sullivan Show New York City,
New York (taped broadcast): The start of the Beatles 1965 tour
found themselves where they were a year before: performing on the Ed Sullivan
Show. However, instead of "live" performances, this time the Beatles would
tape their performance in front of screaming teenagers to be shown a month
later on Sept. 12, 1965. On August 13, The Beatles landed at JFK airport, and
stayed at the Warwick Hotel.The following day, The Beatles would rehearse for
the show most of the day, as the band wasn't satisfied with their sound check.
At 8:00 p.m. The Ed Sullivan Show began taping, with the Beatles performing I
Feel Fine, Act Naturally, and I'm Down for the first half, and then Ticket To
Ride, Yesterday, and Help! for the second half of the show.
- August 15: Shea Stadium, Flushing, Queens, New
York City:
The first (and considered best) Beatles concert of the 1965 tour. The
stadium is the home of baseball's New York Mets, and on August 15th, The
Beatles played here to a crowd of 55,600 fans with hundreds more being turned
away. The Beatles were flown to the stadium via helicopter to a Wells Fargo
security van, and from there to the stadium. Disc jockey Murray the K (along
with another Disc Jockey Cousin Brucie) was the emcee for the show with Ed
Sullivan introducing the Beatles as they walked across the field to a chorus
of screaming fans. The concert was filmed to be shown in England in 1966, and
in the U.S. in 1967. The performance of Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby was
cut from the film, and the song Act Naturally was synched to the original
studio recording for the film.
- August 17: Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto, Canada:
The next stop on the tour would be a return visit to Maple Leaf Gardens
in Toronto for two shows. For both shows, the attendance was 36,000 fans. This
would be their only Canadian show of the tour.
- August 18: Atlanta Stadium Atlanta, Georgia:
Almost 30,000 fans attended this Beatles' concert at Atlanta Stadium,
which was newly built for the Atlanta Braves baseball team. The Beatles
arrived at the airport at 2:00 p.m. and they were transported to the stadium
for a 5:00 p.m. press conference. Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. attended the
conference, and presented them with keys to the city. The Beatles went onstage
at 9:37 p.m., and thirty minutes later were driven back to the airport.
- August 19: Sam Houston Coliseum Houston, Texas:
The Beatles performed two shows here with all 18,000 seats for both
shows sold out. When the Beatles arrived at the airport at 2:00 a.m. their
plane was surrounded by fans as they were taxing to the terminal. The Beatles
were imprisioned inside the aircraft until a forklift could get the Beatles
and Brian Epstein out of the plane. At the coliseum, there were no dressing
rooms available, so the Beatles had to be rushed back to their hotel between
shows in an armored van.
- August 20: Comiskey Park Chicago, Illinois:
Another baseball venue, Comiskey Park was the home of baseball's White
Sox. The Beatles performed two shows (one at 3:00 p.m. and one at 8:00 p.m.)
to a total crowd of 52,000 for both shows.
- August 21: Twin Cities' Metropolitan Stadium
Minneapolis, Minnesota :
The Beatles appeared here in front of 25,000 fans during a single show on
August 21st (The show wasn't a sellout, as the stadium seats 45,000).
- August 22: Memorial Coliseum Portland, Oregon:
Two shows by The Beatles were performed here in Portland before a total
audience of 20,000. During the flight to Portland, one of the engines on the
plane caught fire and blew smoke, but nobody on the plane was hurt. Backstage
at the concert, Mike Love and Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys visited The
Beatles.
- August 28: Balboa Stadium San Diego, California:
The Beatles played one show here at San Diego's Balboa Stadium with
20,000 fans in attendance. Prior to this concert in San Diego, The Beatles had
six days off from the time they landed in Los Angeles on August 23rd. Brian
Epstein had rented a mansion in the North Hollywood Hills, and on August 27,
The Beatles went to meet the King, Elvis Presley for a visit and also a
impromptu jam session.
- August 29-30: Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles
California:
From San Diego, The Beatles traveled north by luxury bus to Los Angeles to
play two shows at the Hollywood Bowl (no attendance figures given).The August
30th concert was taped for possible record release in the U.S. (the August
29th concert was to have been taped, but microphone problems prevented any of
the show from being used).
- August 31: Cow Palace San Francisco, California:
The last stop on the Beatles 1965 North American Tour would end up being the
first show on their 1964 American Tour. The Beatles would play two shows here
at the Cow Palace with the matinee show drawing 11,700 fans and the evening
show drawing 17,000 fans.
FINAL AMERICAN TOUR
(August 12-30, 1966)
This tour would end up being the Beatles final tour in front of a live
audience. By this time, the Beatles had grown tired of the same routine, with
each concert not being heard over the roar of screaming fans. John Lennon's
Jesus remarks also made for more problems with death threats against the group
growing as they start this final tour. On the bill with the Beatles were The
Ronettes, The Cyrkle, and The Remains. The Beatles song list for this final tour
is:
- Rock And Roll Music
- She's a Woman
- If I Needed Someone
- Baby's In Black
- Day Tripper
- I Feel Fine
- Yesterday
- I Wanna Be Your Man
- Nowhere Man
- Paperback Writer
- I'm Down**
(**- NOTE: For some shows, The Beatles would drop I'm Down and add Long
Tall Sally for their shows)
- August 12: International
Amphitheater Chicago,
Illinois:
The start of the final tour commenced in Chicago, where the Beatles had
played at the International Ampitheater in 1964. The focus however was on John
Lennon and his quote over the Beatles being more popular than Jesus. "I'm not
saying were better or greater than Jesus, or God as a thing or whatever it is,
but it was wrong, and now it's come to all this." John would end up
apologizing for his remark under duress from reporters. The Beatles performed
two concerts at the Ampitheater with crowds at each show totaling 13,000
- August 13: Olympia Stadium Detroit, Michigan:
Two concerts here at Olympia Stadium in Detroit with attendance for the two
shows at 30,000
- August 14: Municipal Stadium Cleveland, Ohio:
Home to baseball's Cleveland Indians, The Beatles played here for one show to
30,000 people. The stadium's capacity was 50,000 but only 30,000 tickets were
sold for the show because most of the rear seating area of the concert would
have provided a poor view. During the song Day Tripper, fans began to go onto
the baseball field, and eventually rush the stage. When the police couldn't
get the crowds under control, The Beatles retreated to a trailer located
behind the stage until the police could restore order. When The Beatles
reappeared, they skipped the rest of Day Tripper, and started playing the song
Baby's In Black.
- August 15: Washington Stadium Washington D.C.:
The tension surrounding John Lennon's remarks were beginning to show at some
of the concerts. On this date, the Beatles played Washington Stadium, with
members of the Maryland Klu Klux Klan staging protests outside the stadium.
The Beatles went onstage at 6:00 p.m. with 32,164 fans in attendance.
- August 16: JFK Stadium Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania: Slightly over 21,000 fans attended this Beatles
concert in Philadelphia, with the threat of lightning and rain near the
stadium. With the show finished for ten minutes, the rains and the lightning
came.
- August 17: Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto, Canada:
The Beatles performed two shows here in Toronto with the afternoon show
drawing 15,000, and the evening show drawing 17,000
- August 18: Suffolk Downs Racecourse Boston,
Massachusetts:
The Beatles perfomed one show here to 25,000 fans here at one of their
most unusual venues: a horse racetrack.
- August 19: Mid-South Coliseum Memphis, Tennessee:
This concert in Memphis would be the first concert in the south for the
Beatles. The anti-Beatles protesters were out in force on this day, as the
Beatles performed two shows with the afternoon crowd of 10,000 and the evening
crowd of 12,500 people. During the evening show, someone exploded a
firecracker, and the Beatles, while still playing, looked at each other to see
which one of them was shot. It turned out none of the Beatles were hurt, and
they didn't miss a beat as they continued performing.
- August 20-21: Crosley Field Cincinnati, Ohio:
At this outside venue, rain was coming down right before the opening acts were
to take the stage. The stage was covered by a canopy to protect the Beatles
and their equiptment, but failed to do so, and the threat of a Beatle being
electrocuted was real. Because of fans already in the stands, Brian Epstein
argued with promoters concerning the danger of performing in the rain. The
Beatles also argued with Brian, and refused to go onstage. The show would be
postponed until the next day August 21. The Beatles played an afternoon show
with 23,000 in attendance. After the show, the Beatles had to be in St. Louis
for an evening show some 350 miles away.
- August 21: Busch Stadium St. Louis, Missouri:
The Beatles played here at the home of baseball's St.Louis Cardinals
for one show in the rain. The Beatles went onstage at 8:30 p.m. with total
attendance being 25,000 fans.
- August 23: Shea Stadium Flushing, Queens, New
York:
The Beatles return to the scene of their most triumphant concert. This
time however, not as triumphant with only 44,000 people total in attendance.
After the show, The Beatles flew out to Los Angeles for 24 hours of rest
before their next concert in Seattle Washington.
- August 25: Seattle Coliseum Seattle, Washington:
The Beatles did two performances here at the Seattle Coliseum.
Attendance at the afternoon show was only 8,000 people, but was sold out for
the evening show (15,000).
- August 28: Dodger Stadium Los Angeles,
California:
After a three day hiatus at a rented Beverly Hills manision, The
Beatles played their biggest single show of this 1966 U.S. tour, with 45,000
fans attending this baseball stadium home to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- August 30: Candlestick Park San Francisco,
California:
The Beatles final stage performance took place here at Candlestick Park which
was home to baseball's San Francisco Giants. 25,000 fans attended the show
with 20,000 seats remaining unsold. Beatles PR man Tony Barrow was asked by
Paul if he would tape the concert for posterity. Tony recorded the concert on
a cassette recorder. In 1988, Tony auctioned off the cassette recording at
Sotheby's in London, and was eventually turned into a bootleg album. With the
sea wind blowing hard across the stage (located in the middle of the park with
a 200 foot high fence surrounding it), The Beatles took the stage at 9:27 p.m.
Their last number was Long Tall Sally instead of I'm Down which was what they
were ending some of their concerts with. By 10:00 p.m. it was all over, and
this phase of the Beatles career would come to an end.