The Beatles at the Cow Palace, 1964
Where were you on the night of Wednesday, Aug 19, 1964? I had just turned 9, and quite likely was at home watching my favorite shows: “The Ozzie and Harriet Show,” “The Patty Duke Show,” then my favorite show of the week, “Shindig.”
However, some 40 miles away at the Cow Palace in Daly City, 17,130 mostly young people were gathered to witness history. That night, The Beatles opened their first tour of the United States.
Sixty years ago this coming Thursday, the Fab Four headlined a show that also had The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, The Righteous Brothers and Jackie DeShannon on the bill.
When the Beatles finally took the stage at about 9:20 p.m., the assembled crowd, overwhelmingly young and primarily female, went nuts, out of their minds nuts. Nuts like a crowd had never been nuts before.
The band played a very short set by today’s standards, but it was stopped twice by the police as they need to restore order in the hall after the stage was pelted by jelly beans, a rumored favorite treat of George Harrison. The delays extended the band’s on stage time to 38 minutes.
They played 12 songs:”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” and“Long Tall Sally.” Short and oh, so sweet.
Source: TIM CURLEY/sonomanews.com
