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Is This “Peak Beatles”?
It’s a silly question to ask, really, since there are so many great moments in The Beatles’ career; but the raw, euphoric Beatles performance just 48 hours after Ed Sullivan is definitely a great moment. Our latest “mini documentary” dives into the chaos, joy, and electric energy of the Feb. 11, 1964 concert at the Washington Coliseum, when four young musicians realized they’d just conquered America — and played like it.
Have a look and please let us know what you think!
Photo by Central Press/Getty Images
As to the Washington Coliseum Beatles concert on Feb. 11, 1964, and speaking as one who was there, it WAS peak EARLY Beatles in my opinion. They were hot off their tours in Europe, excited as hell to be in the US with a No. 1 hit, and at their peak as a live, dynamic, performing rock band. Of course I am saying this in hind sight. I was only eleven and a half, had been to England summer of 63 and heard about the Beatles from family in England and on the radio. After we returned home, that fall Kennedy was assassinated, and we were, as a nation, depressed and in the doldrums. A girl who lived a few blocks away from me called Carroll James at WWDC radio and asked him why they weren’t playing the Beatles. That got my attention. Quickly a fan club was formed through the radio station. When we heard they were coming to the US and would play in our town, we were ecstatic! Through the fan club we got tickets and went through the piled up snow that night to a place I knew as the Uline Arena where I often went ice skating. Turns out it was a boxing arena too, and the boxing ring, sans ropes, became the stage. Whatever you may have heard, the kids at that concert were VERY well behaved. The emcee, Carroll James again, even thanked us for being so well behaved! The aura, the electricity in the air, the excitement, was sky high. From the moment they hit the stage we were on our feet and singing along, then falling silent when they were really rocking out. Pinching ourselves you could say. I’ll never forget the last number, Long Talk Sally, especially Ringo whaling the drums and Paul singing like Little Richard, George playing his solo, and John grinning from ear to ear as he played rhythm guitar and joked around, making his crazy faces. Suddenly they were gone, and we floated out into the cold snowy night feeling like we never had before. Life had finally gotten a whole lot more interesting, We didn’t yet know that our world was going to be so deeply affected by these four lads, but if someone had told me that, I would have believed it!
Wow, Sandy, what a great memory! Thanks for sharing!