Boomer Connections This Boomer's Life

We Baby Boomers have been witness to some very cool and significant moments in history. Many of us have amazing stories to tell. Here at BoomerConnections.com, one of our goals is to collect and share these stories. Our own Camille LaCognata, partner at Boomer Connections, was lucky enough to have attended the record-breaking Beatles concert at Shea Stadium at the very apex of their popularity in 1965. Her recollections provide a fascinating snapshot of a day in a Boomer’s life. Here is what she remembers:

Camille was 19-years old, living on Long Island, about a half hour’s drive from New York City. One summer’s day her Dad came home from work asking if anyone wanted 5 tickets to a show that a client had given him. “Some band called the Beatles,” he said. Wow!  Can you imagine hearing that question? On August 15, 1965, 50 years ago today, Camille, her 17-year old brother, 14-year old sister and two of their friends piled into Camille’s brand new 1965 light blue Mustang and headed off to Shea Stadium, the new home of the New York Mets baseball team.  Little did they know they would be part of a legendary moment in rock and roll history. This event was the first time that a stadium was used for a concert of this kind, and with an attendance of 55,600, it set a new world record for both attendance and gross revenue.

When asked what she remembers about the day, Camille recalls that it was “a complete assault on the senses!” Their group was fortunate enough to have seats right behind home plate.  With the Beatles performing on second base, the teenagers were extremely close to the stage, directly facing the stars. Another recording setting aspect of the concert was the sheer decibel level. Up to this point concerts typically use 30-Watt amplifiers. The Beatles set up 100-Watt amplifiers in an attempt to overcome what was sure to be a large amount of ambient noise in the stadium. In fact, the band probably should have used bigger amps! Although La Guardia airport was adjacent to the stadium, the noise from the crowd of screaming fans obliterated the sound of jets flying directly overhead. And even with the increased amplification of the sound system, it was difficult for the fans to hear the band when the crowd roared. Apparently, even the Fab Four often could not hear what they were playing and had to continually look at each other to check whether they were still synchronized. John, Paul, and George were unable to rely on Ringo’s beat to keep them together. It was even harder on Ringo, who was set up behind his bandmates where he could neither see nor hear them.

As the Beatles took the stage, chaos erupted. Later coverage of the event included the words “mass hysteria” and “delirious fans.” Newspaper accounts stated that “policemen in charge of the security in the stadium were driven mad by the shouting and stirring crowd.” Camille remembers girls around her screaming, crying, and fainting. Once the concert started, several fans (mostly girls) jumped over the outfield fence heading for second base.  None made it, tackled in the outfield by some of the 2,000 officers who were on hand for the event. Prior to the Beatles taking the stage, all it took was the display reading, “The Beatles are Coming” on the scoreboard for the fans to go absolutely wild. Camille sums up the show: “We couldn’t hear any of the music, but who cared.  We saw The Beatles!”

Truly a once in a lifetime experience: What amazing event were you a part of? Tell us your “I Was There” story!