Harrison could be THE Event

 

Harrison Could be THE Event

By Evern St. Fanic

Tulsa World

November 22, 1974

    Music fans dressed in blue jeans, permanent press coordinates, and formals flocked to the Civic Center Thursday night for the George Harrison concert, a gig that may have been THE music event of the year in Tulsa.

    Harrison, the former Beatles lead guitarist, who, since his Fab Four days, has become a star rock performer in his own right, lived up to the crowd's expectations. About 8,770 persons jammed into the auditorium; many sat behind the stage or in front of 20-foot-high speakers with an obstructed view.

     However, the eyes doesn't have to see what the ear can appreciate, apparently, because the whole room was frequently brought to its feet for thundering ovations. Tickets for the concert topped at $9.50, but many paid. Many persons in the crowd paid much more. Ticket scalpers formed outside the center hours before the show's 9pm start asking from $10 - $20 for a ticket. One concertgoer reported being offered upwards of $100 for his two tickets. The show was officially sold out through mail orders more than a month ago.

     Once inside the building, the event turned into something of a homecoming event, as the festive mood audience yelled greetings back and forth across the auditorium floor. As Harrison walked onto the darkened stage, camera flashbulbs popped like firecrackers on the Fourth of July. A whining siren sound came from one of Billy Preston's keyboards, and Harrison and his band riffed into a musical explosion.

     Sharing the bill with Harrison was Indian musicman Ravi Shankar, and while his style of music is a little different from the backwood harmonies of the Ozarks, the crowd was very appreciative of the Eastern sounds. Most of their energy was saved, however, for Harrison and his keyboard man deluxe: Billy Preston. Throughout most of the show, a security force comprised of University of Tulsa, John Mabee residents kept the aisles clear of stage rushers, but when Preston soloed toward the end of the show, urging the crowd to "have a party," the walkways filled with hand clapping, foot stomping enthusiasts.

     As Harrison ended the show, joined by Tulsa's own Leon Russell, the entire crowd was on its feet and whooping up a storm. "I can't believe how good the show is," One smiling person shouted during the encore. "It's so much fun, "another added.  The crowd came expecting a musical happening, and they weren't disappointed.