Beatles Hits Seattle Like a 3-Ring Circus (1966 Seattle)

 

Beatles hit Seattle Like a 3-Ring Circus 

By Barbara Hanna

Kitsap Sun

August 26, 1966

    Cool is when you recognize the whole thing's a circus. You go ahead and play the game anyway without losing your sense of humor, and throughout all of Thursday's happenings in Seattle, the Beatles were clearly cool. 

    Their three-ring circus began Thursday afternoon when they arrived at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport to be greeted by 33 fans, even more policemen, and the Port of Seattle's fire truck. From there, they were driven to the Seattle Center Coliseum, where they moved through crowds of screaming teenagers who lay in wait at the gate and into the Coliseum. They emerged only to give two concerts at three and 8p.m. and headed for Hollywood that night. 

    The action in Ring One of the Beatles Circus was staged by some eight dull-looking persons who paced up and down in front of the Colosseum, bearing signs that included "Teenagers who support the Beatles continue to crucify Christ." They were in distinct contrast to the excited teenagers, male and female, who milled about the Colosseum in all their mod finery, waiting for the big event inside the Colosseum-- Ring Two.

     The big event transpired twice before an 8,200 afternoon audience and a 14,382 sellout evening crowd. Now, when it is said that the Beatles are giving a concert, it does not mean that they are giving an entire concert. So the teenagers had to first sit through the Remains, Bobby Hebb, the Circle [sic], and the Ronettes, which they did in profound silence. It's not that these groups are bad; it's just that they aren't the Beatles. 

    With the announcement that the Beatles were coming on, the teenagers began venting all their saved-up energy. They began screaming, and as the Beatles appeared on the stage, it was like the Fourth of July. What with all the flash bulbs going off all over the Colosseum, neither screaming nor flash bulbs bursting abated significantly in the course of the concert. As for the Beatles themselves, they wore gray suits with lilac stripes and lilac pint shirts. Their singing style was easy and open, and their music, while people who like Beatles' music like it, and all the words in the world won't convince those who don't that it's really a pretty good thing. 

    At 6 p.m., between the two concerts in Ring Two, Ring Three was activated. A couple dozen press people who had duly presented their letters at each checkpoint found themselves in a hot, dingy room in the basement of the Coliseum and were given the ground rules for the press conference. One of the ground rules was that still photographers had priority the first five minutes, and then they had to step back so the TV cameras could have clear shooting. So the Beatles came in and stood behind a table, and everyone with a camera rushed to the front of the room and stood along the other side of the table. And for five minutes, the Beatles stood there trying to be casual about the whole thing, while being thoroughly photographed. Actually, that part wasn't like a circus. That part was like a zoo. 

    During the press conference proper, the Beatles parried the reporter's sometimes silly questions with good humor and apparent frankness. The number one issue was whether Paul McCartney was to be married to British actress Jane Asher that evening, as the Associated Press had reported. "No," said Paul. "I just got here today and found out I'm getting married tonight," he said. Yes, he really knows her. He said, "But really, it the marriage rumor was just sort of a joke."  And fellow Beatle George Harrison added, "If she does come here tonight, we're going out, so we'll miss her." The Beatle spoke the truth, as it turned out. For this morning, Paul was still unwed.

     Asked about all the furor over Beatle John Lennon's "The Beatles Are Bigger Than Jesus" statement, Beatle John said they've all been missing the point. Beatle George said, "People who think that need their mind straightened out."  Beatle Paul said it was ridiculous for people to say they despised Jesus and Christianity, and Beatle John concluded that "Twisting what they said that way isn't Christian." 

    When they were told that a revival would be given at the Seattle Center during their evening concert by an anti-Beatle religious group, Beatle John quipped, "Yeah, we'll be there". The Sagarid concert by baritone Fuge Springman drew 250. The Beatles weren't there.

    Has the furor hurt their present tour? The press keeps saying, "See, it hurt you, but our manager keeps telling us no," Beatle Paul said. "And we listened to our manager. "Then a reporter asked them if, having disposed of religion, they'd like to try American foreign policy. They agreed that they wouldn't.

     Asked if it's true their average fan is older now than when they started out, Paul said "Yes, somewhat older." Was that what they were trying for? "We don't intend anything," Paul said.

     And a woman who identified herself as a mother of three said she was concerned about a statement of theirs that "When moms love us, we're dead."  "We were rebels when we said that," said Paul. 

    In the evening, there was more picketing and another concert, and then the Beatles were whisked off to the airport, taking with them $73, 717.81 for their half-hour performance at the two concerts and at the press conference. The gross take for the two concerts, $118,071, was the largest one-day take in Seattle entertainment history, according to Zolly M. Volchok of Northwest Releasing, the event sponsor.