Video: 'The Beatles Live At The Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, USA (Thursday 17th September 1964)'
(Thursday, September 17, 1964, the concert was scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. CDT; The Beatles appeared after opening acts Jack Nead and the Jumping Jacks, The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, and Jackie DeShannon; during The Beatles’ 1964 North American tour) — The Beatles electrified Municipal Stadium tonight, but a less-than-anticipated crowd dampened the overall euphoria.
The British invasion’s 23rd stop on their U.S. tour was marked by a peculiar mix of Beatlemania and business disappointment.
Despite the quartet’s undeniable star power, a crowd of 20,207 turned out for the show, a far cry from the stadium’s 35,000 capacity.
The shortfall is a significant blow to promoter Charles O. Finley, who reportedly guaranteed a staggering $150,000 for the band’s appearance, regardless of ticket sales. Estimates place his potential loss between $50,000 and $100,000.
Local animosity towards Finley, coupled with high ticket prices – the most expensive of the tour at $8.50 for premium seats – are believed to have contributed to the lower-than-expected turnout.
The concert was billed as a bridge between music and baseball, with the slogan “Today’s Beatles Fans Are Tomorrow’s Baseball Fans.”
For The Beatles, the show was a whirlwind 32-minute spectacle that generated a reported $150,000. They treated the crowd to a 14-song setlist, including a special rendition of “Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey.”
