Welcome to the SM West Class of 1966 Website

September 17, 1964:

The Beatles weren’t originally scheduled to perform at the Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Their day off was cancelled, however, after local promoter Charles O Finley persuaded the group’s manager Brian Epstein to let them play.

Charles Finley was the controversial owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team, who at the time were based in Kansas City. He initially offered Epstein $50,000 but was turned down. He increased his bid to $100,000 but was again rejected. Finley then raised his offer to $150,000 – at the time the highest sum ever paid for a single performance – which Epstein accepted.

The Beatles arrived at Municipal Airport at 2am, with around 100 fans waiting in the pouring rain to greet them. The group were taken by limousine to the Muehlebach Tower hotel where they stayed in the 18th floor penthouse. The hotel later sold their bed linen to a Chicago businessman, who resold it in small pieces as souvenirs.

Tickets cost between $2 and $8.50. The Beatles added their version of the ‘Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!’ medley to the setlist, which included 12 other songs: ‘Twist And Shout’, ‘You Can’t Do That’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Things We Said Today’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘If I Fell’, ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, ‘Boys’, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, and ‘Long Tall Sally’.

The show lasted just 32 minutes, for each of which The Beatles made $4,687. The opening act was a local group, Jack Nead and the Jumping Jacks, followed by, in order of appearance, The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry, and Jackie DeShannon.

The Beatles attracted sell-out crowds throughout their inaugural US tour, except in Kansas City. The group attracted a crowd of 20,207, well below the Municipal Stadium’s capacity of 35,000. The concert was billed with the slogan “Today’s Beatles Fans Are Tomorrow’s Baseball Fans.”

The low attendance was due to local animosity toward Finley, who guaranteed the payment of $150,000 out of his own pocket regardless of ticket sales. It is believed that he lost between $50,000 and $100,000. Ticket sales may also have been low because of high price for the best seats, which at $8.50 were the most expensive for any of The Beatles’ US tours.

On November 4, 2008 a two-minute film containing silent footage of The Beatles performing at the concert was sold at auction for £4,100 ($6,600).