August 18, 1966: The Day I Saw the Beatles

The day dawned hot and bright and slightly muggy but it didn't matter because this was the day I would see the Beatles in concert at Suffolk Downs, a race track near Boston.

I was living on the Island (Burroughs St.) with my grandmother and my family. We could hear some wonderful sounds coming from the Library yard across the Pond. Pond St. then ran from Sylvan St. all the way to Holten St.  They were organizing the playground parade and there were musicians warming up and colorful floats arriving and scads of children making joyful, summer noises. 

This seemed appropriate for such a remarkable day.  A day marked with warm, seductive summer breezes and the certainty that it would end at a Beatles concert. We could hear everything as we had no air conditioning and no fans just open windows and clean, white sheets to lay on. My neighbor and her sister were coming and my friend from Rhode Island was visiting. We had great things planned and the planning had taken months. We had bought tickets through my father, Frank's ship, the Boston. The Navy would offer tickets to different events and we got tickets at $6.60 each. That was two weeks allowance for me. Daddy, Frank would take all the kids into the concert and pick us up afterwards. Mother, Marjorie wasn't too happy about not accompanying her 14 year old daughter and her friends but Daddy understood that would have been awful and got her to stay home.  A miracle and a delight. 

We had plans for the day.  Under the watchful eye of my father and grandmother we had an all-girls picnic in the back yard.  All my friends would attend and there would be Beatles music on the monaural record player and there would be treats and a cake honoring my dear friend, Donna from Rhode Island.  So everyone showed up and we were eating and playing games and dancing to the Beatles tunes and the whole extravaganza was on a long table that my aunt used for wall papering - and we through a nice white sheet on as a table cloth.  It was pre-Martha Stewart but fairly decent.  I had made a box cake - Duncan Hines, I think, and had frosted it myself.  My father was sitting on the steps watching all of us and he had our Great Dane, Sir Galahad on a leash.  Now my father, tough Navy man around the world 16 times didn't call him Sir Galahad, he called our mixed German Shepherd/Great Dane, Doggie.  So the cast of characters was set and then Tippie arrived.   Tippie was my neighbors' dog who must have thought he was invited.  Tippie and Doggie both unfixed males were not friends.  Before I knew it the long aluminum table with my homemade cake, record player and assorted goodies was jumping up and down.  Doggie and Tippie were fighting under by festive banquet table and all of a sudden the homemade cake I spent particular troubles with shot into the air and arched and landed in the guest of honors lap.  Donna had frosting all over her dress and a lap of cake.  To my left I could see my father laughing hysterically and to my right I could see my grandmother with tears of laughter rolling down her cheeks.  No help there.  Donna looked up and said after wiping some of the frosting into her mouth, "Good cake.'   So now we were all laughing - honestly.  

So after our little party we started to get ready for the concert.  My neighbor couldn't find her ticket.  A whole party of people, parents and, kids whipped through her house like wildfire and no ticket.  Just when we thought all was lost my mother found the ticket sticking right up the air in a vase of papers.  When we got to the concert the place was swarming with kids of every age and description.  This was just before the 'hippie' age but the amount of concert goers was huge and they were everywhere. 

We were let out at the entrance and my mother was worried and given instructions where to meet at the conclusion of the concert.When we got in we found out our tickets were in the proverbial nosebleed section so we went down to the first row.  (I don't know where I got my courage.)

It was sublime, we could see everything.  We could hear which was something because people were screaming and the Beatles only had relatively small speakers.  We got to see girls who had fainted be carried out.  Now I was excited but I didn't feel like screaming or fainting or being carried out.  I wanted to hear them play - Which in the front row we could.  The Ronettes, the Cyrcle and Bobby Hebb (who lived in Salem for a long time) were their warm up acts and then the Beatles came on stage.  It was so amazing - They were in light colored outfits and George had tinted granny-glasses on.  

Their music was great and even with the screaming we could hear.   For me, it was a two year dream to see them live and I was not disappointed.  It was so exciting and even all the other acts I have seen since nothing can compare to seeing them live.  Little did I know my mother and father had showed up early and were listening in the back.  And I have to say it was relief to see their faces coming toward us when we went to leave. 

The next day my father took Donna and I to the Somerset Hotel to see the Beatles depart.  There were only a few people there maybe 30 or so - when they came out, Paul - who looked exhausted, waved at fans who approached the back window of the limousine. He is so beautiful, close up.  I had a cool Dad who knew how much that meant to me and still means to me. 

Great memories of the warm breezes and the exciting day when the Beatles came to Boston on August 18, 1966.