After performing in New York, Washington, DC, and Miami, The Beatles began their first proper tour of America on August 19, 1964.
On August 19, John, Paul, George, and Ringo traveled to California for the opening night of their first-ever concert tour of North America at the Cow Palace, San Francisco
The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein chose the 17,000-seat Cow Palace for the 1964 tour because he feared that there wouldn’t be enough people and that larger outdoor stadiums wouldn’t sell out. But contrary to his expectations, around 17,130 fans filled the Cow Palace.
Shortly after 9:00 p.m., the group took to the stage, starting with “Twist and Shout.” The Beatles performed 12 songs, including “You,” “Things We Said Today,” and “If I Fell.”
On that tour, the Beatles’ performances usually lasted around 30 minutes, but in San Francisco they ran a bit longer as police had to step in to keep everything under control. The intense crowd reaction resulted in 19 girls needing first aid, one boy dislocated his shoulder, and around 50 fans were hurt.
Another funny thing from that night actually goes back to an interview George Harrison had in 1963, when he said his favorite sweet was a British product called Jelly Babies.
But as American fans couldn’t find Jelly Babies, they started throwing hard jelly beans instead. The Fab Four didn’t get injured, but they had to leave the Cow Palace by ambulance after their limousine was surrounded by an endless sea of fans.
That night after the band was introduced, fans screamed for around 4 minutes. Ed Diran, the Cow Palace manager, said the noise level was “comparable to all the jet planes at San Francisco Airport taking off simultaneously.”
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