Concerts At Yankee Stadium

During the late 1960s and the ’70s, stadium concerts became quite popular. Bands could play for much larger crowds and make lots more money. New York City and its surrounding area had a few stadiums for the bands to choose from.

Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, Downing Stadium, Roosevelt Stadium, Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, the Singer Bowl at the World’s Fair site, and Central Park were all used for outdoor concerts. When Giants Stadium opened in 1976, it became the venue of choice, since it was used only for NFL football games and had plenty of nights available during the summer.

With all of the choices, it would be interesting to find out how a band or their promoter chose a venue. Scheduling would be an easy problem to identify. Ticket prices would probably be the same regardless of venue, so perhaps the cost of renting a facility would be the deciding factor. The surface and condition of the field could be a determining factor. Natural grass could be damaged easier than artificial turf. It could also be prestige. Before stadium concerts became popular, Madison Square Garden seemed to be the popular place to play a concert.1 It could also have been that the Yankees’ owner, George Steinbrenner, didn’t want to risk any damage to the playing field. He did have a concern when Nelson Mandela was going to have a rally followed by Billy Joel concerts the next two nights in 1990.2

Yankee Stadium did have its share of concerts over the years; here are some of the highlights.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1928: POLYPHONIC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The New York Polyphonic Symphony Orchestra made its inaugural appearance at Yankee Stadium. The Polyphonic Symphony was formed after the New York Symphony was discontinued. This event was held in an attempt to institute summer music festivals in New York similar to those held in Europe each year featuring music of Wagner, Mozart, and others.

The Polyphonic Symphony Orchestra was organized by Alexis Kudisch, former conductor of the Vienna Volksoper. For the performance of this Wagner program, five American soloists joined the orchestra: Julia Peters, Rita Raymond, Anita Tully, Evelyn Brandt, and Bennett Challis.

Michael Feveisky conducted the program that featured selections from “Tannhaüser,” “Lohengrin,” “Tristan und Isolde,” “Rienzi,” “The Flying Dutchman,” and “Die Meistersinger.”3

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1966: “SOUNDBLAST ’66” RAY CHARLES, THE BEACH BOYS, THE BYRDS, STEVIE WONDER, AND THE MCCOYS

“Soundblast ’66” was the brainchild of three young men who rented Yankee Stadium with hopes of filling the ballpark with rock ’n’ roll fans. One review called it a “pop happening masquerading as a concert.”4 The festivities began an hour and 15 minutes late with 66 go-go girls on bicycles. They screamed and waved streamers as if they were cheerleaders. The Cowsills were first to perform, followed by The McCoys, but with the crowd that did not come close to filling the 65,000 seats, the sound seemed to echo off the wooden seats and created feedback.

The stage was set up on the pitcher’s mound, with no seating on the field, so the nearest fans were quite a distance from the stage. The Marvelettes, The Byrds, and Jerry Butler closed the first half and it became apparent that each group was going to sing only three or four songs.

After the intermission, many fans had already left because of the chilly weather. The tempo changed, the go-go girls were gone, and it was time for some soul music. Little Stevie Wonder opened the second half, followed by Ray Charles singing a medley of old favorites.5 The Beach Boys then arrived via an armored vehicle that entered the playing field through the bullpen.

SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1968: JAMES BROWN NATIONAL SOUL FESTIVAL

James Brown performed at Yankee Stadium in front of 40,000 fans just after he returned from a goodwill tour to visit American military bases in Japan, Korea, Okinawa, and Vietnam.

The set list included “Licking Stick,” “I Got the Feelin’,” “If I Ruled the World,” “Knock on Wood,” “Funky Broadway,” “Kansas City,” and “It May Be the Last Time.”6

SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 1969: ISLEY BROTHERS

The “Soul Brothers Summer Music Festival” turned out to be a live concert, a recording studio, and a movie location all in one night.

An album, Live at Yankee Stadium, was recorded that night and released on the Isley Brothers T-Neck label. The Isley Brothers performed on the recording, but it was mainly a showcase of other recording artists signed to their label along with Buddah Records. Appearing at the concert and captured on the live recording were Judy White, the Sweet Cherries, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, and the Five Stairsteps. With the exception of the Edwin Hawkins Singers, they all performed songs that were written and produced for them by the Isleys. The Isleys performed “It’s Your Thing,” “I Turned You On,” and the 1959 hit “Shout.”

The concert was filmed and funded by the Isleys. The film It’s Your Thing was released in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles on August 12, 1970. It presented highlights of the Yankee Stadium concert.7

Others appearing that night included Patty Austin, the Chambers Brothers, Jackie “Moms” Mabley, the Clara Ward Singers, the Young Gents, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Winstons, and Ike and Tina Turner.8

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, JULY 7 AND 8, 1972: NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL NEW YORK

The Newport Jazz Festival moved to New York for the 1972 season, holding events from July 1 to July 9. Venues included six days of concerts in Carnegie Hall, six days of concerts in Philharmonic Hall, and two outdoor concerts at Yankee Stadium.

The festival was moved out of Newport because of an incident in 1971. During the second night of the scheduled four-night festival, young people broke through a chain-link fence and onto the Festival Field. Newport City Manager B. Cowles Mallory ordered the festival closed on the recommendation of the Police Chief Frank H. Walsh.9

Friday’s scheduled performers at Yankee Stadium included B.B. King, Clark Terry, Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Smith, Joe Newman, Kenny Burrell, Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Roy Haynes, Zoot Sims, and the Dave Brubeck Quartet.

Saturday’s program included Herbie Mann, Les McCann, Lou Rawls, and Roberta Flack.10

A six-record set, Newport in New York ’72, was released in 1972 and included clips from all of the shows.11 Newport in New York ’72: The Jam Sessions, Volumes 1 & 2 was released in April, 1973.12

A number of other albums from the festival were also released.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1973: FANIA ALL-STARS

This Latin American concert took place shortly before Yankee Stadium was due to go through a renovation, but the demolition stage almost started that night.

A small record label from Spanish Harlem, Fania Records, assembled some of its best artists and called them the Fania All-Stars. The musicians had played together twice previously, in 1968 and in 1971. The events were very popular with the Latin American community.

Producer Jerry Masucci wanted to have the group perform at Yankee Stadium so badly that he invested lots of money in order to do so. Since the season still had a month to go, he had to put down a deposit of $25,000 against any possible damage to the playing field.

At the time, most of the Latino population of New York City was Puerto Rican. Besides the Fania All-Stars, the lineup for the concert included three popular Latin bands as the opening acts: Tapica 73 with Adalberto Santiago, El Gran Combo with Andy Monta Mongo Santamaria.

Then the Fania All-Stars took the stage. The crowd got so excited by a conga duel between Mongo Santamaria and Ray Barretto that they stormed the field. The band members, frightened, locked themselves in the trailers behind the stage. Other musicians ran to the dugout and locked themselves in the clubhouses. The concert was never completed.

The field was repaired just before the Yankees returned from their road trip.

Needless to say, Masucci did not get his deposit back.13

Using concert footage, Live at Yankee Stadium, Volumes 1 & 2 was released in 1975.14 It was reissued by Fania Records in 2019.15 Mongo Santamaria Live at Yankee Stadium was released in 1974.16

SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 1988: THE BEACH BOYS

The Yankees staged a promotion that hadn’t been seen at Yankee Stadium in almost 20 years. After a game against the Cleveland Indians (the Yankees lost, 4-3), the 53,037 fans in attendance were treated to a Beach Boys concert on this cloudy, 73-degree Sunday afternoon.17 The set list consisted of 25 of their most popular songs followed by an encore session that included “Wipeout,” “Barbara Ann,” and “Fun, Fun, Fun.”18

Yankees rookie pitcher Al Leiter was one of the first Yankees dressed and out of the clubhouse to see the Beach Boys. “I like them. … Everybody likes the Beach Boys. They’re a legend,” Leiter said.19

TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1989: THE BEACH BOYS

After the Yankees edged out the Detroit Tigers, 1-0, a DJ from a local radio station took the field with about 40 dancers to entertain the crowd as the stage was being moved into position in the outfield beyond second base.

The Beach Boys then took the stage and sang more than 40 songs. Actor John Stamos sat in on drums, and former Dodgers and current Yankees second baseman Steve Sax joined in on guitar for a couple of songs.

After the concert ended and the sun set, fireworks began. In all, it was a nine-hour day at Yankee Stadium.20

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 1989: THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND

The Charlie Daniels Band played after the Yankees’ 8-5 loss to the Orioles. With the Yankees having a down year, many of the 43,799 fans in attendance chanted, “George Must Go” during the game.21

Billy Martin, who was fired by the Yankees during the 1988 season, had a PR relationship with the Charlie Daniels Band and planned to introduce the band for the concert but decided not to.22 According to the band’s Facebook page, Mickey Mantle introduced the band.23

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, JUNE 22 AND 23, 1990: BILLY JOEL

How could an event take place at Yankee Stadium without a controversy involving George Steinbrenner? This time he had a legitimate concern. With a Nelson Mandela rally on June 21 followed by two nights of Billy Joel concerts, Steinbrenner was worried about the grass at Yankee Stadium being damaged after being covered for three days. Steinbrenner held up the sale of tickets to the Mandela rally for two days until he was satisfied that the city would pay for damages to the field up to and including replacing the turf at a maximum cost of $50,000. Steinbrenner really wanted the Mandela rally to take place, and through negotiations, the city agreed to remove the tarp every night, and Billy Joel said he was willing to help pay for any damage to the turf.24

The concerts were a big hit. Billy Joel always liked Yankee Stadium, its architecture and history.25

There were some comments about Joel’s just playing nonstop music without much interaction with the crowd. From past experience in large stadiums, Joel has said, “You can’t make ‘stadium-sized gestures,’ there is no such thing, but you have to keep your banter to a minimum, because few people can understand when you talk.”26

As with any other superstar, the sold-out crowd loved the concerts.

A DVD called Billy Joel Live at Yankee Stadium was released on November 4, 2022.27 The film was also shown at AMC and Fandango movie theaters across the country in October 2022.28

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, AUGUST 29 AND 30, 1992: U2/PRIMUS/THE DISPOSABLE HEROES OF HIPROPRISY

Two Yankee Stadium dates were part of U2’s worldwide Zoo TV Tour in support of their 1991 album Achtung Baby. The band played a 19-song set list, then encored with five songs, finishing with Can’t Help Falling in Love.29

Primus and The Disposable Heroes of Hiproprisy opened up for U2.30

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, JUNE 10 AND 11, 1994: PINK FLOYD

Pink Floyd really put on a show to remember. Playing mostly outdoor stadiums those days, Pink Floyd knew that they look like tiny specks on the stage, so they relied on big screens, lights, and polytechnics. Knowing this, they designed their shows to the person in the top row, farthest away from the stage.31 Reviews from patrons said the new music that was performed in the first half of the show was not as exciting as their music from years gone by. But the second half of the show, with earlier music from when Roger Waters was with the band, was described as marvelous. Even for the people who sat far away, the lights, flying animals, and movie bits on the big screens were said to be fantastic. But Jim Farber’s review in the New York Daily News was negative.32

ADDITIONAL APPEARANCES BY RECORDING ARTISTS:

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 1999: PAUL SIMON – JOE DIMAGGIO DAY AT YANKEE STADIUM

A tribute to Joe DiMaggio, who died on March 8, 1999, was held at Yankee Stadium on April 25.

Paul Simon, a lifelong Yankees fan, sang “Mrs. Robinson.” The crowd applauded when he got to the lines, “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you” and “What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson, Joltin’ Joe has left and gone away.”33

MONDAY, JULY 14, 2008: 3 DOORS DOWN AT THE MLB HOME RUN DERBY

3 Doors Down performed their hits “Kryptonite” and “It’s Not My Time” before the 2008 Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium as part of the All-Star Week festivities.34

BOB WEBSTER grew up in northwest Indiana and has been a Cubs fan since 1963. After relocating to Portland, Oregon, in 1980, Bob spends his time working on baseball research and writing and is a contributor to quite a few SABR projects. He has worked as a stats stringer on the MLB Gameday app for three years, is a member of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of SABR, and is on the board of directors of the Old-Timers Baseball Association of Portland.

 

NOTES

1 “History of Madison Square Garden,” Retrieved from https://www.msg.com/madison-square-garden/history, Accessed on November 13, 2022. All internet sourcing is from November 2022.

2 Adam Nagourney, “Grass Grows as Tickets Sit,” New York Daily News, June 15, 1990: 2.

3 “Wagner Festival in New York,” Macon (Georgia) News, August 14, 1928: 12. Retrieved from: https://www.newspapers.com/image/823546409/?terms=%22polyphonic%20symphony%22&match.

4 Richard Goldstein, “Pop Eye: Soundblast ’66,” Village Voice, June 16, 1966. Retrieved from https://www.villagevoice.com/2009/12/10/a-yankee-stadium-concert-and-a-new-face-at-the-voice/.

5 “Soundblast ’66,” retrieved from https://www.bapresley.com/silverthreads/history/soundblast/index.html.

6 “James Brown Setlist at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, United States on 22 June 1968,” Retrieved from: https://guestpectacular.com/artists/james-brown/events/1968-06-22/united-states/the-bronx/yankee-stadium-xbzlz; “Campbell’s Corner,” Dayton Daily News, June 22, 1968: 30.

7 “It’s Your Thing.” Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196649/.

8 “Isley Bros. Show Lists Film Dates,” Billboard, August 15, 1970: 24. Retrieved from https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1970/Billboard%201970-08-15.pdf.

9 Louis Calta, “’72 Newport Jazz Festival Is Moving to New York,” New York Times, January 5, 1972: 42. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/05/archives/-72-newport-jazz-festival-is-moving-to-new-york.html.

10 Retrieved from https://www.setlist.fm/festival/1972/newport-jazz-festival-new-york-1972-3d715af.html.

11 Retrieved from https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/65578/various-artists/newport-in-new-york-1972.

12 Retrieved from https://www.allmusic.com/album/newport-in-new-york-72-the-jam-sessions-vols-1-2-mw0000881569.

13 Will Gonz“Yankee Stadium Fielded a Memorable Night of Music in 1973,” ESPN.com, September 18, 2008. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/espn/hispanicheritage2008/news/story?id=3596100.

14 Will González.

15 https://www.discogs.com/release/14305347-Fania-All-Stars-Live-At-Yankee-Stadium-Vol1-Vol2-.

16 https://music.apple.com/ve/album/live-at-yankee-stadium/1464276360?l=en.

17 https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA198806260.shtml.

18 https://members.tripod.com/~fun_fun_fun/6-26-88.html.

19 “‘Boy’ at Heart,” New York Daily News, June 27, 1988: 51.

20 Backstage Bruce, “NY Yankees, the Beach Boys, and Fireworks.” NY Music Scene, July 4, 1989. Retrieved from https://nycmusicscene.blogspot.com/2017/06/ny-yankees-beach-boys-fireworks.html.

21 Phil Pepe, “Bronx Cheer: Ban Boss, Fans Serenade George as Yanks Fall 13½ back,” New York Daily News, August 28, 1989: 145.

22 “All Dent’s Asking For Is a Chance,” New York Daily News, August 28, 1989: 145.

23 Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/charliedanielsband/photos/a.10150185195103287/10152849217628287/?type=3.

24 Adam Nagourney, “Grass Grows as Tickets Sit,” New York Daily News, June 15, 1990: 2.

25 Wayne Robins, “Next Batter: Billy Joel,” Newsday (Long Island, New York), June 22, 1990: 173. Retrieved from https://www.newspapers.com/image/711624645/?terms=%22billy%20joel%22&match=1.

26 Wayne Robins, “Next Batter: Billy Joel.”

27 https://www.billyjoel.com/music/live-at-yankee-stadium/.

28 https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/billy-joel-live-at-yankee-stadium-70869; https://www.fandango.com/billy-joel-live-at-yankee-stadium-228690/movie-overview.

29 https://www.u2gigs.com/show653.html.

30 https://www.concertarchives.org/venues/yankee-stadium?page=2#concert-table.

31 Email correspondence on November 3, 2022, with John Bennett, a big Pink Floyd fan who was at the concerts.

32 Jim Farber, “Pink Floyd Can’t Hack It at Yankee Stadium,” New York Daily News, June 13, 1994: 652. Retrieved from https://www.newspapers.com/image/472943384/?terms=%22Pink%20Floyd%22&match=1.

33 Brian Lewis, “DiMaggio Ceremony Special,” New York Post, April 26, 1999. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/1999/04/26/dimaggio-ceremony-special/.

34 Pollstar staff, “3 Doors Down Meets the Boys of Summer,” Pollstar.com, July 10, 2008. Retrieved from https://news.pollstar.com/2008/07/10/3-doors-down-meets-the-boys-of-summer/.