It was exactly 60 years ago today that the Beatles came to play at the Milwaukee arena in front of 11,838 ecstatic fans! September 4, 1964, the Beatles were at the height of their fame at this point and their arrival in Milwaukee was met with a frenzy of excitement. 

Once they arrived at the Coach House Inn on 19th and Wisconsin Avenue, the Beatles were quickly ushered inside where they held a press conference in the afternoon. John Lennon was unable to attend due to laryngitis.

At the Beatles highly anticipated concert, the mostly female audience, was treated to an exciting lineup of warm-up acts.  The night kicked off with the Bill Black Combo, then Clarence Fogman Henry, the Exciters, and finally, Jackie DeShannon rounded out the lineup. In a previous podcast, Jackie told of how she had to arrange her set to please the crowd.

After the warmup acts, I thought the Beatles would be taking the stage. They were not in the building, and I had to stall for 15 minutes.

The Beatles then put on a legendary performance at the Milwaukee arena.  Their set in order included:

• I Saw Her Standing There
• You Can’t Do That
• She Loves You
• If I Fell
• Roll Over Beethoven
• Can’t Buy Me Love
• Things I Said Today
• Boys
• Hard Days Night
• Long Tall Sally

The fans for the most part had behaved well up until the day the Beatles were scheduled to leave Milwaukee. They knew that they may never come back, so this was their last chance.

The Beatles appearance in Milwaukee was a historic moment for the city, and the memories of that night still live on for those lucky enough to witness it. The impact of the Beatles’ music continues to be felt to this day as they remain one of the most iconic and influential bands in music history.