Schwensen grew up in Cleveland, lived in California for a while and moved back in 1993.
Whenever he worked in clubs, people would always talk about concerts. It got him thinking.
He’d saved his original ticket stubs from the concert. He found the program for it in his parent’s basement, and over the years he picked up bits and pieces of Beatles memorabilia from flea markets and funky record stores in New York to add to his collection.
He finally decided to sit down and record what he remembered.
After finishing his one-page review of the “riotous” 1966 Beatles concert, Schwensen posted it on his website and immediately received a barrage of responses from people who wanted to share their own memories of the Beatles and their concerts.
People sent him photos — some never before seen — and film footage, many of them shot while running from the stadium during the 1966 concert.
The first concert in Cleveland took place on Sept. 15, 1964 in the downtown area’s Public Hall.
The group had appeared on “The Ed Sullivan show,” and Beatlemania was in full force; but they had been touring all across North America and had no crowd problems.
After fans stormed the stage, police were able to get John, Paul, George and Ringo back to their trailer, and the concert was paused.
Then the DJs came on stage with the Beatles, who finished and were then banned from Cleveland.
That ban ended in 1966 when a Beatles show in Kentucky was canceled because no venue could hold the expected crowd.
But Municipal Stadium could. On Aug. 14, 1966, Schwensen was getting ready for the first outdoor Beatles concert.
He said he had great seats at a great price — $5.50 for box seats in front, on the upper deck.
That concert has been described as a “full-out riot.”
Schwensen remembers that “one guy jumped on the stage and immediately 2,500 people followed.”
