A tribute to the Beatles’ will be held tonight in Washington D.C. to celebrate their first show in the U.S. exactly 50 years ago at the same venue.
The Washington Coliseum (also called the Uline Arena) was the original venue on Feb. 11, 1964. Britain’s most iconic musicians played their first set-list there on a boxing mat floor.
Coming off a high from an “Ed Sullivan Show” appearance two days earlier, The Beatles were welcomed to D.C. with interviews, tons of fans and snow, and played for 48 minutes.
Naomi Banks, one of the 8,000 people in attendance, told USA Today
that the concert helped divert the nation’s attention from the difficulties of the early 1960s. She also remembered how “exciting” the event was.
“When they were on Ed Sullivan, they just played,” she told USA Today. “But when they got in that Coliseum, they hop, skipped, jumped around the stage.”
Tonight, the D.C. Preservation League will commemorate the concert that rocked the town 50 years ago. This league is a non-profit that protects historic locations in the city.
The festivities start at 6 p.m., and BeatleMania Now will relive the Beatles’ greatest hits at exactly 8:31 p.m. to keep with tradition. The concert will not only play as a tribute to the Beatles, but it will also push the conservation of this and other historic venues in the area.
Tickets for the event range from $45 (standing room) to $100 seats.
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