Sunday, July 05, 2009

Chicago and Beach Boys Concert, Anaheim, 1975

Lisa W remembers the Chicago and Beach Boys concert in 1975 at Angel Stadium...

Does anyone remember the Chicago and Beach Boys concert in 1975 at Angel Stadium? My dad gave my boyfriend and I tickets to it. It was amazing!! The stadium was full, and we were in the upper stands, and everyone up there started jumping up and down, and security told us to stop because they were afraid the stands would fall, they were swaying!!

We waited in line all day because none of the seats were reserved so it was first come first serve.

I grew up in Tustin, does anyone remember the matinees on Saturdays at Tustin Theatre?

The Tiller Day parade?
Bonfires at the beach?
Marywood High School and the guys streaking across the courtyard?

35 comments:

  1. Marywood High School and dancing around the Fairy Tree. And who could ever forget those streakers..must have been those naughty Public School Boys!!!!

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  2. I saw them play at the Capital Center in Landover, MD, just outside of Washington D.C.

    It was without a doubt the best concert I had ever seen.

    I was a little surprised that the Beach Boys played first with Chicago finishing. After jumping up and down and screaming at the Beach Boys, everything seemed so subdued when Chicago took the stage.

    I don't remember too many specifics, but (I think) the Beach Boys stage was set up like a boat, and their first song was Sloop John B.

    I've been to dozens and dozens of concerts since then, but none of them come close to the special time I had at this concert.

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  3. well in the 70's, Chicago at that time I saw them was wayyyyy bigger than the Beach Boys. The Beach Boys were just making a comeback. But I loved both bands, they were excellent, like you said the best concert I have been to.

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  4. I remember it. I was in the middle stands and had some friends below and they said concrete pieces were falling. Didn't a helicopter come in and blare people to stop jumping?

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  5. Linda, I was there at that concert also. i remember jumnping up and down and the stands swaying, wow, that was cool! I was 15.

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  6. I was at school when the Villa Park High boys streaked through the quad @ lunch time and Sisters Rosemary and Conrad chased them down! HAHA great times. I even knew one of the boys. He was my neighbor.

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  7. I was at the concert. I remember that they checked our bags at the gate for ??
    I sat on the field and later that year our HS graduation (LOARA) was held on the same spot. I don't remember any helicopter but I was glad I was on the field when the stands started swaying.

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  8. I was there....what a concert ! I remember them threatening over the PA system that if the swaying in the stands didn't stop they were going to cancel the concert. On it went and wasn't great

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  9. little mistake on the last post should have been"wasn't IT great " it was

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  10. My wife and I were there in the last row on the top deck and watched with amazement through cannabis eyes as the second tier bounced up and down while people danced to the Beach Boys. It was a great concert as far as I can remember.

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  11. I was 19 and playing football at Santa Ana College and used to work security at all the Big A concerts (free concerts!) back then. My job was working the backstage area and I had a clear view of the stands from behind the outfield fence. It was so freaky - the stands were swaying with the beat! It looked like an illusion. I thought they were going to collapse. The Beach Boys were awesome that day.

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  12. Oh Wow!! I went to that concert with my best friend in the afternoon.
    Loved the Beach Boys more that Chicago !!
    Good times !!!

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  13. Does anyone remember the front page of The Register a week or so after the concert? There was a picture of a million little pot plants growing in the outfield on the front page! LOL! A friend and I had slept overnight in line, in the morning when they began to let us in, the crush of people was intense. There were so many people that when I bent over to tie my shoe, all I could see were feet and ankles and... a big ol bag of weed, just laying there on the ground! SCORE! I've always wondered how many of those babies were from that bag o'weed??? LOL!!!

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  14. is this concert on d.v.d????

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  15. It was an awesome concert and a gorgeous day. It was a blast!! Yes, I remember them asking us to stop jumping. There was so much excitement.

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  16. ...ahh...memories; me and my cousin sat in line on the asphalt all morning 'till they opened the gates; we got a good spot on the field; awesome concert; and yes, I remember the stands moving with you people partying to the music...good times...

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  17. I went by myself and inspite of the hugh crowd I ran into my brother. I snuck in a pint of Cuarvo Gold. The stands were swaying up and down. Both bands jammed together at the end. I remember they did Jumping Jack Flash

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  18. I went by myself, most of my friends were into harder stuff. Inspite of the hugh crowd I ran into my brother. I snuck in a bottle of Cuarvo Gold. The stands and the fans were jumping. They jammed together at the end finishing with Jumping Jack Flash.

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  19. I was there, I remember the upper deck in the outfield stands was bouncing up & down due to the weight of the people & the Beach Boys rockin' music. GREAT CONCERT!!!

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  20. yea Irember the concert the Jumping Jack Flash jam is still etched in my mind after all these years

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  21. It was a great concert, I believe I also saw
    the Beach Boys with America at a later date.
    We sat in the Right Field level, and I remember
    some dude who passed out and missed the entire
    concert. I remember listing to a Phoebe Snow
    song " All Over " that was playing over the sound system before the concert began. Funny I go to a great concert and it is the only song I remember. I did buy a T-shirt and I still have it. I was in the Marines at the time, so a shaved head did not look that great with a beach
    boys tank top so I rarely wore it. I also have
    no idea who I went with. Maybe my brother?

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  22. Greatest concert ever. I was 19 years old and I really thought the upper decks were going to collaspe they were swaying so violently. I remember going to the bathroom and they were all flooding because the pipes were broken from all the swaying. I remeber the ushers trying in vain for awhile to get people to stop jumping up and down and then finally giving up.

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  23. I was 17 and my sister was 16 we came down to California from Seattle to visit our cousins. This concert was so great the memories are still with me-best concert ever!!

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  24. I was there at the 1975 concert in the front of the stage and it was CRAZY! I was 15 years old, and remember swooning over Dennis Wilson. Then when Help Me Rhonda was played, everyone on the third tier were jumping so much that you could see the concrete tier actually bending! The signs started flashing "Everyone Sit Down!" but nobody did. I seem to recall that Anaheim stadium was shut down for several weeks afterwards due to the damage! I actually have pictures from the concert...it was the greatest! I'm so glad someone else remembers this experience.

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  25. I was there, and it's one of my all time favorite concerts. I was on the field, and I remember looking up at the stands and seeing them bend. It was kinda scary, but way cool too. Oh and I agree with whoever said Dennis was a babe, lol. I remember also that it was a beautiful sunny day. I had a great time. I only wish I still had my tank top I bought that day. My friend still has hers! Debbie from Lakewood

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  26. Just like the above anonymous - I was there... on the field... it was awesome... and yeah... the upper decks were REALLY flexing...
    That concert was billed as "Chicago and the Beach Boys"...
    But we ALL knew it was "The Beach Boys (and Chicago)" :-)
    They did "Wishing you were here" with Chicago (it had recently been released as a single) where the beach boys did backup vocals for Chicago... Great concert... Chicago was great, but the Beach Boys... sigh...

    Just got back from the 50th Anniversary concert last night in Irvine, CA... Oh my... goosebumps... they did 45 songs. They had some old "friends" with them to fill things out, vocally, but Brian, Al, and Mike were singing and took lead on many of the songs... They sounded GREAT.

    The children of the original beach boys (8 of them or so) did about 6 other songs as the opening act... California (the kids can harmonize so well).
    They all sounded great.
    If the concert is coming anywhere near you, go see it.

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  27. My brother attended this concert and made a cassette recording of the Beach Boys' set that ended up in my box of tapes. Still have it today and it still sounds good all these years later!

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  28. I was ending my senior year at Santiago High School in Garden Grove. I was going into the Air Force in August so I wanted to see a concert before I went. Chicago was the band we wanted to see. We saw the tier over the third base line begin to sway. The people underneath ran to the infield but it was already packed. The CHP officers ran down the rows motioning everyone to settle down. The I beams between the surfaces were under stress, all visible across the stadium. Apart from all that, the concert was great and at the end, all of the musicians from Chicago, The Beach Boys and the opening band (rumored at the time to be a young Van Halen) played. A Memory Forever!!!

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  29. I was ending my senior year at Santiago High School in Garden Grove. I was going into the Air Force in August so I wanted to see a concert before I went. Chicago was the band we wanted to see. We saw the tier over the third base line begin to sway. The people underneath ran to the infield but it was already packed. The CHP officers ran down the rows motioning everyone to settle down. The I beams between the surfaces were under stress, all visible across the stadium. Apart from all that, the concert was great and at the end, all of the musicians from Chicago, The Beach Boys and the opening band (rumored at the time to be a young Van Halen) played. A Memory Forever!!!

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  30. It was a great concert. I was a sophomore in highschool and my friend Janine Henderson and I spent the night in line, getting a great spot close to the stage. She wanted to see Chicago and I the Beach Boys... she said the Beach Boys were awesome. The sun shining, the beach balls flying and everyone was having a great time. Such good memories. Sadly my friend, passed away from breast cancer in her 30's. I have fond memories of the concerts at Anaheim Stadium and the fun we had.

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  31. May 23rd 1975, what a great day, the weather was perfect got an outdoor concert!!! and what a great concert it was!!! I remember being on that 2nd level, near the steps and there was a local cop standing on the steps, the 2nd level was just starting to move up and down, I looked over and watched as the cop took a step back onto the mail part of the building.... making sure that he would not fall when we did !!! no one fell, the building remained intact and everyone had a great time!!!!!

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  32. I just saw this now....

    I was there. I'm originally from Northern California and the Beach Boys just were not as big in NorCal in the 60s as they were in SoCal at that time.

    So, I was primarily there for Chicago. The Beach Boys came on first, they tore the place up, the upper deck was swaying, it was surreal.

    I've been a Beach Boys fan ever since.

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  33. please someone get some pics

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  34. @ Lisa W - I was there. Would have been around 19 and I remember worrying over the people on the top tier because it was really swaying. I think they ended up having to do some reconstruction on the tier before they reopened for baseball. That was one of the BEST concerts I have ever attended!

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  35. I was there, and talk about the concert swaying all the time. I was sitting under it with my high school boyfriend. We thought it was going to come down on us! But we stayed and loved that concert! I still have great memories of Chicago and the Beach Boys. One of the best I've ever been to. I loved listening to both bands on my 8 track tapes cruising around Orange County before it was The OC!

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