Lonely People

History Made

The Beatles made history on more than one occasion. I watched them remake the mold of the music industry to what we know today. I watched as they went from a wonky band playing the lunchtime rush at a dingy club in Liverpool to the biggest band in the world playing a place meant for sports games.

"A stadium?" I nearly shouted.

Ellen nodded, her face glowing, "Yes. Shea Stadium, to be exact."

Molly, Linda, and I stared at her. Never before has a band played at a baseball stadium, or any stadium for that matter. The biggest audience we had ever played for was at The Royal Albert Hall when people where sitting on the floor in an effort to see us.

It seemed like a dream; an impossible imagination that had just become reality. We all had big dreams of performing in front of large crowds, but never did we imagine this. That stadium would be able to hold ten times more people than the largest venue we had ever played in.

"Bloody hell," I muttered.

Molly covered her mouth with her hands, "H-How many people?"

"55,600 tickets have been sold," Ellen explained, "The entire stadium is sold out."

Linda nearly fainted right then and there. Ellen's face was like a lightbulb. Her smile showed all of her dazzling teeth and her eyes, previously exhausted from the stress of touring, were as bright as ever before.

We had barely even begun the tour. Shea Stadium would be the performance that would, technically, open our 1965 world tour. It was the grandest opening any band could ask for. At the time, I knew history was being made, but I didn't quite realize the impact that concert would entail. That one concert, standing as nothing more than an opener for our tour at the time, would grow to be the pinnacle of success for bands in years to come. It would redefine the concert portion of show business and outline how every performance from then on out would happen. 

"You will play a forty-five minute set to open for The Beatles' hour long performance," Ellen explained.

"55,600 people," Molly muttered, "That's unheard of."

Ellen nodded, "Today, you girls will make history."

We made history several times. From being the first band to include a panpipe in their album to the first all female band to hold the number one spot in the charts for two months. We had made history, but this was different. This was something nobody ever expected.

Ellen left the three of us to our shock. She went out into the hall, presumably to talk to Brian. As soon as she was gone, Linda fell into a nearby armchair. Her face had lost all color as she stared at the wall. Molly landed on the couch while I stayed standing.

In just under an hour, we would perform a show nobody would ever forget. The Beatles and Revolution would make history as the first bands to ever play a sports stadium. It was difficult to wrap my mind around.

"55,600 people," Linda whispered.

I shook myself and looked down at her. Linda had only ever performed live with us twice; once at a small concert hall and the other in the comforts of The Cavern Club. She had never seen an audience above two hundred people. Molly and I were shocked, but Linda was petrified.

I gently sat on the arm of her chair and rested my hand on her shoulder, "Nervous, Lindy?"

She shook her head, but I knew otherwise. Molly moved to sit on the opposite arm of the chair and smile, "It's nothin' to be nervous about. It'll be just like any other show."

"Any other show where we play to 55,600 people," Linda muttered.

I shook my head, "Just picture the audience in their knickers."