Charlotte went ape in 1967!
Were you there? Did you wear your grooviest outfit?
-------
'It Wasn't a Riot, It Was Ticket Time For Monkees'
By William L. Chaze, News Staff Writer
June 9, 1967
'It was a wild scene.
There were these teeny-boppers all squirmy and happy pushing up against the ticket windows at the Coliseum, waiting to buy their tickets to the Monkees concert scheduled for Tuesday, July 11.
The tickets - $4, $5 and $6 - went on sale today, but at 3 a.m. teenagers already were on the scene, dragging blankets like little long-haired characters out of Peanuts. The blankets, though, weren't for security; they were to sit on while the pre-dawn traffic moved dozily past on E. Independence Blvd.
By 8:30 a.m., several hundred youngsters were filling the ticket area of the Coliseum, shoving a little and checking out each other's clothes.'
Hip-hugger skirts ... mini-skirts ... sandals and yards of long, shiny hair.
Fifteen-year-old Amelia Hinson, who stood up near the front of the twitching and pulsating line, stared intently at an open book of astrology. She was cool, aloof and she had something none of the other girls has.
'Just a minute and I'll show you,' she said, putting the book on the floor and her foot on top of the book. She reached into her purse and pulled out a postcard from Peter Tork, her favorite Monkee. It was postmarked Hollywood and read 'Thanks' five times in a childish scrawl.
'I sent him a box of suckers and some creepy crawlers,' she said, daring me to smile. 'That's what I think of him.' She wore electric blue eye-shadow on her eyelids and she closed her eyes and smiled. She was reading the astrology book to see if her stars agree with those of the Monkees.'
*The concert was actually on July 11.
'Neck-deep in magazines, books and pictures about the Monkees are three ardent Monkee fans (left to right) Laura Harmon, Amelia Hinson and Gloria Hicklin. The big day for the girls is when the Monkees come to Charlotte.'
Elmer Horton/Staff
'Off To See Their Idols. And if you were a teenager going to a Monkee concert, what would you wear? Here's how some Charlotte teens decked out Tuesday night. At far left is the long and the short of it - flowered, wide-legged party pajamas and a striped mini-skirt work with poorboy and textured stockings. Center are two versions of mini-shifts. Left is striped slacks with wide ruffles on the bottom. Most essential to all though - the camera.'
Don Hunter/Staff
'The Monkee Scene - What It Was Was Wild'
Excerpts from concert story by Kay Reimler, News Staff Writer
July 12, 1967
'There were 13 thousand of them.
Teeny boppers, pre-teeny boppers, their little sisters and brothers and a smattering of mothers and fathers with kids too young to be turned loose.
It was the Monkee scene last night at the Coliseum with the TV star-singing group headlining a show that began like a confused kindergarten recess and ended in what felt like 120-degree psychedelic mayhem.
The two Red Cross stations set up in the Coliseum treated about 14 cases of hysteria and exhaustion.
When the Monkees came on stage it all broke loose and didn't stop till an hour later when the show was over.
It was wild with kids jumping up and down, waving hands and handkerchiefs, beating on their chairs and each other, running up and down the aisles trying to take pictures and yelling names - PeterPeterPeterPeter, oh, Peter-r-r-r-r - or just yelling.
If the Monkees don't play and sing well you'd never have known it.
They changed clothes twice during the concert. At first they came out looking like young, young executives in black double-breasted silk suits. The second time they each wore zany Mod clothes (a white brocade Edwardian jacket) and lastly they wore the Monkee shirts they often wear on their show.
The ending of the show was straight out of a poppy field. Lights flashed on and off giving the singer the effect of being a character out of an old film where the frames don't match. Weird colors flowed in and out of one another on the screen above the stage and the sound was electric.
Thirteen thousand exhausted kids would sleep well tonight.'
Posts
16 comments:
no stupid looking tattoos, no piercings, no sexual innuendos, no mind alternating drugs ( as far as we know ), no societal misfits, no social media or cell phones, no pc brainwash, no pc brainwash ... felt so good had to say it again ...
No mention of the opener of the show. If memory serves me right from a story I read about the concert, the opener was none other than Jimi Hendrix. He was already making a name for himself across the pond, but still trying to hit it with the American audience. From what I remember, he was pretty much booed off the stage by the fans waiting for the Monkees. Again, I might be wrong, but if I am right you would think it would deserve a mention.
3:25 - you are exactly right! I have more Monkees stuff and will probably do another blog in the future. Will def mention Jimi. TX!!
I have heard about this concert since I was a small child. My mom is Amelia Hinson mentioned and pictured in this blog post. Thank you so much for a glimpse into this concert and time in my mom's life!
The fifth Mobkee, Bill Chadwick, lives in the Charlotte area. I believe he lives in Davidson. Bill traveled with The Monkees as their photographer and filled in when ones was sick on tours. Also, Bill wrote many of their songs. He'd be a great interview.
Come see "The Monkeys" in Davie County at Advance put on their show at Thee Tornado Capital of the US, Fork Fire Dept now runs a Tornado aka Civil Defense Siren for ALL their call outs 24-7 day/night. FD said they receive more State $'s this way = BS.
Won tickets & back stage pass to this show from 1240 WIST, which was located on Wilkerson Blvd. Liked the Monkees, had never heard/seen of Hendrix. Back stage got a hug from Davey, Michael, Peter & Mickey. Hendrix shook my hand, guess back then it wasn't proper for a black man to hug a blonde teenager. BOY HOWDY, when Hendrix came on stage, I was in awe. Truly believe I was the only soul in the audience not booing. Orderd "Are You Experienced" that night from Columbia Record Club.
It is incredulous this bloggess made such a big deal out of this asinine commercialized Hollywood cartoon character creation for teeny boppers in 1967 and failed to mention newcomer unknown Jimi Hendrix acid rocker as opening act. This is an unpardonable cardinal sin.
Henrix played a few songs no one knew but the crowd kept chanting Monkees Monkees ... He was visibly agitated and stormed off the stage in the middle of Are You Experienced with some choice words into the mike ( F *** You All)
The teen idol Monkees immediately came on and all was forgotten.
Hendrix returned in '66 a major star and the crowd booed some unknown "mediocre" opening act unknown English rockers called Led Zepplin.
13k fans were screaming Jimi Jimi ...
LZ did not storm off stage or scream into the mike obscenities but finished their set with Immigrant Song and exited to clapping ( that they were finished ).
In the big time music business its amazing what a one year time span creates ...
correction:
Hendrix returned in '68 (or 'early 69)
Do you have any record of the Monkees coming to Park Road Shopping Center for publicity - they drove all the store fronts in a convertible?
Maybe a later date... in the early 70's?
I have a memory of this - it was mobbed by teenage girls!
EAG
Jimi returned in May of '69. Chicago Transit Authority (later simply "Chicago") opened for him, not Led Zeppelin. When he took the stage he remarked about all the little girls going to get a hot dog last time he was here. He clearly remembered the booing from before, saying "I'm back Baby".
Maria, you forgot the Charlotte Observer connection! Observer columnist Kays Gary took advantage of the Monkees frenzy. He managed to get the sheets and pillowcases from their rooms at the Red Carpet Inn, had them cut up in one-inch squares, and sold them for, I think, $1.00 apiece. The funds went to benefit Holy Angels Nursery in Belmont.
I never knew the Coliseum could hold 13,000. Every reference I've ever seen (since the late 1980s) indicated it to seat 10,000. Was it reconfigured at some point? Were crowds allowed to stand until some point?
Saw all the concerts back then. My cousin worked selling shirts. I was always on the floor walking and mingling. Maybe that's how they would get 13k. The only show I saw from a seat was Led Zep. A 3+ hour show with acoustical in the middle and no other groups. It was right after their stairway album was released and not much more than 5000 showed up. Best concert I ever went to but they never came back. I saw Hendrix at the Fox theatre also.
I did not Boo either except at the Monkees. The relationship with the Monkees did not last long, 3 shows ?? I was 10 1/2 years old and my parents allowed me to go with a fellow Hendrix lover who was 11 years old. I was the last of four children, Mom was tired I guess...After I hitch hiked to the Atlanta Pop Festival in 197
Didn't CCR open for the Monkeys' at one of their shows at the Coliseum?
Post a Comment