The Beatles 50th at the Hollywood Bowl Hosted by Dave Stewart

Alexander Volz

Hollywood Bowl is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beatles.The events ringmaster and musical director is Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. He was a close friend to George Harrison and he produced Ringo’s 2008 album Liverpool 8. Earlier this year, Stewart and Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox reunited after an eight year hiatus to perform “The Fool on the Hill” at The Beatles: The Night That Changed America, A Grammy Salute.

Stewart will be joined by special guests as they recreate the set list from 50 years ago that includes “Twist & Shout,” “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” and “A Hard Day’s Night,” as well as video clips and much more from the Beatles’ trip to the Bowl. The Hollywood event is considered one of their best sounding concerts, despite all the shrieking fans that made it impossible for the band to hear themselves, and it was released as an album The Beatles at the Hollywood in 1977.

Tickets for the concert were only sold at two locations, the Bowl Office and the Automobile Club of Southern California, and the concert sold out in three and half hours, which was quick in those days. According to thebeatlesbible.com, “Following [a] press conference, the Beatles were driven by armored truck to the Hollywood Bowl. The show was attended by 18,000 fans; one fan gave birth to a baby boy in the car park outside the venue. Tickets retailed for $3-$7. The Beatles earned $90,000 from the total take of $156,000 for the two concerts.” John Lennon on The Beatles Anthology DVD said that the Hollywood Bowl “was the one we all enjoyed most, I think, even though it wasn’t the largest crowd – because it seemed so important, and everybody was saying things. We got on, and it was a big stage, and it was great.” Ringo notes how that first trip to Los Angeles started his love affair with the city and that he prefers it to New York.

The Beatles 50th at the Hollywood Bowl will take place August 22-24.