Amid their first-ever American tour in 1964, the Beatles made a remarkable gesture of goodwill toward their fans on September 17, 1964, by sacrificing a precious day off. The destination? Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri — and this was far from a run-of-the-mill gig. Charles O. Finney, who owned the Kansas City Athletics baseball team, shelled out an unprecedented $150,000 to get the band on stage for just one show. To put that in perspective, the group's typical concert fee ranged between $20,000-$40,000. The band's willingness to give up their downtime only added to the occasion's importance, underscoring their deep dedication and commitment to performing.
Finney had a reputation problem with the locals, and he was banking on the Beatles to help turn things around. He'd already earned notoriety for a string of outlandish promotional stunts designed to put fans in baseball seats — think flashy green and gold uniforms, paying players to grow out mustaches, letting sheep loose to graze in the outfield during games, and even deploying a robotic rabbit that delivered baseballs to the umpire. The public largely dismissed these efforts as absurd and tone-deaf. Pouring his money into bringing the Beatles to the stadium was Finney's latest desperate attempt to win people over.
The Beatles, however, weren't fazed when they arrived to find Municipal Stadium less than half full. Throughout their American tour, their shows had consistently sold out — but Kansas City proved to be the exception. Local radio hosts had actively urged a boycott in protest of Finney's antics, which clearly took its toll on attendance. Still, none of this dampened the band's spirits. In a nod to both the city and baseball, they kicked off their set with a medley of "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey," demonstrating the kind of resilience and dedication to their craft that defined them.