04-11-2024 Howard Magazine - Flipbook - Page 50
RETRO HOCO
BY MIKE KLINGAMAN Howard Magazine
Elton John’s concert caused a ruckus
In 1971, then-24-year-old rock star made his first appearance at Merriweather Post Pavilion
Nine times, Elton John has wowed crowds at
Merriweather Post Pavilion, bringing his rock
act to Columbia’s outdoor stage. Most of those
shows have gone smoothly; John’s debut there,
53 years ago, did not.
On June 16, 1971, nearly 300 people tried
to crash John’s concert, which drew 12,000
paying fans. All sought to see his frenetic
performance, during which he would rattle the
ivories, reminiscent of Jerry Lee Lewis’ riotous
acts in the 1950s.
But as John prepared to take the stage, the
intruders breached a barbed wire fence surrounding the site and were trying to scale an
inner fence when security guards intervened.
In the chaos, five guards were injured by flying
debris before 10 state troopers, K-9 dogs and
two dozen Howard County police officers in
riot gear arrived to end the ruckus.
The show went on and, by all accounts, John
— who, at 24, was already a rock phenom — did
not disappoint.
“He pounds every possible decibel from his
grand piano with an intensity that carries back
to the last row of listeners,” The Washington
Post said of John’s act that evening.
His performance so galvanized the audience
that, in mid-concert, more than 200 people
clambered onstage to join John, “apparently
as an emotional reaction” to his music, The
Sun reported. The cops moved in; the singer
shooed them off.
“They’re not bothering me,” he declared.
“Just let them sit there and listen.” Hearing
that, more fans pushed onstage. But all were
booted off before John’s finale, a rousing ren-
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| Spring 2024 | howardmagazine.com
Elton John Merriweather advertisement from 1971. BALTIMORE SUN ARCHIVE
dition of Lewis’ 1957 hit, “Whole Lotta Shakin’
Goin’ On.”
As John banged away, The Post reported,
“Police … stood around him, holding raised
clubs and containers of chemical spray.”
John returned to Merriweather Post for two
concerts in 1982, 1988 and 1992, and one show
in both 1986 and 1998. But none left a more
lasting impression than his initial appearance
in Columbia.