"
It was a hot, sticky, muggy night. And as the evening wore on, you saw kids trying to climb through the catwalk, which was this chain-link fenced area near the scoreboard. I don’t know how people climbed up the exterior wall. The next thing you know, there were They were literally pouring in from every crevice even though it was sold out, the gates were closed, etc."
"They do the seventh inning stretch. Everybody stands up to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
Out comes Steve Dahl in this jeep, wearing a demolition helmet, ROTC jacket and a Hawaiian shirt. That was kind of his uniform and there were other people in the audience wearing this stuff. He makes the announcement that they’re gonna blow up the records. And he had a dumpster. You know, like when you’re clearing out drywall and construction material, out in front of your house: they had one of those things filled with disco records."
"They used dynamite and they blew up the records. And the next thing I know, there’s shrapnel flying through the air. How people weren’t losing limbs with all this vinyl flying, you couldn’t believe it! Smoke everywhere. Fires on the field. Next thing that happens: kids are rushing the field. And they’re going nuts, jumping around, fanning the flames with their shirts."
"And all the ballpark officials are just freaking out. The announcers were trying to get everyone back to their seats. That was not gonna happen."
24 comments:
A legendary Chicago event!
Chicago is the home of the macho blues and macho rock and roll.
Disco got what it had coming!
And, here, decades later, I'm playing a few disco tunes with my kid band.
Ladies' Night, for God's sake!
Never say never.
ha ha ha.
I missed that event, by that I mean I was still at my native land. Missed it by about a month.
What a filthy dump was the old Comiskey Park!
35th and Shields. Dubious neighborhood, too.
Went to a few games back in the era of Minnie Minoso and Luis Aparicio.
But, usually, I just glanced at Comiskey on my way up the Dan Ryan to see the Cubs at Wrigley.
If only those people knew of the horrors to come. I was no fan of disco, but rap was the true quantum jump to crap.
Today? there'd be lawsuits in pantsuits.
yep. I'll take disco over industrial or rage rap.
Do you know who disliked, even hated, Disco?
Answer: All the constipated uncoordinated white dip shits who could not dance like anything but some one having major dry heaves to a rhythm not being played.
If you can't get Thelma Houston, your ear is tin or plugged.
Er...sorry for the interruption.
@Aridog,
Guilty as charged!
ST ... Hah! As I wrote that I was thinking of my daughter's response to my suggestion that since she is now a Yoga expert with a body to die for (honest to God "couger" at 42) she should take up DubStep ala' Marquesse Scott.
One of our best mutual best friends, who is a bit black, came up with that line re: the dry heaves regarding her dancing skills. She agreed.
Scott has muscle control skills comparable, or in excess of (twitch muscle control like no other) , ballerinas and dancers like my favorite Jean Butler...of the Gaelic Slip Jig fame.
I'm guessing that William Ligue, Jr., was at that game.
I don't have an opinion about disco, but I do know that White Sox fans suck.
I watched that game on TV back here in Detroit. I'll always announcer George Kell (with his Arkansas twang) kept saying over and over, "I can't believe it, I can't believe it", while his partner in the booth HOF Al Kaline kept snicking, mumbling, laughing...I thought Al was drunk!
Marquesse Scott is amazing, and I have shown that video to a lot of people. While I am one of those who is not really comfortable dancing in public, I don't think that's why I hated disco. I think Disco is what actually made me uncomfortable dancing. The lyrics and point of the songs often seemed so goofy, geeky and feminine that I just didn't want to be physically enthusiastic about it. Now I have been seen in public lost in some reggae, or blues, or bluegrass, and dancing in abandon, and not giving a shit, but a lot of those disco songs just made me feel stupid or slimy to even be there. Besides as a hard core Rock n Roll fan imagining myself to be cerebral about my music, it was just not gonna work for me. I probably suck at dancing anyway, but I blame Disco for making me shy about it, and it's always safe to blame the deceased.
Ron...hot damn, another Detroiter?!
I thought we were near extinct.
I'd consider going to a Tiger game this summer (first in 20 or so years) if anyone will go with...my darling "cougar" daughter lives across the street from the park...dinner at Foxtowne Grille would suit her, and she could text to beat hell during the game.
Let me know...easy to find me, see my profile.
Rambling epistle warning....
Bagoh20....I get your rock thing, and I am a rock fan before almost anything else...except nearly every kind of music on earth. Rock first...but I think Mozart was a rocker...Beethoven too.
In the Disco era I met more beautiful women than ever before in my life, college through now...my better half met Thelma Houston when she was here. We might have danced for crap but it was fun, and exhausting...made me appreciate "club life" when otherwise I'd not have bothered.
I met the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Prince, Michael Jackson's crew (he was never around), and The Who when I worked for their promoters, and sundry other groups, but it ain't the same now. Prince was the coolest, and by far the best businessman. By far. Really.
Rock meant a fight now and then, especailly if a MC club or two were present...among the ones I knew well were the most notorious outside of CA...I tended bar in the ghetto and they were regulars (crossed pistons in the full patch if you must know). Best Outlaw I ever met was "Bones" and his dog who rode everywhere. Bones was the man.
Disco ... fights? ... never to my knowledge. Lots of beautiful women.
Even Prince's Purple Haze concert got my partner bitten on the arm by a moron street lady (whose head thereafter got bounced about 30 times off a cop car roof). That was one night out of 7 for Prince..the other 6 were superb and no issues. Prince was one cool dude ... and I'd not have believed it if not there myself. MJ's crew...clown show start to finish...and that's being nice.
Rhythm is key to most music, even Reggae (which I am an addict of), and Disco was all about rhythm...mock Abba for those who want to...they made millions upon millions because their music hit a nerve.
Just like "LA Woman"...an anthem forever. Produced in 1971...but relfected the era of the war...which is why is was in the movie about it...bullshit as the movie was. :)
The stream of consciousness thing is addicting ..."LA Woman" reminds me of the inght my room mate bet me I couldn't shoot the on/off tab off the kitchen telephone from 25 feet Blam! (on/off tab first)...I won and the punk (big assed cop he was) would not take it in to exchange. I did and the nice AT&T lady didn't blink when I said the phone got shot. :)
I can't argue with the fun that was the disco era. I was in high school and college at the end, and at that age you had to pick a culture to be a part of, and I chose Rock and obscure stuff. Disco was kind of like a traitorous act to my clique, but it did tend to provide happy intoxicated women, and you can't argue with that, so we would tolerate it in the late hours, then later play something like Ornette Coleman to clear out the place.
The old Comiskey had more class and character than that pansy ass Wrigley Field ever had. Comiskey was a ballpark for people who love baseball, not going to a game in suits or biz casual and being cool, not watching the game. Losers in the stands and on the field. Comiskey had great food w/ local vendors. In left field it was like a bunch of food courts w/ different ethnic foods owned by local people.
Steve Dahl still does podcasts out of his home in suburban Chicago.
Re Marquesse Scott: Roller bearing feet, hydraulic muscles, activated by music. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson would have loved it.
@ndspinelli/
Comiskey had "character" alright, but "Class?" All-pervasive stale beer and urine smells are Class?
PS: Plus the lighting was poor..
Dad Bones ... probably the best description of Marguesse Scott as I have seen. Outstanding!
BTW...I am a 71 yoa white guy who knows that great dance is great dance. Dance is how humans portray music for those who know no music.
Better than no lights!
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