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Inside the chaos of The Beatles’ only Minnesota concert

On August 21, 1965, The Beatles performed their only Minnesota concert at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, drawing about 30,000 fans. The Fab Four played an 11-song set for the massive, screaming crowd.
Youngsters across the upper Midwest traveled from at least seven states and Canada to attend the show, which occurred 18 months after the band's iconic Ed Sullivan Show appearance. Stores region-wide enticed fans with ticket giveaways.
Security forces hired 103 policemen and 350 ushers to manage the maelstrom, with officers armed with 42-inch wooden crowd-control batons. Nearly 100 policemen tried to maintain order as fans crowded the venue.
Following the concert, reporters infiltrated the entourage's restricted hotel floor, prompting Minneapolis Police Inspector Donald R. Dwyer to growl, "Those people are the worst I have ever seen visit the city."
The 1965 visit remained the Fab Four's only Minnesota performance, marking a peak of Beatlemania. Local businesses capitalized on the craze, selling "Beatle-type boots" for $7.77 and "Beatle Nut" ice cream.

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