Events: 1964
The New Christy Minstrels appeared at Northrop Auditorium on January 25, 1964.
The local folk group the Goldebriars made its network debut on the national “Hootenanny” show in January 1964. The group got together in 1962, playing at LeZoo in the spring of ’63 and then at the Padded Cell. Members were Ron Neilson (West High), Curt Boettcher (former U of M), and sisters Dottie and Sheri Holmberg (White Bear Lake). The group expanded to six pieces, relocated to Los Angeles, and released two LPs on Epic Records. Here’s an article about the Goldebriars.
On February 8, 1964, the Prom Ballroom hosted the Caravelles, Counts Four, and the Jack Gabel Sextet as part of its “rock vs. smooth” programming. It generally had a big band and a teen band every weekend.
In the wake of the Beatles, every male teenager wanted to play the guitar. If you were a pre-teen, there were substitutes, courtesy of with-it toy companies.
Battle of the Bands, SLP High School, Feb. 15, 1964: Chancellors vs. the Rays. Each band played for 20 minutes at a time, and at the end of the night the kids voted for the best band. Never heard of the Rays. And if you didn’t like rock ‘n’ roll there was a jazz combo in the activity room.
Peter, Paul and Mary appeared at the Minneapolis Auditorium on February 22, 1964.
Allan Sherman, my favorite singing comedian, appeared at the St. Paul Auditorium Theater Section on March 7, 1964, a benefit for the Women’s American Organization for Rehabilitation Through Training. Tickets were a mere $5 donation!
And if that weren’t enough, on March 7, 1964, the Padded Cell featured the Hollywood Quintet. Oh well.
Peter Nero appeared with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra at Northrop Auditorium on March 9, 1964. This sold-out concert was originally scheduled for November 24, 1963, but was cancelled in light of the Kennedy assassination.
If you were looking for something completely different on April 10, 1964, Victor Borge was telling jokes and playing piano at the St. Paul Auditorium Theatre.
And more folk music could be heard on April 10, 1964, at the Padded Cell, where the featured performer was (are you kidding?) Charlie Swagman. I’ll bet he was jolly.
The PTA at Brookside Elementary School in St. Louis Park sponsored a Hoot-nanny at the school carnival on April 11, 1964. Those who could sound like the Christy Minstrels (presumably the New Christy Minstrels) were encouraged to participate. Seven ponies were available for riding, and the prizes included transistor radios. Other activities included a trading post, country store, chuck wagon, merry-go-round, make-up booth, candy peg board, and a fish pond. One of the musical participants was the newly-formed Jaguars, all students of Brookside School.
Seen practicing their “British Invasion” song list are Bobby Rivkin on drums (age 8), Stephen Rivkin, Craig Schadow, and Gary Oxman, all on guitars and all age 12. The honed their skills playing dances at the old Community Center, Central Jr. High Canteens, and possibly the Roller Garden. Bobby, of course, went on to play with Prince and the Revolution, and Stephen became a big Hollywood film editor. Older brother David Rivkin was already making his way through some classic Twin City bands. Read more about the Rivkins here. Thanks ever so much to Craig Schadow for the photo.
Competing with the Brookside Jaguars on April 11, 1964, was Johnny Cash, listed as performing at the “Civic Auditorium.”
Jayne Malana, an assistant to Dick Shapiro remembers:
In (I think) 1964 although I don’t remember the date, the Beach Boys played the Armory. After the show, we (the five band members — Brian, Carl, Dennis, Mike and Al, and their manager, who I think was their father, and I) went to dinner at Giovanni’s on Hennepin Avenue. They were staying at the Inn Towne Motel near the Greyhound Station. I dropped them off there that night and went home like a good girl. The next morning I picked them up and drove them to the airport in my mom’s ’53 Plymouth. There must have been another car, too, but I don’t remember it. I still have a picture strip of Dennis Wilson and me in a photo booth at the airport that day. Dennis left his sport coat in the car and I kept it for years. My mother finally got rid of it.
Stebbins reported that in 1964 there were 22 jazz groups working in and around Minneapolis. The majority were playing for dancing, two backed strip acts, and six played for listening. Approximately one-fourth of the working musicians were black and almost all were male. There were around 2,000 members in the Minneapolis musicians’ union.
Dick Gregory, the Freedom Singers, and top jazz and calypso artists appeared at the Minneapolis Auditorium on May 10, 1964, sponsored by the Minneapolis Friends of Civil Rights in cooperation with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
On June 5, 1964, KDWB presented The School’s End “Battle of the Bands in the Round!” with Gregory Dee and the Avanties, the Jades, the Lancers, the Mystics, and the Wanderers. At Aldrich Arena “on St. Paul’s East Side.”
In July 1964, WDGY brought Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs (“Sugar Shack”) to Danceland.
Tony Bennett and Duke Ellington appeared at Met Stadium on August 22, 1964.
Sammy Davis, Jr. came to Met Stadium in August 1964.
Club “15” held their annual Bermuda Short Dance at Ford Parkway Hall on August 30. Music was provided by Mojo Buford and his “Chi 4.”
WDGY gave away tickets to a Beatles concert in Chicago on September 5, 1964. But they also advertised an album of Beatle songs as mangled by the Hollyridge Strings. Oh why?
1964 was the breakout year for the Chancellors, which included two members from St. Louis Park: David Rivkin and John Hughes. The other members were Mike Judge and Dan Holm. In October 1964 the band recorded their famous version of “Little Latin Lupe Lu” and also “YoYo” at Kay Bank Studios. Rivkin was associated with three major Twin Cities bands, starting with four years with the Chancellors. In 1965 David left the Chancellors to join the High Spirits In late 1968, David moved to join Stillroven. Now known as David Z, he had two brothers: born Robert Rivkin, Bobby Z is a musician and producer, most famous for being Prince’s drummer as a member of the Revolution. Steven E. Rivkin is a film editor and producer.
Ray Charles performed at the St. Paul Auditorium Theater on October 9 and the Minneapolis Auditorium on October 10, 1964.
Harry Belafonte and Greek singer Nana Mouskouri came to Northrop Auditorium on November 11, 1964.
The Modern Jazz Quartet appeared at Northrop Auditorium on November 15, 1964.
“Mr. Dynamite” James Brown and His Famous Flames gave a dance and show at the Minneapolis Auditorium on November 17, 1964.
Marian Anderson came to Northrop Auditorium on November 24 as part of her Farewell Tour.