On October 3-5, 1975, U-100 was one of 200 stations that broadcast the syndicated “Fantasy Park: a Concert of the Mind.”  It was billed as the ultimate rock concert featuring over 40 “super rock stars.” Ads did not elaborate, but Scott Iwen remembered the event:  “It was quite the (semi) hoax. While most people realized that this ‘simulcast concert’ was in fact just a bunch of songs being played to mimic a three day rock festival, there were some people who were convinced that this sold out concert was really happening somewhere in the Twin Cities and were just trying to figure out where. Everyone from the Rolling Stones, to the Beach Boys, to you name it, was there. The climax of the whole thing was a bunch of clamoring backstage – and sure enough, a full impromptu Beatles reunion occurred! (Funny how everyone’s songs sounded exactly like the recorded versions, not some live set somewhere, oh well.)

“Turns out that this Fantasy Park Studio Production was making the rounds throughout the US. Each weekend some new, unsuspecting city would ‘host’ this event via a local radio station. The concert would always be halted due to rain on the Sunday morning to allow the locals to get in their regular (usually religious) programming and the whole event always ended promptly at 6 pm on Sunday. It was so popular in the Twin Cities that a return to Fantasy Park was held about a month later. Same radio station, same format, same songs. But everyone now knew there was no ‘real’ concert to be found.  One more item regarding that ‘faux concert’ – it was more than just songs being played on the radio, grouped by performer. Fantasy Park had their own emcee and special reporters covering the weekend event giving you the ‘play-by-play’ details along with with some ‘behind-the-scenes’ updates. Of course there were no interviews, but a lot of ‘unplanned’ performances arose – for example, I recall the reporter exclaiming how John Sebastian just happened to be at the concert and was then coaxed onto the stage with a borrowed guitar. From a radio station point of view, it was probably a good way to give most of the regulars the weekend off.”

The show was produced by KNUS, Dallas. DJ Beau Weaver described:  The 48 hour opus had college students hitchhiking all over America hoping to get to “Fantasy Park.” In New Orleans when the concert aired, the IRS came knocking on the doors of WNOE trying to attach the gate receipts to make sure the Feds got their cut!  In 1975 I had the honor of accepting the Billboard Magazine Award for Best Syndicated Radio Special.”  An 18 minute demonstration demo can be heard at www.reelradio.com/bw/index.html, but a paid subscription is required.

A “Return to Fantasy Park” was broadcast on U100 on April 2-4, 1976.