supernerd1964 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

you and me both right on

mariobro1993 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

They WANTED to come to naptown. They wanted to see the speedway. Man... I wish I had been alive then...

vwtch (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

From December '63 & January '64 when the Beatles first became known in the U.S., and from February, '64 when they first appeared on Ed Sullivan, they were mythic. They didn't play the Indiana State Fair in September of '64 because it was the only kind of gig they could get, ferchrissakes. In '63 and '64 you had to play on the stages that had been built half a century before that for Vaudeville acts. And you played wherever they dared to put a crowd. Everything anyone did was an experiment!

frontlobo (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

The announcer at the beginning of the video is Jerry Baker of radio station WIFE. The hip AM station in Indy at the time, I believe. I remember listening to Indiana Pacers' games on WIFE w/ Baker doing the play-by-play in the late 60's/early 70's, when they were 3 time ABA Champs. WIFE had a slogan, help me out here fellow Hoosiers, that went something like this, "While your at working, we have been spending some time with your WIFE". Or, something like that.

theultimatejuicebox (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Oh, how I wish I was there. Darn them and being before my time.

myargonauts (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I think modern fans of the group forget that in the early 60s, The Beatles were just another rock n roll group trying to make it in America. They couldn't even get a big label to put out their very first records. They had some big hits early on, but it would be a few years before they reached the mythic status they now hold. So they did play State Fairs and other concert venues that would be unthinkable by today's standards, but were much more commonplace in 1964 when this footage was shot.

NJKjonas14 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

i most definitly wish i was alive to be a Beatles fangirl. that would have been so awesome. this video amazes me. they are the best that ever played :)

vantalge (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Yes, the Beatles played at the State Fair. Twice that day, in fact, the second time outdoors at the harness track. They stayed at the motel at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There's a great photo of them clowning around on the putting green before leaving for the concert inside the pro shop. So wakkyjaky, you have no clue.

easytimes1967 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

To wakkyjaky: You are incorrect. They DID indeed play at the Indy State Fair, Sept. 9, 1964. I WAS THERE. I was 9 years old-but, still old enuff to have Beatlemania (from my older sister-who was 13). My parents took us, & sat with us during the entire screaming frenzy. It was sooooooooo exciting! Very glad to have found this footage-so I somewhat "relive" the experience. Not many people can say they saw the Beatles LIVE. I did, and still listen to all their music today.

rkxprt (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I'm reasonably sure this is raw or roughly edited footage, some or all of which appeared on local Indy TV as "Our Fair Beatles". I used to work for the guy who shot film for this. Audio probably was tapped from the crude PA system at the Fairgrounds Coloseum and synched to film. And it's near-common knowledge around here that Ringo, in the wee hours, got an Indiana State Trooper to take him out to The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and drive him around the famed oval.