On September 15, 1964, the Beatles descended upon Cleveland Public Hall. A horde of approximately 11,000 screaming fans piled into Cleveland Public Hall to see the Fab Four perform their particular brand of musical magic. At first glance, the aging Public Hall may not have appeared to be a particularly monumental venue, but it was about to cement its place in the city's eventual reputation as a rock and roll capital.
The facility was initially opened in 1922, and was part of the city's ambitious Group Plan, which sought to formalize the layout and architecture of downtown Cleveland in the mold of the City Beautiful Movement. At its opening, it was splendid and the largest venue of its kind. However, by 1964, other venues such as Municipal Stadium were available for large events, making Public Hall a different and interesting choice for The Beatles' Cleveland debut.
The Beatles made numerous landmark appearances throughout the country in 1964. Seven months after their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9 of that year, they arrived in Cleveland. According to reports, the crowd of screaming fans, mostly adoring young women, rushed the stage at such a volume that the concert was stopped by police for ten minutes. It was the first time a Beatles concert had ever been stopped and it had everything to do with the layout of Public Hall. When The Beatles greeted fans that day in 1964, the stage was raised at one end of the concert hall, with police barricades in front, and a floor full of folding chairs and concertgoers. The fact that the stage was so close to the fans – it was in fact, practically on the floor – made it seem as though The Beatles were one with the fans. According to Steve Bellamy, a fan who attended the concert, "... girls, started standing up on the seats, but the seats would kind of collapse on them, their ankles would get caught in the seat, they started screaming and panicking." The sheer chaos of the scene set the Public Hall concert apart from other Beatles performances in Cleveland and ensured it would live on in public memory. But The Beatles weren't the only band to leave a lasting mark in Public Hall.
Next up on our musical journey of Cleveland Public Hall is the infamous Rolling Stones concert on November 3, 1964. By comparison, the crowd was small, with only about 1,000 people in attendance. This reportedly made the Rolling Stones “furious,” as the two groups had been positioned in the media as rivals for the rock and roll crown. Although the crowd was smaller, they were no less determined to get as close as possible to the band, again causing police to stop the show. While there was not much press coverage of the show itself, the Plain Dealer reported that a 17-year-old girl fell from the balcony during this show. The girl was not seriously injured, although she was transported to St. Vincent Charity Hospital and given X-rays and treated for bruises. This led to the “concert ban” by current Cleveland mayor Ralph S. Locher. Although the ban did not explicitly prohibit all rock concerts, it did ban major rock acts from performing at publicly owned venues, a policy that stood until the summer of 1966 (when Locher himself lifted the ban). Nonetheless, when The Beatles returned to Cleveland in 1966, they chose Municipal Stadium as the venue.
Between the infamous shows of 1964, until David Bowie appeared in 1972, there were a number of notable concerts that took place at Public Hall. The year 1968 brought some incredible talents to the city. The Jimi Hendrix Experience played to a sold out crowd on March 26, 1968, in support of their Axis: Bold as Love album. Cream sold out Public Hall on May 12, with support from Canned Heat (the first and last time Cream played in the Greater Cleveland area until 1975). On August 2, 1968, when The Doors appeared at a sold out Public Hall, the crowd was anxious to see what the infamous band would do. The Doors did not disappoint. Frontman Jim Morrison brought his usual antics, at one point diving into the crowd during “Light My Fire," an act that seemed utterly outrageous at the time. The following year, on October 24, Led Zeppelin played Public Hall, followed by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young on December 12. At a Creedence Clearwater Revival show on July 17, 1970, the Hell's Angels biker club, by then notorious for their violence at the Altamont Free Concert in 1969, “…took over the first three rows,” according to CCR drummer Doug Clifford.
September 22, 1972, was an extraordinary moment to be a rock music lover in Cleveland and illustrates how Cleveland earned its reputation as a rock and roll powerhouse. David Bowie and his Spiders From Mars backing band took the stage at Public Hall, marking the American debut of Bowie's legendary Ziggy Stardust persona. Famed Cleveland Plain Dealer rock critic Jane Scott described the performance as “electricity.” It has been posited that Bowie chose Cleveland to begin his North American tour because his Ziggy Stardust album was getting significant radio play on Cleveland's trailblazing WMMS, while other cities were largely ignoring his music. The band received a ten-minute ovation. Bowie claimed it was the first moment he sensed the success of his show.
Public Hall, in its rock and roll heyday, was in the unique position to offer the best of several types of venues. With a capacity of approximately 10,000 but maintaining an intimate feeling due to the closeness of the stage to the fans, it offered musicians an almost-literal connection to their audience. Its grandiose ornamentation and stately civic architecture lent a sense of importance to the events inside, at a time when rock and roll was still fighting for recognition. Cleveland Public Hall, which still operates as a venue for popular music today, is Cleveland at its finest, with equal parts splendor and warmth.
]]>During the Great Depression, Cleveland struggled like many other cities. It went from being the second largest industrial center in the country, trailing only Detroit, to experiencing an exodus of citizens. Cleveland lost close to half of its jobs during the depths of the Depression. However, even this was not enough to diminish Cleveland's importance. In late 1935, the Republican Party (GOP), had narrowed down its main selections for its 1936 national convention site to Chicago, Kansas City, and Cleveland. By late 1935, with a strong push from Chester Bolton, a prominent Ohio Republican from Cleveland who served on the congressional committee for the convention, Cleveland's Public Auditorium was chosen for the Republican National Convention. The same year, the city hosted the Great Lakes Exposition. Both events created a lively scene on the Mall.
By June Cleveland was well prepared for the RNC. As the Republicans poured through the streets of Cleveland, there was tension in the air. The president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was highly beloved, as was his party. The man who would be selected the presidential nominee, Alfred Landon, was one of the few Republican governors elected in the early 1930s, and he was the only incumbent to win. So the race to the White House would not be an easy one. While Cleveland used the months from the beginning of 1936 to June to prepare for the influx of convention-goers, the GOP had not planned as well as the host city. There was some fear that Herbert Hoover, former president and Republican luminary, might challenge Landon's current position as GOP frontrunner. Luckily, he did not and Hoover, as well as the keynote speaker Fredrick C. Steiwer, fully supported Landon, who easily beat his closest competitor, Sen. William Borah of Idaho. In fact, Landon must not have been overly concerned about his situation, for he remained in Kansas throughout the convention and was conspicuously absent from public view for two months thereafter.
Since Abraham Lincoln's historic presidency, the African American vote had always been overwhelmingly Republican. Even when Hoover's policies had little positive effect in the early years of the Depression, most African American voters stood by the Republicans. That is until 1936, when a startling lack of black representation stunned the loyal demographic. Many black leaders cried out on this, as well as many papers, including the Call and Post, Cleveland's prominent African American newspaper, and even the Plain Dealer, one of the city's leading dailies. One African American leader, Dr. Charles H. Phillip, claimed it would be "the death of the Republican Party." The Republicans ignored this warning, and Steiwer launched into a vicious speech against the New Deal and FDR. Landon's acceptance speech as the nominee was filled with similar rhetoric.
However, it seems that Phillip was correct in his observation. Landon was utterly devastated by FDR, winning only two states (Maine and Vermont). FDR went on to serve three more terms in office, and it is clear that the snubbed black vote helped account for this landslide victory; FDR earned 71 percent of the African American vote, and the so-called New Deal voting coalition, an unlikely alliance of business leaders, blue-collar whites, and blacks, reoriented the national political game for at least the next three decades. In fact, African Americans still support Democrats overwhelmingly. So while the Cleveland RNC in 1936 may be remembered for its failure to identify a candidate who could unseat Roosevelt, in their mishandling of black supporters and vicious rhetoric against a popular president, party leaders played into the hands of what was becoming a historic presidency, playing a role in reinforcing the New Deal.
]]>In 1924, the city of Cleveland was preparing for a gathering unlike any it had ever experienced before. After much debate, it had been decided that the Republican National Convention was going to be held in the Forest City. Set to take place in June 1924, this convention would start a new era of political conventions.
On August 2, 1923, the nation experienced the tragic death of President Warren G. Harding and saw a new face take his place. Calvin Coolidge was fairly unknown as the vice president and remained rather unknown throughout the rest of that year. His lack of publicity served the Grand Old Party (GOP) well. The Harding administration, after all, had faced a great deal of controversy which had guaranteed that he would be dropped from the ticket in 1924. The Teapot Dome and veterans bureau scandals caused the public to lose all faith in the government, but Coolidge's fresh face was exactly what the party needed to be able to restore the country's faith in their government as well as in the Republican Party.
When it came down to the convention that would nominate Coolidge, there was debate on whether it was going to be held in San Francisco or Cleveland. The deciding factor was a personal endorsement from Coolidge for the city of Cleveland. In tribute to the late President Harding, Coolidge gave his support to Cleveland for it was in Harding's home state. Besides said endorsement, Cleveland itself had a great deal to offer. The city had a brand-new Public Auditorium, which was near many excellent hotels and attractions, and was able to host 11,500 people.
The convention was the first to allow female delegates equal representation with men after women had received the right to vote in 1920. Special attention was paid to the comfort of female representatives. The party even created a special committee to accommodate the needs of women, including placing a hostess at every accommodating hotel in order to assist representatives. The convention was also the first to broadcast its proceedings through radio. WTAM broadcast the convention's speeches and other important elements as far as its signal could reach. There was also much spectacle given to the convention such as fireworks and boat rides given to delegates.
This convention in particular was somewhat of an enigma. Though there was a great deal of new and exciting things surrounding this convention, it is hardly mentioned as being influential. Although the convention provided a starting point for some aspects of modern-day conventions, the actual content of the convention was rather dry. At one point it was suggested that "the city open up the churches to liven things up a bit." There was relatively little debate on whom to nominate since the GOP had a great deal of faith in Coolidge. Consequently, there was not much to actually do. President Coolidge himself did not even attend the convention; he stayed in Washington, D.C., to continue attending to Presidential duties.
The convention provided a firm foundation for the elected presidency of Calvin Coolidge. Though he served during a time known as the "roaring twenties," his journey there was nothing of the sort. His legacy as "Silent Cal" followed by the devastation caused by the Great Depression would go on to replace the memory of the pathbreaking yet lackluster Republican National Convention of 1924.
]]>In the 1920s Cleveland's Public Auditorium was among the largest and most popular meeting venues in the United States. By the end of the 20th century, Cleveland and Public Auditorium were fighting tooth and nail for second-tier convention business. Two decades later Cleveland hosted the 2016 Republican National Convention—leveraging a new convention center connected to a large hotel and a revamped Public Auditorium.
Public Auditorium was one of seven public buildings constructed as part of the Cleveland Group Plan of 1903. Reflecting the goals of the “City Beautiful” movement (attractive public buildings and open spaces), the Group Plan emphasized Roman Revival and Beaux Arts architecture surrounding a large mall. All of the resultant structures survive to this day, except for the Cuyahoga County Administration Building (the least iconic of the group) which was demolished in 2014.
Design plans for Public Auditorium were created by city architects Frederic H. Betz and J. Harold McDowell in conjunction with Frank R. Walker of the architectural firm Walker & Weeks. Planning and fundraising commenced in 1916. Construction began in 1920 and the building was completed in 1922. The result was magnificent in scale and aesthetic allure: A 21,780-square-foot registration lobby, a 10,000-seat auditorium with color frescos lining the balconies, a 3,000-seat Music Hall and a 600-seat Little Theater. Small wonder that the auditorium’s heyday was long and fruitful: Republican National Conventions in 1924 and 1936. Concerts ranging from the Cleveland Orchestra and Duke Ellington to the Beatles and David Bowie.
Unfortunately, Public Hall began to languish by mid century. In 1957, an issue to expand the convention center beneath the Mall was rejected by Cleveland voters. The resolution reappeared in 1958 and again was struck down. In 1959, voters also rejected a 1,000-room Hilton hotel, controversially sited on the south end of the Mall. Not until 1963 did Public Auditorium receive a much-needed subterranean addition. Auditorium business and attendance rebounded but only temporarily. For nearly another half century, Public Auditorium remained static.
A positive new stage for Public Auditorium emerged in 2011. First the Global Center for Health Innovation was conceived (initially as the Medical Mart) and eventually built on the west side of the mall. Voters also approved a 0.25 percent sales tax increase to fund development of the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland—a massive renovation of the convention space beneath the Mall and the adjoining Public Auditorium. Adding to the allure of the new meeting spaces, the Hilton Cleveland Downtown was finally erected on the former site of the County Administration Building. Voila: 390,000 total feet of meeting space and underground access to a 600-room hotel. With the help of some powerful new neighbors, Public Auditorium saw new life.
]]>On November 4, 1946 Django Reinhardt made his American debut at the Music Hall in Cleveland. Reinhardt, a Belgian jazz guitarist, had been invited to open for Duke Ellington on a small tour of the Midwest. Reinhardt, a headliner in Europe, arrived in Cleveland without a guitar. He assumed that music companies would compete for the honor of having him play their instruments. Reinhardt quickly learned otherwise and was forced to buy a guitar.
Local promoters further complicated Reinhardt's US debut and failed to capitalize on the moment, purchasing only a small ad in the local papers – an ad that failed to mention Reinhardt's involvement, simply stating, "Elroy Willis presents Duke Ellington and his Orchestra at the Music Hall." Despite the oversight, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that 1,800 people attended the concert.
After a 45 minute delay while the musicians awaited the arrival of a baggage car carrying Ellington Orchestra's instruments, the crowd finally heard Django Reinhardt's first U.S. performance. The act was such a hit that Reinhardt and Ellington would go on to play in other major cities in the Midwest before concluding their tour in New York City at Carnegie Hall.
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]]>The National Air Races finally came to Cleveland Municipal (now Cleveland-Hopkins International) Airport in 1929. Local businessmen Louis W. Greve and Frederick C. Crawford played a big role in bringing the event to Cleveland. Both men were involved in the the city's thriving aviation industry with Greve's Cleveland Pneumatic Tool Company making landing gears and Crawford's Thompson Products (later TRW) involved in the production of aircraft engine valves.
The Cleveland National Air Races of 1929 kicked off with a grand parade down Euclid Avenue watched by over one hundred thousand spectators. A $3 million aviation exhibit opened at the Cleveland Public Auditorium at the same time. Meanwhile, the event's organizers built a permanent grandstand at the airport which could seat 50,000 spectators. Overflow crowds (a common occurrence) were accommodated with temporary stands. The ten-day event, held in late August and early September, proved to be wildly successful, and the Air Races returned to Cleveland in 1931, '32, '34, '35, '37, '38, '39, '46, '47, '48, and '49.
The most popular parts of the Air Races were the fast-paced, closed-course races. The 1929 Thompson Trophy Race, for example, featured planes flying five laps around a ten-mile circuit. Cross-country races, timed to end in Cleveland during the Air Races, were also held. The inaugural Powder Puff Race of 1929 featured women competitors (including Amelia Earhart) flying from California to Cleveland. Blimp rides, parachuting competitions, and military demonstrations kept the fans entertained between races.
The dangerous nature of aviation at this time was surely part of the appeal that drew crowds to the Air Races. Indeed, crashes were common, and fatalities sometimes occurred. The closed-course races in particular, with pilots jockeying for position mid-air, could be incredibly dangerous. In 1949, Bill Odom crashed his P-51 World War II fighter plane into a house in Berea during the Thompson Trophy Race, killing himself and a mother and child inside. Afterwards, Berea and other cities near Cleveland Airport passed laws barring races from being held in their airspace. For this and other reasons, 1949 would be the last National Air Race held in Cleveland. In fact, the event as a whole went on hiatus after the crash before being revived in Reno, Nevada in 1964. The Cleveland National Air Show began that same year at Burke Lakefront Airport, though its focus was on aviation demonstrations, and races only occurred infrequently.
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