Disco Destruction Night
Every once in a while, we hear how rock is dead and that it’s reached the end of the line. That cry was especially loud in the late 70s when it seemed that the whole world was going disco. But rock fans fought back, many adopting the motto “Death before disco.”
On July 12, 1979, Mike Veeck, the owner of the Chicago White Sox, decided to goose ticket sales for a double header with the Tigers by staging “Disco Destruction Night” on the field between games.
Anyone could get in for 98 cents if you brought along a disco record. More than 50,000 people showed up and all these records were blown up in center field.
Then the crowd went nuts, storming the field, ripping up the field and starting a riot. It got so crazy that the White Sox were forced to forfeit the game, which was only the fourth time in major league history.
Coincidentally enough, I was watching "The Green Mile" this afternoon with Michael Clarke Duncan (as "John Coffey") & looked up his Wikipedia entry to learn more about him… he was there! To wit – "In 1979, he participated in the Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox: he was among the first 100 people to run onto the field and he slid into third base. During the ensuing riot his silver belt buckle was stolen while he was stealing a baseball bat from the dugout…"
Coincidentally, we at PopMatters.com ran the following review of a new disco compliation: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/157873-various-artists-best-of-disco-demands/. So maybe disco is back?
Incidentally, there's a link in the article that leads to a YouTube clip that espouses more on Disco Demolition Night.
It got so crazy that the White Sox were forced to forfeit the game, which was only the fourth time in major league history.
Did Pete and Geets not do a disco destruction shtick on Q107 in the late 70's? Basically they would run the needle over the song after the first few verses.