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The Beatles left Las Vegas on the afternoon of the 21st after sleeping off another late night. On the plane trip up to Seattle, The Beatles and their entourage rested by listening to records using a portable record player belonging to the Exciters. They touched down at Seattle-Tacoma airport (known locally as Sea-Tac), and the four looked a bit weary following their Las Vegas visit. As they came off the plane they managed only a few half-hearted smiles and faint waves for pleading photographers.
The Beatles were ushered into a waiting limousine that moved them slowly away from the plane, past a screaming crowd of approximately 300 girls waiting outside a high fence in a remote section of the airport, and toward the exclusive Edgewater Inn located in downtown Seattle 12 miles away.
The Edgewater Inn, their destination, was built on a pier jutting out into Puget Sound, and had for weeks been declining reservations for August 20-22 from anyone under 20. The Seattle Police Department had braced itself for The Beatles' arrival by preparing a defense against intruding fans by land and by sea. Surrounding the hotel was a wooden barricade built the previous day, topped with barbed wire. Seattle Harbor Police were on patrol in the Puget Sound waters to discourage aquatic invaders. No boats were allowed to approach within 10 feet of the dock. The Beatles gave members of the press something to write about and photograph by fishing out of their hotel rooms with poles lent to them.
The Beatles entertained questions in a press conference held in the Coliseum at approximately 7:15pm. Once the obligatory, posed group photographs had been taken, The Beatles fielded questions. When the press conference ended, The Beatles headed back to their dressing room. On the way, a fan fell 25 feet from an air vent right in front of Ringo Starr. When he asked the fan if she was all right, the fan ran away towards the crowd.
The performance was held at the Seattle Center Coliseum, which had been sold out for more than a month prior to the show. At 8:07 p.m. the show began. First came the Bill Black Combo, then the Exciters, and after them the Righteous Brothers. Next on the program was Jackie de Shannon, who sang "Needles and Pins" and several other songs to the delight of the crowd.
At 9:25 p.m. the four Beatles ran onstage. A good portion of the audience jumped onto their seats and began to scream and applaud and the ushers began trying to get them to sit down again. Meanwhile camera flash bulbs went off all over the Coliseum, and continued to do so throughout the rest of the evening, in fashion of bursts of artillery fire. It almost didn't go like that. The original plan was for 16 Seattle police officers to escort The Beatles down a corridor, across 18 feet of open space and onto the stage. As The Beatles and their cortege whipped from the corridor, a phalanx of youngster's swept down a ramp from the balcony. The officers nearest the ramp pivoted like gridiron tacklers. Youngsters bounced off blueclad shoulders. John, Paul, George and Ringo were gone like gazelles, down a short tunnel toward and onto the stage.
The screaming continued throughout The Beatles half-hour show, although levels ranged from deafening to a dull roar. Certain things set off new waves of it - a dance step by one of The Beatles, a word from one of them over the microphone or at a twist of a head or even a smile.
With the last strains of "Long Tall Sally," The Beatles waved a quick "Goodbye" and disappeared out the back entrance. The screaming continued for a few moments until realization set in that the idols had disappeared. They had problems getting their Cadillac back because it was sent out as a "dummy" car to distract fans from The Beatles leaving, and such was swamped by fans who damaged the car. The Beatles were whisked away by ambulance again.
The day following the performance, Jack J. Engerman of Northwest Leasing Corp., reported that The Beatles' performance had grossed $64,000. The Beatles were paid $34,200, taxes amounted roughly to $7,000 and with $13,000 in expenses including theater rental, promotion, box office costs, ushers and security crews, Northwest Releasing's share of $22,800 was reduced to a $9,800 profit. Zollie Volchok verified this information and that the net gross after taxes was $57,616.60.
About 200 Fans manned the barricades at the Edgewater Inn from early morning to departure time and when The Beatles motorcade sped out of the enclosure with a police motorcycle escort on its way to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the tears flowed and the screams became wails. Within an hour after The Beatles left the Edgewater, the off-orange carpet in their suite had been taken up. It had been bought by Russell Lackie, president of MacDougall and Southwick, and was offered to Beatle fans in small pieces.
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