The Beatles and the Bluffs-- The Beatles shook up America when they appeared on Ed Sullivan in 1964.  So what is that keeps them a household name sixty years later?

John, Paul, George and Ringo may never have ventured into Council Bluffs, but their influence was very much felt here. If nothing else, The Daily Nonpareil took to offering advice (“Parents- pretend you like the Beatles; your children will then think the Beatles are square and forget about them”) and warnings (“What will become of the world when those hysterical music lovers grow up to be voters?") as well as news of the first barber in town to be asked to do a “Beatles haircut.”

Join us on Monday, June 9, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. to learn about the rise of the Beatles in Great Britain in 1962-64 and their subsequent breakout in America. Local researcher, writer and Beatles historian Brian Mainwaring will talk about the music of the Beatles and their influence on music and culture worldwide. Richard Warner from the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County will look at the local music charts and music scene in Council Bluffs as the Fab Four gained international fame. The program is free.

More information about the program:  In "The Beatles '62-'64: A Minor British Band Becomes A Major Global Force," presenter Brian Mainwaring will take us through the complex and seemingly improbable combination of actions, decisions, and people that, in just a few years, helped The Beatles ascend from being a modestly successful Liverpool rock-and-roll band to a phenomenon that would markedly change the international musical landscape.

In particular, he'll look at how the group's increasing 1963 level of success in the U.K. very much paved the way for The Beatles to conquer America the following year.  This program will also survey both the national and local record charts of the day to see just what Beatles songs people were listening to, along with recognizing other artists who were receiving airplay--some of whom were their British Invasion counterparts.  

There will be plenty of interesting Beatles-related facts and trivia, as well; this will include mention a couple of 1964 U.S. tour stops that brought the band into the general vicinity of Council Bluffs (within driving distance, at least).

Presenter Brian Mainwaring is a retired writer, editor, and researcher who has been an avid Beatles listener and student for five decades.  He owns their recorded catalogue several times over; has read hundreds (and maybe thousands) of books and articles about the group; and, at one point, even played guitar and harmonica in an informal local Beatles cover band.  He has seen Paul McCartney in concert three times, and Ringo Starr once.