Orderly Crowd a High Note at The Who Concert

(The Who make their finale a grand musical goodbye, page B-6.)

By Douglas Root

Tickets were scalped for as much as $80 each, and a few unfortunates who couldn't hold their liquor or drugs found themselves sitting in the back of a police van instead of under the dome at the Civic Arena.

But the mostly orderly young and not-so-young crowd attending last night's concert by the rock group The Who was calm compared to the frenzied crowd at the group's concert in Cincinnati three years ago, when 11 people were trampled to death.

Police were able to concentrate on problems other than crowd control because concert promoters apparently have learned from the Cincinnati tragedy, said Mayer DeRoy, assistant police superintendent.

"Tickets at that (Cincinnati) concert went on sale the night of the show. Tickets here went on sale more than a month ago," he said. DeRoy added that reserved seating and special gates with early opening times also cut the risk of a stampede.

The Civic Arena had a sellout crowd of more than 17,000.

City police and arena officials in charge of the security arrangements had expected an orderly crowd, but were prepared for the worst. A highly visible detachment of at least 40 policemen, some on motorcycles and a few attached to German shepherds, patrolled the entrance areas and parking lots.

"This is just fine," said one patrolman stationed at the main entrance. "I've seen worse crowds waiting to get into the Stanley (Theater) or even Heinz Hall."

DeRoy said officers were concentrating on halting drug sales and alcohol consumption because crowd control was unnecessary.

City police reported 19 people arrested on drug or alcohol charges.

By far, the biggest preoccupation of the pre-concert crowd was either obtaining or selling tickets for what the group had promised would be its final concert tour.

Desperation for tickets even drove two designer-jean-clad young women to descend, vulturelike, on an intoxicated and nearly unconscious youth who was being detained by police.

"Can you tell me where your ticket is?" one shouted in his ear as he sat propped up against a wall, awaiting a police van.

"Do you have a ticket? We can pay you for it," the other said, trying to search through his pockets.

They were chased from the area by an angry policeman.

Their tickets bought more than a month ago, orderly fans filed into Civic Arena for concert by The Who.

Press Photo by Jim Fetters