1952 The World’s First Rock and Roll Concert
Disk jockey Alan Freed (1921-65) is credited with popularizing the term rock and roll as a description of a certain type of popular music derived from black rhythm and blues. His Cleveland radio show drew a large listenership and prompted Freed and his commercial sponsor Leo Mintz who owned a record store, to arrange a concert with many of the artists whose music he played. It was called the Moondog Coronation Ball after the pseudonym Freed used on his show. Among the acts scheduled to perform were Paul Williams and the Hucklebuckers, and Tiny Grimes and the Rocking Highlanders (an African-American instrumental group that appeared in kilts — surely an artistic concept that needs to be revived.)
It was a disaster.
There were twice as many tickets printed as there was space for. A mob invaded the arena making conditions extremely dangerous and the fire marshal shut down the show after the first song of the first act. The audience was unhappy in the extreme, but the “teensters” as they were called left without further disturbance.