On July 4, 1983, the Beach Boys' Fourth of July concert on the National Mall was canceled.

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5. In the mid 70s my alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa,

decided to build a “multi-purpose facility” — the UNI Dome. They billed it as multi-purpose — suitable for concerts as well as football, basketball and wrestling — because they were taking the student activity fees to apply toward the costs, while then charging students for events they could formerly attend for free.

After the thing was built, the athletic director tried to renege on the promise about concerts. He didn’t want his precious Astroturf to be damaged. That caused such a hue and cry he backtracked, and allowed that possibly Lawrence Welk would be acceptable. That caused even more of a blow up.

He finally started sending his assistant AD to the campus radio station, where I was manager, to audition records of artists that might be deemed “acceptable.” While he loved Lady by Styx, the first artist— more than a year later — was actually Harry Chapin.

A good friend of mine picked him up at the airport, took him back to his apartment for an interview, and now has an album signed by the late Mr. Chapin inscribed to my friend with the legend “Thanks for listening so closely.”. A good time was had by all, and there was no damage.

Several months later the Doobie Brothers played the Dome, which did result in some burn marks on the Astroturf from of all things. . . doobies! Who knew?