On This Day in 1969, This Stadium Rock Band Allegedly Played in Front of 60 People During Their First North American Tour

Led Zeppelin revolutionized the music industry on multiple fronts, one being the nature of live entertainment. Prior to bands such as Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones, the largest venues rock bands occupied were arenas. However, when the bands above proved their fanbase was big enough and could consistently fill stadiums, the ante was upped. Zeppelin wasn’t always a stadium band, as on this day, January 20, 1969, they reportedly played to an audience with roughly 60 people….Or did they?

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From December 1968 to February 1969, Led Zeppelin trekked across North America on their first North American tour. For any entry-level band, the tour had moments of victory and defeat; one of those defeating moments was allegedly on this day several decades ago.

Of course, Zeppelin was a fairly unknown band in the U.S. and Canada, so to have low-selling gigs is not all that surprising. Although that was not the only factor that influenced the alleged minuscule audience they played to, because on that same night, Richard Nixon’s inauguration was taking place roughly 30 miles down the road.

Fact or Fiction: The Lack of Evidence Behind the Alleged Led Zeppelin Show

As the legend goes, Led Zeppelin played the Wheaton Youth Center in Montgomery County, Maryland, on this day in 1969. On that same evening, in Washington, D.C., Richard Nixon was inaugurated for his first term as President. Despite the potential correlation between the small audience size and Nixon’s inauguration, there is no evidence proving it. Furthermore, there is no evidence even proving that Led Zeppelin played to roughly 60 people on that night in January of 1969.

No official photos, recordings, or documents exist from the show. Thus, the only thing attesting to the event is eyewitness accounts, which are now memories 57 years in the making. According to LedZeppelin.com, “There is no evidence of this show ever occurring. Led Zeppelin’s road manager, Richard Cole, does not recall it either.” Additionally, they reference it merely as an “unconfirmed rumor”.

Given the sheer lack of viable evidence, the likelihood of this actually taking place is fairly slim. If you disagree and are a believer, then that is your prerogative. However, why does a band as big as Led Zeppelin feel the need to cover this up? What do they have to lose? Seemingly, nothing, as their legacy is untouchable. Regardless, on this day, it seems another “myth” was added to the pages of rock ‘n’ roll’s catalog of folkloric tales.

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