Illinois Entertainer July 2019 | Page 16

By Rick Kaempfer DISCO DECONSTRUCTION O n July 12th the Chicago White Sox will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of the most famous stunts in radio history. On that day in 1979, WLUP radio morning per- sonalities Steve Dahl & Garry Meier went onto the field of Comiskey Park between games of a White Sox doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers to blow up a crate of disco records as part of their “Disco Sucks” campaign. The event, known as Disco Demolition, became much more. The White Sox expected a crowd of about 20,000 people and were shocked when the attendance exceeded 50,000 and the capacity of Comiskey Park by a large answered this question a million times, but in retrospect, did you have any idea we'd still be talking about that night 40 years later? Steve: I thought I was going to get fired for inciting a riot that I didn’t incite. The fact its part of Chicago music and sports history is something that I’m very proud of. Rick: Considering how iconic that night has become, does it surprise you that every time it's mentioned, the people that were pissed about it at the time somehow emerge? They emerged when the White Sox first announced this anniversary ear- Steve and Garry circa 1980 16 illinoisentertainer.com july 2019 margin. Young rock and roll fans, drawn by the 98 cent ticket price (to match the radio station’s frequency), and the specta- cle of seeing their favorite radio personal- ities actually blowing up records, brought their disco records and threw them onto the field. After the explosion, fans stormed the area and created a riot, tear- ing up the grounds, ripping out the bases and destroying the batting cages. The White Sox had to forfeit the second game of the doubleheader because the field was ruled unplayable. Riot police had to be called in to disperse the crowds. News of this event spread far and wide and made an even bigger star of morning man Steve Dahl. It also caused Dahl quite a bit of trouble at the time but has since become the thing he is remem- bered for most in his career. He still hears about it all the time some forty years later. Full disclosure: About a decade after the Disco Demolition, I produced Steve & Garry’s show on the Loop for a few years. I wasn’t there when it happened, but I have witnessed the change in people’s attitudes about it. The fact that the White Sox are choosing to honor the date, for instance, is something that would have been unheard of when I still worked on the show. I recently caught up with Steve Dahl and got a chance to ask him about the date that will live in infamy for him. lier this year. How can they still be pissed at the Sox forfeiting a meaningless game 40 years later? Steve: The people who emerge these days seem to think it was homophobic and racist. Most of them weren’t even alive when it happened and have no idea what they are talking about. We were on a radio station owned by a U.S. Congressman (Cecil Heftel from Hawaii). There was no way they would let us do something that would jeopardize the license like that. Rick: Congrats on the big anniversary night coming up with the White Sox. I was living in Germany when Disco Demolition happened in 1979, and it made the newscasts there. That's how big of a story that was. I know you've Rick: At one point, you were banned from Comiskey. Now they are celebrating you. That has to make you feel good. Steve: I wasn’t technically banned. It just didn’t seem like a good idea to show up Rick: I remember when you and Garry were celebrating your tenth anniversary together (1989). I called up Jimmy Piersall and asked him to be on the show to talk about your anniversary and what he thought about Disco Demolition all those years later. He nearly deafened me with an angry profanity-filled tirade. Did you and Jimmy ever make up? Steve: Jimmy went to his grave, hating me. I’m still in counseling. Rick: You've probably personally heard a million stories from the many fans that were there that day. What are some of your favorites? Steve: I always like hearing about the guys climbing the foul poles, the imagi- nary base-running, and the couple mak- ing out at second base. Continued on page on page Continued page 48 55