Beer and Disco

Disco Demolition Night was a product of many things, including pairing beer and fireworks. Thirty years ago -- July 12, 1979 -- Steve Dahl and Mike Veeck (Bill Veeck's son) of the Chicago White Sox combined beer and disco. The result is infamous.

A baseballdoubleheader scheduled between the visiting Detroit Tigers and Chicago's White Sox was progressing despite a rowdy, anticipatory crowd. Fueled by cheap beer and a cheap radio promotion ($0.98 and a disco record), people flocked to Comiskey Park by the tens of thousands, filling it to capacity and beyond. People resorted to scaling the walls to gain admittance once the gates were closed.

After the 4-1 Game One White Sox loss, radio DJ Steve Dahl took the field -- dressed in military regalia -- accompanied by guards who transported a crate of collected disco records onto centerfield. Rigged into the crate was an explosive device that was detonated after chants of 'Disco Sucks' echoed throughout the stadium.

The explosion blew a hole in the outfield turf but that was the least of the concerns. Fans began pouring onto the field, destroying the batting cage, lighting banners and litter on fire, tearing up other parts of the field, starting fights amongst each other, and ransacking the dugouts. Despite calls over the loudspeakers by announcers Harry Carey and Jimmy Piersall to cease and disperse, the crowd lingered, chased away finally by the Chicago Police riot squad.

Sparky Anderson, the Tiger's manager, refused to have his team take the field for the second half of the doubleheader; the league ultimately ruled Game Two a forfeit in favor of Detroit.

Legend says visiting teams complained about the poor quality of the playing field ever after. Now gone, the old Comiskey Park was torn down and replaced by US Cellular Field ('The Cell') in 1991.

A genre of music already on its way to extinction, disco had no hope of survival after Disco Demolition night, although many people enjoyed the music. To this day, young folk have affection for disco as their mothers and fathers may have been lovers. KC and the Sunshine Band, Gloria Gaynor and The Bee Gees wouldn't have had their opportunities without disco.

So drink a beer and raise a cheer to Steve Dahl and disco...or its demise.