When did 'Pop' Concerts Start?

[El Dingo]

Dee Dee and I were trying to figure out when the contemporary idea of 'Pop' concerts started.

I proposed that they began with The Beatles at Shea Stadium. Before then pop performances were more geared towards 'Lounge' (Sinatra,etc) and 'Dance' (50's dance parties, etc).

I know there were venues like The Apollo and Radio City Music Hall, but when did people go to 'pop' shows to sit and listen to the band? Did Glenn Miller ever play a show where no one danced?

This does not include classical, opera, ballet or mixed-media theater revues. We were talking about a single band where the audience pays explicitly for the opportunity to sit down and shut up while a specific band plays.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

In Boston, the Boston Pops Orchestra used to play in the band shell along the Charles river for a long time. It's still going. At one point, it was led by John Williams. It was started in 1885.