201704071120_0001.jpg

The Beastie Boys play at the Onondaga County War Memorial on April 10, 1987.

(Harry DiOrio / The Post-Standard)

Onondaga County and popular music have often butted heads over the years. From the Rolling Stones to Marilyn Manson, county officials have often been troubled by the antics of some of music's biggest performers.

In April, 1987 the most outrageous act in music were the Beastie Boys, and their concert, scheduled for April 10 at the War Memorial, was soon in the crosshairs of county leaders.

The Beastie Boys were Michael Diamond, Adam Yauch and Adam Horowitz, their music was described by the Post-Standard's Brian Bourke as a combination of "the most obnoxious forms of music known to parents and rock critics: heavy metal, rap, and punk."

The members of the Beastie Boys splash beer on the crowd at the War Memorial on April 10, 1987.

Their "Licensed to Ill" had been number one for seven weeks, leading up to their appearance in Syracuse.

A week before the concert, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" aired an episode with music's biggest critic, Tipper Gore. During the episode Gore revealed elements of the Beastie Boys' stage show, which included scantily-clad dancing girls and a large "hydraulic penis."

Telephone calls started pouring into the office of the War Memorial's executive director, Norm Rothchild.

County Executive John Mulroy told Rothchild the group "were either going to clean up their act or they could take their show to Buffalo or someplace else."

With contracts already signed, cancelling the concert would have brought lawsuits, so county officials hoped to tame some of the more outrageous behavior.

A copy of New York State's Penal Law was sent to promoters, and Mulroy warned: "That law is very specific in regards to pornography. There will be an assistant district attorney and a couple of sheriff's deputies right on stage. We may be taking the whole bunch of them down to the Public Safety Building."

Rothchild said he would ask the group to sign a written promise not to have any lewd acts on stage, but that was quickly rejected by their management, saying it was akin to censorship.

The Post-Standard ran a short interview with Beastie Boy Adam Yauch the morning of the concert. He said the group was not pornographic or offensive, they were just trying to put on a good show and have fun.

"Where we come from in New York, this stuff does not offend people," he said. "It wasn't until we got in the Midwest that we found very primitive and conservative people."

When told that Syracuse was not in the Midwest, Yauch responded, "It just goes to show you that you can step five feet outside of (New York) city and find the most ignorant, conservative people around."

The crowd reacts at the Beastie Boys concert at the War Memorial on April 10, 1987.

The concert happened as scheduled, with only 2,584 fans turning out.

"Syracuse, it's great to be back, " Adam Horowitz ad-libbed between songs. "It's great to be back even though we've never been here before."

Both sides in the dispute could claim a victory.

The band drank and spat beer throughout, a woman danced provocatively in a cage, and the band's infamous 20-foot phallus prop was inflated for about 90 seconds during their hit single "Fight for Your Right (To Party)."

War Memorial Deputy Director Dennis Snow said the band performed a "toned down version" of their show, and the 12 city police officers and 16 War Memorial security guards had a quiet night.

In fact, opening act Public Enemy may have been more controversial that night, pointing machine guns at the crowd and saying they had Gov. Mario Cuomo "tied up in the back."

The fans who were there enjoyed the show.

"I like them because they act like jerks," and "I like them because my mom hates them," were two comments from teenage reviewers.

Art Sinard, 19, probably did best of summing it all up: "They're pulling the greatest scam on America. You put three idiots on a stage with a giant phallus and they make a million."

This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle: Email | 315-427-3958.