Following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination on April 4, 1968, cities around the nation erupted in outrage that carried into the streets and turned violent and destructive to many neighborhoods. But singer James Brown was able to bring some calmness to the city of Boston through his music on April 5, 1968. 
Brown was scheduled to perform at the Boston Garden, but after the widespread incidents, Mayor Kevin White was unsure if the show should go on. Brown agreed to the concert and the city organized to have it publicly broadcasted so that people could stay home and off the streets.

Although Brown would lose $60,000 because of the broadcast, Mayor White was able to make up the money to him. The plan worked and the city saw less crime than on a normal Friday night, according to History.com.
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 (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)