Sebastian's music Blog

I saw -The Beatles- The Return April 11, 2010

Yesterday my best Beatle Buddy and I went to a radio station event to see a Beatle tribute band.  We have done this sort of thing before — we saw “1964” a couple of times when she lived in another city, and last year we saw “Magical Mystery Tour” at a neighborhood festival.  And a few years ago I went by myself to see “Rain” at the Variety Playhouse.

All the tribute bands try (and so far succeed) in duplicating the Beatles’ performances.  Some try to recreate the stage show, down to having a left handed bass player using a little Hofner electric; others might look like refugees from a Jimmy Buffet concert.  Every single one has been a ton of fnn.

The Return recreates the entire experience.  At least three of them had excellent Scouse accents.  Clearly they have worn out a few vinyl copies of The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl (when oh when will Capitol put that out on CD????), they have The Beatles’ stage patter to a T — old line entertainers who slavishly, painfully, announced each song they were about to do, even saying what LP it was from.  I don’t remember that the real Beatles used to make fun of Ringo on stage like The Return do, though — at one point I felt compelled to yell “Pete never, Ringo forever!”  The lead guitarist’s speaking voice was an uncanny reproduction of George’s (just to make things more interesting, a guy sitting near us in the audience was a ringer for “All Things Must Pass” era Harrison, except for the Pink Floyd T-shirt and the wife who was neither Pattie Boyd nor Olivia Arias).  The bass player had some of that for Paul.  The John didn’t say much on stage, so our guess was he doesn’t have the accent yet.

At one point a woman jumped on stage and danced.  She didn’t go near the musicians, she just stood on the lip of the stage and boogied.  Eventually a security guard started after her so she went back into the audience, don’t know if she got in trouble.  It really was fun to see her.  When I saw the real Beatles in 1966 the cops were more necessary and a lot busier, with dozens of girls (including one who struck me at the time as being an “adult,” ie, maybe 21 years old) trying to run across the ballfield toward the stage set up around second base.

A comprehensive song selection, drawn, as their website states, from the Beatles’ performing era.  They did my friend’s single least favorite Beatle song, “Matchbox”.  And they did MY least favorite, “Til There Was You.”  We laughed about it, I said at least they got them out of the way early on.  They did a bunch of our faves, though.  My friend really liked “She’s A Woman.”  I was floored by “Paperback Writer” because that was one of the songs the REAL Beatles did when I saw them at Shea Stadium (excuse me, for Rutles fans that would be Che Stadium) in August of 1966.

After the show we wanted to look at their merchandise table.  The shirts were $20 so we passed, but she wanted to say something to the John.  I was impressed with how much fun the band members were having.  Still wearing those black “Hard Day’s Night” suits, they were mugging behind the merchandise table and posing for photos.  Truly, a splendid time was guaranteed for all.

My friend is the only person in my life whose knowledge and love of The Beatles is at the same level as mine.  We can talk about The Daily Howl or Martha my dear (some guy was dancing with an enormous black dog that looked like a cross between a bear and a sheepdog), and on the drive home she told me about a new bio she’s reading that says Paul’s Liverpool girlfriend Dot told Paul she was preggers about the same time Cynnie told John.  She said she hasn’t read past that yet so she doesn’t know what happened or if Dot was pulling an Officer And A Gentleman, and we agreed neither of us had ever heard that story before.  I told her what I read in one of the biographies about Ringo losing his virginity in Hamburg with the rest of the guys standing around and watching.  How rude!  We care about this stuff.  My definition of Beatlemania is that you still refer to the Beatles by their first names AND you expect the people around you to know who you are talking about.  My pal and I are Beatlemaniacs.  Yaaaaaaaaay!

The excuse for the event was the second anniversary for the local True Oldies Channel format station.  Citadel spends next to nothing on promotions, the local DJs are guys who have been in the market and associated with pop oldies for a long time.  Randy and Spiff are a lot of fun as a morning team.  Fred, bless his heart, is not as strong solo in the afternoons since his annullment from Randy (or was it from Spiff?).  He is unfortunately disconnected from the music and I’ve even heard him step on a vocal.  The real superstar at True Oldies is SCOTT SHANNON, who programs the national syndication.  Shannon was the Music Director of WQXI-AM in Atlanta in the late 1960s or early 1970s, I met him once when he interviewed me for a DJ job.  His music philosophy is so refreshingly different from what Atlanta endured through the last years of the old Fox-97 and the brief life of Cool 105.7.  Those stations had tiny playlists that were too research driven (sez the guy who made his living as a radio Research Director for 15 years); sometimes you have to ignore the numbers and say “No, I’m NOT going to put “Dock Of The Bay” in the hot rotation.”  I’m sure the True Oldies playlist is well researched, but it’s heavy on The Dave Clark Five and Gary Puckett & The Union Gap and CCR and a host of one-hit wonders like the Outsiders (okay, they had three hits) and The Human Beinz and Syndicate Of Sound.  VERY 60s based, with some Fats Domino and Drifters from the 50s, and some Eagles and Bee Gees fromt he 70s.  Hell, I even heard Cher’s “Gypsies Tramps And Thieves” one day!  I heart the format, I think Scott Shannon is a programming genius.

The event overall was great.  It was a beautiful Saturday, sunny and warm but not too hot.  The little park in Suwanee Georgia was packed by the time the music began.  About the only restriction on the audience was no alcohol, so security guys made you open your cooler.  They did not want to taste my open squirt bottle with diet ginger ale, but it could have been full of vodka.  We were encouraged to bring chairs, which I did.  Nobody cared about my hip pack and CCW.  The place was full of people my age, and half my age, and in single digits.  My friend and I had fun counting the Beatles T-shirts on children.  Everyone had a big smile on their face all day (well, except a four year old girl whose parents mercifully took her away).  It was set up like a festival, but a quick walk around showed that only sponsors had booths.  The US Navy had some huge simulator there as a ride, but the line was long and I don’t do well on roller coasters so I passed.

One Libertarian note.  In the middle of an adjoining field is an obilesk.  The plaque was hilarious, I had to photograph it.  I had never seen a public commemoration of a tax increase!  The plaque starts with a quote from the Governor that congratulates the voters on choosing to tax themselves for ‘greenspace,’ and reads

“Thank you, Suwanee residents!  Your foresight and generosity in approving the 2001 Open Space Bond Referendum provided significant funding for this park, which serves as Suwanee’s “front yard” and primary gathering place, and for more than 200 acres of land, which now provide our community with additional parks and open space areas.  Your willingess to vote with your hearts and your eyes on the future, in an election that tripled the prvious highest voter turnout, has enhanced the quality of life in Suwanee for generations to come.”

Plaque at park in Suwanee GA

Translation: “Your dark overlords thank you for giving us money instead of making us take it from you.”

My Beatle buddy also is a Libertarian.  She couldn’t be bothered to walk to the obilesk, but she’ll laugh when I email the photo to her.

All in all, a delightful Beatle day!