It Sounds Like John, Paul and George...

I was only eighteen months old when The Beatles broke up in April 1970, so I never had the opportunity to see them live. Apart from a performance by Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band in 2006, my Beatles-related concert experience has been through the performances of various tribute bands such as "1964 as The Beatles" and "Beatlemania Now!".

Last evening, a local tribute band, "The Silver Beatles," (http://www.silverbeatlesband.com/) performed at Dos Lagos Amphitheater in Corona, CA as part of the city's Summer Concert series. I had not been familiar with them prior to the performance, but never being one to pass up anything Beatles-related, I was definitely interested in catching the show.

The group performed a two-hour set, covering material that ranged from "It Won't Be Long" to "Nowhere Man" to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." They also took on "A Day in the Life" - a surprising choice for a four-piece band considering the complexity of the arrangement and the sound effects, but it came off quite well.

Unlike other Beatles tribute groups I've seen, The Silver Beatles did not attempt to physically portray their roles via various elaborate costume changes or hairpieces; they chose instead to portray the band mostly through the music. Steve Anfinson, the musician portraying John Lennon, did not physically resemble John, but his voice had a definitely Lennonesque timbre and phrasing, and he did a convincing Ringo vocal on "With A Little Help From My Friends" as well.

An evening of Beatles music is always a pleasure, and the group gave an earnest, enjoyable performance. What really struck me, though, was the reaction of the audience, and how universally loved this music continues to be throughout the years. During "She Loves You," a fifty-something lady and a teenaged boy from the row in front of her went toward the front of the stage and danced together. A grade-school aged boy sang along gleefully to "Hey Jude," while a couple in their late twenties swayed and waved their hands in the air appreciatively. And on several numbers, another middle-aged lady sang and danced with much of the carefree abandon she must have experienced as a young teen, seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time in 1964.

There is a quote from the 1982 documentary The Compleat Beatles which states, "It had to be stoically accepted that the Beatles were, in the end, a phenomenon of the Sixties; the Seventies, and beyond, were only to feel their influence." And what an influence it was! Seeing generations and individuals of very different backgrounds and life experiences united together in love and enjoyment of music made between 39 and 46 years ago is a testament to the Beatles' enduring legacy.

Thanks, John, Paul, George and Ringo for all the pleasure you have brought, and continue to bring, to music fans everywhere.