Getback!

We have been to this concert 5 years in a row and can't wait until next year. It is a happy walk down memory lane that starts you singing and finishes with you dancing in the isles. It leaves you with an uplifted feeling and after the concert, everyone is reminiscing about what the Beatles' music meant to them.

Hello, first let me say that the band did a great job. But, they do need to step up their game if their going to be as good as "Rain", or some of the others! Their speakers were great if you were 20 rolls back or more. I had "roll 1" tickets, and my date an I moved back all the way out to the hill because it was more comfortable. So in the end, we had a good time, but there's more that could have been done to make people feel comfortable! Selling tickets aren't everything!

Having seen multiple incarnations of Beatlemania through the years along with several other Beatle cover artists, I have a very high standard for a group posing as the Fab Four. For this particular event at Meadowbrook Music Theater, I took my wife and 19 year old son along, wanting to share my appreciation of the music as well as the overall experience. They open with the early material, dressed as the original group would have looked in 1964-era suits, ties and coiffe. Displaying many of the mannerisms (Ringo and Paul in particular) they go from song to song with some amusing interaction with the crowd in the native Brit accent. After about an hour of recalling the early years there is a 10-15 minute intermission whereby the group emerges as the Sgt. Pepper's-era Beatles, hair a bit longer in most cases, and a bit more swagger and experience. You sort of feel the development as the transition occurs quickly before your eyes. Out with the head-bobbing, toe-tapping and innocence and in with the more sophisticated, introspective and world-experienced group. The final transition leads to the final era - my personal favorite - White Album, Abbey Road, Let it Be, with a little Yellow Submarine thrown in for good measure. Clearly the most influential of the Beatles catalog and at a time where they grew as individuals and songwriters. I don't know if Beatlemania takes that into consideration but they seemed to be more separated on stage - not joking as much with each other, not playing together so much as just playing. With all that said, I was disappointed at certain intervals of the show - a missed verse in Day Tripper (guitar solo came in too soon), a missed vocal intro to Yellow Submarine, some musical mishaps on "Paul's" part, and altogether too much fussing with amplifiers and guitar chords. This is a world-renowned band, albeit a cover band. Nevertheless, a cover band I paid $90 to see and I expected a better rehearsed, tighter package. If I saw a Beatle cover band in a bar for free I wouldn't think anything of these mishaps. But from a well-packaged, traveling production I expected a bit more from the musicianship aspect and overall professionalism. In the end, it was 2+ hours of the greatest music ever - performed by some quality musicians who could use a bit more rehearsal time.

Good time was had by all. Lots of fun, great music and to my surprise a full house! I was shocked they didn't play Let It Be!