It's all all the real thing;
the Rickenbacker and Gretsch guitars, the Vox amplifiers, the Beatles boots
- right down to Ringo's nose.
So says Mark Benson, who fronts
1964: The Tribute, the Beatles tribute group which performed Monday, jan
23, at the Derby Dinner Playhouse in Clarksville.
"The mics are new, but everything
else is vintage", said Benson, who plays John Lennon. He insists the equipment
wasn't hard to find when he, Gary Grimes and Greg George were forming the
band eleven years ago. "It is hard to find now, but when we were digging
it up it was a little more plentiful", said Benson, his moptop Beatle wig
coifed perfectly to match Lennon's early 1960s hairstyle. "The amps are
rebuilt, but to original specs".
As one would expect, the music
that flows fluidly from those Vox amps is an exact replica of what Paul
McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Lennon were producing 30 years
ago, right down to every chord change and harmony.
The shocking replication is
reinforced by the uncanny likenesses the players bear to the originals.
Grimes (McCartney), the left-handed bassist of the group has the same sleepy
eyelids; Jimmy Pou (formerly of Beatlemania) meets
Harrison's stature and posture perfectly, while George (Starr) is a shocking
resemblance to the man who set the beat for the Fab Four so many years
ago. "We've known that guy since he was 16 and playing in a soul band",
says Benson. "We used to go to clubs just to see him and say, 'Man, he
looks like Ringo Starr'".
These young men were growing up in Ohio during the
1960s were all influenced by the Beatles and other pop-rock acts. Their
mutual love for the music was the beginning of 1964: The Tribute. "We've
never all played in a band at the same time", Benson explained. "We've
known each other all along, though, through musicians' circles and so forth".
The band members still write their own music and play
whenever possible, although it doesn't all sound like "Love Me Do". Not
by a long shot. "It's pop-influenced", said Benson. "We were influenced
by the Beatles, of course, but we grew up in the 60s with the whole psychedelic
scene: Cream, Jimi Hendrix, the Who and even the country influences like
the Eagles. "We write, but it's hard to find time to play the music because
this is full time". To call 1964 full time might be to call the Ohio River
wet. The band plays 180 to 200 dates across the country every year. "Those
are just show dates", said Benson. "The rest of the time we're traveling".
Practice is a thing of the past for this foursome,
as well. Not that they couldn't find time; they just don't need to, Benson
said. "Most of it is just practicing at shows now", he said. "This is our
eleventh year - we've all been over the country doing this. At this point,
it's just a matter of playing hit after hit".
Each night, 1964 cranks out near-perfect renditions
of classic Beatles tunes ranging from such universal favorites as "Twist
and Shout" to album tracks such as "And Your Bird Can Sing".
Eleven years is quite a span for any band to cover,
especially a specialized outfit such as 1964. However, Benson said the
gig isn't a lifetime span. Just an enjoyable interim until the passion
burns out. "We're doing it now because it's fun getting to travel, it's
a great family show, it's a good entertainment value for the dollar, and
it's just good, clean fun. You saw all the kids out there, and it's great
to see the kids and parents doing things together these days because there
is so much bad stuff out there to do".