Well tonight, August 23, 1999 that is, I went to see a concert with a group called "1964"...The Tribute. Who are they? They are-as my ticket reads-the World's #1 BEATLES Show.
I first heard about the show while I was spending time on my computer and listening to the radio. An advertisement comes up playing Beatles music. Immediately I perk up and listen as "1964" is being advertised to show at the local theater. And that critics and fans say that they are the closest thing to The Beatles. The first person I tell is my dad, the first Beatles fan I ever knew.
Well, my dad got tickets. The ones priced $19.50. As opposed to the REALLY good ones ($50) or the good ($25). But we were in the first row of the $19.50 seats, so that was good.
We get to the theater, the show is for 7:30, but we arrive at about 7:00. So we have to wait yet for the theater to open. There are a few stands up, selling posters ($5) and T-shirts ($15-$20). And they're selling raffle tickets for a Beatles stand-up. $1 a ticket. I talk my dad into letting my have some money. $2..2 tickets. 9446010 and 9446011.
The theater opens. And we wait for the show to start. Finally it does, and practically on time too. About the first show I've been to that's ever started on time. The four guys walk onto the stage in black suits and long hair. They've got the look. They say hello and start off the show. They've got the sound. I agree with the critics, it *is* the closest you can get to The Beatles.
They play songs like (lesse how many I can remember): Taxman, Daytripper, Yellow Submarine, She Loves You, Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, Roll Over Beethoven, Help!, Yesterday, If I Fell, *looks for the tapes now* Please Please Me, Eight Days a Week, Twist and Shout, Till There Was You, From Me to You, This Boy, Matchbox, and a few more I can't recall. They did very well. They performed like the Beatles..Ringo bopping his head, John chewing gum. My dad said it well, "They even bow like The Beatles." Can't get much better than that. There's song where they ask the audience to sing and clap along. One where they asked everyone to stand up and come forward and dance (Twist and Shout). They talked in the accents. I had fun!
Well comes time the show is over. They say that they'll have an autograph session afterwards in the lobby and then the VIP people will get to meet them "backstage." They have the drawing for The Beatles stand-up. The winning number is 944...60...1....3. *thud* If only I had had two more dollars. I would have gotten it. Everyone goes out for the autograph session. I have nothing for them to sign other than my ticket. Oh well. They ask the VIP people to go first. I was standing and waiting..then I realise the end of the line is on the *other* side of the lobby. *sigh* Just my luck.....but the luck turned around. Turns out one of my mom's co-workers and her husband were at the show and they had VIP tickets. They decided that they wouldn't stay after..so guess who got the tickets? *G* Hehe.
I got to cut in line. Well, actually someone was nice enough to let me in. First one up is the guy who did George, Jimmy. Twas a "hello, how are you." Next was Ringo, Greg, "hello, how are you?" type thing again and "I like your shirt." I was wearing my Beatles' Hard Day's Night shirt. They're very pleasant, y'know? The guy who played John was next, Mark was his name. The man ahead of me was having a long talk with "Paul" about guitars, so "John" talked to me more than the others. "Did you like the show?" "Yeah, it was grand!" "Kind of loud though." "Yeah, I'm still having problems [hearing.]" Then I get up to Paul, Gary, he's the real talker. He starts off, "Hi, Red!" "Hello" He mentions my freckles and show me his arm, which is covered with freckles. I show him my arm, but I don't have any freckles on my arms.."Ah, but they're on you're face, they're beautiful." Then he tells me that his aunts and sister have red hair. "I used to have it too, but *lifts up part of his wig* it's all grey now."
So I got my ticket signed. But now since I have the VIP tickets I can also go to the backstage thing. Which isn't really backstage but is at a lower level that has a couple tables set up. So my mom and I go down. There really aren't that many people down there. Which is quite nice, it's just a little gathering. The first 1964 person we talk to is..*duh dun* "Paul." He tells us that he's originally from Ohio. My mom asks him how the band got started and he explains how it just started out with some people from the same hometown-just for fun, for weekend gigs and stuff. He said they got together in 1984 and said, "Ok, you be Ringo, and I'll be Paul." Such and such. He says howthey weren't expecting it to take off and to be traveling everywhere. Traveling can be very hard. "I get up in the morning to call my wife and kids and I have to look at the calender to know where I am." "If it's Tuesday You're in Belgiem." My mom stated the old '60's movies title. "Yeah."
"Paul" heads over to talk to someone else. So I look around, "John" is done talking and we meet eyes, so I raise my brow in acknowledgement and he heads over. He talks to my mother first, "How are you?" "Ok, how about you?" "Tired and sweaty." He says he tries to be honest, but that he usually just says that he's ok these days because he'd used to be honest and go on and on about what wasn't ok, and he realised that he was losing his audience. He talks to me too, but you must understand my memory is very short. He did say though that sleeping is hard. You can sleep on the buses and planes but it's not the same as a good nights sleep. And then when you get the chance to sleep at night, you can't, and you just count the hours untill you have to get up.
"George" comes over next from around and behind. He puts his arm around my shoulders and greets us. (And I think it was him who said this, dun remember if it was "george" or "john"...) He says, "Now what are you two? Sisters? Cousins?" My mom is like, "Oh, he's trying to suck up. No, it's mother and daughter." "Oh, well I was wondering, because I don't see any of her red hair in you." My mom points up to the rising overlooking the area where my dad is standing. "No, she got it from him. Except now his hair is grey." I tell him my dad used to be strawberry blond. He talks about my hair, "Well it's a very pretty shade of red. Red heads are so rare that when you find one you just want to grab onto that hair and never let go!" He grabs my long tail to illustrate his point. Then my mom shows how people have wrapped my hair around my neck, I'm like, "Someone could kill me with my own hair." "That would be dangerous." And that's all I recall of that event. We didn't get to talk with "Ringo." He was off talking with some other people.
But it was great fun! I got to sing along to some of my favorite songs AND I got lucky and had a chance to hang out with the fellows. I couldn't have asked for more! (other than that stand up that is.) It's one thing that I'll remember for a long time. :)
