Ok, now that that's out of my system, let's get down to business...
The Fest officially kicked off its 38th year of celebrating all-things Beatles this evening.
I didn't get a chance to click on over to the site until just before 10pm CST, and I was lucky enough to catch the tail-end of what appeared to be a fan-favourite Beatles' Look-A-Like contest (top prize went to a pre-teen boy dressed as barefooted Paul from the cover of Abbey Road - thanks for coming out, everyone else - you're always going to lose to the kids!), and, thankfully, I caught a set of the glory that is Liverpool.
"Liverpool, the world's finest Beatles tribute band, is an integral part of our 'Fest Family' and has been our exclusive house band for nearly every Fest. Their dedication to the spirit of The Beatles music is unmatched, playing a vast majority of Beatles and solo songs, plus playing with dozens of great musical guests over the years."
Now before I indulge you with my review, you must know - there are two truths in my world: I have a fear of wide open spaces, and I love The Beatles.
My first experience with a "tribute" band came at the hands (and voices) of the local Free Ride boys. Fun. I could sing along. They sounded good.
Next up, years later, a tribute band from abroad breezed through town, playing a gig with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The Concert Hall was a more impressive venue than one of the city's casinos, so I was intrigued. The band, Classical Mystery Tour, provided for me the closest thing to a religious experience I could imagine. (To hear Penny Lane backed by a full symphony - seriously, if all the world leaders came together and listened to the show, I'm pretty sure we'd end third world debt and stop wars.) CMT drummer Chris Camilleri also plays in a primarily Paul McCartney show (Live And Let Die, also with symphony support), as does guitarist John Merjave.
Camilleri ALSO happens to be one of the founding members of Liverpool - the same band that's anchoring the entertainment at The Fest. (Camilleri is a very busy guy!)
So, knowing all this, I was pretty sure Liverpool wasn't going to be some schmaltzy act. This was, however, my first encounter with the talents of the other bandmates.
The one obvious difference from my other Camilleri-related shows - no symphony. This was my chance to hear the basic, stripped-down 4-piece band playing just the songs of The Beatles, the way just The Beatles played 'em. This, of course, fosters a more dance-and-let-loose-get-friendly-with-the-bartender environment than the orchestra shows. (The bartender at the Concert Hall wouldn't have very much appreciated me dancing on his bar. Again...) Fun!
And, the second obvious difference - the vocals. In the other two shows, the band's McCartney is a fixture in both, just as is Camilleri. So once I got past the fact that the vocals weren't quite what I was expecting, the familiar harmonies kicked in, and I found myself bobbing my head and cranking the volume on my Mac.
The combined masterful musicianship of Drew Hill, Glen Burtnik, Merjave & Camilleri has the magical ability to transport you to a moment in time that you more than likely never experienced, but always dreamed you could. Personally, the music of The Beatles has been, predominantly, the soundtrack of my childhood, and to hear these tunes played out in a "live" setting, by the next-best-thing, is an exhilarating experience. So I MAY be slightly biased...
Liverpool brought the Fest fans to their feet with near exact musical replicas of such classic Beatles' tunes as You Can't Do That, Paperback Writer (complete with what I recently - and very excitedly - discovered is several slow incantations of the French nursery rhyme "Frère Jacques" in the backing vocals - très cool!), Day Tripper, I Saw Her Standing There, and Slow Down, to name but a few. Just a sampling of what's to come. Musician and former Ringo producer Mark Hudson joined the band onstage to perform one song much to the delight of the Liverpool-lovin' crowd before the group called it a night, promising to resume their festivities tomorrow. Tune in if you can - Liverpool takes the stage Saturday night at 9:15pm EST and Sunday at 8:15pm EST.
Glen Burtnik takes the lead
Chris Camilleri killin' it on the skins
Mark Hudson, Ringo's former producer, pulls an impromptu performance
Liverpool
SoundTracking: Action (Streetheart)
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