Post by ravishakahr on Mar 22, 2007 8:43:39 GMT 1
Concert Report: Seattle Beatles fans love Rain
by Shelley Germeaux
We had a blast this weekend going to see "Rain: the Beatles Experience" here in Seattle at the Paramount Theater! They were here Thursday through Sunday and we saw two of the shows.
I think they are the greatest Beatles show around, I can't say enough about them. They were in top form as they performed songs from each of the Beatles' eras--Ed Sullivan, Shea Stadium, Sgt. Pepper, All You Need is Love, and Abbey Road--each with the distinctive costumes, hair, and sets that made those eras so memorable. Accompanying video footage before each era took us back in time to what was going on in America at the time; from the Kennedy presidency to Vietnam and the summer of love.
The theater was packed at each show. Of course we were in the very front, so turning around to see the audience was really awesome, to feel the excitement. Every show is different so one can never get too much of them.
Rain has developed quite a devoted following in Seattle. Not only have they been performing up here since the late 70's, but they did a tribute "rooftop concert" in honor of John Lennon's 50th birthday in 1990, actually on a Seattle rooftop; and they celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in America at the Museum of Flight in 2004. They re-enacted the Beatles stepping off the plane, and it was so perfect it brought tears to my eyes. They mimicked the exact movements of the Beatles as they stepped off, to a crowd of over 5000 screaming fans, and it really felt as though they were the Beatles. I'll never forget it.
Rain has been travelling the U.S. and Canada quite vigorously the last couple of years, and will also perform at Beatle Week in Liverpool this summer.
Some highlights of this weekend's show: Steve Landes (John) performed Imagine, standing alone on the stage, which was very meaningful. Joey Curatolo (Paul) got everyone waving their hands for the "na nas" on Hey Jude, and like the real Paul, got the various sections of the audience to do their part seperately, i.e, first the ladies, then the gents, with a "come on, where's the Viagra?!" to get the guys to really shout it out. Even the call for "all you younger than 18" had a chance to show off.
Joe Bithorn (George) got a standing ovation (I think I started it, or at least close to it) for his rousing rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on the guitar solo, which is a religious experience, and Ralph Castelli (Ringo) got a huge applause for doing his one vocal number, "I Wanna Be your Man".
LOTS of fun, lots and lots of fun...
...except for the two people in the first row who were asked by Steve (John) why they were late, when they came in about 20 minutes late...it was funny for everyone else though! The guy turned around to me and said "oh wonderful...I just got told off by John Lennon! I'll never recover from this. I bet he's never late for anything again in his life!
by Shelley Germeaux
We had a blast this weekend going to see "Rain: the Beatles Experience" here in Seattle at the Paramount Theater! They were here Thursday through Sunday and we saw two of the shows.
I think they are the greatest Beatles show around, I can't say enough about them. They were in top form as they performed songs from each of the Beatles' eras--Ed Sullivan, Shea Stadium, Sgt. Pepper, All You Need is Love, and Abbey Road--each with the distinctive costumes, hair, and sets that made those eras so memorable. Accompanying video footage before each era took us back in time to what was going on in America at the time; from the Kennedy presidency to Vietnam and the summer of love.
The theater was packed at each show. Of course we were in the very front, so turning around to see the audience was really awesome, to feel the excitement. Every show is different so one can never get too much of them.
Rain has developed quite a devoted following in Seattle. Not only have they been performing up here since the late 70's, but they did a tribute "rooftop concert" in honor of John Lennon's 50th birthday in 1990, actually on a Seattle rooftop; and they celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in America at the Museum of Flight in 2004. They re-enacted the Beatles stepping off the plane, and it was so perfect it brought tears to my eyes. They mimicked the exact movements of the Beatles as they stepped off, to a crowd of over 5000 screaming fans, and it really felt as though they were the Beatles. I'll never forget it.
Rain has been travelling the U.S. and Canada quite vigorously the last couple of years, and will also perform at Beatle Week in Liverpool this summer.
Some highlights of this weekend's show: Steve Landes (John) performed Imagine, standing alone on the stage, which was very meaningful. Joey Curatolo (Paul) got everyone waving their hands for the "na nas" on Hey Jude, and like the real Paul, got the various sections of the audience to do their part seperately, i.e, first the ladies, then the gents, with a "come on, where's the Viagra?!" to get the guys to really shout it out. Even the call for "all you younger than 18" had a chance to show off.
Joe Bithorn (George) got a standing ovation (I think I started it, or at least close to it) for his rousing rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on the guitar solo, which is a religious experience, and Ralph Castelli (Ringo) got a huge applause for doing his one vocal number, "I Wanna Be your Man".
LOTS of fun, lots and lots of fun...
...except for the two people in the first row who were asked by Steve (John) why they were late, when they came in about 20 minutes late...it was funny for everyone else though! The guy turned around to me and said "oh wonderful...I just got told off by John Lennon! I'll never recover from this. I bet he's never late for anything again in his life!
