A little help from my friends: The Beatles

Clair Scott, freshman design student, spends her free time going to shows, collecting vinyl records and dis- covering new music. In her column she discusses and reviews the music and venues that keep her going. Photo by Tobi Scott.
Clair Scott, freshman design student, spends her free time going to shows, collecting vinyl records and discovering new music. In her column she discusses and reviews the music and venues that keep her going. Photo by Tobi Scott.

If you think the title of my column sounds familiar, you can probably guess where it came from. If not, you should probably rethink some of your life choices. I mention this because I dished out a bit of money to see Rain this week. Rain is a world famous Beatles tribute band.

Now I understand that a tribute band probably does not sound that exciting to most, but this band is doing something very important: keeping the music of The Beatles alive.

I am a fan of The Beatles not only because of their music, but also because of the influence that they had on the world. They were one of the most influential bands of all time, and so many people seem to forget that.

Seeing Rain was not the same as seeing The Beatles, but they did put things in perspective for me. Looking around the concert I noticed there were audience members spanning over three generations.

The wide variety of costumes reflected the whimsical aspect of the Beatles. Audience members from three different generations enjoyed a night of musical excellence and honoring legends. Photo by Clair Scott.
The wide variety of costumes reflected the whimsical aspect of the Beatles. Audience members from three different generations enjoyed a night of musical excellence and honoring legends. Photo by Clair Scott.

This made me realize how much of an influence those four boys from Liverpool really had on the world.  Their music  was so impactful that it has survived since the break of  their first album in 1962. That is over 54 years!

The Beatles have proven to be more than just musical geniuses. They were the voice of their generation. They sang and  wrote songs about things people were afraid to speak up about. They became one of the leading causes of change in  fashion, culture and politics.

Throughout Rain’s performance they played songs spanning from The Beatles’  upbeat early beginnings to their  psychedelic days. They had a few costume changes that reflected some of the Beatles most famous looks. Evens some of  the little on stage “ticks” were identical.

It was obvious that these four had really studied The Beatles and had even perfected their famous Liverpool accents.  They performed countless songs including  “I Want to Hold Your Hand,”  “Hey Jude”  and even one of my favorites  “Across the Universe.” Every song was almost indistinguishable from its original.

Unfortunately, my experience seeing Rain was not as substantial as the experience of the lady sitting next to me. I have  not lived through the uncertainty, suffering and excitement that her generation has.

By hearing songs played by men in bad wigs and stereotypical costumes, I was not taken back to a time of social  revolution. But in the eyes and the ears of the woman next to me this was more than just a cover-band’s concert. This  was her time.

The Beatles coverband Rain is more than just a tribute, it is continuing the art that four mus- cians created that have impacted mulitple generations. Photo by Clair Scott.
The Beatles’s coverband Rain is more than just a tribute, it is continuing the art that four musicians created that have impacted multiple generations. Photo by Clair Scott.
Photo by Clair Scott.
Rain goes the extra mile with stunning visual tributes to the Beatles, as well. Photo by Clair Scott.

 

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