Beatles tribute band Abbey Road has performed to sellout crowds in Olympia with their musical theater homage to the Beatles, “In My Life”. The band is returning to the Washington Center for the Performing Arts mainstage this fall and this time, the Fab Four are bringing friends. Premier Rolling Stones tribute band, Satisfaction-The International Rolling Stones Show, will be on stage on November 8 alongside Abbey Road. It’s a face-off you won’t want to miss.
In a very special joint appearance, these two bands will be dueling for the audience’s affection. The fantastic show is hitting the road after a long-term and very well received residence at Harrah’s Casino in Reno, Nevada.
The show opens with a Beatles concert set in the era of the Ed Sullivan Show. Beatles fans will recognize the music and the costumes immediately. Abbey Road recreates the moment that America was introduced to the Beatles, complete with their English suits and mop top hairdos. For their part, the members of Abbey Road bring the mop top haircuts, harmonies, and boyish charm of everybody’s favorite Englishmen to the stage with convincing vocals and performance quality.
They also play modern reissues of the exact same instruments and amps used by the Fab Four, lending authenticity to their sound. Axel Clarke (“Ringo Starr”), a high school and college teacher by day, prepares for his time behind the drum kit by studying old video footage, listening to band interviews and mimicking Starr’s very specific performance style. “Ringo’s style and physical approach to the drum set were unique,” said Clarke. “He sat very high with his drums low, used big sweeping arm movements, punched at his cymbals more than striking them, bounced his torso in time and kicked his head to the side on big accents. And, smiled like a goon at all times. That’s Ringo 101 for you!”
After the Beatles set wraps, the Rolling Stones will take the stage. In less than a minute, fans are transported into a new world of “satisfaction”. From Mick Jagger’s (Sir Chris Legrand) infamous gyrations to Keith Richards’ (Trey Garitty) sweet Tele licks, Brian Jones Vox Teardrop, and the band’s original wardrobe, Satisfaction brings all the authenticity of an old Stones show smack into 2017.
“Some of the ‘Keith-isms’ that fans love are the blacked-out tooth, electrical tape around the snakeskin boots and the disjointed walk he was famous for,” said Garitty. “We’ve done everything to present the music just like the original album versions, because that’s what fans have been singing along to for the last 50 years and that’s the way they want to hear it.” Alternating mini-sets using the same drum kit and amps, the bands will perform six sets in different eras with costume changes to reflect the times – a true musical trip through the years.
An amazing encore will include both bands coming together on stage to play a collaborative mash-up that is only possible in “The Musical Showdown”. According to the L.A. Times it is “the most unique tribute show in decades”.
As show producer Andy Nagle explains, “the audiences of these shows are sophisticated listeners. The musicians understand their dedication and have worked hard to recreate every melody and each guitar riff without cutting any corners.”
The show has toured throughout the US, Mexico and Canada to rave reviews. The bands travel together on their tour bus and the friendly competitive banter you see on stage continues on the road. The musicians are passionate about their respective bands and defend the superiority of the music they play in a friendly, on-going competition.
The abundance of Beatles t-shirts in the crowd indicate that the touring show tends to attract about 70 percent Beatles fans. However, by the end of the night, the Beatles fans are dancing in the aisles to the up-tempo Rolling Stones tunes. “Baby Boomers remember the music and they have introduced their children to the songs,” shares Nagle. The result is a musically good time for the whole family.
To make the evening even more special, the show will include local student musicians playing on stage alongside the professional musicians. Seth Harper, Caddie Derby, Miriam Silverman and Cooper Knutson from the Student Orchestra of Greater Olympia’s (SOGO) most advanced group, the Conservatory Symphony, will join the bands for several numbers including crowd favorites “Hey Jude” and “Yesterday.”
Tickets are on sale now for the Beatles vs Stones Musical Showdown set for November 8 at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $55 and group discounts are available.
To purchase tickets or learn more, call the box office at 360-753-8585 or visit The Washington Center online.
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