Rain. Tribute To The Beatles.
Mesa Art Center, April 2010
Imitating legends is a difficult task, but on April 20, Rain made it quite easy as they interpreted the profound music of the Beatles. Held at the Mesa Art Center, hundreds of Beatles fans felt young again as the show started off with a classic, I want to hold your hand. In addition, more classics were played and the crowd still wanted more, being up out of their seats-- continuing to sing-a-long as if no one else was around.The majority of the audience was not young either: they ranged from 30-80 with a handful of teen outliers. The attraction of Rain was the familiarity of the music. Growing up with the English band consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, the listeners knew every lyric, but why were they there?
Rain performed as a tribute to one of the most legendary and memorable bands known to man. The crowd on the other hand just simply could not get enough of the cover music. Due to the loss of members, the Beatles no longer exist, yet their music still lives. With musical groups like Rain, it allows fans and upcoming musicians to feel the inspiration.
Fans in the crowd experienced a prolonging desire to be in the ‘60s and just to let it go and be a kid again. As a teen, viewing the crowd and witnessing the impact that one band can have on generations is far-fetched and mind-boggling! Today it is rare to come across an alternative band that can make almost everyone connect to the lyrics on an emotional level, yet still enjoy it. Some may say that the feeling of doing something better for the world and not giving up is lost with time, but the Beatles have proven that music, lyrics, and appearance will live forever.
After playing a total of 28 Beatles songs, Rain went off stage to end the evening…for a brief moment. The entire audience stood up and chanted for an encore. Rain walked back out bowing and enthused by the interaction of the listeners, and four men: Joey Curatolo, Joe Bithorn, Ralph Castelli, and Steve Landes all wanting to make a difference. The most sincere imitators played Imagine and Let it be. The stage was set with two flat screens on each side and one jumbo behind the set which all contained photos of the Beatles and fans from the ‘60s-‘80s. The night officially came to an end as the fans gave Rain one last standing ovation while they performed the song, Hey Jude.
Overall, the show was surprisingly a blast! If anyone unfamiliar with the Beatles and their music went, they would have ran home to the computer and downloaded some new/old tunes like myself. The Beatles will be everywhere until the end of time. From commercials, to soundtracks, to school dances, the harmony and composition of the great are melodic and everlasting.
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