4:23 AM
BUSTOWN MUSIC
Written by Raad Shubaily
Love is an exceedingly complex
concept. Yet, the Beatles somehow managed to present it perfectly in their
music. Last Thursday at Kobo, Joe
Peppercorn’s Beatles Marathon would not have let down any member of the world’s
most famous rock band.
The young,
the old, and everyone in between showed up to the point that Kobo hit
capacity. It was a hot, sweaty,
old-school-head-bobbing extravaganza for the ages. The word “packed” doesn’t
even begin to describe that night, as a line quickly grew down the block
waiting to get in. Indeed, love was
present in the air. In fact, a friendly attendee noticed me hunched in a
corner, scribbling away in my tiny notebook, and offered me her seat... twice.
The show
lasted all day, beginning at 4:30 P.M. and ending when the bar closed. The concept was to play all of the Beatles
studio works in one day. It wasn’t only
a tribute, but a literal marathon. It was the kind of event where one friend I
was talking to said “I’ve been here since 4:30, and I have to go pick up my
friend from the airport at 9:30. Then, I’m coming back after that for the rest
of the show.” In other words, this was one show not to be missed.
I got there
just before the band started Rubber Soul, and needless to say, all the songs
sounded great. Blasting through amazing versions of “Day Tripper,” “Norwegian
Wood,” and “Nowhere Man,” the songs came
complete with the very same vocal harmonies the Beatles used. It’s not even worth it to keep listing specific
songs, because they all sounded like the original versions.
The cast of characters Joe
Peppercorn put together, from local bands Ghost Shirt and The Whiles, are such
serious musicians. They even paid attention to truly replicate the Beatles’
sound, including the use of multiple guitar changes and an enormous rack of
keyboards and synthesizers.
It’s incredible that the Beatles
essentially stopped touring late in their career, ending up spending most of
their time in the studio, and yet musicians still play their music to this day.
The level of noise at Kobo seemed reminiscent of the noisy rooms the band’s
performances actually must have taken place in.
It just goes to show that music is never ending - that over 40 years
after a band breaks up, people might still come out in
droves simply to hear their music. That is the definition of love: An intense
feeling of deep affection.
Guitar/vocals: Joe Peppercorn (The Whiles)
Guitar/vocals: Branden Barnett (Ghost Shirt)
Bass/vocals: Chris Bolognese (The Whiles)
Drums: David Murphy (Ghost Shirt)
PHOTO GALLERY
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