The Beatles Live on with Drew Harrison and Friends

Last night I had the genuine pleasure of hearing not only Drew Harrison, who channels John Lennon so well with the Sun Kings, but three other gentlemen who do amazing things with Beatle-related sounds. At the intimate Frog and Fiddle in Alameda, California, Joe Orlando, of The Cryers, joined Drew for satisfying John/Paul harmonies on so many favorites. Then, Michael Barrett stepped in with the "George" harmony and guitar parts.

A special bonus came later in the evening, when Richard Cummins, who is to Paul McCartney what Drew is to John, joined the guys for more Beatle moments. Richard, who drove all the way from Vancouver, B.C. in his yellow Dodge Charger for the gig, played post-Beatles Paul first and then provided more samples of Beatles era songs. He can do Paul from Beatles to Wings to today. It was just plain heaven for this lifelong Beatles nut.

These guys showed off a range of talents. I enjoyed hearing Joe's takes on Elvis, Bobby Darin, and his exceptionally lovely Long Way from Anywhere (off James Taylor's Sweet Baby James LP). Michael Barrett played originals on his own, including a special Beatles-related song that included dozens of song references in it. He also did wonders with Peter Gabriel. I was very pleased with Drew's solo version of Nowhere Man, which had an urgent quality it would have possessed if John had produced it himself in 1970. The evening started with Drew's own worthy compositions. These guys are not just copycats.

You can't go wrong playing Beatles songs, and if we get the quality I heard last night, what could be better? And they are fun guys to talk with as well. The Frog and Fiddle is intimate, and offers some tasty and morerately priced African cuisine too from Soleil's African Cuisine.

Battle of the Dads Bands - Everybody Wins

Today, my band, Red Paint, competed against five other bands in the Battle of the Dad Bands. It all happened on a tennis court of a local athletic club on a beautiful 70-degree day. We didn't win but it sure didn't feel like a losing proposition.

What is a musical competition, really? Sure, there was a prize, but how to compare a band that plays faithful covers of famous bands' songs with Red Paint, whose 7 songs included one cover, which we "painted red?" What makes punk rock better or worse than blues? It's all good.

It came down to votes, and we didn't have as many as at least one of the other bands--the winner. I heard them--and they were plenty good--playing blues. The bottom line was that the event raised nearly $1,000 for the Susan G. Komen foundation to find a cure for breast cancer.

We had a fine time, enjoyed our two free beers (no free food tickets though) and I got a kick out of talking with some of the other musicians. If they'd been giving away, say, a car or a contract for 12 paid gigs, that might have gotten the musicians into more of a fighting spirit. But part of being a "dad band" in the first place is in realizing that we have full lives to live, which include music. We're not on the road as professionals. "Real Musicians Have Day Jobs," says the famous bumper sticker (and T-shirt).

Two treats--I got to see my old friend Clyde after many years. He and I were in high school together and both picked up the bass at same time--our 50th birthdays. I also had a high quality Beatles-centered conversation with Drew Harrison of the Sun Kings. They bring the Fab Four to life with their note-for-note recreation of this "classical" music.

Music brings people together, even if it's a battle, and everybody wins.

Sun Kings Do Beatles Best

I went to see and hear the Sun Kings yesterday at the Lafayette Art & Wine Festival. As I expected, they recreated the Beatles in a way that even Sir Paul can't when he goes on Tour.

There are five members in the Sun Kings, and despite a couple of attempts at early Beatle haircuts and a set or two of round John Lennon glasses, the guys don't try to replicate the look of the Fab Four. But they really do get the sound down perfectly, note for note and vocal nuance for nuance. Whether it's the early Yeah Yeah Yeah sound, the mid period ballads, selections from Sgt. Pepper or, yesterday's show-ender, One after 909, the guys have obviously carefully and meticulously recreated the real deal.

I was standing next to a couple and they were singing along. I joined them. The woman of the couple, like me, knew every word and we sang back and forth through a couple songs.

It was fun, exciting--even a bit emotional to relive that feeling. I also felt a little old, as the vast majority of my fellow audience members looked like they could have gone to high school with me. We love our Beatles, yes we do....

There are tribute and cover bands aplenty out there reproducing the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan and others, but somehow the Beatles' music represents something that is timeless and monumental. I don't know if there will be bands like the Sun Kings in 50 years when everyone who grew up with them will be gone, but it's possible that the grandchildren of those original fans may still want to hear the authentic sounds of whoever's reproducing this catalog in 2062 for the Beatles Centennial.