RAIN — A Tribute To The Beatles rocked out to an enthusiastic crowd Tuesday night at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium as kids and Beatles veterans sang along to the iconic tunes.
Starting with The Ed Sullivan Show and moving its way to the fab four’s solo careers, RAIN played a slew of songs impressing many viewers.
“I think I liked the early stuff the best because you don’t hear that as much,” said Chris Pyle, owner of Donkey Coffee and Espresso, 17 1/2 W. Washington St.
“Usually stuff like this I’ll usually stay at home … but pretty soon we won’t be able to hear any of this stuff from the original members since Paul McCartney can’t tour forever.”
Pyle’s son was so enthusiastic that he found a seat in the front row to get some pictures and experience the band up close and personally.
The band made several costume changes throughout the performance, most striking of which was its switch to the Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band — featuring authentic suits, fog and psychedelic lights.
The members of RAIN even spoke in the voice of the Beatle each was portraying, including their Liverpudlian accents, although some thought that portion of the show was the most staged.
“I think you can tell they’re faking (the accents),” said Kelsie Skidmore, a freshman whose major is undecided.
Pyle said he thought the between-song dialog was very entertaining and stuck to the style of The Beatles.
Andrew Holzaepfel said the final ticket count was 1,340, most of which consisted of an older crowd.
The age difference was most striking when Mac Ruffing, bassist for the band, asked those in the crowd 21 and under to sing the refrain to their final song “Hey Jude.” An enthusiastic minority sang “na na na” overtop a light chuckle from the rest of the crowd.
Many parents brought their children to the event so they could learn more about the history of the legendary band and learn to like the songs of the previous generation.
“We really support the arts and want (the kids) to experience the arts as much as possible,” said Mary Schaefer, a Coolville resident. “John Lennon was fortunately still alive when I was growing up, so I identify more with his music.”
Sure enough, one of the songs during the band’s encore was “Give Peace A Chance,” bringing a night of peace and love to a close.
wh092010@ohiou.edu
