Black Rock Friday

Beatles guitar pick tins from The Fest For Beatles Fans catalog.

I’d like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who visits this blog. Even if you’re not a U.S. resident, you should still take a moment today to ponder a few things to be grateful for.

I used to get up early on every Thanksgiving so that I could run over to the grocery store before they sold out of their copies of the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. On Thanksgiving, these papers are stuffed with flyers advertising bargains for Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. Now I get both papers delivered. I’ve always found it fascinating to discover what’s currently available in the retail world, even though I’m not one to brave the hectic shopping mall crowds on the day after Thanksgiving. Today’s post is a much more compact, rock and roll oriented shoppers’ guide to what to give or ask for this holiday season.

First up, is The Fest For Beatles Fans 26th Annual Holiday Sale! catalog, which arrived in the mail about a week ago. Billed as the “World’s Largest Beatles Catalogue And Webstore,” it offers just about everything a devotee of John, Paul, George, and Ringo could dream of, from the more obvious items like t shirts, mugs, and figurines, to the more unusual things like cufflinks, bottle openers, lamps, socks, and undies. Sometimes it’s the small things that fascinate me; like a tin with a striking black and white graphic of The Beatles in their Sgt. Pepper garb on the cover, filled with guitar picks.

The only thing that bugs me about The Fest For Beatles Fans catalog is that it’s such an embarrassment of riches for the followers of a single band. I already own five Beatles mugs, three sets of Beatles figurines, and four Beatles t shirts. What if I wanted a Kinks t shirt, or a coffee mug with The Move on it? Mamas & The Papas pajamas or a baseball cap with a Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich logo on it? Status Quo socks? Occasionally, fans can find rock paraphernalia stores in malls that carry a variety of items for several bands, but probably the best place to look is on your favorite band's website.

The Bangles offer a selection of t shirts for men and women on their site, as well as a cap, and two styles of tote bags. The band frequently puts items up for bid on eBay, with the profits going toward some charitable organization. The Hollies have tour books, a cap, and two styles of shirts for sale, along with a few badges. I recently purchased Through The Ages - Volume 1, a scrapbook filled with photographs from drummer Bobby Elliott’s private collection. It’s a Christmas present to myself, so I haven’t opened it yet, but it’s in the same format as the tour books.

Another rock gift idea is the new Live From The Archives Volume 12 from WXRT, which features live performances that have aired on the station over the years. A subscription to Mojo, Q, Rolling Stone, or Shindig would surely be appreciated, and there’s an ad in the latest issue of Shindig for a book called Endless Trip, which pulls together vintage album reviews, illustrations, and color photos of American and Canadian bands from the 1960s and 1970s. It’s published by Foxcote Books, which also published a British version called Galactic Ramble last year. You’ll find plenty of eye-popping posters and framed art of artists like Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Doors, and Led Zeppelin at the Rock Art Show website.

You can do your own Black, or Rock Friday shopping with some energetic web surfing. Happy Thanksgiving to all, and be sure to give the gift of rock.

Liverpoolooza - Part Two

More reflections on The Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago 2010, which was held at the Hyatt Regency in Rosemont this past weekend.

A Beatles Storytellers session featured Pat DiNizio, lead singer/guitarist for The Smithereens, and a friend he introduced as Tommy Beatle, performing as The Scotch Plainsmen. DiNizio is uniquely qualified to comment on Beatles music, having recorded the CDs Meet The Smithereens, a note for note recreation of Meet The Beatles, and B-Sides Of The Beatles, with his New Jersey based band.

Between songs, DiNizio spun tales of hearing his first Beatles song at age nine while brushing his teeth, and how it took the sage advice of an older cousin for him to fully appreciate “Penny Lane” when it first came out. There was also a funny story about his mother calling him in the middle of the night back in the mid 1980s to let him know that The Smithereens had been listed for The David Brenner Show in the latest edition of TV Guide.

DiNizio and Tommy Beatle entertained with acoustic versions of “Hide Your Love Away,” “Dear Prudence,” and “Strawberry Fields,” as well as Smithereens tunes like “Only A Memory” and a medley of “Blood & Roses” and “Behind The Wall Of Sleep.”

British humorist/producer Martin Lewis has served as host of Fest For Beatles Fans on the East and West Coasts since 1992, and has worked on assorted Beatles related projects. In Chicago, he conducts some of the celebrity guest interviews and moderates B.U.I. - Musician’s Forum, which is an informative and entertaining discussion/jam session with some of the famous musicians who have been booked for the Fest. Musician/producer Mark Hudson was once again the most active participant, and while his exuberance approaches a Muppet-like silliness at times, he knows music inside and out, and is a talented performer. Denny Laine and Denny Seiwell of Wings, and musician Gary Wright also helped make this year’s Musician’s Forum another winner.

Pretty much everything at Fest For Beatles Fans qualifies as family entertainment, but none of it more so than the Battle Of The Beatles Bands. WXRT air personality Terri Hemmert, marking her 33rd year as MC for Fest For Beatles Fans Chicago, always oversees this amateur hour with gentle humor and an encouraging word, even for contestants who are noticeably off key. It’s common for parents and their offspring to form bands for this event, and any act that features cute kids has a definite edge in making the finals. Some of the better acts this year included The Shades and Hootenanners.

The Art Contest, with participants competing at various levels and age groups, brought in another crop of imaginative works, especially the piece that showed over 30 albums on which the actual Beatles were replaced with their animated counterparts from the 1960s cartoon show; and a huge portrait of the lads in their Magical Mystery Tour splendor.

As the night wore on, the people under the stairs began to make their presence known. This unofficial collective has been performing a sort of Mersey beat hootenanny on the ground level of the Hyatt at Fest For Beatles Fans for years. When I stopped by on Sunday, there was a row of about eight guitarists playing Beatles songs to a small crowd sitting directly in front of them on the floor. The joyous spirit of this phenomenon illustrates the bonding power of Beatles music.

Liverpool, a four piece band comprised of keyboards/rhythm guitar player Drew Hill, bassist Glen Burtnik, drummer Chris Camilleri, and lead guitarist John Merjave, has developed a loyal following through its performances at Fest For Beatles Fans. At Chicago shows in the past, Liverpool has focused on a single album by The Beatles, but this year, the band bounced from one era to another for sterling renditions of “Glass Onion,” “Let It Be,” “Another Girl,” and “Golden Slumbers.” Unlike many Beatles tribute bands, these guys don’t dress or act like the original band members, they just perform their songs with solid musicianship and amazing vocals.

After Liverpool appeared to have finished its set, original Wings drummer Denny Seiwell appeared onstage to a roar of applause, and asked if the audience wanted to hear more. As the band returned, he took his place behind a second drum kit onstage and joined in for a spirited version of “Smile Away” from Paul McCartney’s Ram album. A short time later, former Wings and Moody Blues vocalist Denny Laine came on board to join his old mate Seiwell, and Liverpool for some show-stopping versions of the Wings classics “Band On The Run,” “Mull Of Kintyre,” and “Live And Let Die.”

After Laine’s guest appearance, bass player, artist, and longtime close friend of The Beatles, Klaus Voormann came up to play, along with Gary Wright. I must confess that while I’m certainly familiar with Wright’s hit singles, I wasn’t aware of his work on solo albums by Ringo Starr and George Harrison. With Voormann and Wright joining in, Liverpool charged through “Back Off Boogaloo” and “It Don’t Come Easy,” before Wright took center stage for “Dream Weaver” and some of his originals. Wright also sang lead on “To Discover Yourself,” a song he had co-written with Harrison. With Mark Hudson joining in, the concert continued to rock toward its impressive finale.

Fest For Beatles Fans had come to Chicago once again, and left those in attendance with a wealth of happy memories.

Liverpoolooza - Part One

Image taken from Fest For Beatles Fans program.

The 34th Annual Chicago Fest For Beatles Fans wrapped things up last night with an all-star fortified performance by the tribute band Liverpool that in itself was worth the price of a day’s admission. The Fest, which kicked off at the Hyatt Regency in Rosemont with an opening announcement by MC (and WXRT radio personality) Terri Hemmert at 5:00 PM Friday and ran through the weekend, once again demonstrated the drawing power of The Beatles. Various guests shared how much the band had changed their lives, either through personal relationships or via musical influences.

Even with my attendance limited to one day, I was still able to take in a lot of the event’s multiple treasures. I arrived Sunday afternoon in time to catch British comedian Martin Lewis’s interview with author Chris O’Dell, whose book Miss O’Dell reflects back on her days as an employee of The Beatles’ ambitious but ill-fated Apple company. She recalled George Harrison playfully flirting with her, and how she eventually became close friends with his wife. Patti Boyd.

One of the coolest things about Fest For Beatles Fans is an inclusive ambience where well-known musicians, authors, and other performers weave their way through crowded halls and rooms with no hassles. After checking out the O’Dell interview, I wandered downstairs to visit the marketplace, and passed Fest honcho Mark Lapidos conversing with musician/producer/TV star Mark Hudson. A few times during the day, renowned artist and bass player Klaus Voorman walked within a few feet of me. Andy Babiuk, author of the respected Beatles Gear book and founding member of the garage rock band The Chesterfield Kings, was on hand, displaying some of his instruments.

The marketplace was filled with dozens of vendors selling t shirts, bags, wallets, belts, caps, guitar straps, calendars, books, buttons, publicity stills, CDs, vinyl, vintage publications, radio station Top 40 surveys, and just about anything that can possibly bear a Beatles logo or image. One vendor sold official merchandise from the current Cavern Club in Liverpool. My favorite item this year was a small guitar pick tin with an eye-catching, black & white Sgt. Pepper band photo on the top. There was also a t shirt for The Traveling Wilburys that caught my fancy. The oddest thing for sale was a toy from the 1960s that was a board with magnetic hairs that you shook until they found their rightful places on a drawing of the Beatles’ heads. A slogan on the package claimed, “Amuses the whole family.” Not any family I’d want to live next door to.

The Fest also had some impressive, higher end art for sale, including some Rockstore works from Voorman, who started creating unique portraits of his friends The Beatles from their early performaning days in Hamburg, Germany. Eric Cash and Paul Saltzman were among several talented artists and photographers offering their work for sale.

Print and TV model Mike Olie is a sort of Beatles memento come to life. He looks and dresses like a post-Beatles Paul McCartney, and is available to lip synch, or meet and greet at private parties, trade shows, and other special events. I’ve seen Olie at previous Fests, and always thought it would be fun to have this charming impersonator come by when I’m celebrating a birthday with family and friends. At the Fest, he was enthusiastically working the crowd throughout the day.

Hemmert’s onstage interview with former Wings and Moody Blues member Denny Laine offered interesting vignettes from both of the involved parties. Laine revealed that he and the other Moodies had been friends with the Beatles from the very early days. He also recalled visiting a Pirate Radio ship and seeing empty Heinekens bottles floating around it. Hemmert harked back to her first interview with Laine in Chicago when he was still with Wings, and how Linda McCartney helped her remain calm as she prepared to interview Paul.

Coming tomorrow: Pat DiNizio at Beatles Storytellers; The Musicians Forum; Battle Of The Beatles Bands; an Art Contest; People Under The Stairs; and Liverpool Rocks The House with special guests.

Every Time A Guitar Rings - - - Part Two

Sid & Susie photo from the Susanna Hoffs Facebook Page.

Additional Live Highlights From 2009. Let's hope 2010 brings us more great rock and roll.

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs at Old Town School Of Folk Music - As the duo Sid & Susie, solo artist Sweet and Bangles singer-guitarist Hoffs have recorded two Under The Covers CDs filled with their inspired interpretations of 1960s and 1970s hit singles. Their acoustic live show, with guitarist Paul Chastain was a freewheeling mix of anecdotes, audience participation, and all those great songs.

Fest For Beatles Fans at Hyatt Regency - Each August, this multi-media extravaganza of all things Fab Four comes together in Rosemont. In addition to performances by Greg Hawkes from The Cars and Ronnie Spector, there were nightly shows by Liverpool, one of the best of the Beatles cover bands.

Rock Art Show at Arlington Park Race Track - No live performances here - - just an opportunity to view art and photographs created by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and several other famous musicians. Rock Art Show also has an amazing collection of vintage concert posters.

Halloween Weekend Tribute Shows at The Abbey Pub - Two fun nights of musical impersonations. Phil Angotti’s band became Squeeze, Penthouse Sweets became The Sex Pistols, Tomorrow The Moon became The Psychedelic Furs, and The Webstirs became Fleetwood Mac. Several other tributes that weekend were spot on as well.

Lin Brehmer’s Birthday Bash at Arlington Park - The WXRT morning man celebrated his big day with a festive remote broadcast that featured dynamic live performances by Alice Peacock and Jon Langford’s Skull Orchard.

Celtic Fest in Grant Park - With all the talk of cuts in the city of Chicago’s outdoor festival budget, let’s hope Mayor Daley keeps this annual gathering of music acts from around the globe. Among this year’s many highlights were the acappella vocal group Navan, and the teenage prodigies from the Academy Of Irish Music.

Ralph’s World at Palatine Street Fest - Just as he does with his power pop songs for The Bad Examples, kids music superstar Ralph Covert fills ditties like “Happy Not My Birthday” and “Dinosaur Rumble” with clever lyrics and infectious melodies.

Fest For Beatles Fans Returns To Rosemont

Fest For Beatles Fans has been making its annual visits to the Chicago area since 1977 and earlier this year was the inspiration for the original play Mop Top Festival at the Factory Theatre. The three-day celebration will bring celebrities, tons of merchandise, live music, and art to the Hyatt Regency O’Hara in suburban Rosemont August 14-16. Guests include Ronnie Spector, a Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame singer whose recordings with The Ronettes delighted The Beatles. Hudson Brothers Mark and Brett, who continue to find success as musicians and producers (particularly Mark who produced Ringo Starr) will also be on hand, along with former Wings drummer Steve Holley, and guitarist Earl Slick, who played on John and Yoko’s Double Fantasy album. Greg Hawkes from The Cars will play ukulele on songs from his new CD, The Beatles Uke.

Long-time master of ceremonies Terri Hemmert, whose Breakfast With The Beatles show airs on WXRT every Sunday morning, comes across as an avid fan as well as a skilled interviewer in her on-stage sessions with each guest. British comedian Martin Lewis is the quick-witted moderator of Musician’s Forum, a fun and informative free-form conversation and jam session. This year’s Forum will involve Holley, the Hudsons, Hawkes, and Slick. Liverpool, a Beatles cover band that dispenses with the usual theatrics of the genre but still sounds a lot like The Fab Four will perform each night and back Greg Hawkes on a couple of Cars songs. Steve Holley will be filling in on drums.

The Chicago Fest For Beatles Fans is an unabashed love-in for devoted followers as they don their favorite t-shirts; meet face-to-face with people who have worked closely with John, Paul, George, and Ringo; join sing-alongs; participate in trivia contests; and vote for their favorites in a Beatles sound-alike competition. Tickets are $28 for Friday, $42 for Saturday or Sunday, amd $88 for the entire weekend.