The FabFour
17 February 2007
V Theatre In Desert Passage, Las Vegas, NV
Countless Beatles tribute bands exist. Many agree that the California-based FabFour offers the best combination of "soundalike" and "lookalike". The FabFour replicates the original recording sound of the Beatles, to the exact notes and down to the last arrangement. And, "John", "Paul", "George", and to a lesser extent "Ringo", resembled the appearance of the Beatles right down to the eyebrows, every article of the wardrobe, and every musical instrument.
This show was/is surrealistically as if the Beatles had lived and reunited for a tour in the early 1970s. Stunning.
The FabFour set featured essentially three acts:
The first act featured an Ed Sullivan lookalike/soundalike who, perhaps to some detriment to the concert, attempted to add "artistic license" humor to the show, in the form of goofy comments and props such as coathangers stuck under his jacket behind his neck. Sullivan introductions aside, the first act included "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", "She Loves You", "I Should Have Known Better", "A Hard Day's Night", "I Saw Her Standing There", and "Twist & Shout".
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", a very pleasant "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Sgt. Pepper' Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)", and "A Day In The Life" highlighted the Psychadelic era.
After "Paul", "George" and "Ringo" performed a delightful "Got To Get You Into My Life", "John" walked out in his ice cream suit and circular-framed glasses. And, in perhaps not the best part of the show, "John" made a mournful, two-minute allusion to his own murder, as an introduction to his "Imagine".
Afterwords, the rest of the band, now all in "And In The End" era attire, performed, among other classics, "Revolution", and a brilliant "Here Comes The Sun". In encore, the FabFour introduced each member, playing riffs from Ringo's "It Don't Come Easy", George's "What Is Life", John's "Watching The Wheels", and Paul's "Silly Love Songs", and finished together with "Hey Jude".
I've often forgotten how much I really enjoy the impact that the Beatles had on the culture of popular music. This tribute performance really opened up a very colorful array of very good memories.
[****] - Steven T.