Jersey Summer Beatles Bash #2
State Theatre
25 July 2008, 2000
The second annual Jersey Summer Beatles Bash celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' White Album. Released in 1968, The White Album was mostly recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London and was produced by Sir George Martin. It was the ninth official album released by the Beatles and was ranked the 10th greatest album of all time by a Rolling Stone magazine poll (sharing the top ten with their eighth album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; their seventh album, Revolver; and their sixth album, Rubber Soul). The songs for the album were largely conceived of during a trip to Rishikesh, India, while the fab four were visiting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Our fearless leader, Glen Burtnik, organized and directed what has probably been my favorite show in the 100 in 6 so far. Like a mad scientist, Burtnik painstakingly dissected each song so that they could be presented exactly as they were recorded, note-for-note. When I write note-for-note, I am serious. If Paul McCartney sang 'come on, come on' 15 times in succession at the end of Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey (side 1, track 4 on the second album), then you can bet your sweet ass that Burtnik and Friends sang 'come on, come on' 15 times in succession at the end of Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey. If John Lennon belted out a spontaneous yell during one of the recordings that yell was reproduced at the same time marker during this show. You get the idea. The show was headlined by the extremely talented John Merjave and Drew Hill of Liverpool, the marvelous singer/songwriter Bob Burger, the multi-talented Marc Muller, and the infallible Marshall Crenshaw. There were another dozen special guests or so that helped put this show together including one of the architects behind the presentation of Revolution #9 whose life's ambition was admittedly to perform Revolution #9 live (track 12, side 2 on the second album), Dusty Micale, an orchestra imported for the songs with the classical tracks, and Burtnik's very talented, young protege Sally. All in all, an outstanding, wonderfully talented line up of musicians. I was completely floored by their performances, and the audience seemed to agree with me as the group got several standing ovations during the show.
Thanks to Robert, Smother and I were able to sit front row center for the event.
100 in 6 budget: $737
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