The first thing Beatles you see is on the sidescreens, where Beatles trivia questions come popping up. And let me tell you, there ain’t any gimmes in this bunch. If it hadn’t been for the guy behind me feeding me the answers, I would have got a grand total of two or three answers correct. After the questions, though, you can sit back, relax and ride the nostalgic roller coaster for two-plus hours of sheer enjoyment.
Once the questions go off and the crowd gets restless, the sidescreens begin showing still photography from the early 1960s, then black-and-white footage of an impersonator doing his Ed Sullivan shtick, with the hunched shoulders, the crossed arms, and grossly exaggerated voice and actions. His mimicry of the Beatles’ introduction is when the curtain goes up on Rain.
Rain has had plenty of practice, now that they’ve been doing this for two decades, but from what I’ve read they’ve had their routine down pat since long ago. The mop tops, the Savile Row suits, the “Beatle boots,” the accents, are all dead on. While their voices may be less so, they’re close enough to occasionally give you pause, while always giving you satisfaction and pleasure.
The quartet goes through five costume and appearance changes over two acts, broken by a short, well-deserved intermission. These guys work! As the Beatles changed their individual appearances over the years, so do the members of Rain for each musical era. First it’s the mop tops, then it’s slightly longer hair, then it’s even longer hair with some facial hair, and they’ve dropped the matching suits in favor of more casual clothing.
Of course, for the Sergeant Pepper album, they’re in the stage version of military costumes, just as the Beatles were when they posed for the cover of that album. And when they do their Abbey Road medley, they’re again true to appearance. Throughout the performance the timing, actions, and even the esoteric-at-the-time instrumentation are duplicated to perfection.
Article comments
1 - Johnny
I saw Rain recently in Maryland, and they were great. But the American Hot Club Band is the best 50s/60s rock'n'roll/soul band in the Washington, DC area.
2 - Lou Novacheck
I get back there every now and again. Used to live in Severn for a lot of years. I'll have to check them out.
3 - Mark
The reviews, including yours, that I've read certainly seem good. I've seem a couple of other Beatles "tribute bands", including 1964, and they were very good as far as the music goes, without the show. The difference is, we saw 1964 for about $50 a couple. Rain is at least $115 for a couple. Is it really worth that much for a tribute show is my question? For $70, I can see a "real" band, such as Asia with the original members, or Return to Forever, etc. $115 for a tribute show seems a bit much, I'm thinking.
4 - Lou Novacheck
If you don't think it's worth it, then it isn't, regardless of what others say. That's my rationale for every purchase I make: Is it worth it to me? If I'm even a little doubtful, I'll pass it up (most of the time!). Sometimes you get the goldmine, sometimes you get the shaft. Most of the time, I make the correct decision, because I'm the only one I have to please. I've learned that if I'm doubtful, but go ahead and do it, then I'm at least a little regretful afterward. Most of the time I ruefully tell myself, 'I told you so. I warned you.'
5 - wyeld1
We walked in to the concert a during the first song a was immediately struck by the cheesy sound quality. Figured it was just to emulate the early sixties sound, but unfortunately it didn't get much better. The performers sounded somewhat close to the Beatles, but was not dead on as all the reviews indicated. The band came off as being very egotistical and were always begging for audience approval. The light show if you want to call it that was kind of lame. Designed for the mainstream but will disappoint the purist. Over priced and over hyped.
6 - gary
Wasn't let it be the last beatles record? This review said abbey road is.
7 - The Truth
The American Hotclub Band is a bunch of has-been doughboy hacks led by the raging anti-semite, David L. Sharp. Look him up on the 'net, and steer clear of this bigot and his "band" of losers!
8 - bobby blease
what a band, cannot wait to see them back in liverpool,
9 - bobby blease
i remenber them back in liverpool and they are just agood has the beatles,please come back
10 - earle decker
Saw them this past w-end in Connecticut and thought it was worth every penny, but then only a down deep Beatles fan, as I have been for 46 years could appreciate the work and authenticity Rain puts into their act. Not one person, that I could see, got up and left early.
11 - Dr. Truth
Johnny is in fact David L. Sharp of said American Hot Club Band (Gaithersburg, MD) ... a self promoting plug.
12 - Watcher
Dr. Truth is correct; David Sharp of the American Hot Club Band is a virulent Jew hater who writes under the pseudonym of 'Salvador Astucia'.