I usually write about the local Sarasota live music scene, but I have to diverge today in order to remark on the Beatles 50 Year Ed Sullivan Show TV Special that aired last night. Am I the only one who thought the best part of the show was when actual Beatles sang and played?
While I admire the talent and polish of all the previous acts and musicians on the show, both young and legendary, the production felt more like a Kennedy Center dirge-for-the-almost-dead than a celebration of the lighthearted, fun, happy, whimsical, adventurous, youthful characters that Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney still clearly are.
Clearly, there needs to be a sequel to last night's show, and here are my unsolicited suggestions:
1) Book the actual Ed Sullivan (now David Letterman) theater in New York. What does L.A. have to do with the Beatles in America?
2) If there are cover bands, select those with players who are young and just starting out, to convey the energy of the Beatles who actually played here in 1964. How about some mop-tops? There are plenty of those available even in this Millenial generation of musicians. For example, here in Sarasota we have the marvelous The Tracks:
3) Keep the production values simple. No visual dazzling required, either in the hair, makeup, glitter or stage sets we saw on the L.A. stage last night.
I'm glad we had the opportunity to watch the special last night. And, yes, it was great to see amazing musicians of Beatles vintage, such as Joe Walsh and Peter Frampton, reveling in their chops onstage. It just whetted my appetiite for another show, hopefully orchestrated next time by Paul and Ringo.
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I'm sure all of this is true from other reviews I read after the program. Will have to watch it now, if I can find it anywhere. Tried on the night it aired live, but no luck anywhere on the Internet. The big opportunity that seemed to be missed was having Paul and Ringo, and George and John's sons, on stage at the same time. An ersatz reunion of sorts that will be hard to duplicate anytime soon. AB in Basalt.
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