Two years ago my dad received press tickets for a Beatles tribute band that called themselves “Rain,” inspired by the song of the same name, which was first released in June 1966 as the B-side of the “Paperback Writer” single and also appears on the Past Masters set.  Perhaps an obscure reference for a novice Beatle fan, but the song is actually quite fantastic and after conducting further research I learned that it was one of the first songs to use a new device invented by the maintenance department at Abbey Road called “ATOC” for “Automatic Transient Overload Control.”  The  device allowed the record to be cut at a louder volume, louder than any other single up to that time.  Perhaps that accounts for the saturation of Paul’s rolling bass lines and the distorted guitar effects that muddles the sonic sphere as it were actual rain crashing down.

To properly understand our hesitation about Rain, it’s important to back track about eight years when my dad and I hired a Beatles band called Imagine to perform at my parent’s 20th wedding anniversary.  Working as carpet cleaners during the day and moonlighting as their music idols after hours, we were certain that we had seen the best Beatles band in Los Angeles.  “How good can Rain really be?” we asked each other as we drove into Hollywood.   When it comes to Beatles tribute bands, the manner in which we judge the group is entirely different than any other musical experience.  They’re not playing original music that we have never heard before that we can easily dismiss as “good” or “bad,” but they’re playing songs that are ingrained in our memories, tattooed in our souls, and transcribed in our ears.   We’re not judging them on basic criteria of whether they look like the Beatles, play instruments that Beatles actually recorded with, or even if they can imitate their mannerisms, but it all comes down to this-  can they replicate those distinct sonic nuances, match tones, play solos beginning to end, and bring the experience of watching the Beatles live to present time?  Is it even possible? When the lights went down two large monitors were turned on and streamed a montage of Kennedy’s inauguration along with commercials for Winston cigarettes featuring the Flintstones and Duz panty hose and detergent, immediately transporting us to the early 60′s when the Beatles invaded the US. Beginning with the early days of Ed Sullivan, then to their performance at Shea Stadium, Sgt. Pepper’s and to Abbey Road, Rain hit every note, nailed every complex George Harrison solo, mastered all vocal effects and details and managed to perform the entire show live.

After a two year absence Rain has returned for a limited engagement in Hollywood and then they return to Broadway.  Band mates Steve Landes who plays “John,” Joey Curatolo is “Paul” and actually won multiple Paul McCartney sound alike contests (really it’s uncanny), Joe Bithorn plays lead guitar as “George,”  Ralph Castelli proves just how complex Ringo’s drum patterns truly are, and Mark Beyer is on keyboard and percussion.   This time around my dad and I marked our calendars weeks in advance to attend the opening night of Rain’s performance in Los Angeles and much to our delight they managed to become even tighter, even more intricate and introduced an acoustic set which included “Across the Universe,” “Rocky Raccoon” and a rockabilly improvisational solo on “I’ve Just Seen a Face.”  To think that Rain is able to play songs like “Eleanor Rigby,” “A Day in the Life,” “Strawberry Fields” live when the Beatles never did or even attempted is a testament to their talents as musicians who respect the legacy that the Beatles continue to inspire.  The Pantages was filled with three generations of Beatle fans- those who watched them on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964 when they first arrived in America, those of us like me who inherited our parent’s vinyl and CD collections, and those even younger who are just hearing the Beatles for the first time.

Here is the set list from Rain:

All My Lovin’

This Boy

I Want to Hold Your Hand

I Saw Her Standing There

A Hard Day’s Night

I’m Happy Just to Dance with You

Yesterday

Help!

Day Tripper

Sgt. Pepper

With a Little Help From My Friends

Eleanor Rigby

Strawberry Fields

When I’m 64

A Day in the Life

Hello Goodbye

I Am the Walrus

Girl

Norwegian Wood

We Can Work it Out

Blackbird

I’ve Just Seen a Face

Rocky Raccoon

Come Together

Get Back

Revolution

The End

Let it Be

Hey Jude

All You Need is Love

Rain is in Los Angeles until April 17 and I would highly suggest that you do yourself the favor of purchasing a ticket to behold a truly magical experience that will no doubt remind you why you love the Beatles so much in the first place.  The only thing that could push Rain over the edge and make them truly exceptional is if “Paul” were actually left-handed.  Given that he is a talented musician who plays piano, acoustic guitar and bass, I will let him slide.