Beatles tribute band, above, will square off with the Rolling Stones tribute band Saturday, March 7 at the Colonial Theater. | Courtesy photo
IDAHO FALLS – The Colonial Theater will be rocking to some of the most legendary sounds in rock music history when “Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown” returns to Idaho Falls on Saturday night.
“Beatles vs. Stones” features Beatles tribute band Abbey Road squaring off against Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction in competition to see which band’s songs reign supreme. The bands will play three alternating twenty-minute sets that cover time periods throughout each band’s history, complete with period-accurate wardrobe changes.
Both Satisfaction and Abbey Road are internationally-recognized tribute bands that tour and play major shows separately. Bringing the two groups together has created a show that has a little something for classic rock fans of all stripes.
“(The Beatles and The Stones) are the two biggest bands of all time with some of the greatest rock songs that were ever written,” Chris LeGrand, who plays Mick Jagger in Satisfaction, told EastIdahoNews.com. “You’re gonna get two-and-a-half hours of non-stop, authentic and classic entertainment.”
“You’ve got to be a fan of one of these bands,” added Axel Clarke, who plays Ringo Starr in Abbey Road. “You’ve got to at least like The Beatles or the Stones. Anyone who says they don’t is either crazy or they’re lying.”
Putting on a show that satisfies hardcore fans of both bands is a challenge. People who know these songs, know them down to the minute details, even the mistakes and flubs in the original recordings.
“First off, you have to love the music and be super O.C.D. about it,” Clarke said. “It’s not just the notes and the rhythms, it’s the tones and the style and the balance of the instruments. You want to try to duplicate what’s on the recording as closely as you can.”
But that’s not all. LeGrand and Clark both said that playing a “Beatles vs. Stones” show involves much more than just knowing the music and competently performing it. They also need to accurately capture the way the Beatles and Stones moved while on stage.
“The biggest challenge is that (Jagger) is probably, arguably the greatest frontman of all time,” said LeGrand. “The most challenging aspect, in this show and my own shows, is that we represent three different eras of The Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger was a different guy on every tour, from his stage persona to his moves. They changed and evolved through the years. So that’s the challenge. You’ve got to be three different versions of Mick in costumes and mannerisms and dance moves.”
“You also have to get into the costuming and be accurate with that,” said Clark. “And there’s the acting portion of it where you have to move and sound and have the persona of whatever Beatle you’re playing.”
Clarke said that playing Beatles songs the way Starr did can be a challenge all its own.
“Physically playing the way he did, the way he sat at the drum kit, the way he set his kit up, the way he moved and his approach to striking his drums is very unique to him,” he said. “You would never teach anyone to play like that from the start. So, there’s a lot of very proper training I’ve had in my life that I have to forget because I have to do it like Ringo.”
Challenging aspects of the show aside, LeGrand and Clarke are excited to get in front of an Idaho Falls crowd again and give them a fun and entertaining show.
“I’m always excited to return to venues we’ve been to before,” Clarke said. “It’s always nice to see if anyone came back or the new faces. You try to change up the set from last time in case anyone remembers. It’s always fun to return to places we’ve been.”
“You’re gonna get three different Beatles sets and three different Stones sets and then there’s a big finale that I won’t give away,” said LeGrand. “There’s a fantastic finish to the show that’s something that’s never happened before. So it’s historical, it’s fun, all the songs are great. There’s just hit after hit after hit. No one walks out without having a good time.”
“Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown” hits the Colonial Theater at 7:30 pm on Saturday, March 7. Click here for tickets.
