All you need is love.
Give peace a chance.
War is over.
With our love we could save the world.
The love you take is equal to the love you make.
The distant sounds and lyrics of Beatles’ songs echo across the universe in these troubled times — along with the band’s idealistic sensibility.
Music can cross the barrier of time and no matter how dark the world seems, those Beatles’ songs keep the spirit of a better world alive.
Maybe that’s why Beatles’ music is eternal. It relates to the world of yesterday and today. On Sunday, a Beatles’ tribute band called BritBeat came to the Savannah Center for two shows.
The guys pretended to be the Beatles, but something was real: the music and its meaning.
“Love can change the human race and make the world a better place,” said Eli Echevarria as John Lennon. Then he started singing “All You Need Is Love.”
His bandmates — Chris Getsla as Paul; Jeff Isoe as George and Dave Robinson as Ringo – displayed the power of Beatles’ music throughout the show.
Watch video from the show here:
What made this tribute exceptional, were the graphics, visual imagery and biographical stills shown on a screen behind the band. It gave the history of the real Beatles, and provided a stunning backdrop to the show, which showcased the talent of this tribute band.
Chris Getsla got started with the concept when he was in eighth grade and did a project on the Beatles. “He loved Beatles’ music and never lost that love for it,” said his father, Randy Getsla, who takes care of sound for BritBeat. He also creates the digital video and graphics.
Although the guys, like any tribute band, resemble the Beatles, they brought home the essence of the band’s sound and chemistry on stage.
The show started with a flashback to the Beatles’ raw beginnings at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. Then it was 1964, and Ed Sullivan introduced Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr to America.
Early numbers included “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “From Me to You,” and “Roll Over Beethoven.”
Then it was on to Shea Stadium for a concert, with such songs as “Eight Days A Week,” “Help,” and “Day Tripper.”
The audience stood up to sing-along, clap and stomp on a blistering version of “Twist and Shout.”
Villager Paul Simmons remembers the Shea Stadium show because he was there in 1965.
“I had a great seat, you could hear the girls screaming but I watched the show,” said Simmons, a member of The Villages Beatlemaniacs Club. “The Beatles were special. They brought excitement and intelligence to music.’
BritBeat gave examples of the sophistication and depth of the Beatles on such numbers as: “Penny Lane,” “A Day in the Life” and “I Am A Walrus.”
Jeff Isoe, as George, was in vintage form on “Here Comes the Sun.” He also offered the sitar-influenced “Within Without You” and melded it into another Harrison classic: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
Chris Getsla delivered a powerful and soft “Yesterday” with a twist. He played bass guitar left-handed, just like Paul, all night long. But he was unable to get his acoustic guitar on the airplane ride to Florida. So he had to use another acoustic guitar and played it right-handed, and he was flawless.
It’s a challenge to recreate the sound and background effects on “Sgt. Pepper…” but BritBeat was able to do so with the help of keyboardist Rick Sladek. “A Day in the Life” came through loud and clear.
The show closed with a booming and hard-rocking version of “Revolution” and the band earned a well-deserved standing ovation.
“We’re not going home yet,” Getsla told the boisterous crowd, which had been cheering, singing and clapping with the music all night long.
The band ripped into “Golden Slumbers” off the Abbey Road” album.
It wasn’t the Beatles, but it was a treat to hear those songs and feel that uplifting Beatles’ spirit once more.