Beatles tribute band overcomes skeptics with vintage equipment, suits and left-handed bass playing

From the Oklahoma Daily Online

by Kim Shipman-Daily Staff Writer
January 31, 2003

When Carl Rath and Eldon Matlick bought tickets for a 1964. . .The Tribute concert at the Civic Center over ten years ago, these OU School of Music professors had no idea they were about to see what George Harrison's sister, Louise, later called "the No. 1 Beatles show anywhere on the planet."

Because of 1964's "dead-on" performance at the Civic Center that Rath and Matlick attended, the Beatles tribute band will make its 12th OU appearance tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., Mark Benson--pseudo John Lennon, Gary Grimes--not quite Paul McCartney, Jimmy Pou--much like George Harrison and Greg George--virtual Ringo Starr will play a full-length concert as The Beatles this weekend at Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall.

This weekend, Matlick and Rath will share the stage with this pseudo-Beatlemania, when their band, Midlife Crysis, takes the stage an hour before each 1964 performance.

"We sort of set the stage for the time warp," Matlick said

. Both professors were initially skeptic of this type of impersonation of a band to whose music they'd grown up listening.

"I had every ill-conceived notion about how bad it was going to be. I was thinking of the Elvis impersonators, and I thought 'Oh great, now they're going to do that with The Beatles,'" Matlick said.

When Rath and Matlick walked into the concert hall for their first 1964 experience, the first thing they noticed was the authentic-looking equipment.

"What gave me the chills was the amps and the equipment. It looked like the real thing," Matlick said.

1964 uses vintage equipment from the era, including the black Pearl Ludwig drums Ringo played, the left-handed Hofner violin bass Paul played and the Vox 30 guitar amplifiers.

Grimes, who is right-handed--unlike Paul--learned how to play bass guitar, and then learned how to play left-handed in order to complete his tribute to Paul.

When 1964 walked on stage, Matlick and Rath saw their black tuxedo suits identical to those the Beatles wore in their early years. The outfit replicas were no lucky find in a thrift store--Gordon Millings, the London tailor who designed the Beatles' suits, is the group's tailor.

1964 first got together about 18 years ago, and they studied old Beatles performances on The Ed Sullivan Show so they could perfectly imitate their accents, singing and mannerisms. Pou, who came on board about three years ago, had plenty of practice from when he played George for seven years in the traveling Broadway production of "Beatlemania."

Rath and Matlick took in the look, and then they were ready for the sound.

"Everyone was in shock in the first number, they were coming around in the second one and they were loving it by the third song," Matlick said. "It was like we got lost in a time warp. People were singing, dancing and some were even crying."

The group's repertoire includes about 70 songs, including hits such as "Day Tripper," "Hard Day's Night" and "Long Tall Sally."

This music speaks to all age groups, Benson said. "We have audience members from seven to 70. It is truly family entertainment. The music was positive," he said.

Advance student tickets are $12, and at the door they cost $15. For more ticket information call the Fine Arts box office at 325-4101.