By Hollie Gibbs
Fans have spent the better part of half a century loving the Beatles. The most successful band of all time has also spawned countless tribute acts, dozens of which reside in the Cleveland area. Revolution Pie, however, has carved out their spot at the top of this pack, playing morning television news spots, Cleveland Browns Stadium and Progressive Field, festivals and outdoor concerts throughout the summer months.
In a rare winter sighting, however, they are hosting a benefit concert for VH1 Save the Music Foundation on Sat 1/19.
Talent levels aside, there are two types of Beatles tribute bands — the ones who dress in costumes and the ones who don’t. This show will feature both (Revolution Pie being one of the latter). Personally, I find it distracting to watch men in their 60s adorned in fluorescent satin military garb or sporting wigs of 20-year-olds’ hairstyles worn 50 years ago. However, the cheer levels at such costumed shows indicate that I may be in the minority in these opinions as long-time fans still love the fun and whimsy of the entire sight and sound experience.
Regardless of what you’re looking at, though, what you’re listening to is classic Beatles. Now, the Fab Four were broken up long before I was born, and John Lennon slain before I could ever hold hope for a reunion. So, when I imagine seeing them perform, the image is not of a stadium jammed full of screaming teens where the sound is so bad and the band so distant they could easily have just used wax dummies. Rather, I imagine the time just before fame hit when they were playing European dance halls — young and full of fire.
So the prospect of watching a Beatles tribute band at a venue like the Sokol Greater Cleveland Bohemian National Hall is ideal. Walk into the 1896 building past Czech cultural displays, up the grand staircase and into the ballroom where the band is set up on a red velvet curtain draped stage surrounded by theater boxes. The audience waxes sentimental under an ornate chandelier overlooked by the surrounding balcony while others enjoy a cocktail at the turn of the century wooden bar. This is the way it was meant to be.
Local musicians include The ReBeats, Echo Grove, Ricky & The Rockets, Jane Dough Band, The Sellouts, Serious Nature, Sloppy Joe Band, KTO, The Covert Operation, Connor O’Brien, Eric Phillips and Sam Spiegle. They will join Revolution Pie on stage throughout the night.
Revolution Pie “With A Little Help From Our Friends” Concert benefiting VH1 Save the Music Foundation is Sat 1/19, 7pm – 11pm, at the Sokol Greater Cleveland Bohemian National Hall, 4939 Broadway Ave. Cleveland, Ohio. Tickets are $5.
For more information, visit https://facebook.com/RevolutionPie or http://revolutionpie.com.
Hollie Gibbs has a BS in journalism from Kent State University and studied photography at School of the Visual Arts in Manhattan. Her articles and photographs have appeared in numerous local and national publications. She can also be found playing guitar with various bands and building life-size monster props.
Cleveland, OH 44127
One Response to “Revolution Pie: With a Little Help from Our Friends”
Hellcats
I saw a band playing Beatles songs a couple years. The bassist was 68, and looked fine in a Beatle haircut. I can’t say the same for the 40 -something guitarists in Justin Bieber shags.