Last modified: Tuesday, October 6, 2009
IU Auditorium to present 'Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles' for Homecoming Concert
WHAT:
Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles
WHEN: Oct. 15 and 16, 8 p.m.
WHERE: IU Auditorium, 1211 E. 7th St.
TICKETS: $18-$40 for IU Bloomington students with a valid student ID and $35-$55 for general public, on sale now. Individual tickets may be purchased online at IUauditorium.com and in person at the IU Auditorium Box Office, as well as through Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.The IU Auditorium Box Office is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. IU Auditorium is located at 1211 E. 7th St.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 6, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Following the recent re-issue of the Beatles catalog in remastered versions and the debut of the music video game "The Beatles: Rock Band," IU Auditorium will present Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles for Indiana University's Homecoming concert Oct. 15 and 16 at 8 p.m.
A pre-show talk by Beatles scholar and IU Professor Glenn Gass will take place Friday, Oct. 16, from 7-7:30 p.m. in Woodburn 100. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. and the talk with start promptly at 7 p.m. Gass will be discussing The Beatles, their impact on pop music history and their relevance today. The talk is co-hosted by IU Auditorium and WTIU/WFIU.
This all-star cast -- recruited from the Broadway hit Beatlemania -- will transport the audience back to the 1960s with a lookalike, soundalike band performing the full range of the Beatles discography.
Widely known as "the best Beatles tribute band," Rain formed in the 1970s and soon became popular in the Los Angeles area. Dick Clark discovered the cast members of Rain in Beatlemania and recruited them to record for the made-for-TV movie Birth of the Beatles.
The Rain show features Beatles songs paired with historical TV commercials and video footage from the 1960s. Rain will take audiences from the Beatles' 1964 appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show," through the Sgt. Pepper Era, "Flower Power" and finally, Abbey Road. These performers have spent years mastering the minute details of the Beatles' performance styles and do their best to channel a band that many didn't have the opportunity to see perform live.
"Everyone has a favorite Beatles song," said Doug Booher, director of IU Auditorium. "The artists are dedicated to their craft and they will be a hit with our audience."
Best Buy will be on site before and after both performances with several stations at which patrons can play the recently released "The Beatles: Rock Band." The Rain show page on the IU Auditorium Web site features a podcast with Rain member Ralph Castelli.
Other interesting Rain facts include:
- Rain was formed in the Los Angeles area by current keyboardist Mark Lewis in the 1970s and originally started as "Reign."
- Beatlemania ran on Broadway from 1977 to 1979 and toured until 1989.
- The band's repertoire consists of more than 200 Beatles songs.
- Longtime group members included Mark Lewis, Joey Curatolo, Joe Bithorn, Ralph Castelli and Steve Landis.
- All original group members performed on Broadway or on tour with Beatlemania.
- Current Rain members include: David Leon (vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, harmonica), Graham Alexander (vocals, bass, piano, guitar), Tom Teeley (vocals, lead guitar), Ralph Castelli (drums, percussion, vocals) and Mark Beyer (keyboards, percussion).
Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles is sponsored by the Indiana University Alumni Association, the Indiana University Foundation, BKD, T.I.S. Group, 103.7 WFIU and WTIU. The IU Auditorium 2009-2010 season is presented by Curry Auto Center, B97, The Bloomington Herald-Times, Indiana University Document Service Center, Indiana University Residential Programs and Services and Ivy Tech Community College.
More information on Rain and all shows on IU Auditorium's 2009-2010 season can be found at IUauditorium.com. The Web site features video clips and a selection of songs from this season's performances, in addition to podcasts and a direct link to the IU Auditorium Facebook Fan Page and Twitter page, whose members receive exclusive benefits throughout the year.
