January 28, 2011, Seattle, Washington – The 43rd anniversary of the Beatles’ infamous “rooftop concert” was celebrated in Seattle Friday afternoon with a free lunchtime concert given by tribute group Crème Tangerine. The show, the band's 4th annual event, took place on the rooftop patio of the Copacabana Café in Pike Place Market. Seattle rock legends, Heart’s Roger Fisher and Yes drummer Alan White (former drummer for John Lennon and George Harrison), were special guest performers. Don Wilson of theVentures was unable to attend as originally planned.
Members of the band had held their breaths in the days leading up to the show, as everything from record snowfall, ice storms, wind and torrential rains crippled the city--not great conditions for an outdoor concert. Yet on the day of the show, full sunshine burst through a cloudless sky, and “Here Comes the Sun” could have been the perfect opening song.
The Beatles’ rooftop show was on January 30, 1969 in London atop the roof of their Savile Row Apple offices, entertaining the unsuspecting crowd on the street below. Today’s crowd however, was ready and waiting for the concert, eager to be entertained by the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo.
Crème Tangerine has five band members: Dan Grant (vocals), Jeff Lockheart (drums), Tim Mushen (guitar, vocals), Chuck Dorsett (keyboards, vocals), EJ Erickson (sax) and newest to join the group, Warren Kinser (bass, vocals). Before performing the songs from the rooftop show, the crowd was treated to other Fab Four hits:
Baby You’re A Rich Man
Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Got to Get You Into My Life
Live and Let Die (from McCartney’s solo work)
Then the band launched into the rooftop show as performed 43 years ago (One After 909 was not performed:)
Get Back
I’ve Got A Feeling
Don’t Let Me Down
Dig a Pony
Roger Fisher and Alan White took their positions on stage to cheers and applause. It was an incredible moment, probably once-in-a-lifetime, to see these two legends walk on stage together and play Beatles songs together. After a medley of earlier Beatle favs, Fisher showed off his lead guitar expertise on George Harrison’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Lennon’s Instant Karma followed, a song Alan White performed and recorded with Lennon. Back in the USSR and Twist and Shout had all of Pike Place Market rockin’ and rollin’ on the street below.
I talked to Roger Fisher before the show. He has just released an updated version of Heart’s original Love Alive from 1975, and a song called Dear Friend written for his girlfriend Linda, as he works on a new album. (click here for my interview with Roger.)
Also, Alan White has just completed a world-wide tour with Yes. He's just gotten back from an "ardous" guest appearance at NAMM (National American Music Merchandisers) in LA. (see my interview with Alan here.)
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