Rain reigns over Beatlemania
http://www.newsleader.com/article/20100107/ENTERTAINMENT04/1070304
Cover band tries to take Fab Four to the next level in performance
January 7, 2010
Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles covers the Fab Four from its first Ed
Sullivan Show appearance through Abbey Road and the psychedelic late
'60s into its long-haired hippie, hard-rocking rooftop days. Rain is
a multimedia, multi-dimensional experience a fusion of historical
footage and television commercials from the 1960s light up video screens.
The four longtime band members are Joey Curatolo (Paul McCartney),
Joe Bithorn (George Harrison), Ralph Castelli (Ringo Starr) and Steve
Landes (John Lennon). They also are accompanied by founding member
Mark Lewis on keyboards and percussion. For Rain, the music is first
and foremost. For more than two decades, Rain has distinguished
itself by focusing on details, always dedicated to being faithful to
The Beatles with the ultimate goal of delivering a perfect
note-for-note performance. All the music is performed live, with no
pre-recorded tapes or sequences.
The story of Rain actually begins in the mid 1970s when keyboardist
Lewis joined forces with four other local musicians, who together
formed the band that was originally called Reign and played
throughout the Los Angeles/Orange County, Calif., area. Reign was in
demand to play Beatles music and rode an enormous wave of nostalgia
for the original band, which broke up in 1970. Before long, Reign
built a strong, devoted following in and around Los Angeles.
Following numerous misspellings in the media and advertising, "Reign"
became Rain (also the title of a 1966 Beatles single). A big break
came for the tribute band when Dick Clark hired it to record the
music for the 1979 made-for-TV movie "Birth of the Beatles."
Rain's intention was not just to cover Beatle songs, but to take it
to another level: To perform songs The Beatles had never performed
live, and do them note-for-note, just like the records. All this
happened at a time when tribute bands were practically non-existent.
They also performed in the hit Broadway and touring productions of
"Beatlemania."
The band has said it approaches The Beatles music with the same
respect a classical musician treats the music. The group worked hard
studying each song, each note, movement and nuance both vocally and
musically. Today, it has a repertoire of more than 200 Beatles songs
to help audience members experience their own personal journey back
to a time when one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially
successful acts changed the landscape of pop music.
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