AJOBO (7/14/14)
Welcome to the first full week of REBEAT! When something is so new, every “first” feels like a milestone. And now that we’re “cooking with gas,” as a former colleague of mine used to say, this column serves as your weekly “Letter from the Editor” with tidbits about what’s coming up in the magazine and anything neat I think you should know about.
And what’s “neater” than celebrating the release of one of the most seminal films in rock ‘n’ roll? If you haven’t noticed, the Beatles’ first film, A Hard Day’s Night, is once again taking over theatre marquees for its 50th anniversary. I had a chance to catch a screening yesterday at NYC’s Film Forum with a group of Beatle buddies, which, as you can imagine, led to an entirely different viewing experience. No, not in the “quoting along with the movie” sense, because that’s annoying, but the widespread vibe of complete joy at being able to witness this fantastic film, completely restored and enhanced, on the big screen (for some, the first time).
Something else that struck me were rows of children who giggled and wiggled along, completely engrossed in the flick. Seeing things like that always makes me heart-glad. Once upon a time, I was the “new generation” of fan, but I’m glad to see the renewal didn’t end with me and my peers. In the early ’60s, Brian Epstein predicted that, “In the year 2000, people will still be listening to the Beatles.” I bet he’d be glad to know he was beyond right about that.
Last week, contributor Sally O’Rourke and I snagged seats at City Winery in NYC for part two of their Nuggets celebration. A good time was had by all, especially the bevy of guest performers singing their personal favs from the anthology and tunes from the era. Lenny Kaye’s band rocked it, explaining that even though some songs only have three chords, the way they’re composed is challenging and proves these people were “highly intelligent.” But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Sally will tell you more in her review!
Also exciting is the premiere of what I hope will become a staple of the site, which is a Recurrence (a fancy word for “section”) focused on the all-important 1960s teen music magazine. Now, you could argue that these magazines weren’t solely JUST for teenagers, but I think the title is more or less historically accurate. Regardless, there’s so much good stuff to explore within the pages, including photos and information you can’t really find elsewhere. I’m “kicking” (hint, hint) it off with a spotlight on one of the most popular and enigmatic characters of the 1960s, who’s still on tour today!
Speaking of tours, you might have caught Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith on their last Monkees go-round. Personally, I thought it was one of their best yet, not least of all because of the fabulous backing band, which consisted of many familiar faces and some family members. A new addition to the lineup was Circe Link, a singer and songwriter who, along with her partner in music and life, Christian Nesmith, has established a new sound she calls “cowboy jazz.” Contributor Carey Farrell gets the direct-from-Circe scoop on exactly what that entails in an exclusive interview you’ll only find here at REBEAT.
All that and more awaits you, along with summer heat and possibly a repeat of our “polar vortex” here in NYC? We can only hope.
Keep cool,
-AJB
