The Beatles are still invading, at least in spirit, and Prince George is on the front lines tonight.
Fifty years ago, the four fab lads from Liverpool made their fateful appearance at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York and western culture was never quite the same. Tonight their modern day facsimiles are at Vanier Hall.
It can't be George, John, Paul and Ringo up on the stage, of course, but the quartet in their place are talented musicians who have made a name for themselves as Fab Fourever, and they are at their vintage tribute best as the world celebrates the half-century mark of the British Invasion's first shot fired.
Like many young Beatle fans at the time, Jody Tennant was enthralled by this new level of rock 'n' roll. And he wanted to be Paul McCartney so badly he was the bass player in his brother's band even though he couldn't play an instrument. The band found a real player soon enough and Tennant was ousted.
"It was discouraging for sure," said Tennant. "After that very brief exposure to show business, my bass went into storage and I expected that it would lay dormant forever."
His fascination and appreciation for The Beatles was not put away, though. He remained a devout fan and fast-forward 15 years, there was Tennant and his family of five, including a one month old baby boy, travelling to Seattle for a Paul McCartney concert. The night was Nov. 5, 2005. Everyone in the family was dressed in Sgt. Pepper uniforms for some extra Beatles fun.
Even the concert staff was impressed. They were noticed by McCartney's film crew and the whole family became part of the Paul McCartney documentary video they were shooting at the time.
"What a thrill," Tennant said. "But it gets better. The next thing we knew, Paul's camera man was motioning for us to follow him backstage. And then all at once, there was Paul McCartney strolling towards us wearing a red robe. He visited with us like we were family. He shook my hand, kissed my wife and kids and posed for photos. We could not believe that we had just met Sir James Paul McCartney."
That chance meeting was all the inspiration Tennant needed to fulfil his dream. The only problem was he still couldn't play an instrument nor could he sing.
"Those were certainly important items," he said. "But I didn't care. I was prepared to do whatever was needed to become Paul McCartney in a Beatles band."
So fast-forward again and here he is, after years of hard work and self-instruction: Jody Tennant, the leader of Fab Fourever, considered among the very best Beatles tribute bands re-invading the public consciousness 50 years after the original band made their culture-changing appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.
The concert will feature the different phases of The Beatles' career, complete with vintage instruments and authentic costume changes. It won't be a lonely hearts' club at Vanier Hall when everyone comes out to twist and shout at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are at Studio 2880 and will also be available at the door.
