They played for an excellent turnout, and the band members of Rain were absolutely transformative as The Beatles. Their stage had the latest state-of-the-art technology with screens that helped bring their set to life. Steve Landes took on the part of John Lennon, Paul Curatolo as Paul McCartney, Alastar McNeil as George Harrison, and Aaron Chiazza as Ringo Starr on drums. Mark Beyer joined them on keyboards this evening.
Rain kicked off their concert with “She Loves You,” and it was followed by “Please Please Me” and “From Me To You.” They had the Madison Square Garden singing along with them on “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and vibrant red lights graced the stage during “A Hard Day’s Night.”
After “If I Fell,” it was a treat to hear “I’m Happy Just to Dance With You” sung by their George Harrison (who nailed him to the tee). His resemble to the real George Harrison was astonishing, and the same holds true for the other band members. One of the highlights from the first set was Paul Curatolo (as Paul McCartney) serenaded the audience to a solo, acoustic performance of “Yesterday,” which was sheer perfection.
They picked up the pace with “Ticket to Ride,” as they took their fans on a trip to their Shea Stadium show back in 1965. Equally impressive numbers were “I Feel Fine,” “Day Tripper” and “Twist and Shout,” where they were able to get their fans up on their feet, dancing along with them.
Their rendition of “Eleanor Rigby” garnered a great deal of applause. “Thank you very much folks,” they said. “Are you enjoying the show?” they asked, and the answer was a resounding “yes.” “That is wonderful news,” they added.
Rain praised the New York crowd for being a “lovely” and “very kind” audience, and they shared that “we would use more love in the world these days.” “Love is all you need,” they underscored.
They showcased their soaring harmonies on “In My Life,” and “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” was a fun singalong, with an animated background that displayed on the giant televised screen. The harking “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was a stunning song to conclude the first half of their concert.
After a brief intermission, Rain returned for the second half of their show, where they played the entire Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album in its entirety, front to back. Their highlight songs from that timeless collection included “She’s Leaving Home,” “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” and the melodically-stunning “Lovely Rita.”
They also sang “Here Comes The Sun” from Abbey Road album with Alastar McNeil (George Harrison) on lead vocals, as yellow and green lights dimmed from the stage. It was followed by “Give Peace a Chance,” and they picked up the pace with the upbeat “Get Back,” prior to concluding with “Revolution” and “The End.” For their encore, they returned to serenade The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden to the perennial Beatles classic “Hey Jude.”
Latin pop singer-songwriter Toly Rod, who was in attendance, remarked, “Rain was on point, and they gave a really good tribute to The Beatles. The visuals are amazing, and I feel like I am reliving the music.”
The Verdict
Overall, Rain was able to give The Beatles a fitting and mesmerizing tribute at the “World’s Most Famous Arena.” Most impressive about their audience is that it had fans of all ages, and they proved that the music of The Beatles will stand the test of time. They interacted well with the audience, and made them feel a part of the musical era in the ’60s. Anybody who was not a fan of the iconic British rock band, certainly became one last night after listening to Rain bring these songs to life. Rain is worth seeing live whenever they come to town. Their nostalgic tribute show at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden earned five out of five stars. Congratulations.
To learn more about “Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles,” check out their official homepage.
Read More: Founder and band member Mark Lewis chatted with Digital Journal about “Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles.”
