All Together Now - yes, like The Beatles

20/20 - Best power pop band of the 1980s
Chris Silagyi, Steve Allen, Ron Flynt, Mike Gallo on drums

I suppose there is a strong argument for calling The Beatles the first power pop band... although I think most people point to Beatle proteges, Apple Records' own Badfinger as the ultimate power pop band.

Whatever... however... tonight in Nashville, I saw Badfinger's Joey Molland sing both Beatles and Badfinger songs with an all star assembly of power pop purveyors, Bill Lloyd's Long Players project in the annual Fab Four Fest.

Normally, I don't go for uber fan conventions... not the Beatles, not Star Trek, no! I am a cynical, wizened old crank who has worked in the music biz far too long to be impressed by anything. Except for tonight.

Firstly, upon entering the Cannery Ballroom, I see a man who looks like and old friend from L.A... wait, it is! It is Steve Allen of LA via Tulsa power pop band 20/20. He's checking in with his wife Linda - also a familiar face from the old LA punk scene. OK... this is exciting. Two people in this room whom I know... oh, and who should arrive at the same time as Steve and Linda, but Hans Rotenberry of The Shazam and his wife. You see, the Beatles... its family friendly stuff - you know, like the recent movie, Wall-E, kid-friendly and dark at the same time. You know... sophisticated and works on many levels. The Beatles... Disney...

Relieved that there are four friends at this event, I set foot into the room. Like I said, fervent fans are to be feared. Surely, I will offend people with certain first-person Beatles stories, so I'll lay off... let me share the wonders of this night - where the people on stage are the fervent fans.

The band that Bill Lloyd puts together plays Abbey Road almost exactly spot-on like the album... flawlessly. Bill's on one guitar, Steve Allen on the other, Brad Jones is on bass - and that's the front line. First up - Marshall Crenshaw doing "Come Together." The man is versatile. He made an impressive career entry 25ish years ago with his Buddy Holly meets The Beatles pop, and in the last few years I've seen him perform with the surviving members of the MC5 to rock hard.

Yes, the evening is off to a good start. I'm beginning to see a few familiar faces in the crowd (although by night's end, I think there were probably only a dozen people I knew. Which is a good thing... that means a crowd of NOT the usual suspects. A crowd of actual fans.)

Let me fast forward a few songs to "Oh! Darling." You know how you can be friends with someone and know in the back of your mind that they're awesome, except that because you're friends, what's at the front of your mind is that last Indian meal you had together, or your shared "my cat pees on the carpet" stories? Well, earlier in the day, Hans Rotenberry and I were in fact talking about who's cat was the more misbehaved. So, with that in mind coupled with the fact that when Hans is in casual mode, he kind of radiates a Jeff Bridges as The Dude (Big Lebowski... as if I'd have to remind any of you) persona... you know... casual, easy-going and slightly... under-achieving... I wasn't prepared, even though I knew this was possible.... but...

he sang the f*ck out of "Oh! Darling." If Paul McCartney were in the room, he would have agreed. Its possible that this particular performance received the heartiest applause of the night. What a voice. Simply spectacular. Why is he not a superstar?

The whole evening was like that... journeymen turning it out perfect every time.

So - Joey Molland, representing what's left of Badfinger and what's left of Apple's legacy. He sang "Golden Slumbers." At that point, Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson joined the band on bass.

Its no wonder that Side 2 of Abbey Road could be performed almost exactly like the record... of course, on the record, there are no pauses for applause.

After the performance of Abbey Road, the players came back to do Beatles songs, and some Badfinger songs.

Well, after the detour of the Fab Four Fest... I want to talk about Badfinger's song, "Baby Blue." Its always been a huge favorite of mine. I am such a crazy avid Badfinger fan... even one of my dogs is named "Baby Blue." (If I had male dogs, they might be Pete and Tom... or George and Ringo, but that's a whole other story).

Joey Molland sang "Baby Blue" tonight - and also "No Matter What." I think critics all agree that "No Matter What" is the perfect power pop single. I like it when people agree.

A few years ago - maybe 4? - I was listening non-stop to the then-new album by Detroit's Volebeats, an alt-country band whose members also moonlight in prog and garage bands. Brainchild of Matthew Smith (Outrageous Cherry, THTX - the garage and prog band, respectively), The Volebeats are well respected among other alt.country players. I can't tell you how many times my Volebeats t-shirt opened the door to conversations with the likes of the Old 97s or with Drive By Trucker Patterson Hood! To the Volebeats, I bow down!

That 4-year old album, Like Her featured a song that was co-written with Ryan Adams! In the break, which Matthew Smith sings (Jeff Oakes handles nearly all other vocal duties for the band - he's a vocalist who channels Brian Wilson in more ways than one. Eerie and awesome), the melody and vibe goes off into "Baby Blue" territory... not that the Volebeats or the combination of Smith and Adams lifted the song structure of "Baby Blue"..... But its as though the songs are kissing cousins.

Let me just prove it to you: LISTEN TO "EVERYTIME"

I'm hoping someone else will hear the correspondence between the break in the middle of "Everytime" and "Baby Blue." I've been hearing it in my head that way for years, and often put the songs next to each other on compilations I make for traveling.

To me, it just goes to show how the Beatles brought everyone All Together Now.

So - there's a lot of recommended new and vintage music here.... let me recap -

20/20 - Best powerpop band of the 80s. More about them soon!

Robert Lloyd & his Long Players - look for them whenever they convene.

Badfinger - duh. They rule.

The Beatles - no brainer.

The Shazam - best powerpop band of the 90s and 00's,

The Volebeats - alt.country's best kept secret. (Ryan Adams endorses them)

Matthew Smith - multi-talented multi-genre-ational musician.

OK NOW... time to sleep.