Although The Beatles broke up more than 40 years ago, their songs are still alive and well, especially in "RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles," a touring tribute show that features multiple musicians who portray the "Fab Four" throughout their 10-year career. The name of the band comes from the song "Rain," a B-side to the single "Paperback Writer," which was released in 1966.
According to Steve Landes, who portrays John Lennon in the band, the origin of the group, then called "Reign," dates back to 1975, five years after The Beatles had broken up. At the time, the band played different shows and had two sets: one of their original music and one where they would perform songs by The Beatles only. Landes said that the idea of a tribute band was pretty new when Reign began playing The Beatles' music. However, the band began to grow in popularity as a tribute band, even getting to play on a soundtrack for a television movie about The Beatles.
Current manager Mark Lewis was a founding member of the band. The other original members decided to leave, wanting to focus on making original music, but Lewis decided to keep the tribute band going. Many of the main members, Joey Curatolo (Paul McCartney), Ralph Castelli (Ringo Starr) and Joe Bithorn (George Harrison) performed in the Broadway musical "Beatlemania" and then became involved in the band, which is now spelled "Rain."
The musician who performed as John Lennon got sick in the late 1990s, which caused him to have to stop playing. He eventually died from brain cancer.
Landes, who performed in "Beatlemania," eventually was contacted by the band to portray the new John Lennon. Landes said that he was a second-generation Beatles fan, and his parents were Beatles fans as well. Landes got his first guitar when he was 10 years old and began learning to play his favorite band's music.
"I think that [The Beatles] were so popular because not only were they amazing songwriters, but they had good taste," Landes said.
Having more than 200 books and 100 DVDs of Beatles memorabilia in his collection, Landes was more than ready to play the iconic Lennon. He knew to watch how Lennon performed and acted onstage and began to pick apart the performer and to understand the man that people did not always see.
Landes said that he has even gotten to meet many people who were close to Lennon, such as Cynthia Lennon, Lennon's first wife and mother to son Julian, who "Hey Jude" was written about. He has also met Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, and Lennon and Ono's son, Sean.
"I think Yoko gets a bad rap," Landes said. "People don't like to think of The Beatles feuding, but she didn't break The Beatles up. The Beatles broke The Beatles up."
Although Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two living Beatles, have been invited to come to Rain's performances, they have not attended. Landes said that he understands, though, as they would probably be "attacked" by fans.
Landes said that his favorite era of The Beatles is the early era, when the members wore black suits and had mop-top hairdos. He also said that the early era is his favorite to portray during the show, as well. Although he loves every album by the band, he said that his favorites are the first two albums "Please Please Me" and "With The Beatles."
"They had such a drive to take over the world," Landes said.
Southeast Missouri State University student Nick Sellers, who is a big Beatles fan, said that he is impressed with Rain.
"They really do sound like The Beatles," Sellers said. "I'm glad that they are keeping classics alive in today's generation of music."
"RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles" will be at 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Show Me Center. Tickets are $30 to $50. The first 100 Southeast students to purchase their tickets with a valid Southeast ID at the Show Me Center box office will receive $10 off their ticket price.
