LAKEPORT >> The British are coming, the British are coming!
Actually, they already came, sang and conquered.
The British music invasion of the United States that started in 1964 reached the shores of Clear Lake Sunday with a light-hearted yet powerful performance between what many consider the two greatest rock bands of all time.
A battle of the bands live concert between the Beatles and Rolling Stones never happened in real life, but Sunday night at the Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport, life became surreal.
The theater stage transformed into a time machine as concert-goers were transported back to he psychedelic 1960s of Liverpool and London for an epic live concert battle between Beatles tribute band Abbey Road and Rolling Stones impersonators Jumping Jack Flash.
The concert featured Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash each performing three alternating sets. Abbey Road opened with eight Beatles songs from 1963 to 1966, starting with the rocking “She Loves You” and closing with the primal screaming of “Twist and Shout.” Set two showcased Jumping Jack Flash doing six Rolling Stones classic hits from 1963 to 1968, including “Let”s Spend the Night Together” and the flower-power generation anthem “Ruby Tuesday.”
It concluded with both bands on stage performing a mashup of the Stones” classic, “Satisfaction” and the Beatles number one hit, “Day Tripper.” Most of the audience was up and dancing in the aisles.
The two bands kept the illusion of a Beatles-Stones feud going throughout the show, including the opening sets where John Lennon and Paul McCartney referred to the “other” act as unknowns.
The Stones responded with a repartee between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards about the previous group onstage, trying to figure out their name. They finally concluded that they must be the Monkees, delighting the Stones fans in the audience.
At the conclusion of the show, the audience was asked to applaud for each of the bands and it seems that the Stones edged out their mop top nemesis by a few decibels.
Ginny Clinton of Lakeport attended the battle of the super bands with her grandson, Mike Camacho, 15, of Lakeport. Clinton was emphatic about who she liked best. “I lean more toward the Beatles than the Rolling Stones,” she said. “The Beatles” songs are more my type of music.”
Clinton”s favorite Beatles song? “Hey Jude.”
Camacho took a more diplomatic approach, saying he liked both bands equally, although he admitted his favorite song is the Beatles” “Lady Madonna.”
“I really love old music,” Camacho said. “I play guitar and have played with a few bands around the lake.”
Wayne Sweeney of Clearlake Riviera likes the bad boys of rock over the Fab Four. He attended the concert with a friend.
His favorite Stones song? “Factory Girl.”
“I like both groups” music but my favorite is the Stones,” said Upper Lake resident Debbie Banthrall.
Her favorite song is the Stones” “Brown Sugar” and her best-liked Beatles tune is “Yellow Submarine.”
Clearlake Oaks resident Beth Grobman is a long-time Beatles fan, especially of John Lennon and his message of change through peace.
“He”s wonderful; a creative genius,” she said. “He was way ahead of his time in terms of fighting for the revolution.”
Grobman said of the Stones, “I don”t mind them. I really like ”Wild Horses” but I thought the ”Sticky Fingers” album with the zipper was pretty risqu?.”
Scott Galvin of Lakeport is a fan of both groups but leans towards the Beatles. During intermission, Galvin said of the first half of the concert, “So far it”s great. Both bands are great but the Beatles (Abbey Road) really nailed it. Every song they”ve done is one of my favorites.”
Travis Brasier of Kelseyville said after the concert, “It was a really good show. The Beatles are my favorites but it”s really close. I think it”s great how the bands tonight alternated sets.”
During the end of their performance, Abbey Road announced that they will return to the Soper Reese in May 2015 to star in the musical production, “In My Life: The Brian Epstein Story,” that chronicles the rise of the Beatles through the eyes of Epstein, their manager until his death in 1967.
Abbey Road is Nate Bott (John Lennon), Chris Paul Overall (Paul McCartney), Jesse Wilder (George Harrison), and Axel Clarke (Ringo Starr).
Jumping Jack Flash is Joey Infante (Mick Jagger), Young Hutchison (Keith Richards), Pat Hennessy (Brian Jones and Ronnie Wood), Matt Quilter (Bill Wyman) and Jon McCracken (Charlie Watts).
Both bands are managed by La Jolla Booking Agency in Long Beach. Unlike their Dopplegangers, members of Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash hail from Southern California, not England.
