What if the Beatles had a concert and no one came?
That’s kind of how it feels to walk into the sparsely filled New Denver Civic Theatre, home for the rest of this week to the tribute concert, “When We Were Fab.”
It’s the Beatles, minus the fanaticism. Or the fans. Which is just . . . weird.
It’s four capable singer-musicians rolling laconically through 26 chart-toppers, interspersed with video recalling America throughout the turbulent 1960s.
But imagine only about 40 fans in a 300-seat house. When poor Paul has to offer up banter like, “We had three dreams as a band: to play for the queen, to go to America . . . and to play the New Denver Civic Theatre” — they’ve officially been reduced to a lounge act.
A really good one, but still. . . .
And yet by the end, those 40 were up on their feet, twisting, shouting, clapping and demanding more. If this band offered up the exact same show to a full house, it would be a whole different Day Tripper.
Not that there’s much to the show — at all. Despite how it’s sold, it doesn’t even slightly resemble a theatrical undertaking, so don’t confuse it for one second with pop biomusicals like “Jersey Boys” that at least tell a story along the way.
Neither is it a Beatles concert, as if they were touring today, with all of today’s technology available to them. If the Beatles were around today, they’d be putting on multimillion-dollar stadium spectaculars like U2, Springsteen . . . and Wings (used to).
This is just four nice guys with guitars, a drum kit and two synthesizers replicating horns and violins. That’s it. The low-tech video transitions recall JFK, “The Ed Sullivan Show,” silly cigarette commercials and all the things that made 1968 unquestionably the most interesting year in American history, one remembered for assassinations, riots, free love and war.
But it’s odd to keep coming out of these video transitions that recap U.S. history as a means to set up another set of music by an, um . . . British band. The show makes no attempt to establish the characters of the players themselves, or to explore the changing dynamics within the band. Nothing.
But the costumes are hip, especially when the group comes out for its “Sgt. Pepper’s” set, wearing those iconic, flashy military satin jackets with the rope epaulets and the tricornered hats.
Those coming for the music will get reasonable re-creations of the songs. You can guess the playlist, from “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” to “Revolution” (or find it online; we’ve posted it). Turns out John Brosnan (George Harrison) is by far the best singer of the four, which makes “Something in the Way She Moves” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” the highlights of the night.
While it’s all very low-tech, there’s nothing modest about the ticket price ($37). But for those who came looking for a singalong stroll down Penny Lane, it was clearly worth it.
At one point, a fan yelled out, “I have all your records,” sounding for all the world like he thought he was talking to the real thing.
I only wish they were available for weddings.
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
“When We Were Fab” ** (out of four stars)
Tribute concert. New Denver Civic Theatre, 721 Santa Fe Drive. Starring David Leon, Alan LeBoeuf, John Brosnan and Carmine Grippo. Through Sunday. 1 hour, 40 minutes. 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. Sundays. $36.50-$39.50. 303-309-3773,
Ignore your program!
The actual song list for “When We Were Fab” for some reason bears no resemblance to the one printed in the program. Here it is, as performed at the New Denver Civic Theatre:
1. “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”
2. “Please Please Me”
3. “Roll Over, Beethoven”
4. “If I Fell”
5. “I Feel Fine”
6. “I Saw Her Standing There”
7. “Day Tripper”
8. “A Hard Day’s Night”
9. “Paperback Writer”
10. “Tax Man”
11. “In My Life”
12. “Yesterday”
13. “Got to Get You Into My Life”
14. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
15. “With a Little Help From My Friends”
16. “Hello, Goodbye”
17. “Penny Lane”
18. “A Day in the Life”
19. “Revolution”
20. “Something in the Way She Moves”
21. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
22. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
23. “Maybe I’m Amazed”
24. “Hey, Jude”
25. “In the End”
26. “Twist and Shout”
