by interns Isabella Gerard and Caitlin Ouano
Photo credit: Isabella Gerard
A wave of nostalgia washed over the Uline Arena on February 12th, as Beatlemania Now greeted the roaring crowd in the same exact way the real Beatles had precisely fifty years ago to the minute.
Yesterday & Today was no ordinary Beatles tribute band concert, however; this was a celebration recognizing the anniversary of the legendary group’s first concert in the United States.
Organized by the DC Preservation League and Douglas Development Corp., the event was held in order to commemorate the history that the Coliseum has contributed to over the past seventy years.
On February 11th, 1964 – a Tuesday, as it is this year – the Beatles took the stage and were greeted by their first ever screaming American crowd. Since then, the Coliseum’s importance has diminished and after falling into disrepair it became used as an indoor parking lot. In 2003, the DCPL included the Uline Arena in its list of “Most Endangered Places for Washington” for landmark protection for the building. In 2004, Douglas Development, one of Washington’s most prominent developers, purchased the Arena with the plan to restore the building to its original glory. Proceeds from the concert’s picture and merchandise sales will benefit the Preservation League.
Prior to the show’s start, concert-goers were treated to outdoor food and entertainment. Some of DC’s most popular food trucks parked alongside the venue ready to serve, including Peruvian Brothers, the DC Sliders truck, Lemongrass Vietnamese Cuisine, DC Ballers Falafel & Fries, Curbside Cupcakes, Carnivore BBQ, Neat Meat DC, DC Locos, and The Salsa Room truck. Many of these establishments also provided the food for the indoor VIP pre-event.
Attendees mingled between the food trucks and an outdoor stage, on which Philadelphia-based band Something Wild performed. Something Wild is a young rock band consisting of Shelby Keller, Mike Reisman, and Greg Dress.The trio wowed their audience with a mixture of classic covers and catchy originals. Although they were thrilled to be playing such a major event, they made clear the main reason they were there – to celebrate the band they consider one of their major influences, The Beatles.
“They are a huge influence,” gushed Mike Reisman. “You can’t be a band with guitars and not be sitting under the pedestal of the Beatles.” When asked his opinion on why the Beatles have remained such a major band after all this time, he jokingly replied, “How much time do you have?” He then explained, “Granted they were riding the tidal wave of early mid 1960s British, but their songwriting, lyrical content, their connection to their audience – it’s stuff that very much transcended the era, and that’s why they were so successful as a band and had such a cultural impact.”
Between eating and enjoying the band’s performance, guests were eager to discuss their love of the Beatles and their excitement over the show. Attendees of all ages were present, all diagnosed with major cases of Beatlemania.
“The whole night is iconic,” said a grandfather who claimed to have been at the Beatles’ first concert there fifty years ago, and was now treating his grandchildren to the same experience. “The building, the setlist – it’s a major part of history. I’m so glad to be here again for it.”
Inside the VIP pre-event, the atmosphere was equally as lively, but also more private and intimate. The old, vintage space was filled to the brim with plush couches, catered food, and several bars at which guests could pick their poison.
While guests ate they browsed a photo gallery of images the then-18-year-old Mike Mitchell captured of the actual event at the Coliseum. Mitchell’s pictures of the Beatles are not only beautiful but also landmark iconic shots.
Among the attendees walking the floor was Douglas Jemal, founder and president of Douglas Development. “This event was a joint effort between Douglas Development and DCPL,” Jemal explained. “It’s a fundraiser for DCPL, to raise money for historic preservation.”
Douglas is one of the many people who feels extremely passionate about the Uline Coliseum despite its current dilapidated state, especially because of the mark the Beatles have left on it.
“I like old buildings. This building’s got a soul, it’s got a spirit. [The Beatles] are the largest sellers in the history of music,” said Douglas. “I don’t think you can walk in here and not be sensitive to historic preservation. It’s not a square box.”
Several members of the DCPL board were also available for interviews, including Sean Cahill and Howard Berger. Sean Cahill, member of the DCPL board, was also able to provide some more information about the event. “This is an idea that Rebecca Miller has been working on for probably six years; we’ve been looking at this since the 45th, and it worked out very well for the 50th anniversary. I think it’s great for Washington – it’s great for this neighborhood. It’s a special event for something fifty years in the making.”
Cahill recalls seeing the Beatles on TV for the first time days prior to their original performance at the Coliseum. He reminisced, “I remember Sunday night, sitting in northeast Washington, D.C., I was four years old watching the rest of my family watch The Ed Sullivan Show on a little black and white tv, so it was pretty cool. I can remember that day.”
Howard Berger, the co-chair of the development committee for DCPL, hopes others will recognize why this event holds such a place in history. “We’re usually not in the concert promoting business, but we were interested in the role that Washington played. Our organization has been around for over forty years, and for this event we are receiving media attention from as far as Tokyo.”
When asked what his favorite Beatles song was, Berger replied without hesitation, Norwegian Wood. Tommy Roe took the stage first, just as he did when he opened the show for the Beatles fifty years prior. Roe was as energetic and entertaining as he had been then, dazzling the audience with an acoustic set and a nostalgic grin. Next, a video informing the crowd of the Uline Coliseum’s history was broadcasted center stage. ’
At exactly 8:31pm, Beatlemania Now opened with “Roll Over Beethoven”. The tribute band performed the same setlist the Beatles played, and addressed the crowd as if they really were recreating that night in 1964, thanking them for the opportunity to perform for the first time in America. Beatlemania Now made a convincing John, Paul, George and Ringo, donning the famed matching suits and mop-top wigs. The audience went wild for the group as they greeted each hit with screams of delight, singing along and dancing.
After they played the original set, lasting thirty-five minutes as it did originally, Beatlemania Now came back on and performed even more classic Beatles covers. The crowd’s spirit and animation was extremely reminiscent of that of the audience gathered in the same arena fifty years earlier, and served as yet another reminder of how eternal the music of the Beatles really is. The event was a huge success, not only as a fundraiser for the DCPL, but as the perfect excuse for Beatles fans to Twist and Shout to their hearts’ content.
