Rain – The Beatles Christmas Tribute Rings in the Holidays
It has been a big Beatles year in 2025! Paul McCartney has been on the road with his “Got Back” tour, Ringo’s All-Star Band has been gigging all around the globe this year. In Sarasota, the famous Selby Gardens held an exhibition of George Harrison’s, “A Gardener’s Life”. There is a new box set, “Power to the People”, released by Sean Ono Lennon of 123 remastered songs by his parents, John and Yoko. And finally, starting on November 26th during Thanksgiving Weekend, the remastered 90’s Beatles “Anthology” series with a newly added episode will be streaming on Disney+. The Beatles’ music is still as relevant and loved some sixty years later!
Perfect timing for one of the best Beatles tribute bands, “Rain,” to start its Christmas tour in Florida. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall was at full capacity with Fab Four fans of all ages. From a ten-year-old standing behind me to a gentleman sitting in front of us who saw the Beatles themselves in Chicago at Cominsky Park in 1965 and another who saw them at New York’s Shea Stadium! There was Beatles gear from t-shirts to hats, pins, and even suit ties in the audience; people were ready to rock.
Rain opened the show with “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” in front of Christmas tree graphics on the big screen to an enthusiastic crowd, especially the gals in the front row. The show is a mix of Christmas tunes and Beatles classics. This show pays tribute to the different eras of their music from the Cavern days, when they covered “Twist & Shout,” which was a hit by the Isley Brothers, through 1968’s “Hey Jude.” There are costume changes from the famous Beatles suits to the iconic Sgt. Pepper color uniforms to the hippie look of the late 60s. My favorite was “John” wearing the white suit from the most famous of their album covers, “Abbey Road.”
There are lots of great sing-alongs and fun throughout the show. During intermission, on the big screen, there are great old commercials played that had most everyone going back in time. Remember the Norelco Santa flying through the snow or Lucky Strike cigarettes? Hilarious way to keep the audience entertained.
There is a wonderful tribute to George Harrison on acoustic guitars and ukulele with “See You in My Dreams” and the lovely Hawaiian Christmas song, “Mele Kalikimaka.” Of course, Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” and “Christmastime is Here Again,” a Beatles song, were part of the holiday portion of the show. The band keeps it light and has fun playing the part of each Beatle, looking and sounding like their character. The musicians are Steve Landes, who plays John Lennon, Paul Curatolo as Paul McCartney, Alastar McNeil as George Harrison, and Dylan Verge as Ringo Starr. The band does have a keyboard player who joins them onstage, whom I jokingly call “Billy Preston,” but is Mark Beyer or Chris Smallwood, depending on the show. There are nearly 40 songs in this show, and no doubt you will know most of them! The encore was the emotional John and Yoko’s “Happy Christmas (War Is Over) which brought everyone out of their seats and to continue the sing-along to that classic tune that Paul wrote for Julian Lennon, “Hey Jude!” Do yourself a favor and see “Rain” if they are coming near you for a bit of nostalgia, holiday fun, and a great time at a brilliant show! Check out Rain’s concert dates here https://www.raintribute.com/
Photos by Vicky Sullivan