All You Need Is (Beatles) Love

The 1964 British invasion changed American music forever. And Abbey Road on the River, billed as the world’s largest Beatles tribute festival, will be at National Harbor, just outside of Washington DC, September 2-6, will bring Beatles fans, bands and merchandise together for 5 days of Fab Four fun.

The Labor Day weekend Beatles music festival brings together more than 50 international Beatles tribute and cover bands from over a dozen countries. The bands range from look-alike early Beatles moptopers to the psychedelic phase of the Sgt. Pepper Lonely Heart Club Band.  Thousands of Beatles fans are expected to enjoy the music of John, Paul, George, and Ringo — The Fab Four.

With two indoor stages, four outdoor stages, a Beatles merchandise market place, and seminars with leading Beatles experts, including Pete Best, The Beatles original permanent drummer who was dropped after 2 years in 1962.  He was replaced by Ringo Starr, just as the band was starting to get popular.  Additionally, Beatles’ cartoon animator, storyboard artist and director Ron Campbell will also be on hand.

The first Beatle song ever broadcast on American radio was on December 17, 1963. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was played by disc jockey Carroll James on DC’s own WWDC (now DC101) weeks before the band’s first appearance on the ”Ed Sullivan Show” on February 9, 1964. Beatlemania first hit the US at New York’s JFK airport when about 3,000 screaming fans, mostly young girls, met The Beatles’ plane.  Media coverage of the band was so big that two days later, when they appeared on American television for the first time later on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” over 70 million viewers tuned in, which was close to 40% of the American population.

Two days later, the mop-headed British boy band played their first live concert in America at the 9,000 seat Washington Coliseum to more screaming fans.   The band eventually appeared on three consecutive Sullivan shows in February of 1964, all to huge groups of screaming and crying girls and sealed their notoriety.

In 1964, the Beatles had the never-matched total of 15 American million-selling records, which included 9 singles and 6 records, that sold 25 million copies in that year.  The 1964 single “Can’t Buy Me Love” sold over 940,000 copies in the US on the day it was publicly released.

Their influence on American culture was also profound.  The hairstyle of The Beatles was unusually long for the early 1960s and was criticized by many adults.  Yet within just a couple years, long hair was the emblem of the new youth culture.

Expect to hear the entire Beatles’ discography from their first 1963 hit single “Please Please Me” through “Let it Be,” the last album the group “released” together in 1970, just 6 years and a dozen albums after hitting it big.

The Beatles have sold over 1.3 billion records worldwide.

Room at the Gaylord National Resort are available for Abbey Road on the River attendees for $139 and $169 (Atrium view) per night.

Abbey Road on the River — National Harbor — 137 National Plaza, National Harbor, Maryland (map)

Dates & Times – Thursday – Monday,  September 2-6, 2010. Event is rain or shine.

Admission – $35.00. Upscale tickets are prices up to $199.00.  General admission tickets available online for $30.00 ($5.00 discount) and include a free ticket for one attendee under 21 years of age (limit one free admission per general admission ticket purchased.)

Nearest Metro Subway Station – King Street, Blue and Yellow line, then a 10–minute cab ride.

Parking – Paid parking is available in the area. $10.00.

Images – Flickr -  The Beatles, playing