I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

For forty-five years, local legend Curtiss A has been celebrating the life and legend of John Lennon. Forty-five years. Just let that sink in. I’m thirty-five years old. This has been going on ten years longer than I’ve been on this planet. Bizarre, crazy, and absolutely phenomenal to think about. Sure, I’ve had many chances to catch this celebration of John Lennon’s life, having been living up here in Minneapolis for nearly twenty years now, but I just haven’t seen it– until Sunday night.

When walking into the legendary First Avenue mainroom on Sunday, it quickly became apparent that I was a bit out of my element. I was definitely one of the youngest people in the room, which was a completely different feeling than I had had at this exact same spot just twenty-four hours prior when I was at the all-ages Dillinger Four show. I didn’t let it get to me, but it definitely put me on edge a wee bit. Was I in a bit over my head? Honestly, I don’t even like The Beatles that much. My brother and I agree that, at the end of the day, The Beatles are just okay, but I know that’s not a popular opinion to have. Was I being greedy by trying to cover this show just because I was already covering a show at the 7th Street Entry on Sunday night? I figured, why not do both? So many questions and uncertainties were floating around in my head as I set up my camera and watched the musicians slowly take the stage. Then, the screen that hid the stage disappeared, and I got my first glimpse of the band on stage. I instantly knew that my being at this show was far from a mistake– it was fate.

The stage was jam-packed with musicians. Although I only recognized a few faces on the stage, I knew that every single human who had an instrument in hand and was ready to jump into the first of what would turn into a super lengthy set was a true legend in the scene. From Curtiss A at the helm to a personal favorite of mine, Cindy Lawson, on vocals, I stood there just for a second to take inventory. I’m not even going to try to rattle off the names of everyone on stage because, again, I don’t know them all, and honestly, I just do not have the time to rattle off everyone’s background and outstanding accomplishments. That being said, I was the most excited to see Curtiss A perform. Curtiss A was the first musician to headline at the 7th Street Entry. He opened for Prince’s first show at First Avenue (although it was called Uncle Sam’s back then) and even has his own star on the wall of First Avenue (which is about as big as it gets for the local scene here as it is a true accomplishment to get your own star). What Curtiss A has done for this town as far as music and art go is something that just can not truly be put into words, so being able to see such a legend in the flesh, doing what he loves was truly the highlight of my time at First Avenue on Sunday night.

From The Beatles hits that we all know and love (even if you don’t want to admit it) to more obscure hits and solo tracks, this huge band played through song after song of nostalgia. Although watching the magic happen on stage was great, watching the audience made the night what it was. The older demographic who came out to this show were ready to re-live their youth. Just like I am constantly on a search for nostalgia-inducing shows, everyone at First Avenue on Sunday night seemed to be there to escape the real world and go back to a time when things were just a bit simpler.

Although the covers that Curtiss A and his friends were performing were pretty true to form when it comes to the original tracks, there were a few where the band seemed to take things into their own hands. Whether it was adding intricacies to them or just focusing on parts of the tracks that maybe The Beatles or John Lennon didn’t, I loved hearing this group of seasoned professionals put their own spin on the songs that have defined so much more than just a generation. Again, my thoughts on The Beatles are not the most popular or even favorable, but I will not try to sit here and tell you that they didn’t have a significant effect on the music industry. I know they did and know that I wouldn’t be doing what I do today if it hadn’t been for the band, so to hear this tribute to them with some personality, a slight spin here and there made me appreciate their music just a wee bit more.

There was a constant flow of local musicians and legends both on stage and in the audience. Just like I won’t even try to name everyone who was on stage on Sunday night, I won’t even begin to tell you all of the faces I saw in the crowd. I will say that this show was one of those shows that was made by musicians and for musicians. Just like Saturday night with Dillinger Four had been a who’s who of the local punk scene, Sunday night was a who’s who of the local scene of years gone by, and it was truly an honor to be even just a face in that audience.