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John Lennon 30th Anniversary Memorial Concert

What:

On Wednesday, December 8, 1980, the world stood in shock as a great man and a musical voice of a generation was taken from us tragically and much too soon. John Lennon was shot and killed outside the Dakota building in New York City, having returned home from working on his latest project. There was worldwide mourning for the iconic individual who touched the lives of so many with his social activism, humanity, and of course the songs that changed the very nature of pop music, both with the legendary group the Beatles and later with his solo efforts.

Although we acknowledge the great loss it was to have Mr. Lennon’s life cut short so sadly, we also recognize that it his passionate and very colorful life that should actually be celebrated fully; his desire to use music and art to literally change the world and bring the masses together. And that is what we intend to do.

This December 8 at 7:00 pm, Old Town Coffee & Chocolates will be holding a concert of John Lennon’s music to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his passing. The concert will feature local musicians and performers Seabury Gould, Bob Beideman and JP Reese, and will include many of the songs considered “the essentials” in the John Lennon canon, including “All You Need Is Love”, “Imagine”, “Instant Karma”, “In My Life”, “Norwegian Wood”, “Revolution”, “A Hard Day’s Night”, “Happy Xmas” (for the Holiday Season) and many others. An evening of high-quality entertainment is expected for everyone, and all are invited to bring their most enthusiastic singing voices to join n the celebration!

Eclectic musician Seabury Gould is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, storyteller and music teacher. He plays in a variety of styles including Celtic music, traditional and contemporary folk, blues, and rock with a specialty in Beatles songs. Seabury first performed songs of the Beatles and other 60’s music on electric guitar as a teenager with his rock n’ roll band in Philadelphia, and in 1981 he formed “The Better Band”, originally as a John Lennon/Beatles tribute band, in Ojai, California. For 22 years the band primarily specialized in songs of the Beatles and John Lennon as well as blues. Seabury’s most cherished encounter with a celebrity was when he briefly met George Harrison.

Bob Beideman is an award-winning singer/songwriter originally from the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley area of Pennslvania, where he was a fixture at the legendary Godfrey Daniels coffeehouse in Bethlehem. He performed with several bands as well as a solo artist, and in 1986 recorded his first independent album “Bob Beideman & Company”, which received airplay throughout the Northeast. He moved to Humboldt County in 2004 and has been a regular on the local theater and music scene, particularly as a spokesman for a certain wandering spectre. He won a special judges award for music at the Region One-Act Play Festival in Washington DC in 1984.

JP Reese has been playing music in the greater Humboldt County for the past 6 years. He has been the catalyst in developing bands that have performed locally such as “After Six” and “Calamity Jane”. Known as a solid and reliable session player, JP has performed with many bands in the area and has been known to play regularly at the Jambalaya on Blues Nights and at various other open mics. His influences include Beatles, Phil Lesh, Miles Davis, Johnny Cash, Neal Young, Jack Cassidy, Jack Bruce, and others from the classic rock and blues elements. He is well respected by many in the local music scene for his dedication, using his time and energy to advance the needs of the music.

This will be an all-ages event; admission is free. Old Town Coffee & Chocolates is located at 211 F Street in Old Town Eureka. For further information, call 707-445-8600, or 707-442-8892.

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