Twenty one years ago to that date, a deranged fan shot and killed John
Ono Lennon before his wife's eyes just steps outside his Upper West Side
apartment , where his widow still lives, at the Dakota Building.
From that date on, fans have pilgrimaged to the site of the killing,
and many also get together at Strawberry Fields,
a section of Central Park
West (at 82nd Street, not far from the Dakota) that was dedicated in 1988
as a memorial to the fallen idol, even though Yoko Ono(who has a new album
out this year) doesn't quite approve of that - she'd rather have fans
celebrate her deceased husband on his birthday(Oct 09), instead of his
death anniversary.
A few miles far from Strawberry Fields, in another borough, the former
Beatle will also be remembered with the music that he and his bandmates
wrote into immortality.
The tribute, which features by the six-piece Queens-Staten
Island-Brooklyn band Plastic Sole, will happen on Saturday, December 08,
at The Real McCoy, the venue where the band returns for their fifth
performance there.
The set list, according to sources in the band, will include hits from
the Beatles' days, such as "Help", "Nowhere Man", "Back In The USSR", "The
Ballad of John & Yoko" "Something", "A Hard Day's Night" , "Yer Blues" and
many others.
Also included are songs from the solo
career of the Fab Four, such as "What Is Life"(George Harrison), "Instant
Karma"(Lennon), and "Junior's Farm"(McCartney).
Also included on the set list is Paul McCartney's poignant new song
"Freedom", which was written in New York on Sept 12th and performed live
on "The Concert For New York".
"Although it is not quite relevant for a Lennon tribute concert, " says
one source, "the band felt it would be an appropriate song to include for
this gig, given the times we are all living in now"
One cannot but agree with the band - after all, downtown Manhattan is
quite visible from St. George, and the gaping hole left on the city's
skyline is poignantly evident as you step out of the pub.
Some guests are expected to perform at the event, but so far no names
have been confirmed.
The John Lennon Tribute Concert at The Real McCoy is scheduled to begin
at 10:00 PM.
Additional information about the concert can be e-mailed to
kevin_ghia@hotmail.com or at
the band's web site at
http://www.angelfire.com/ks/barteldes/plasticsole.html
John Lennon Tribute To Be
or fans of the
Beatles, the famous British group that changed pop music and parted ways
in April of 1970, December 8th is a sad but very important date.
