The New Mexico Philharmonic performed at the University of New Mexico’s Popejoy Hall Saturday night, alongside Beatles tribute band Classical Mystery Tour.
“All You Need is Love,” “Penny Lane,” “Come Together” and other songs filled the air, as the concert, sponsored by Bernalillo County, showcased the music of the 1960s rock band.
Arriving on the stage in matching black suits and their famous bowl-cut hairstyles, the Beatles imitators had the audience cheering on their feet before the music had even begun.
“As soon as they walked out, you immediately could tell which one was John, which was Paul, which was George and which was Ringo,” said Christopher Leap, a UNM student studying mathematics and computer science.
The concert gave audience members a chance to travel back in time and sing along to the Beatles’ classic tunes.
While some audience members arrived in blouses and button downs, others channeled retro vibes and wore vintage Beatles T-shirts, bell bottom jeans and homemade tie-dye.
The band played a cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” and during their performance of “Twist and Shout,” audience members were encouraged to stand and dance together at their seats.
When the band exited the stage at the end of the show, audience members stood and yelled for an encore, only for Classical Mystery Tour to appear again and play their famous “Hey Jude.”
“We are honored to play with such a great orchestra,” said Tom Teeley, who took the stage as George Harrison.
The New Mexico Philharmonic is made up of 73 musicians and used a variety of instruments, performing this production under conductor David Felberg.
“It was an amazing experience,” Leap said. “The performance brought me back to when I was a little kid — listening to the original CDs, watching Ed Sullivan and enjoying their movies like ‘Yellow Submarine’ and ‘A Hard Day's Night.’”
Timber Mabes is a culture reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @timbermabes.
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