Hear The Beatles and The Stones at The Red Bridge Library
By Paul Edelman
On May 9th at 6:30 P.M. at the Red Bridge Mid-Continent Public Library, Aaron Krerowicz will present a comparison and contrast of seminal British Invasion bands The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Some readers may vividly remember the day that fresh-faced John, Paul, George, and Ringo stepped off the plane in the States, but even second and third generation Beatles fans know of the rivalry between these two musical English heavyweights. In his presentation, Krerowicz will explore what made these bands so successful through a series of audio recordings, music videos, and band interviews in a multimedia format.
The Beatles first made the 3400-mile flight across the Atlantic in February 1964, playing their first American concerts to frenzied expectation. Their storied appearance on the Ed Sullivan show contained favorites such as “All My Loving” and “She Loves You,” which were met with shrill excitement from their gushing admirers. Likewise, in October of that same year, the Rolling Stones too got their shot at the Sunday night variety show. With mic stand in hand, Mick Jagger, fit with black pants and dress shoes, strode about Ed Sullivan’s set while singing a soulful rendition of “Time is on My Side.” While the Fab Four evolved throughout a decade of producing revolutionary album after album, the Rolling Stones today continue to tour worldwide, still playing to sell-out crowds.
Originally from Wisconsin, Krerowicz quit all other jobs to become a full-time “Beatles scholar.” At age 31, he has already toured across the US and the UK, giving over 300 presentations regarding the Beatles and other British Invasion bands. “They were more-or-less on friendly terms,” he said, explaining that Lennon/McCartney even wrote one of the Rolling Stones’ early hit songs “I Wanna Be Your Man.”
One band hailed from the port city of Liverpool in the far north of England, while the other grew up in London’s West End. Both became powerhouses in music and merchandising and helped spread British cultural influence across the globe.
Together with Krerowicz, attendees will explore the fundamental similarities and differences through a multimedia presentation involving recordings, photos, and interviews of the two giants of the British Invasion. “As a composer, I try to get in the audience’s minds what makes this music work,” he said.