SANTA CRUZ
Get back into Beatlemania with The Fab Four at Rio
In the early ’60s, the American pop charts were a mess of dated novelty songs and easy listening tunes with the early thrill of rock and roll seeming like a distant memory. That all changed in 1964 when four lads from Liverpool came to America, played “The Ed Sullivan Show” and quickly changed the face of popular music, only breaking further boundaries from there.
It is this part of the Beatles’ history that The Fab Four will be paying tribute to when they play the Rio Theatre Friday.
Based out of Southern California, The Fab Four have been one of the premier Beatles tribute bands, having played venues all over the world and even headlining an Emmy-winning concert broadcast on PBS. They cover all eras of the Beatles, giving audiences the next best thing to seeing the original “Fab Four” live — no small feat — as the original band only played live shows in America for two years and stopped touring right as their music became more experimental, leading to many beloved songs never being performed live. The last time The Fab Four played in Santa Cruz, they played all of the Beatles’ landmark LP “Rubber Soul.” For Friday’s show, they will be going even further back with the Beatles’ American breakthrough album, “Meet the Beatles,” featuring such iconic songs as “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” “All My Loving” and more songs that will bring audiences back to that first “Sullivan” appearance, where the youth screamed in excitement while their parents grumbled about those delinquents with silly haircuts on the screen. It will be a hard day’s night indeed.
The concert is 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Rio, 1205 Soquel Ave. Doors open at 6:30. Tickets start at $39.50. For more information, go to RioTheatre.com.
The show goes on with Lupe Fiasco at the Catalyst
For nearly 20 years, Lupe Fiasco has made a career delving into topics most in mainstream hip-hop have shied away from. It has made him a household name in the world of conscious rap, and whether you agree or disagree with his views, he has a sound that gets the people moving, as he surely will at the Catalyst Club Friday.
Born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, Fiasco released his first album, “Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor,” in 2006, immediately becoming a critical favorite and earning three Grammy nominations, including a win for the song “Daydreamin.'” He would then score two top 10 hits with “Superstar” and “The Show Goes On,” and has worked with the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West and Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park. Along the way, he has rapped about topics such as racism, poverty, terrorism and assailing politicians of all persuasions. His latest album, “Samurai,” is largely a tribute to late singer Amy Winehouse. Opening will be Billy Blue, TDK and Frayne Vibez.
The concert is 9 p.m. Friday at the Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave. Doors open at 8. Tickets are $55.25. This is a 16-and-older concert. For more information, go to CatalystClub.com.
CYT presents ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at the Civic
Christian Youth Theater wants you to be their guest when they bring their production of “Beauty and the Beast” to the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium this weekend.
The play is an adaptation of the stage version of Disney’s 1991 movie “Beauty and the Beast” — the first animated movie to be nominated for Best Picture — itself based on the 18th century French fairytale. The story centers around a young woman named Belle who encounters the Beast, a prince who has been cursed by an enchantress and transformed into, well, a beast. If the Beast learns the power of love and to be loved, he can break the curse and become his true self. If he does not learn it in time, he and his servants — who have been transformed into household objects — will remain forever trapped in their bodies. The movie features songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, with the stage show featuring new songs by Menken and Tim Rice. Come witness this story that has continued to live on through different iterations.
The shows will be performed at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and noon and 5 p.m. Sunday at the Civic, 307 Church St. For tickets and more information, go to CityOfSantaCruz.com.
Living, loving, they’re just women: Zepparella to perform
With how legendary their live shows were, and how unlikely it will be that they will ever tour again, it is no surprise how many Led Zeppelin tribute bands are out there. However, one stands out among the pack by virtue of all the members being women. Zepparella will be performing at Moe’s Alley Saturday.
Consisting of vocalist Anna Kristina, guitarist Gretchen Menn, bassist Holly West and drummer Clementine, Zepparella have brought their gender-flipped take on Led Zeppelin to the stage through pitch-perfect recreations of some of the band’s most iconic songs, including “Immigrant Song,” “Kashmir” and “When the Levee Breaks.” When it comes to paying tribute to Zeppelin, Zepparella do so with a whole lotta love.
The concert is 9 p.m. Saturday at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way. Doors open at 8. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the show. This is a 21-and-older concert. For more information, go to MoesAlley.com.
This week’s calendar was compiled by Nick Sestanovich.