The Blue Room Cafe's Seventh Annual Tribute to the Beatles--brief opinion and recap

Nomad Planets at the Tribute to the Beatles 2012, Hammond, IN (photo by Gordon Stamper, Jr.).

In Northwest Indiana, annual festivals of note include Whiting's Pierogi Fest and Valparaiso's Popcorn Festival.  The Blue Room Cafe's Tribute to the Beatles in downtown Hammond has grown so incrementally in size and stature over its seven years that it will be at least in the regional festival discussion.  And with fame and size comes mixed blessings.

Past Beatles tributes produced by the Vezmar brothers brought crowds in the hundreds to downtown Hammond.  Many were there not only to share their Beatles fandom, but also hear inventive recreations of the Fab Four's music, not just note-for-note covers.  Several regional music artists were in that spirit at this year's event as well.

Joshua McCormack opened, a Tribute regular, doing his usual deconstruction of Beatles music with theatrical flair.  Nomad Planets satisfied through a set list filled with excellent song choices from the Beatles solo project catalog, including a John Carpenter-led (the regional music producer and Nomad Planets guitarist) version of George Harrison's "Beware of Darkness."  Bunkertown, with Chicago and Hammond roots, were a bit more traditional with song choices, including Abbey Road's "Golden Slumbers" medley, but still put a garage-rock spin on the music.

Although the event has steadily grown with such a musical approach, the attendance swelled into four digits, beyond the parking lot and into the surrounding park area for gated general admission in 2012, mainly thanks to the addition of nationally known Beatles cover band American English as the closers.  They duplicate Beatles songs note-for-note and dress to resemble John, Paul, George, and Ringo as much as possible.  Their sets are entertaining and fun, but no artistic stretch.

One result of American English's presence were a large number of newcomers who were not too knowledgeable about the Beatles catalog.  After early sets featured album tracks from Sgt. Pepper's . . . and the White Album, one "fan" turned to me and asked, "Are they playing Beatles music" with utmost sincerity. 

Probably the act that suffered the most from the influx of wrote Beatles cover fans was Rhythm Scholar, a DJ from Chicago who inventively remixed Fab Four records, including a chill-out room "Because."  Many in the new VIP section seemed puzzled and generally ignored his work.  Rhythm Scholar's logistical setup and placement in the lineup for two sets between main stage headliners didn't help him either.  The rooftop presence across from the parking lot venue was novel, but turned into an isolative disadvantage for any close appreciation of his work as the night progressed.  At least it was good beer garden line music, and he had the DJ set later at the Aquavor night club to present the music in a more dance and listener-friendly setting.

As for the new VIP and corporate booth sections, as a regional music fan, I'm happy to see profit and success for local music promoters and venues.  However, much of the feeling of community from past years was zapped by the partitioning of sections and the size of the crowd.  In the past, running into a neighbor or Beatle buddy was a regular occurrence, but if concertgoers did this time, it was by accident and chance.  Ironically, part of the VIP concept collapsed when American English took the stage and dozens of non-VIP fans rushed easily to the front.  I'm not expecting symphony etiquette at a rock-and-roll show and I don't want it, but if the promoters insist on price levels . . . oh well.  I guess at least VIPers (of which I was one) had a nifty Yellow Submarine laminated lanyard to show for their status.

Much of the Tribute to the Beatles was well-organized, including the beer, food, and refreshments concessions, but with its massive increase in size, the experience has changed over the seven-year run.  As a Region resident, I'm happy for the Vezmars' success, but I hope they realize that with business sponsorship, corporate booths, and priced sections, the fan experience and the festival itself drastically changed.  It's still an entertaining experience, but it's a more corporate and coldly distant one.