the movement you need is on your shoulder

Spent a wonderful day with Diane yesterday. Everything went so, so well.

We took a mini road trip to Raleigh and Chapel Hill to go to the NC Art Museum, eat lunch at Neomonde Deli, drive around Duke (she’s a fan–extended family went there), visit the family and attend a concert. Full day.

We went to the NC symphony last night for a pops show. It was billed as a “symphonic tribute to the Beatles,” and I thought it would be nothing more than the orchestra performing classical arrangements of Beatles tunes, which would have been pleasant enough. But after the purely orchestral warmup, a Beatles cover band appeared on stage and led the rest of the show. It looks cheesy, and initially I thought was going to be, but they more than proved themselves.

They were the spitting image of the group, in appearance and even more so in voice–they all sounded exactly like their counterparts in the classic band. The best part is that they played quite a few songs from the period after the Beatles stopped touring (post-Revolver). Hearing songs like “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Come Together” and especially “A Day in the Life” performed live by what was essentially a recreation of the group, complete with full orchestra backing, was incredible. If there was any doubt of the Beatles’ musical genius or the ability of their songs to communicate complex artistic concepts in such an accessible and appealing fashion, it was completely erased by the concert. When they launched in a note-perfect rendition of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” that segued into “With a Little Help from My Friends” (just as it does on the album), the thought crossed my mind that the Beatles could have easily have been twice as popular as they were (which is saying a lot) if they had performed their later material on tour. But would they have had the space and time to create it in the first place? It’s a fair question.

The usually staid symphony crowd exuberantly requested two encores. At the end of the evening the scene was positively surreal as greying, dressed-up Boomers in their 50s danced like teenagers in the auditorium. Everyone, but everyone, was into it. Great show.

I’m so happy and just…full. She is such a godly, beautiful and intelligent woman and a fantastic mother. Thank You.