By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
The Beatles’ classics, played by four local guys who “love these songs,” will be featured as That Beatles Thing take the stage to open to the City of Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series of free concerts on Thursday, June 20.
“Most like the Beatles; some have That Beatles Thing,” the band says of themselves. “That Beatles Thing plays the music of the Beatles. … Faithfully reproducing 150 songs from the Beatles catalog.”
WKTV will be covering the concert, and almost all of Kentwood’s concerts, replaying it on our community television Channel 25 — check out the complete WKTV schedule here — and also available on-demand. The replay schedule for this concert is: Tuesday, June 25, at 9 p.m., and Saturday, June, 29, at about 12:30 p.m. (after a Wyoming community concert).
According to the band’s website, “James Murphy started the band a couple of years ago. What it has evolved to now is really just about 4 guys who love these songs. We’re all passionate about the songs of the Fab 4, we’ve got ‘That Beatles Thing’.”
The band is Murphy singing most of the songs and playing guitar, Bill Van Ess singing and playing bass, Pete Bardolph singing and playing lead guitar and Fritz von Valtier singing, playing drums, and “shaking things.”
Cruising their website, there are several videos of the band at play, including a version of one of my favorite Beatles songs — “Nowhere Man” — from the River City Saloon in 2016.
For more information on That Beatles Thing, visit here.
Concert-goers are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair, and may also bring their own beer or wine. And while you can bring your own picnic dinner, food trucks will be at each concert.
The series runs on select Thursday nights through August.
The remaining lineup for Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series is as follows:
June 27 — Blue Soul Express, delivering classic soul, R&B, funk and blues. If this is not perfect for a summer boogie party, nothing is. For more information visit here. (Note: due to a scheduling conflict, WKTV will not cover this concert.)
July 18 — Hannah Rose and the GravesTones, serving up some funk, blues and rock n’ roll. If you’ve never seen them, let’s just say Hannah can wail. For more information visit here.
July 25 — The Crane Wives, described by someone as “female-fronted, harmony-driven folk-rock”; lets just say West Michigan is lucky they are taking a local break from their busy summer tour schedule. For more information visit here.
Aug. 1 — Brena, offering up oldies, top 40 hits, classic rock, R&B and country. For more information visit here.
Aug. 8 — Melophobix, with “Cage Free” being not only the title of their latest release but also their funky musical outlook. For more information visit here.
All concerts will begin at 7 p.m. and conclude around 8:30 p.m. on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, located at 4900 Breton Ave. SE.
More information is available at kentwood.us/parks.
