Fans waving signs saying “I love you, Paul!” and a crowd screaming for the rest of the group, too – John, George and Ringo, that is – relived memories and danced the night away as Eight Days a Week brought the Beatles back for a one-night stand at the Highland County Senior Citizens Center in Hillsboro on Saturday.
Mechell Frost, director of the center, said that well over 100 fans showed up to enjoy the hits of the ‘60s that propelled the Beatles to fame.
The tribute band arrived by limo, with Craig Edgington delivering them to the center’s front doors. About 25 fans greeted the faux mop tops with screams and signs.
The band opened the show wearing the iconic dark suits and white shirts from the Beatles’ early days, playing their first hits as the crowd danced and sang along. The dance floor especially filled up for “Twist and Shout,” a rousing rock’n’roll number. The band’s voices and harmonies were spot on, said Frost.
For the show’s second half, the band switched to the “Sgt. Pepper” look, with colorful tunics and hats. On songs like “Let It Be” and “Hey Jude,” audience members held cell phone lights high in the air, the modern equivalent of holding lighter flames that became popular during concert performances.
Frost said everyone praised the band for its authenticity and musicality. For its part, Frost said the band was impressed with the crowd, the senior center and its decorations.
“People were saying how awesome they were, and they had a ball,” said Frost.
Frost thanked sponsors including Merchants National Bank and DDS Lesia Langston-McKenna and Judge David McKenna, along with several co-sponsors. She said the center made a profit of $2,033.
Frost also thanked volunteers and guests “for supporting the center,” and she thanked the band “for putting on a great show.” She said, “We had a blast.”
