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From: Ocean City Today -- 2000/Oct/27
Strawberry Fields does more than play the British group's music. They show the Beatles' musical life story through the four distinct periods of their decade of existence.

"Beatlemania," Strawberry Fields does more than play the British group's music. They show the audience the Beatles' musical life story through the four distinct periods of their decade of existence.

With costume changes in each of the four sets, Strawberry Fields marches from the early days of simplistic tunes such as the "I Want To Hold Your Hand" rock ditty through the more complicated "Sgt. Pepper" era and the experimental music near the end of the Beatles' work as a group.

Hailing from Coram, NY, "Strawberry Fields" is billed as one of the best of the country's Beatles tribute bands, drawing as it does on group members' "Beatlemania" Broadway experience.

Their aim, say New York-area reviewers, is to take audiences on a Beatles tour that shows how four popular Liverpool musicians found not only wild success, but became master songwriters whose later compositions were not, in many instances, even remotely rock 'n'roll.

The Beatles' early work was derivative of such American groups as the Everly Brothers, but later songs adopted difficult tempos and moods that defied classification. "Eleanor Rigby," which was more of a character study set to music than a standard rock piece was undanceable. Similarly, "Norwegian Wood" displayed involved music progressions that were wonderful & reflective listening, but hardly suitable for dance floor maneuvering. And "Yellow Submarine" was clearly something other than boogie material.

Yet, these songs sold because even as young listeners jumped to rock-with-a-message tunes such as "Revolution," or were wildly amused by "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window," the fact was the Beatles were different from anything on the market.

In their portrayal of the Beatles Strawberry Fields employs chameleon-like changes to represent not just the music, but how the Fab Four's personal style mirrored their artistic development.

All proceeds from the show will benefit Atlantic General Hospital. The show is sponsored by Dave Marshall Associates of Sea Colony Tennis and presented by the Atlantic General Hospital Foundation, one of the fund raising arms of AGH.

Tickets are $15 per person and a available at the convention center box office or at the door the night of the event.

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