'Beatlemore Skidmania' ends 9-year run in Filene

The Rust Brothers and Friends closed the concert with a sing-along of 'Give Peace a Chance.'

The hits kept coming Sunday afternoon as students, faculty and alumni—playing to a standing-room-only crowd in Filene Recital Hall—paid homage to the Beatles of 1969. It was the ninth edition of Beatlemore/Skidmania, and with the new Zankel Music Center to open in January, the last to take place in Filene.

More than 100 students participated in the two-hour tribute to Abbey Road, which again was MC'd by Gordon Thompson, professor of music and nationally renowned expert on British rock. It featured performances by all four of Skidmore's celebrated a cappella groups—The Accents, The Drastic Measures, The Bandersnatchers, and The Dynamics—and by an assortment of ad hoc bands sporting such names as Gung Ho, Carl Sagan's Apple Pie, E.J. Russell's Elementary Orchestra, Verbs, and The Deal.

In keeping with Skidmania tradition, the Rust Brothers and Friends – featuring faculty members Gordon Thompson, Joel Brown and John Anzalone plus Dave Maswick of the Stony Creek Band – brought the show to rousing conclusion. First they played the Abbey Road medley. Then – joined by dozens of students who had charmed the crowd earlier – they performed their traditional sing-along,  a Skidmore-specific rendition of "Give Peace a Chance."

"As glorious as our new building is, as wonderful as it is, and as much as we desperately need that building, I'm going to miss this," said Brown in introducing the last number. "I love this hall."

Click here to read The Saratogian's report on this unique Skidmore tradition.

 

 

Tags: joel brown, gordon thompson, beatlemore/skidmania