Music Festival Becomes the Epicenter of Beatlemania on Labor Day Weekend

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Just as the crowds gathered in Washington, D.C. in February of 1964 to see The Beatles® first live concert performance in America, thousands of people from all over the world will once again flock to Washington, D.C. to be a part of the largest Fab Four tribute festival in America – Abbey Road on the River. More than 50 bands will perform on eight stages, each with their own story and inspiration for being there. Some will be outfitted in black "Sullivan suits" and mop tops, others in colorful Sgt. Pepper coats. Festival producers will build an indoor display showcase that will take attendees on a walk back in time where they can see hundreds of historical and collectible items, including photographs taken during the band's prime, a new replica of the guitar played by George from Gretsch Guitars, and countless books documenting every step of the band's evolution. The musicians, historians, fans and fanatics, will all "come together" with one mission – to bring the magic of The Beatles® to life for five days during Labor Day weekend at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.

Festival goers will also enjoy seeing one-of-a-kind artifacts created by fellow Beatles fanatics, like D.C. resident Rick Levitan's 2002 Harley-Davidson Wide Glide motorcycle that he had custom painted with Beatlemania images. He even found clever ways to incorporate pieces of his own memorabilia collection into the bike, like using Ringo's drumsticks as shift linkage and ticket stubs on the mirrors.

Since its launch in 2002, the festival has been the event that Beatles fans mark their year by. Fans from several generations will gather on the banks of the Potomac River from September 1st - 5th, as the songs take the crowd back to an era of musical greatness. Many describe the festival as a magical place where they are taken back in time to dance with friends to the music of The Beatles®, and for one weekend out of the year, the dream that John Lennon wrote and sang about in "Imagine" actually comes to life. "It's impossible to calculate the full measure of The Beatles® until you see a group of teenagers accurately singing every word of The White Album," said event producer Gary Jacob.

Coming to this year's festival is long time Beatles memorabilia collector Russ Lease, who will be sharing with fans the history and creation of The Beatles® drop-T logo and exhibiting the original logo drumhead. The Beatles® drop-T drumhead used during the band's first visit to the U.S. in February of 1964 was the logo on the front of Ringo's bass drum that was seen on the band's debut on the Ed Sullivan Show, along with the Washington Coliseum and Carnegie Hall concerts. Of the seven hand-painted logo drumheads used by the band in their career, this one is the most famous and most valuable. It will be on display at his Beatlesuits.com vender booth throughout the weekend.

In addition, renowned author Bruce Spizer will be on hand to share the fine points of the fascinating and sometimes complicated story of The Beatles® in America. Down to the smallest detail, Bruce documents the ins and outs of every Beatles record released in America, from the very first record bearing The Beatles® name in the U.S.A., "Please Please Me /Ask Me Why," released by Vee-Jay Records on February 7, 1963, through the last disc issued by their own company during the Apple era, all the way to and including the release of "Live At The BBC, Anthology" and the phenomenally successful "Beatles 1."

The festival recreates "Beatlemania" with the music, of course, but also with screenings of the hit 2009 biopic "Nowhere Boy," merchandise, lectures, and the popular impromptu all night singalongs. Beatles fans can truly find something to say "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" about at Abbey Road on the River.

Visit www.abbeyroadontheriver.com to purchase tickets, make reservations, and to get more information. A portion of ticket revenue will be donated to the American Red Cross.

Contacts:
Jennifer Montgomery, 502-418-6819, [email protected]
Ali Shaw, 502-262-8580

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SOURCE Abbey Road on the River