The Beatles' music was performed with joy and respect by a group of seasoned New York musicians.
The Fab Faux performed on Saturday at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton.NORTHAMPTON – The Fab Faux captured the joy and musicianship of The Beatles in a performance on Saturday night that would have won over the most jaded Blue Meanie.
The five New York musicians who painstakingly recreate the sound of The Beatles do it without cheesy accents or mop top wigs. They treat the songs of Lennon and McCartney (and Harrison) with the respect a symphony orchestra shows for compositions by Liszt and Mahler (and Haydn).
For 2 1/2 hours at the Calvin Theatre, the Fab Faux demonstrated again and again that they are not the typical tribute act. A run-of-a-mill Beatles cover act would be sure to perform "Hard Day's Night" and "I Saw Her Standing There," but only the Fab Faux would play those songs along side such lesser known works as "Rocky Raccoon" and "Sexy Sadie."
Indeed, it is those excursions into the "deep cuts" that make the Fab Faux so special.
The quintet – Will Lee, Rich Pagano, Frank Agnello, Jack Petruzzelli and Jimmy Vivino – offered up a sizzling version of "Leave My Kitten Alone," a Little Willie John R&B hit that The Beatles recorded in 1964, but left in the vaults until 1995 when it was included in "The Beatles Anthology Vol. 1."
And only the Fab Faux would open their second set with the five songs The Beatles performed in January 1969 on the rooftop of their London office building in what proved to be their final live performance as a group.
The Fab Faux tackled many complex songs the lads from Liverpool never performed live including, "And Your Bird Can Sing," "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite."
Highlights of the night included a dazzling "I am the Walrus"; a masterful version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," courtesy of Vivino's skilled playing; and Petruzzelli's superb take of "Oh! Darling," where he matched the larynx-shredding performance Paul McCartney gave back in 1969.