Beatles Tribute Band to Play at Gilroy's 9Lives

The Beatles tribute band Abbey Road will be performing at Gilroy’s 9Lives on Saturday. The band members don't just cover Beatles songs. They look, dress and even act like the foursome. Many say they're among the best in the tribute business. 

The band’s musicians are between the ages of 22 and 33, making them age-appropriate to the original artists, and they wear tailored, vintage costumes reminiscent of the original band’s attire, according to Andy Nagle, who co-produces the show.

“Abbey Road recreates the magic, music, wit and charm of the Beatles, including the Fab Four’s cheeky personalities, familiar onstage banter and patter between songs,” Nagle wrote in a prepared statement.

Abbey Road members try to recreate the memory of the Beatles, and work with a music director who teaches them each song, note-by-note, to ensure a spot-on performance. The band also sports vintage instruments that are identical to the Beatles’ original ones, Nagle said.

“The vintage instruments have to be exact. It’s surprising how close to detail people remember this stuff,” he said. “A lot of the fans are way into the Beatles, and they demand that we be as close as possible.”

Aside from playing popular songs like “Penny Lane,” “A Day in the Life” and “Yesterday,” the band’s performance also includes three costume changes. The band will be dressed in black suits from the Beatles’ earlier days, as well as “Sgt. Pepper’s regalia" and "Abbey Road attire," Nagle wrote.

The show is also becoming popular among younger generations thanks to outlets like iTunes, which now serves up Beatles’ music, Nagle said.

“We noticed that parents and grandparents take their young kids,” he said. “We have teenagers who come to the show, and when we play venues that are all ages, sometimes it’s like a mini-version of the British Invasion—they scream and mash pit down to the stage, and it’s fun.”

The mock-Beatles band will even be available after the show for pictures and autographs, Nagle said.

“People just really get into this stuff,” he laughed.

Jorge Briones, 9Lives co-owner, said the show will likely sell out. As of Tuesday afternoon, 235 of the 300 available tickets had been sold. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling (408) 337-1799.

What: Beatles tribute band, Abbey Road
When: Saturday, Jan. 14 at 9 p.m.
Where: 9Lives, located at 7430 Monterey St.
Price: $10-$12. Ages 21 and over

Please note: Jorge Briones of 9Lives informed Patch that tickets for this show sold out on Wednesday. Briones said potential concertgoers will be allowed inside if there's room. That determination would be made at around 9:15 p.m. on Saturday.