"Ticket to Ride" Brings Beatlemania to Simsbury

Update: This event has been postponed until Sunday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m.

It has been nearly 50 years since “Love Me Do” propelled a young band from Liverpool, England, to super stardom. The Beatles would go on to become the greatest selling rock 'n' roll band in history. Ticket to Ride, a Connecticut-based Beatles tribute band, will bring the magic of Beatlemania to Simsbury Friday evening, part of the Iron Horse Concert series at the

With three of the four members of the storied and award winning Abbey Road Beatles tribute band, Ticket to Ride offers a complete Beatles experience.

“We sing it right, bring the right attitude, and reproduce the vibe of a complete Beatles show,” said Todd Meikle, the “John Lennon” of Ticket to Ride.

Meikle joined the band after working with drummer Ron Cataldi (Ringo Starr) in a Jimi Hendrix tribute band. The two became friends, and Meikle was invited to help form Ticket to Ride when Abbey Road split. For the last nine months, the band has been picking up steam, performing once or twice a week or more at concert venues, outdoor festivals, clubs and private parties.

In addition to performing the music, the band prides itself on recreating the Beatles experience with costumes, wigs, and authentic musical instruments. Fans will instantly recognize the authentic 1967 Violin Hofner bass played by Joe Laroche (Paul McCartney). The second set of their performance will feature songs from the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band complete with the signature costumes from that album.

Lead guitarist Dave Geisler (George Harrison) serves as the band's unofficial musicologist, according to Meikle. “He knows these songs inside and out,” Meikle said, “and he is a perfectionist.”

The musical set is split pretty evenly between Lennon and McCartney songs and runs the gamut of Beatles music from the earlier 1950s-style rock to the later experimental pieces.

Meikle cites the band's namesake song, “Ticket to Ride,” and “The Ballad of John and Yoko” among his personal favorites to perform. In his research for taking on the role of Lennon, Meikle said the most difficult and time consuming part of the process was the study of the late Beatle's unique guitar stance on stage. He has taken great care to reproduce Lennon's mannerisms as authentically as possible.

A lifelong musician and a tepid Beatles fan, Meikle said he truly began to appreciate the talent and brilliance of the group's music after delving into the catalog upon joining Ticket to Ride.

The band thrives on fan interaction. “Hey Jude” and “Can't Buy Me Love” frequently turn into sing-alongs with the audience. Fans of the Beatles run the whole spectrum of ages, and Meikle said that the audiences for their performances rage from children as young as 1 to 3-year-olds dancing along to the music, to folks in their 60s and 70s, fans of the original Beatles.

The members of Ticket to Ride encourage fan interaction after the show, and they love staying in character for photo shoots and talking with fans. “Everybody's got their favorite Beatle,” said Meikle, “and everybody wants a picture with the Beatles.”

Reveling in the pretense and speaking in British accents the band delights in carrying on the atmosphere of Beatlemania.

The gate opens at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 29. For additional information about the show, contact the Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows at 860-651-4052.