HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE HARRISON!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE HARRISON!!

"All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much."

Photo by Astrid Kircherr

George,

You may have been known as the "quiet Beatle",
however your music, your legacy, and your love continue to speak volumes.

Thank you.

Happy Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOKO ONO!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOKO ONO!!

"Yoko Ono" by MasterLen

Thank you, Yoko Ono, for your music, your art, and your love....

and for sharing it all with the world.

Happy Birthday!



THE BEATLES LAND IN AMERICA!! PLUS: The Return Of THE BIG BEAT!

TODAY IN BEATLES HISTORY

FEBRUARY 7, 1964

THE BEATLES LAND IN THE U.S.A.



Image courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Hey, Beatlemaniacs!!

TODAY'S A BIG DAY! Today marks the 48th anniversary of The Beatles' arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The Beatles initially did not want to visit the U.S. Some British groups had visited the U.S. before The Beatles but the novelty of British Rock and Roll and Skiffle just didn't hit big with American audiences. The Beatles had discussed with manager, Brian Epstein, that they would not even consider America until they had a Number One song in the U.S. Sure enough on January 18, 1964 "I Want To Hold Your Hand" charted at number 45 and by February 1 the song had hit Number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and ultimately held the top spot for seven weeks. A few days later, on February 7, The Beatles were greeted by approximately three thousand screaming fans at JFK Airport. Beatlemania had officially hit America!!

WAIT, THERE'S MORE NEWS!! THE BIG BEAT returns in a few days on February 9th! That day also marks the day The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and took the rest of the U.S. by storm!

SAVE THE DATE & TIME!! THE BIG BEAT w/ Bob Vincent; Returns Thursday, February 9 @ 12p PT/ 3p ET ONLY on MtRockRadio.com.

THE BIG BEAT - SEASON 2 COMING SOON!!

Hey, Beatlemaniacs!

After what seemed like the longest three weeks of not being on the air, I proudly announce the return of THE BIG BEAT on 90.1 MtROCK and worldwide on www.mtrockradio.com.

YES, SIREEE!!!! Mark your calendars, keep the date, gather all your family and friends around your speakers and tune in to the SEASON 2 PREMIERE of THE BIG BEAT; Thursday, January 12, 2012 @ 12:00 Noon (Pacific) ONLY on 90.1 MtRock and www.mtrockradio.com.

THE BRITISH ARE COMING!! THE BRITISH ARE COMING!!!

ALL THE BEATLES YOUR MIND CAN HANDLE!!

REMEMBER!! THE BIG BEAT!! - The 12th hour of the 12th day of the 12th year; JANUARY 12 @ 12PM!! ON 90.1 Mt ROCK and www.mtrockradio.com.

IMAGINE PEACE at University of La Verne

Hey Beatlemaniacs!

Recently, I attended one of the most moving and heart-warming art exhibits I have ever had the pleasure of seeing; Yoko Ono's IMAGINE PEACE exhibit at the University of La Verne in Southern California. This no-cost exhibit featured some of Yoko's solo works, as well as her works with John Lennon including the iconic WAR IS OVER! If You Want It posters, images of John and Yoko's Year Of Peace, and my new personal favourite Lennon/Ono venture, NUTOPIA.

Upon entering, catalogs were available with info and insight on all the various pieces and installments. Also up for grabs were IMAGINE PEACE buttons and little flashlights representing Yoko's ONOCHORD project.


As you peruse through "Hair Peace" posters and photos from John and Yoko's "Bed-In", images from The Beatles' 1967 All You Need Is Love global broadcast, and WAR IS OVER posters, you can't help but notice the proverbial "pink elephants" in the room; a series of maps on the wall and a 14-square-foot chess set.

First, the maps are part of a participation piece called IMAGINE PEACE MAPS. The maps range from the Middle East, the USA, California, Mexico, and a complete map of the whole world. At each end of the maps are several stamps and ink pads;

"Visitors are invited to literalize their wishes by stamping the phrase 'Imagine Peace' on maps attached to the gallery walls. In this work, Ono transforms the exhibition space into the antithesis of the War Room - the Peace Room. Instead of generals positioning artillery, identifying military targets, and tracking the enemy, gallery visitors are prompted to express their wishes for peace, designating geographic locations to which they have a special affinity with the stamped text, 'Imagine Peace', becoming as much a prayer as a work of conceptual art." (from the gallery-provided catalog)


I, myself, stamped "Imagine Peace" over the Mexican states of Chiapas, in support of the Zapatista Movement, and Zacatecas; my father's home state.
I also managed to stamp this as a reminder to the "world police"...


What really put the whole Imagine Peace Maps message into perspective was seeing the map of the whole world with the "Imagine Peace" stamping heavily scattered throughout. It was a reality check-inducing representation of what the world strives for and could accomplish, of course, if we want it.


Second; As mentioned before, the exhibit also featured a 14-square-foot chess board, entitled Play It By Trust. The chess set is all-white with 2-foot, all-white game pieces for both opponents. Play It By Trust has been re-created by Ono in various different sizes; from table-top versions to the larger-than-life version seen at this exhibit. Visitors may actually play a game of chess "as long as the opponents agree on which piece belongs to each player. Los Angeles art critic, Shana Nys Dambrot describes the giant chess set as "a visceral reminder that it’s impossible to fight an enemy who is indistinguishable from yourself."


As I was leaving the gallery I was informed that Yoko Ono's Wish Tree was also on the campus of the University of La Verne in the next building over. Without hesitation, I went to see the tree and make my own wish. Below is the tree at La Verne before any wishes were made. Believe me, when I got there hundreds of wishes were already hanging on its branches.

Wish Tree has played a significant role in Yoko Ono's art exhibits since the 1980's. The concept is simple; you write your wish on a paper or a tag and simply tie it on a branch of the Wish Tree. The organic energy of the tree combined the act of making a wish is intended to aide in inspiring positivity, hope, and peace.

But who better to explain Wish Tree than Yoko Ono?...

"Wish Tree

Make a wish. Write it down on a piece of paper. Fold it and tie it around a branch of the Wish Tree.
Ask your friend to do the same.

Keep wishing.

Yoko Ono, 2011"





Ultimately, all of the wishes are sent to the Imagine Peace Tower on the Isle of Videy in Iceland and buried in capsules around the tower. So far, well over one-million wishes have been sent.


In summation, IMAGINE PEACE was a very insightful and inspiring multi-media collection of images, video, music, text, art, and love. I strongly suggest you look it up to see when the exhibit comes to a town near you.

Peace is a concept and ideal best initiated from within. You must believe peace is possible and help spread the message as far and as loudly as you can.

THE BIG BEAT Season 1 Finale

Hey Beatlemaniacs!

The inaugural season of THE BIG BEAT has been quite the experience for me. I have had the great pleasure of sharing the greatest music on Earth and have even created Beatle fans out of former non-Beatle listeners!

Even before THE BIG BEAT initially hit the air I was already promoting it heavily. I then stumbled upon TheBeatleScruffs and TheBeatleSubmarine and completely fell in love with each channel and their fab videos. Each channel is run by an international and multi-cultural group of young Beatlemaniacs who produce Beatle-related videos..

THE BIG BEAT made it's debut back on September 16 on Audio8ball.com. Showcasing the music of The Beatles and each member's respective solo music, my goal with THE BIG BEAT was to do my part in helping to spread the music of The Beatles to younger generations. With the aide of TheBeatleScruffs and TheBeatleSubmarine I had been able to capture the attention of Beatlemaniacs worldwide. Also, as a way to include The Scruffs and Submariners, I began to produce weekly recaps that recount their videos and topics expressed on their channels.

After the first 6 episodes THE BIG BEAT was pulled from Audio8ball.com...

THE BIG BEAT got a new home on 90.1 MtRock and MtRockRadio.com. MtRock is predominantly a Classic Rock station and better suited as the home for the program. So, THE BIG BEAT and I continued ahead and even gained a few more fans.

This following Thursday, December 8, will be the Season Finale of THE BIG BEAT. It just so happens that that particular date is also the day John Lennon passed away. John is my favourite Beatle for a great number of reasons and in remembrance of John, the Season Finale of THE BIG BEAT will feature a "Power Hour" of John Lennon's music.

So spread the word; THE BIG BEAT Season Finale!! Thursday, December 8 @ 4pm PT/7pm ET ONLY on 90.1 MtRock and WORLDWIDE on MtRockRadio.com!!

Rest In Peace; George Harrison

REST IN PEACE

GEORGE HARRISON

(February 25, 1943 - November 29, 2001)

"LOVE ONE ANOTHER"

Kittens On Legendary Album Covers

Hey, Beatlemaniacs!!

So, as I was browsing Facebook this morning, I came across a link one of my friends posted. It's too awesome! KITTENS ON LEGENDARY ALBUM COVERS!!

In honor of the anniversary of the US release of "Double Fantasy" I decided to post this pic from the article..
To see more, including more Beatles-related covers, visit The Kitten Covers on Tumblr.

Surprise, Surprise!!

I'm sorry, I've been on a "John and Yoko" trip all day. I just love their relationship! They both loved and knew eachother like no other. It was apparent in their music together, it was apparent in their photos together, and it's apparent in this very simple video... plain and simple, they didn't need love..... they had plenty of it and shared it with one another..

Here we have John playing the melody of "Julia" and singing his bridge lyrics from "I've Got A Feeling".... simple and sweet..

Did Yoko Ono Cause the End of The Beatles? Follow-up!

After posting my last entry (Below) I visited TheBeatleSubmarine channel and finished watching Kimberly's November 17th video that I had started watching before going on the air to host The Big Beat. It's way too much of a coincidence that the day Kimberly posted her video, in which she talks about the Yoko Ono/Beatles topic, is also the day that Fingers and I have our discussion on the matter! CreEeEeEpy!

Here's Kimberly's video. She begins the Yoko topic around the 3:30 mark. But, please do yourself a favor and show some love; watch the whole vid. It's too awesome and very insightful!