The Beatles, A Multimedia Pop Culture Presentation by Author, Dave Schwensen
About the Program
Take a magical history tour back to Yesterday and a decade of change. In 1963 John F. Kennedy was President, Mercury Astronauts were rocket jockeys launched into space, and school children were taught to hide under their desks in case Cold War tension ended with "The Big One." The electricity generated by the first wave of rock'n roll had dimmed and The Baby Boomer Generation needed a soundtrack of its own.
Following JFK's assassination in Dallas, they found it only 79 days later when television host Ed Sullivan introduced John, Paul, George and Ringo - four long haired lads from England called The Beatles. For teenagers, their world moved from black and white to color, and nothing would ever be the same again.
Beatlemania swept across North America as a generation fell under the influence of the group's music, style and personalities. Hair was longer, skirts were shorter and the music - influenced by American rock'n roll, Motown, rhythm & blues and country - is still heard today and has become the subject of courses at colleges and universities. Top 40 Radio changed from pop to rock and terms such as "neat" and "cool" evolved into "fab" and "groovy." By the end of the decade Baby Boomers had become The Flower Power Generation and The Woodstock Generation. The effect is still being felt in 2012.
Performances by The Beatles filled arenas with screams of delight and excitement - and in most cities, full-blown fan hysteria. As a young fan, author Dave Schwensen witnessed these events when his parents took him to see The Beatles in Cleveland. Four decades later he combined his memories, detailed research and interviews with Beatles insiders and fans to detail two notorious concerts in his hometown when police stopped both shows in mid-performance and ordered the group off the stage. The result was that the most famous band in the world was banned from the city now home of The Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame.
Step back into the mid-1960's to experience the spark that ignited a generation that changed the world. Feel the excitement as you are taken behind the scenes and on stage for two of the wildest, out of control concerts in Beatles and rock'n roll history. The program includes an opening film featuring news events and popular music leading to and immediately following The Beatles debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, a mini Beatles museum with photos and memorabilia, and - of course - fab music. The grand finale is a rare film of The Beatles riotous 1966 performance at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium - the same concert Dave Schwensen attended with his parents!
About the Author
In addition to The Beatles In Cleveland: Memories, Facts & Photos About The Notorious 1964 &1966 Concerts, Dave Schwensen is the author of How To Be A Working Comic: An Insider's Guide To A Career In Stand-Up Comedy, and Comedy FAQ's And Answers: How The Stand-Up Biz Really Works.
His insider's knowledge was earned as Talent Coordinator for the television show, A&E's An Evening At The Improv, and the legendary Improv Comedy Clubs in Hollywood and New York City. While in that capacity, he also acted as a comedian consultant for many television and film productions. Included in that list are The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman, The Today Show, Comedy Central, MTV, VH-1, HBO, Disney, Paramount, and other major television networks and film studios.
Dave has been an entertainment journalist since 1993 with articles published in the United States, Canada and Japan. The author of two weekly columns on comedy, (of course), and music, his reviews, interviews, and behind the scenes exclusives have included entertainers such as Paul McCartney, Bill Cosby, Britney Spears, Ray Romano, Garth Brooks and many others. His syndicated humor column, Something To Laugh About, was awarded First Prize by The Ohio Newspaper Association for Best Original Column. Twenty of his favorite columns about parenthood are included in his fourth book Father's Days... And Nights: Humorous Tales from the Frontlines of Fatherhood.