By Matt DeMarco
On February 11, Hofstra University honored the memory of former Beatle, George Harrison, with “Here Comes the Sun: A Musical Tribute to George Harrison,” featuring renowned musician Godfrey Townsend and his band. Through the usage of music, multimedia tools, and a few laughs, the “Quiet Beatle’s” life was celebrated…loudly.
The John Cranford Adams Playhouse was filled with Harrison fans, young and old, many of whom were no strangers to the show’s unique combination of eclectic music and corny humor. “I was at the show last year,” said Hofstra Junior Melissa Mayer, “and I came back this year because it’s just such a fun time; the music’s great, the one-liners are cheesy…it’s a perfect tribute.”
The show started off with the band—composed of Godfrey Townsend on guitar/vocals, John Montagna on bass/vocals, Tommy Williams on lead guitar, and Michael Bellusci on drums—performing a decent rendition of Harrison’s, arguably, most famous song “Here Comes the Sun.” Professor Joshua Greene was then introduced, who split his time on the stage playing tambourine with the band, ridiculously, I might add, and officiating the show—telling the story of George Harrison’s life and how he became such a spiritual individual.
This pattern of song, story, song, story, continued throughout the show, with the band playing some of Harrison’s best Beatles songs, as well as some of best, lesser known solo songs, including “Taxman,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Give Me Love.” Aside from a few muck-ups here and there, the band played some great performances, doing each song complete justice.
The only area where the concert fell flat was by way of the Indian Kirtan musicians who sat awkwardly to the side of the stage for the entire show, except for when they were performing their two sleep-inducing songs, one of which was Harrison’s own “Within You, Without You,” –one of the worst Beatles songs ever written. It makes sense why they were there—Harrison’s life changed after he went to India and became all “Hare Krishna”—, but they added nothing to the show.
The show ended with a heartwarming rendition of the ukulele ballad “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” which then led into the band playing an eight-set encore of sorts, before ending the show with “All Things Must Pass,” which earned the band a standing ovation—a fitting ending to a fantastic show.