The Beatles are never getting back together…sigh…

In a recent interview about The Beatles’ Help! album, a radio show host asked me, “John was singing about his depression and struggles; Paul was singing about his problems with Jane Asher, and George was singing about squabbles with Pattie Boyd…but we never heard them saying those things, did we? How could we have missed this, Jude?”

I thought for a moment and said, “I guess we were too focused on ourselves. I mean, we happily sang along to serious songs like ‘Help!’ and ‘Tell Me What You See’ and ‘You Like Me Too Much’ without listening to the words, really. We danced. We snapped our fingers and smiled and laughed, but we didn’t really hear what The Beatles were saying. We were thinking of our own lives.”

It was the same when The Beatles broke up. I remember breaking down, throwing myself on the bedspread, and wailing, “How could they do this? How could they leave us? I never even got to see them in concert, and now I never will!!!! How could they just abandon us like this?”

It never occurred to me back then that John, Paul, George, and Ringo were the ones who were really hurting – that their friendships had crumbled; their spirits had been wounded. Over the years, as I researched and wrote about this era in their lives, the truth hit home. But about a month ago, as I was out running one day, I finally got it! My trusty iPod selected a Taylor Swift hit. And as the song played out, I finally heard not Taylor, but The Beatles speaking! In almost rock opera fashion, I heard them singing about the pain they’d endured when “The Fab Four” became just “the four.”

Who would’ve guessed that it would take Taylor Swift to make me aware of the anguish that John, Paul, George, and Ringo had experienced in the months and years that followed their “divorce”? Who would’ve imagined?

But now, when I hear “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” it’s a different song indeed! It’s a song about the loss of trust and companionship and brotherhood and love. And through Swift’s words, I hear the lads speak to me at last. It’s not about “me” anymore. It’s all about them.

Boys, I’m so very sorry.

Here they are “singing” Taylor Swift’s “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”

John:

I remember when we broke up…the first time
Sayin’, “This is it! I’ve had enough!”

Paul:

‘Cause like we hadn’t seen each other in a month
When you said “you needed space!” WHAT???

John:

Then you come around again ’n say,
“Ba-beeee, I miss you, and I swear I’m gonna change! Trust me…”
Remember how that lasted for a day?
I say, “I hate you!”
We break up…you call me…I love you.

Paul:

Ooooohh… we called off again last night.
But oooooh, this time, I’m tellin’ you, I’m tellin’ you…

John, Paul, Ringo, and George:

We are never ever ever getting back together.
We are never ever ever getting back together!

Ringo:

You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me!

All:

But we are never ever, ever getting back together!

George: (disgusted)

I’m really gonna miss you pickin’ fights,
And me? Fallin’ for it, screaming that I’m right!

Paul:

And you? You hide away ’n find your peace of mind
With some Indie record that’s much cooler than mine!

John:

Ooooh, you called me up again tonight,
But oooooh, this time I’m tellin’ you, I’m tellin’ you…

John, Paul, George and Ringo:

We are never ever ever gettin’ back together.
We are never ever ever gettin’ back together!
You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me…
But we are never ever ever gettin’ back together!

George:

I used to think that we were forever, ever…

Paul:

And I used to say, “Never say never…”

John: (speaking bitterly)

Huh! He calls me up, and he’s like, “I still love you…”
And I’m like, I’m just…I mean, this is exhaustin’, y’know…
We are NEVER gettin’ back together…like ever!!!!!

All:

We are never ever ever gettin’ back together!
We are never ever ever gettin’ back together!

Ringo:

You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me

George:

But we are never ever ever getting’ back together.

All:

We….oooh, oooh…not back together!!!
We…oh…gettin’ back together…

You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me…

Paul: (quietly)

But we…are never ever ever gettin’ back together.

If you’re not familiar with Swift’s song, HEAD HERE to listen…

2015 New York Metro Fest Recap

By Danny Abriano

Dear Beatles Family,

What an incredible Beatles weekend we all shared March 20-22 at the Fest For Beatles Fans!

Kicking off the 41st year of The Fest with the year of Help! couldn’t have been more exhilarating, and we have all of you to thank for it.

At #FESTCHESTER, thousands of Beatles fans from 27 states and three continents came together at the sprawling Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook, New York to celebrate all things Beatles, including the 50th anniversary of Help! We love you all. This is our collective recap…

If you get to the bottom of this and these pics aren’t enough for your vicarious re-living of the New York Metro Fest, check out our first Facebook album HERE, our second Facebook album HERE, and our fans album HERE.

Also be sure to visit and subscribe to The Fest’s YouTube page, where about a dozen videos from the weekend have already gone up and many more are on the way!

Below is an image from Fester @Danielleeee019 on Instagram…

THE FEST began on the first day of Spring, Friday, March 20, when the hotel started to fill with fans who gathered for afternoon jams, explored the spacious Hilton Westchester, and prepared for the three amazing days and nights that were to come.

Before the day’s events got going, THE FEST was welcomed during a press conference put together by the Office of the County Executive for Westchester County. During the press conference, THE FEST was given a Proclamation that declared March 20-22, 2015 to be “Beatles Fan Weekend” in Westchester County!

THE FEST officially kicked off at 5 PM on Friday as fans came in from the snow (yes, it was snowing) and brought their Beatley energy to the Westchester Ballroom as the weekend began. Along with our fantastic band, Liverpool (CLICK HERE to watch them play ‘Any Time At All’), our musical guests included Gary Wright, Laurence Juber, Mark Rivera, and Mark Hudson.

Our special guests included Bob Eubanks, Jack Oliver, Russ Titelman, and last minute surprise guest, photographer Bob Gruen.

Friday night continued on with the 60s Dance Party with Look Alike and Dress Up contests.

To go along with our incredible musical guests, the weekend also featured some fantastic Sound Alike and Battle of the Beatles Bands competitors, with Yesterday and Today (below/photo from band member Johnathan Pushkar) snagging the Battle of the Beatles Bands crown for the second straight year.

The Sound Alike finalists were all incredible, but the title went to Brianna Faith, who brought the house down with her out of this world rendition of ‘I Am The Walrus.’ Watch a clip of Brianna’s winning performance HERE.

Our tradition of the ‘Beatles Gratitude Wall’ continued, and was where fans wrote and hung tons of signs to answer the question “Why are you grateful for The Beatles?”

We also added a new, hands-on experience at the New York Metro Fest: The FABoratory, where Festers had the chance to turn into Beatles Magicians and teachers while sharing knowledge and playing music.

The incredible live music of the weekend wasn’t limited to the nighttime concerts…

Jeff Slate’s Birds of Paradox performed a great set of solo-John, solo-Paul and other tunes (CLICK HERE to watch them play ‘Handle With Care’) on Saturday afternoon, featuring Steve Holley and Laurence Juber of Wings and Gary Van Scyoc and Adam Ippolito of the Elephants Memory Band + Jimmy McElligott.

The Weeklings took to the stage on Sunday afternoon to perform songs the Beatles wrote but never officially recorded, their Beatle-esque originals, and more. CLICK HERE for a video of the group performing ‘You Know What To Do.’

String quartet Cellophane Flowers, featuring Jeff Lubin, performed on the Act Naturally stage on Sunday – CLICK HERE for a video of the band performing ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ – before heading to the Westchester Ballroom for a two-song performance – ‘Here Today,’ and ‘Yesterday.’

That wasn’t all…

mr. RAY held his fun kids concert, 11-year-old Molly Jeanne thrilled attendees with her vocal chops and ukulele skills, Michelle My Pelle held their open mic night, The Bootlegs took to the stage for a reunion, and harpist Adrienne Knauer spun her beautiful Beatles interpretations.

As always, the Beatles Art Contest was a place where fans were treated to some truly amazing art by professionals, amateurs, and kids – all who took home prizes. Of the many incredible entries in the professional division, Eddie Colaci won for his great 3D Beatles piece, Rachel Bremilst was the winner in our amateur division for her Help! art, and Anna Maibaum took the ribbon for top kids artwork for her John Lennon portraits. We thank Deco for continuing to do such a great job with the Art Museum.

The 2015 New York Metro FEST was home to two Beatles marketplaces – The FEST Store and the Vendors Room – the weekend home of over a dozen of the best Beatles authors in the world.

Ken Dashow of Q104.3, was our amazing emcee and he had a little help from his/our friend Tom Frangione.

When Festers weren’t busy dancing, jamming in every nook of the hotel, and parading (at our fourth annual Beatles Animals Parade which included the new Martha puppet), they took in one of Bob Abdou’s highly entertaining Beatles Puppet Shows, got memorabilia signed, toured the Photo (Rob Shanahan, Allan Tannenbaum, and Nancy Lee Andrews) and Art (Eric Cash, Neal Glaser, and Ron Campbell) Exhibitions, and more.

Rob, Allan, and Nancy Lee:

Art from Ron Campbell, Neal Glaser Celebrity Art, and Eric Cash:

Many also took refuge in our Beatles Ashram, which featured yoga classes with Kenzie Pause and Clarence for adults and kids, intro sessions from the teachers of Transcendental Meditation including Peter Muldavin & Harry Martinian, a Creative Song Journey, an intro to Indian Raga, a Poetry Jam with Deco, and more.

Other highlights from the weekend were We Can Write It Out with Mark Hudson, and Live Beatles Trivia and Name That Tune hosted by Tom Frangione and Al Sussman. Other guest announcers included Darren DeVivo (WFUV), Fab4Free4All, and Ken Michaels.

Thanks to Cirque du Soleil, we gave away a 10th winning a trip to Las Vegas to see The Beatles LOVE Cirque du Soleil. Winner will be announced shortly.

We made good use of the pool with our Friday night Pool Party and Sunday Morning water aerobics with Christina Schaeffer. We welcomed back Karaoke Karen, the many films shown in the Beatles Video Room hosted by Steve Shorten, and the always spectacular Pig Light Show by Marc Rubinstein that accompanied the concerts on Saturday and Sunday.

The amount of Beatles knowledge shared over the weekend by authors/historians Vivek Tiwary, Al Sussman, Bruce Spizer, David Bedford, Chuck Gunderson, Jude Southerland Kessler, Susan Ryan, Candy Leonard, David Schwensen, Dee Elias, Anthony Robustelli, and Judith Kristen was nothing short of incredible!

As always, the Musicians’ Forum on Sunday was a treat, as was that night’s concert that saw Liverpool complete the second side of Help! (they did side one on Saturday, CLICK HERE for their performance of ‘The Night Before’) and other Beatles cuts.

Drew Hill, Glen Burtnik, John Merjave, and Chris Camilleri of Liverpool were fantastic all weekend, and their energy while wrapping up the FESTivities on Sunday night matched the energy of the first song of their Friday night set.

Gary Wright performed Dream Weaver (CLICK HERE for the video), Love Is Alive and To Discover Yourself, plus he did an amazing version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps with Liverpool.

The magic continued as Laurence Juber and Mark Rivera – CLICK HERE to see Mark perform ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’ – joined in the jamming with Mark Hudson and Liverpool. All in all, it was an incredible weekend of Live Music at THE FEST!!

After #FESTCHESTER officially came to a close, the jamming continued into the wee hours of Monday morning, with attendees singing and playing along until the sun came up.

The energy the fans brought all weekend was amazing. Both the FEST and the fans were thrown a curve when the parking garage collapse at the Empire Meadowlands necessitated a venue change to the Hilton Westchester, and the way the weekend shook out was both memorable and uplifting for all.

Charities at the FEST:

Yoko sent over six signed copies of the See Hear Yoko book in a special canvas bag with other goodies as well. Five were auctioned off for Charity and one was part of the Grand Prize for Sunday’s Spirit Foundation Charity Raffle. Amazingly, the winner was the same winner in last year’s raffle.

With one of the Grand Prizes a set of Beatles Luggage for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Raffle on Saturday night, we raised extra money for this importance cause. We also had the Theatre Within join us again to raise awareness of the importance of music education in schools. We also welcomed RockCANRoll for the first time and many of you brought food items and donated much needed funds that will help to feed the less fortunate in our area. We thank you for your participation in these important organizations.

We’d also like to thank the Hilton Westchester, who did a terrific job hosting the Fest, especially Maura. Most of all, we want to offer another thank you to all the guests and fans who came to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Help!, all things Beatles, and the 41st anniversary of the Fest For Beatles Fans with us.

We are already gearing up for the Chicago Fest, taking place August 14 to 16 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois. Details will be released at TheFest.com in May, so keep an eye out!

Cynthia Lennon: Shine On

By Jude Southerland Kessler

At the New York Metro Fest for Beatles Fans two weeks ago, I delivered a talk called “Cynthia Lennon: the Real Fifth Beatle.” And with all my heart, I believe she was just that.

She was there in the basement of The Jacaranda, holding John’s microphone for him (well, a mic duct taped to a broom) in 1959…long before Stu or Brian or Pete or George Martin ever appeared on the scene. She lovingly told John that he was “too big for Liverpool” as she watched him rehearse with Paul and George in Room 21 at Liverpool College of Art during those lunchtime sessions of 1959 and 1960. And unswervingly, she believed in his destiny to achieve “the toppermost of the poppermost” long before the Beatlettes (or even the Wooden Tops) existed. Cynthia was the first to understand and cherish John’s dream.

When Cynthia found out the she was pregnant, John immediately (immediately!) offered to marry her. And had she pressed him to leave the band and become a “proper husband and father,” I believe he would have been just as dutiful in doing “the right thing.” But Cynthia never asked that of John.

Instead, Cyn spent her honeymoon night alone – moving in to Brian’s Falkner Street flat and making a home for John, even though he had offered to take her along with him that evening to his gig. Cynthia refused. She chose to remain in the background and to shun the limelight and to give John a home to which he could always come when he was tired, frustrated, and in need of love.

During the year (August 1962-August 1963) that Brian forbade her to appear with John in public, Cynthia acted accordingly and vanished from sight to help her husband’s career. She ran from reporters. She shielded her husband and her son. She pushed her needs aside and endured aching loneliness so that The Beatles could grow and emerge as the stars she knew they were to be.

When girlfriends joined the troupe of Beatles – as did Maureen Cox – Cynthia befriended them and made them feel welcome. She worked side-by-side with Freda Kelly to answer John’s fan mail, and she endured the torrent of fans in Emperor’s Gate for much longer than was humanly possible. Cynthia did whatever John needed her to do to help him achieve the life for which he longed.

Did John love Cynthia? Devotedly.

In January of 1964, The Beatles were appearing for three weeks in Paris. During that time, they got one day (one day!) off. The other three Beatles spent that day sight-seeing and sleeping and having a grand ole time. John flew back to London for that 24 hours to spend the time with Cyn. It was worth it to him. She recharged him and inspired him and made him whole.

And on that one day in which they were together, John invited Cyn to come along with him on his first American visit in February of 1964, even though Brian had forbidden him to ask his wife along. John wanted Cynthia to share in the excitement and the joy of his success – a success that her devotion had made possible. And she accepted. At Ed Sullivan, Carnegie Hall, Miami, and Washington, D.C. Cynthia was there.

In America, reporters tried to get her to talk. She would not. She stayed in the shadows and let her husband take the bows. She made her life about John and about John’s son, her beloved Julian. And even when she wrote her first book, A Twist of Lennon, she minimized John’s faults and played up his strengths. She was his best friend.

In Lennon Revealed, Larry Kane writes, “The romance between Cynthia Powell and John Lennon, somewhat forgotten in the modern era of Lennon remembrances – and often ignored when it was in full bloom – is a significant one for the young artist. Although the marriage was prematurely instigated by the pregnancy that brought Julian to life, there is no question that Cynthia was John’s first real and intense romantic love and that her role in his early days of creativity with The Beatles cannot be discounted.”

And Tony Bramwell, Kane notes, adds, “Cynthia was beautiful, physically and on the inside. Although she knew he was apt to find love on the road, she was totally dedicated to his success, and I might add, influential. He was insecure and Cynthia was always there to pump him up, to buttress…his weak side. She was a wonderful mother who loved John deeply.”

John’s indiscretions were ignored by Cynthia. His anger was forgiven. His focus on his career rather than his marriage was never even considered a problem to his adoring wife. Cynthia wanted the best for John, always. And that kind of unconditional love sparked “When I Get Home,” and “Do You Want to Know a Secret” and “I Call Your Name” and “It Won’t Be Long” and so many more. Even when Beatlemania began to take its toll on their marriage, John penned the haunting “It’s Only Love” for his Cyn.

Today the world has lost the Fifth Beatle. But more importantly, it has lost a true lady who made “night time bright, very bright.” Cynthia Lennon will always shine on.

The Fest For Beatles Fans is Home

By Jude Southerland Kessler

Oddly enough, every time I step through the door into a Fest for Beatles Fans – whether it’s held in New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, or Los Angeles, I hear Simon and Garfunkel singing. Yeah, you heard me: Simon and Garfunkel.

Oh sure, over the hotel speakers, The Beatles are joyfully “yeah, yeah, yeah-ing their brilliant way across the universe,” as it should be. But in my head, I hear:

“Home where my thoughts escapin’,
Home, where my music’s playin,
Home where my love lies waitin’
Silently for me…silently for me.”

Home. Going to a “Beatlefest” (as we used to call it) means coming home again.

Mark and Carol Lapidos always say that the fest is a Thanksgiving Dinner without the family arguments. And that pretty well sums it up.

All the usual characters are there…the same family members we’ve seen over and over for the past five, ten, twenty (or more!) years. You know, Michelle and Jessica in their flowing, glorious attire and 10-12 inch heels. The man who has every elegant Beatle suit ever tailored. That group who sets up a full band in the lobby and sings away, all night long…and the tanned, smiling man who dances to every, single, solitary song. Mark Hudson with his “love-is-a-many-splendored-beard” and his crazy-mad command of “Working Class Hero.” The fresh, hopeful teens out to win the “Battle of the Beatles Bands.” Jim Demes who works his buns off with a sincere smile ever on his face. Bruce Spizer who barely chuckles when I call him a “Beatleseffin’pedia.” Gregarious Judith, supremely talented Eric, and our sweet friend, Dara.

My family. Our family. Home again.

We do the traditional things. We dance to the sounds of Liverpool’s nightly concerts. We take part in the trivia contest. We go to Jude’s Sunday morning Early Bird speech in the Main Ballroom (Hint! Hint!) on “The 180 Hardest Days of The Beatles Career.” We watch “A Hard Day’s Night” on Friday evening just before the Author’s Symposium. We get autographs from our lifelong heroes…and at least once during the weekend’s span, we just stop and sing along with The Beatles.

It’s at that moment that we remember why we came here: for the friends, of course. For the family. For the fun and the programs and the laughter and the carefree moments out of time. But most of all, we have traveled here to celebrate our champions, The Beatles…to lift a glass or two and say, “Those were the days my friend.” To remember.

We stand beneath the posters of their bright, 1960’s smiles, and we recall a time less harried, less riddled with care, less uncertain, and less angry. We remember the hope that was ours and the days that stretched ahead golden and full of promise. And it reminds us that this can happen again, if only we try…if only we stay true to those things in which we once so ardently believed.

At the Fest for Beatles Fans, we come home to ourselves…to whom we were and to whom we can be again.

Join me March 20-22 and be reborn. In Rye Brook, New York, YOU are waiting for you. I wouldn’t miss that appointment.

Grab your #TicketToRye RIGHT HERE

Jude Southerland Kessler
http://www.johnlennonseries.com

Here Comes The Sun

By Jude Southerland Kessler

Today in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C. and even Louisiana, COLD has gripped the nation. The sky is “a hazy shade of winter” (with nods to Simona and Garfunkel). We are locked in The Grey Zone…those interminably dark days just before Spring.

And for some people, it’s pretty darn depressing.

The Beatles reminded us that when things look and feel the worst (when politicians battle instead of perform, when ISIS rages, when religion becomes a reason for persecution once again), there is still hope. They reminded us that even then, there is hope ahead:

“Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter,
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here!

Here comes the sun; here comes the sun,
And I say, “It’s all right!”

Sure, we know the words. We all know the lyrics, but applying them to life is another story.

Last week, I visited New Orleans for Mardi Gras – something we Louisiana girls do as a natural part of our heritage. But this time, instead of doing the “same ole, same ole” thing, I sought out new sights, new inspirations to dispel winter’s gloom. And I found the towering, breathtakingly lovely Church of the Immaculate Conception on Baronne Street, close to the French Quarter. After walking miles and miles, I finally located it, opened the immense, wooden door, and stepped quietly inside. This is what I saw.

Outside it was freezing: windy and raw. But inside, I discovered a haven of loveliness. For many minutes, I sat in silence and looked all around, taking beauty in. I sat alone and listened. I noticed.

To my left was a window shaded sheltered in an alcove, set apart. I looked at it for a long time.

Then my eyes wandered to a second window farther down the wall, burning with light.

What a lesson was there! The windows were identical: constructed of the same stained glass and oak, designed by the same brilliant artist, created in the very same year. The single difference in these two works of art was that one shone in the sun and the other one sat in darkness.

That afternoon, I began to think of the window to my own soul…and how dark I’ve been lately as I’ve cared for my aging father, traveling miles upon weary miles each week, to be with him. I thought of how sorry I’ve felt for myself as I’ve had to sacrifice my writing and progress on The John Lennon Series to do the very uncreative but necessary tasks that care-giving demands. I thought of how gloomy I’ve become as my life has taken an unexpected change.

Over the past year, without realizing it, I’ve become that isolated window drenched in shadow. Darkened.

But here’s the thing…unless you’re an inert window – placed forever in an alcove – admitting the sun is a choice. Paul McCartney knew that when he wrote another set of Beatles’ lyrics:

“Tomorrow may rain, so I’ll follow the sun.”

A lovely bit of poetry? Yes. But it’s more than that. In that closing words of that song, Paul was making a decision; he was consciously choosing to follow the sun. And whether we sing about it or not, we are also called to decide. Each day, we’re given the option to turn our faces to joy, hope, and happiness….or to turn away.

I don’t want to be an unlit window. I don’t want to chill others with my “hazy shade of winter.” I want to shine again. And Shine On. Do you?

Here comes the sun. It’s all right!

***Speaking of sun, Lanea Stagg’s e-book, Little Dog in the Sun is #1 on Amazon e-books today. Lanea has been part of the Fest family for several years, and her book is all about choosing to live in the sun…and to live life in joy after the death of a loved one. It’s a gorgeous children’s book that really represents what the Fest is all about. HEAD HERE to purchase a copy of Lanea’s book.

Jude Southerland Kessler
http://www.johnlennonseries.com

New Location: The Fest For Beatles Fans NY Metro

By Danny Abriano

As we were preparing for our upcoming FEST FOR BEATLES FANS 2015 – NEW YORK METRO, something very unexpected happened. As many of you have heard, part of the parking garage collapsed on the third floor of the parking deck at the Empire Meadowlands Hotel. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured. After seeing the damage to the Exhibit Center (Marketplace) and the parking structure itself, we realized with lack of on site parking, event space and safety issues, it would be impossible to hold THE FEST there this year. We’ve been working around the clock to come up with a solution and we’re happy to say that WE HAVE!

Fortunately, we found another location! It’s the HILTON WESTCHESTER (699 Westchester Ave, Rye Brook, New York), a spacious, resort-like getaway which just happens to be perfect for THE FEST. With their HELP moving other events around, they cleared the space for THE FEST. It will be the exact same weekend as planned, FRIDAY-SUNDAY, MARCH 20-22. For those of you who go way back with us, we actually held THE FEST there in 1982! That was the first year Harry Nilsson was a guest at our NY Metro FEST!

The hotel is beautiful. All guest rooms are large and have been recently renovated. The main ballroom is very spacious and the hotel has lots of other additional ballrooms that are easily accessible to one another that will accommodate all of the activities, events, and exhibits.

The Hilton Westchester has a full service restaurant, room service, a lobby bar, and a snack bar.

There is a giant indoor pool and jacuzzi for hotel guests, which will be a great place to tap into your Inner light with Beatles Yoga and Meditation!

The hotel also has a fitness center, outdoor patios connecting the activity rooms, miles of walking paths and indoor tennis courts! (All You Need is “Love”)

Aside from the new hotel location, everything else will be unchanged. All events, guests, activities, and tickets will be the same. The incredible FEST atmosphere – with jamming until the wee hours – will simply be switched to the Hilton Westchester.

ROOM RESERVATIONS: If you have a room reserved at The Empire Meadowlands, you will have to cancel it (201-348-6900). You will be refunded in full. For those booked at our overflow hotel (The Meadowlands Plaza), they will be contacting you shortly, with a cancellation number. To make a new reservation at the HILTON WESTCHESTER, call 1-800-HILTONS, (Tell them you are coming to THE FEST FOR BEATLES FANS to get the special rate.) or CLICK HERE to reserve online. The room rates are the same – $159.00 Single through Quad. Directions to the hotel can be found on both thefest.com and the Hilton Westchester .

Those who had reserved rooms at the Empire Meadowlands & Meadowlands Plaza will be guaranteed rooms at the Hilton Westchester.

For those of you who were unable to reserve a room at the Empire Meadowlands because it was sold out, you’re in luck! The Hilton Westchester is a bigger hotel, has plenty of rooms available and they’re ready to accommodate you.

For some, this will be a little closer and for others a little further, but still being in the New York Metropolitan area, we found it to be a great choice. It’s very convenient via public transportation. The Hilton is only 12 minutes from the Tappan Zee Bridge and 30 minutes from the GW Bridge. The hotel will even come pick you up from the train station and bring you back, until 1:00AM! It is minutes from the Westchester Airport and very convenient to LaGuardia Airport. There is also plenty of FREE PARKING on site.

We know that we’re throwing everyone a curve and we want to apologize for any inconvenience it may cause. However, the change was necessary for this year and we’re excited to have a real Beatles getaway with you all at the serene Hilton Westchester!

Can’t wait to see you at THE FEST FOR BEATLES FANS!

What do the Beatles have to do with selfies?

By Jude Southerland Kessler

It’s infectious, The Chainsmoker’s narcissistic, beat-jammed song. As I run, I listen to the lyrics and giggle at the girl who’s forlorn over getting only 10 likes for her selfie in the last five minutes, the girl who whiningly wonders, “should I take it down?”

My I-pod is eclectic, and up next are The Beatles, harmonizing in my ears. “She Loves You” is quickly followed by “Hey Jude” and suddenly, I see it! What made The Beatles incredibly timeless was not their selfie-ness, but their selflessness. Instead of focusing on themselves, The Beatles focused on us.

Sure, the boys started out at Square One with songs that asked the girl to “Please Please Me” and to “Love Me Do.” But with a tiny bit of confidence and experience under their belts, John, Paul, George, and Ringo relinquished self-adoration for something bigger.

They began to focus out, not in.

In the years to come, The Fab Four would give us Lovely Rita, Dear Prudence, Mr. Kite (and company), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Mean Mr. Mustard, Rocky Raccoon, Maxwell (avec his silver hammer), Bungalow Bill, Julia (a very real girl), Girl (deep breath now!), that nameless lass who was finally, finally leaving home, Michelle, the girl who graciously permits Paul to drive her car, Desmond and Molly, JoJo, Sweet Loretta Martin, Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie, the man who blew his mind out in a car, Nowhere Man (closely resembling John Lennon, but not a clear-cut selfie), the girl who doesn’t miss much, athletic Mother Superior, Darling (of Oh!), You Who Never Giveth Me Your Money, Little Girl (who’d better run for her life…if she can), and oh so many more. “The Lads” populated our world with people like us and unlike us. They created a cast of characters with whom we identified, related, or rejected. They spun stories that drew us into other magical worlds.

Through the eyes of these four Liverpool boys, we plunged under the sea to live in a submarine. We tended an octopus’s garden. We rolled up for the Mystery Tour. We were happy just to dance with them. We reluctantly hung our red dress back up in the closet. We discovered what it was like to be dead. We let them take us down to Strawberry Fields. We anguished over lost friends in an eerie L.A. fog, and we raged on the brink of Revolution! We lived lives beyond our tiny rural, suburban, or even urban worlds. We reached out.

John was the only one who really wrote “selfies,” and we were so unaccustomed to hearing these boys speak of themselves that we completely overlooked what John was saying. When he penned, “I’m a loser, and I’m not what I appear to be,” we assumed he was talking about someone else…another “character,” as it were. When he cried for “Help!” we thought it was just a heady theme song. When he said, “I’ve got every reason on earth to be mad, ‘Cause I just lost the only girl I had,” we thought it was a fictional scenario. That’s how infrequently these boys focused on themselves!

The delight of The Beatles lay (and still lies) in their ability to get us to see others, to hear the stories of others, and to care about someone beyond ourselves. Even in his Christmas carol, John is admonishing our selfishness and urging us to see and care for the poor and hungry. Time and again, The Beatles urge us to look beyond the “ME” to the “WE.”

Look, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a little selfie now and then. It’s a good place to start. After all, you’re asked to love others as you love yourself.

But once “selfied”…move on. Because in the end, (after all) the love you take is equal to the love you make.

Jude Southerland Kessler
http://www.johnlennonseries.com

Give Peace a Chance

By Jude Southerland Kessler

Have you ever really thought about what that means? Ever let it sink it? Why did John Lennon think he needed to urge us to give peace a try, a sample, a chance? Could it be that he was convincing us to consider peace because he knew that we are non-peaceful at heart?

During the Age of Enlightenment (the 18^th Century), great thinkers called philosophes spent a great deal of serious time and thought trying to determine whether man was inherently evil or inherently good. In France, René Rousseau wrote an essay asserting that man is born good, but is almost immediately corrupted by the world around him. In England, John Locke wrote an opposing essay asserting that man is born evil (the church calls it “original sin”) but is rescued by laws and by society’s uplifting ethics.

There was no “winner” in this contest of ideas. Some people favored Rousseau. Some favored Locke.

I hold with Locke. I believe that a young child will lie, if given the chance…that he will say cruel things to another child…that he will put himself or herself before anyone else. I think that only parents, teachers, mentors, and extended family can teach that child to be selfless… can convince that child to be kind, tactful, giving, and loving. Many of you will disagree with me. That’s to be expected. People have been arguing this point since the 1700’s without resolution.

Like John Lennon, I believe that we have to learn to give peace a chance.

This past week, the world has revolved in utter chaos. Twelve people were murdered in a Parisian newspaper office for speaking their minds. Hostages were taken by the assailants and murdered. Terror was on our lips. Violence, hatred, and suspicion reigned supreme.

In his famous chants about the divisiveness of “isms” in his song, “Give Peace A Chance,” John seemed to know that peace has little hope in our society. Early on, we take sides. But like that radical young man, Jesus of Nazareth, John urged us to turn the other cheek and to be a neighbor to people unlike ourselves. He reminded us (in “Instant Karma”) that if we fail to do this, “Instant karma is going to get you…gonna knock you right in the head!” Okay, John, we hear you.

But giving peace a chance!? Can that ever really happen? I’m very, very, very skeptical. However, despite all the evidence of its impracticality, I still believe that seeking peace is our ultimate goal.

However, giving peace a chance doesn’t mean blindly trusting everyone. Some people are untrustworthy, and we’d be stupid to toss our pearls before them. Giving peace a chance doesn’t mean being naïve or foolish. Giving peace a chance doesn’t mean forgetting the wisdom learned from the past. And certainly, giving peace a chance doesn’t mean buckling under to bullies. What it does mean is that we should act daily as if “We Are Unafraid” to bring good into the world, no matter what.

In so many of his songs (even “Happy Christmas, War is Over”), John reminded us that we are all called to do good things, great things. And if we are called, we must try.

I’m willing to give peace a chance. How about you?

Jude Southerland Kessler

http://www.johnlennonseries.com

To hear the songs in this blog:

Give Peace a Chance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkZC7sqImaM

Instant Karma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEjUQ15lyzk&feature=youtu.be

Happy Christmas, War is Over https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8Vfp48laS8

“Living with Eyes Closed?”

By Jude Southerland Kessler

“Living with Eyes Closed?”

“Living is easy with eyes closed
Misunderstanding all you see,
It’s getting hard to be someone
But it all works out.
It doesn’t matter much to me…”

John Winston Lennon

“Strawberry Fields”

My sister refuses to watch the news. “I just don’t want to know about it,” she tells me. And on one level, she’s SO right: Life is to be enjoyed! (And yeah, I know… the news is never good.)

Our own John Lennon voiced a similar opinion. “Living is easy with eyes closed,” he sang. And he was right. Life’s so much smoother if you don’t know the details.

But wait!! Was John advocating living that way, or was he pointing out (in typical Lennon satire) how very wrong that kind of attitude is? Wasn’t John asking us to examine our actions just the way he always did in “Instant Karma” or “Happy Christmas (War is Over)” or even in “Revolution”?

I think what John was pointing out is that “living with eyes closed” is NOT what we’re called to do. It’s not how we’re called to live.

The answer to, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is still a resounding “Yes!”? And especially in this season, we’re reminded that we’re inexorably linked to the poor, the war-torn, the abused and neglected, and the lonely. (“Ah, look at all the lonely people!” Paul penned.)

Watching hours and hours of current events and televised news may not be the happiest habit. And certainly watching it without putting any lifestyle changes into action is fruitless and empty.

But maybe this year, we can OPEN our eyes, take a good look at the world around us, and then do something.

Maybe right now, at this moment, we can decide to make 2015 the year in which we:

Volunteer at a shelter

Write a letter to a congressman

Give (a little or a lot) to a good cause

Contribute a song or quote or photo to the Fest Facebook page or the Moments group to lift someone’s spirits

Tweet something important

Champion a cause

Plant a neighborhood garden

Tutor a child

Drive someone to work or to the grocery store

Clean up the neighborhood

Forgive an old wound

Cook for a neighbor who works long hours or who is elderly

Rake someone’s leaves

Call someone who is lonely and chat

Buy a ticket to The Fest for someone and give it to them anonymously! (It’ll be the best time they’ve ever had!)

Knit a scarf for someone who works in the cold

Take in a rescue dog or cat

Encourage someone to make his or her dream come true

Stand up for what you believe in

Give sincere compliments…(you know, the things you think but never have the courage to say)

Withhold judgments

Build faith

Try to smile more and gripe less

It’s 2015, people! This year, let’s take a peek. Let’s open our eyes. Let’s understand what we see, and then do something about it! Let’s make the world less “a lonely branch” and more a “Strawberry Field.”

What say you?

Jude Southerland Kessler

http: //johnlennonseries.com