{"id":7319,"date":"2018-03-05T19:40:34","date_gmt":"2018-03-06T00:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?p=7319"},"modified":"2018-03-05T19:40:34","modified_gmt":"2018-03-06T00:40:34","slug":"the-fest-for-beatles-fans-i-dare-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/the-fest-for-beatles-fans-i-dare-you\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fest For Beatles Fans: I Dare You!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jude Southerland Kessler<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was the hot \u201cself-help\u201d book of the Sixties. Although William H. Danforth had penned it in 1931, I Dare You<\/em> came into its own during the late Fifties and early 1960s. I got my red leather copy in 1965 \u2013 a present from my parents upon my elementary school graduation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In this slim motivational volume, Danforth \u2013 the founder of the Ralston Purina dog food company \u2013 challenged young people to reach for the very best in life by \u201cfulfilling their full potential through his strategies of becoming a more risk-taking person.\u201d He dared people to find the best in life by seeking the path not taken, by trying new things and seeing the world in diverse and challenging ways. Well, very soon you\u2019ll <\/em>have a chance to be a Danforth devotee!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next weekend, you will arrive at the New York Metro Fest for Beatles Fans<\/strong>\u2026something you\u2019ve done three times, ten times, or perhaps even thirty times before (or more!<\/em>). You\u2019ll be wearing that sweatshirt and those buttons; you know, the ones you always wear. You\u2019ll hang out with the same friends and plan to attend the same presentations you\u2019ve attended since you learned to master the hand-clap pattern in \u201cI Want to Hold Your Hand.\u201d You\u2019ll do the exact same things in the exact same way and then squinch your eyes up and whine, \u201cAwww, things aren\u2019t as good as they used to be. This is just the same ole, same ole. Ugh!\u201d<\/p>\n

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But wait! Hold on a minute. In honor of Mr. Danforth, I DARE YOU!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I dare you to approach the Fest boldly this year\u2026to try Something New<\/em>. I dare you (like Thoreau in the Walden Pond woods) to come to the Fest to live intentionally<\/em>\u2026to set out with a conscious determination to test some unique experiences.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In fact, here are Number 9 Fun Adventures<\/strong> that I recommend. (There are tons of others<\/em>\u2026these are just a few that caught my eye!)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. I\u2019m sure you know that 2018 marks the 50th<\/sup> Anniversary of The Beatles\u2019 days in Rishikesh\u2026that adventurous time that they spent in the ashram of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. And to commemorate that direction-changing event in their lives, come to the Fest with loose comfy clothes (a lightweight sweat suit or yoga pants and a loose top will be just fine) and try a yoga class<\/strong>. If you have children, there is a children\u2019s yoga class as well\u2026attend with them and have fun. I dare you!<\/li>\n
  2. The Fest has a wealth of live music that you have probably never heard! For example, plan to see Scott Erickson celebrate the 30th<\/sup> Anniversary of The Traveling Wilburys by performing their Volume 1<\/em> in its entirety. If you\u2019ve never heard Scott before, you\u2019ve missed a treat. Seek him out.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Or, maybe you\u2019d enjoy the mellow and gutsy stylings of Jacqui Armbruster. Check out her performance of \u201cCome Together\u201d at last year\u2019s Fest<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Yeah, she\u2019s great! And thus far, you\u2019ve missed out! I dare you!<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Okay, you might not be a whiz kid, but you will LOVE seeing the people who are<\/em> when Tom Frangione and Al Sussman host two great contests: \u201cBeatles Trivia\u201d and \u201cBeatles Name that Tune.\u201d The competitions range from easy to difficult, so \u201cThere\u2019s a Place\u201d for you. I promise. But even if you don\u2019t participate (and I dare you to try), you will be wowed at those who do!! It\u2019s lively and fast-paced! Give it a go!<\/li>\n
    2. Need a less stressful change of pace? Well, Neal Glaser has the solution. Stroll through his art exhibit featuring the art of John, Paul, and Ringo. Not only are the incredible pieces that Glaser displays rare and amazing, but many are signed, and they\u2019re available for purchase. Will you go home with an original McCartney? I dare you!<\/li>\n
    3. Here\u2019s a tip \u201cFrom Me to You.\u201d Did you know that there is a Sgt. Pepper juke box on display at the Fest? Find it and have your photo made beside it! (Or take a selfie.) In fact, why not stage a \u201cPhotography Contest\u201d with a friend? Compete to see who (on one given afternoon) can capture the most unusual, artistic, or memory-filled photos. Agree beforehand on a prize for the winner, and get out there! IDY!<\/li>\n
    4. One of The Quarrymen\u2019s first \u201creal gigs\u201d (Saturday, 22 June 1957) was their appearance at the Roseberry Street Carnival in Liverpool 8 supervised by Mrs. Marjorie Roberts. And what a performance it was! John was so \u201con fire\u201d that a group of breathless girls gathered at the foot of the stage\u2026and the Hatherley Street gang (quite jealous that their birds were agog over Lennon) threatened to \u201csmash The Beatles up.\u201d Fortunately, young Charles Roberts was able to locate his mother and convince her to walk The Quarrymen off stage and into the safety of her home, where the boys remained until \u201cthe coast was clear.\u201d Well, Charles Roberts himself <\/em>will be at the New York Metro Fest! Meet him! Find him in the Marketplace and say hello! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity \u2013 work with me, people! \ud83d\ude0a IDY!<\/li>\n
    5. There are so many authors \u2013 biographers, Beatles music experts, Beatles film gurus, etc. \u2013 who travel hundreds (in my case, thousands) of miles to attend the Fest and speak in their area of expertise. So, this year, baby, branch out! Attend a presentation by someone you haven\u2019t heard before<\/em>! Have you heard Dave Bedford talk about his bold, new book, Finding the Fourth Beatle<\/em>? Heard Jerry Hammack talk about the intricacies of The Beatles\u2019 recording sessions? Have you ever taken my trip of unusual Liverpool sites at the \u201cEarly Bird\u201d presentation on Saturday morning? Have you attended the Historians panel with Fest emcee and Beatles DVD host, Susan Ryan; author, Kit O\u2019Toole; Rebeat<\/em> Editor Allison Boron, and many other distinguished Beatles experts? (This year, they\u2019ll be discussing The White Album<\/em> on the advent of its 50th<\/sup> Anniversary!) Don\u2019t be Decca Records and reject the unknown\u2026I dare you<\/em> to experience an author to whom you\u2019ve never given an ear.<\/li>\n
    6. Now, this one takes a bit o\u2019 bravery\u2026or a few drinks. Gather a group of friends and head over to the Beatles Karaoke room. If you go in with a friendly group, this can only be a blast! You know the lyrics. (Look up the number.) Get in there and \u201cSANG<\/strong>\u201d your heart out! Try it. I dare you!<\/li>\n
    7. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard their weekly online Beatles discussion group, but have you ever seen the \u201cFab Four Free 4 All\u201d in person? This year, all three members will be on hand at the Fest, and hence, you are in for a treat! When Rob Leonard, Mitch Axelrod, and Tony Traguardo get together anything <\/em>can happen, and does!!! They debate and discuss Beatles issues, head-on. Plan to see it all transpire! IDY\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Admittedly, this is only a wee smattering of the incredible things to do at next week\u2019s Fest! I mean, the wealth of Beatles primary sources \u2013 from Gary Van Scyoc who was in Elephant\u2019s Memory Band and will be performing in Jeff Slate\u2019s Birds of Paradox to Billy J. Kramer to Jon Cobert to Mark Rivera \u2013 is unequalled at any Beatles gathering anywhere in the world<\/em>! And the nostalgically wonderful things to do throughout the weekend (i.e., dress up in Sixties garb, dance the night away, and join the bands all over the hotel for pop-up singalongs) are extensive! In fact, here is a link to the entire schedule for the weekend to come<\/a>.\u00a0Read it and find a few treasures of your own.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      I dare you to go \u201cSteppin\u2019 Out.\u201d I dare you to make each day at the Fest even better than \u201cThe Night Before.\u201d I dare you to have the time of your life!<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      And if you can do it, then I can do it! Next week, I\u2019ll join you. I\u2019ll plan to break a few rules and make \u201call work and no play Jude\u201d a less-than-dull girl. Shall we do this together? We shall. I very dare us!<\/p>\n

      \n
      \n

      Jude Southerland Kessler is the author of the John Lennon Series:\u00a0www.johnlennonseries.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

      \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

      Jude is represented by 910 Public Relations —\u00a0@910PubRel<\/a>\u00a0on Twitter and\u00a0910 Public Relations<\/a>\u00a0on Facebook.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      By Jude Southerland Kessler   It was the hot \u201cself-help\u201d book of the Sixties. Although William H. Danforth had penned it in 1931, I Dare You came into its own during the late Fifties and early 1960s. I got my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":7322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,16],"tags":[29,98,117,30],"class_list":["post-7319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-baby-boomer-beatles-blog","category-fest-news","tag-beatlefest","tag-jude-southerland-kessler","tag-the-beatles","tag-the-fest-for-beatles-fans"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7319"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7321,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7319\/revisions\/7321"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}