{"id":7836,"date":"2019-07-28T10:17:02","date_gmt":"2019-07-28T15:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?p=7836"},"modified":"2019-07-28T10:18:17","modified_gmt":"2019-07-28T15:18:17","slug":"dont-you-do-it-dont-you-dare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/dont-you-do-it-dont-you-dare\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t you do it&#8230; Don\u2019t you dare"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By Jude Southerland Kessler, special to the Fest Blog<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cDon\u2019t you do it\u2026don\u2019t you dare!\u201d is the very phrase that inspired\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>My nine-year-old decision to jump from the top of Mom\u2019s Mimosa tree\u2026a fall that sprained both my ankles, in the very first week of summer.<\/li>\n<li>My \u201crash\u201d decision to move far away from my Louisiana family and friends to reside in Maryland where my boyfriend, Rande, was going to the Naval Academy. (Rande and I have now been married 40 years.)<\/li>\n<li>And my decision to write \u201cyet another\u201d biography about John Lennon in the face of various groans and moans of: \u201cHaven\u2019t we had <em>enough<\/em> of such books already?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Being dared NOT to do something has two out of three times worked wonders \u201cin my life.\u201d Indeed, quite often, daring someone NOT to do something produces miraculous results. So, let me give it a go!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Don\u2019t do it!!!!<\/strong> Don\u2019t leave your soft, slightly stained sofa and your \u201c25% More! Free!\u201d bag of Fritos Originals (which explains your greasy remote) to actually get up, get packed, and attend the <strong>Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans at the Hyatt Regency O\u2019Hare, Aug. 9-11.<\/strong> Please\u2026stay seated!! Relax into your comfy nest of cookie crumbs and lint, and nestle in for yet another riveting episode of \u201cEverybody Loves Raymond.\u201d It\u2019s so much simpler. And besides, who needs a whole \u201cweekend of unforgettable,\u201d eh? Not you, right? You\u2019re past all that!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t do it\u2026don\u2019t be in the Main Stage Ballroom when the oh-so-knowledgeable <strong>Mark Lewisohn<\/strong> awes us with his Beatles acumen. I was privileged to hear him talk last November and suffice it to say, I actually offered him $200 for a mere copy of his notes! His talk is that good. No, let\u2019s be honest: it\u2019s better. Mr. Lewisohn is, of course, the author of<em> The Beatles: All These Years, Volume One \u2014 Tune In<\/em>, <em>The Complete Beatles Chronicle, The Beatles Recording Sessions, The Beatles: Day by Day,<\/em> and so many other respected works. But even his Beatles compendiums pale a mite in the face of his live presentations! And that poses a dilemma: you see, instead of relaxing into the cat hair and pistachio shells on your sofa, you\u2019d actually be sitting on the edge of your seat, locked onto Mr. L\u2019s two talks \u2014 one on Saturday and one on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So, I must ask: Do you really need that? Is hearing the world\u2019s #1 Beatles Guru worth the effort of tossing a toothbrush and a change of clothes into a valise? Is it worth the risk inherent in getting out with fellow Beatles fans who are learning and nodding and being utterly entertained? I shouldn\u2019t think so! Not really.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So\u2026don\u2019t do it. Don\u2019t you dare! Slip into your sweat pants and open another carton of \u201cChunky Monkey.\u201d It\u2019s the wiser move.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Safe at home, you\u2019ll tactfully avoid a full hour with iconic drummer, <strong>Alan White<\/strong>, who literally on the spur-of-the-moment (the day before, in fact) agreed to join John and Yoko on stage at their 1969 Toronto Rock\u2019n\u2019Roll Festival performance. Who wants to hear about <em>that<\/em> experience, yeah? Who wants to sit at the feet of someone who worked shoulder-to-shoulder with John as \u201cInstant Karma\u201d was being recorded\u2026or with George Harrison during the making of <em>All Things Must Pass?<\/em> \u00a0Why subject yourself to that sort of once-in-a-lifetime experience? Not when you can revisit \u201cCharles in Charge\u201d or \u201cMalcolm in the Middle\u201d or settle in for a cozy afternoon of \u201cHome Alone.\u201d <em>Don\u2019t do it. Don\u2019t you very dare!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And furthermore, DO NOT even think of taking my seat at the Jeremy Clyde concert! Back off, sir! I\u2019ve claimed that prime location where I can best hear Jeremy croon \u201cA Summer Song\u201d and \u201cWillow Weep for Me.\u201d \u00a0But most of all, I want to lean in and hear him reminisce about his days with The Beatles. I want to absorb the magic of 1964 and 1965. I want to be transported back to Swingin\u2019 London \u2014 to soak in every fascinating detail about what Americans dubbed, \u201cThe British Invasion.\u201d No, no, that sort of thing\u2019s not for you! Keep in mind \u201cthat was yesterday, and yesterday\u2019s gone.\u201d (Exactly the song I\u2019d like to hear!) So, why don\u2019t you clean out the garage or trim the lawn instead? Go right ahead\u2026leave the magic all to me.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t dare set foot in the Hyatt Regency O\u2019Hare while <strong>Ken Mansfield<\/strong> (one of the friendliest men on planet Earth) is walking about, shaking hands, and happily answering Beatles questions. Don\u2019t settle in as he brings the world of Apple Records, U.S., to life or talks about his time in London with The Beatles\u2026or shares the story of that amazing afternoon that The Beatles (and Ken) took to <em>The Roof<\/em> (Ken\u2019s best-selling book) to \u201cpass the [last] audition.\u201d Ken was there for so many remarkable Beatles landmarks, and he will make you feel as if you\u2019re there as well. Do you need that sort of enchanted afternoon? Not you! You\u2019re the practical sort! There\u2019s a hedge to be trimmed. Get to it!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In fact, I can\u2019t think of one single reason why you\u2019d enjoy sitting amongst other Beatles fans in the lobby and singing \u201cI Want to Hold Your Hand\u201d\u2026or why you\u2019d have fun going back in time with me (at Sunday morning\u2019s Early Bird presentation) to attend John Lennon\u2019s 1964 Foyles Literary Luncheon, to discover why he muttered \u201cYou\u2019ve got a lucky face.\u201d I mean, sure, yeah, it\u2019s a touching and fascinating story\u2026but you? You\u2019ve better things to do.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Attending the <strong>Aug. 9-11 Chicago Fest<\/strong> can only mean one thing for you: fab fun! And who needs it? Really!\u00a0 I mean, you\u2019d be <em>one of<\/em> <em>the very first<\/em> to hear Beatles music expert, Bruce Spizer, introduce his hot-off-the-press, new book, <em>The Beatles Get Back to Abbey Road<\/em>! And you\u2019d get to hear Wings\u2019 Laurence Juber, Steve Holley, and Denny Laine rock the stage at the Saturday night concert! You\u2019d get the opportunity to challenge yourself at Al Sussman and Tom Frangione\u2019s \u201cBeatles Trivia\u201d contest, and you\u2019d get to hear Kit O\u2019Toole and gifted musician, Scott Erickson, explore the Esher Demo versions of your favorite <em>White Album<\/em> songs. You\u2019d only find yourself shopping in the Marketplace, enjoying Beatles yoga in the Faboratory, cheering at the Battle of The Bands, and sitting in front of the Red Bar fireplace and sipping a glass of wine. None of that is productive, son. Not while there\u2019s so much you could do:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You could scan old photos into jpeg files.<\/li>\n<li>You could air out the autumn clothes.<\/li>\n<li>You could strip that old wallcovering.<\/li>\n<li>And of course, you could always indulge in the evening news. (God forbid!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Or (and I\u2019m certainly <em>not<\/em> endorsing this!) you could choose to enjoy \u201cThe Weekend of You\u201d\u2026a weekend of wearing your Beatles pins and T-shirts and socks and kecks\u2026a weekend of wearing your Beatles smile! You could star in an impromptu, all-night Sing-Along or attend the late, late experts\u2019 panel or hunker over an iced bourbon, hotly debating which album is better, the Capitol <em>\u201cHelp!\u201d<\/em> or the EMI version. You could rock with The Weeklings\u2026and dance to Liverpool! You could purchase the BEST Christmas present ever from Beatles artist, Eric Cash. And you could party late, sleep late, laugh out loud (unabbreviated), and have the time of your life!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The only problem is, the <strong>Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans<\/strong> would create memory: a memory you\u2019d have to cherish for years. A memory you\u2019d have to tell people about at the office, on the train, and at family reunions. A memory you\u2019d have to carry with you, long after you\u2019re 64!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It would be unique and special, your time at the Fest. So, unless your life needs something warm and wonderful and memorable and completely fantastic\u2026best to avoid it at all costs. I promise that you\u2019d fall in the love with The Fest for Beatles Fans, and, you\u2019d want to go back. So, just don\u2019t risk it. No, indeed.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t you do it. Don\u2019t you dare.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Jude Southerland Kessler, special to the Fest Blog \u201cDon\u2019t you do it\u2026don\u2019t you dare!\u201d is the very phrase that inspired\u2026 &nbsp; My nine-year-old decision to jump from the top of Mom\u2019s Mimosa tree\u2026a fall that sprained both my ankles, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":7837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[27,117,30],"class_list":["post-7836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fest-memories","tag-chicago","tag-the-beatles","tag-the-fest-for-beatles-fans"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7836","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=7836"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7836\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7839,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7836\/revisions\/7839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}