By Brian Ives
Before his performance at Imagine: John Lennon 75th Anniversary Concert at Madison Square Garden’s Theatre last night (December 5), country star Eric Church mentioned that playing the event was like a bucket list item for him. “John Lennon wrote and sang music that mattered, and we need to do more of that today,” he said, before performing Lennon’s solo classic “Mind Games,” providing one of the night’s many highlights.
And it was obvious — though not surprising — that that message resonated strongly with all of the artists on the lineup. It was a diverse group, which included Church, John Fogerty, Spoon, Aloe Blacc, Sheryl Crow, Brandon Flowers of the Killers, Peter Frampton, Juanes, Kris Kristofferson, Pat Monahan of Train, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Willie Nelson, the Roots, Chris Stapleton and Steven Tyler. There wasn’t much more banter from the artists other than that, as everyone seemed to be content to let the music do the talking, aside from host Kevin Bacon’s introductions (Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney also pre-taped video messages paying tribute to their late bandmate).
The show will be broadcast on AMC Saturday December 19 at 9 pm ET/PT. The show never hit a bum note, but here are five highlights:
Tom Morello “Power to the People” – The perfect song for the Nightwatchman, he was joined by backing singers wearing shirts reading “Justice” and “Black Lives Matter.” Lennon’s activism and sense of rage at unfairness lives on in Morello’s work. During his guitar solo Morello lifted his guitar up, playing with his teeth, Hendrix-style, revealing a big “IMAGINE” sign on the back of his guitar. As the song was winding down, he kept the chorus going “ONE MORE TIME!” Clearly, he picked up a bit from playing guitar with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
The Roots “Mother” – Starting with a rap verse courtesy of the band’s MC Black Thought, the band took Lennon’s ballad about his mom to so-delicate-you-could-hear-a-pin-drop to a free jazz screaming meltdown. They might be on TV every night, but they’re still one of the most underrated bands in America.
Steven Tyler and Eric Church “Revolution” – It’s amazing that Tyler, a bona fide rock legend with more than four decades in the game, is still so enthusiastic about celebrating his heroes, but he is. Another thing he’s enthusiastic about these days is his move into country, so this performance with his “Nashville brother” Church was a best-of-both-worlds scenario for the Aerosmith frontman.
Sheryl Crow “A Hard Day’s Night”- Before the show, she told Radio.com that she was playing a Gretch guitar for her performance to get the sound right. “A six-string,” she clarified. “George played the 12 string one, but I’m playing John’s part.” Wearing Lennon’s iconic “New York City” t-shirt, she also played his guitar solo. Crow may have moved to Nashville to “go country,” but her heart remains in rock and roll. (By the way, she later played a 12 string acoustic on “Happy X-Mas (War is Over).”)
Spoon “Hey Bulldog” and “Cold Turkey” – The house band, led by keyboard great Greg Phillinganes, and featuring legendary musicians like drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist Lee Sklar and guitarist Felicia Collins and Sid McGinnis, were amazing. But there’s something about an actual band: musicians that play together night after night, year after year. They have a chemistry and magic that even the best musicians can’t beat. Tonight, that was the case with the Roots and also with Spoon. The Austin band played a funky take on the Beatles’ “Hey Bulldog” and then brought the house down with Lennon’s “Cold Turkey.”
But truly, there were no bad moments; there were some long pauses in between acts, that will surely be edited out of the tv broadcast. And if you’re Lennon or Beatles fan, it’s worth your time.
The setlist:
John Fogerty – “Give Peace a Chance” and “In My Life”
Peter Frampton – “Norwegian Wood”
Juanes – “Woman”
Aloe Blacc – “Steel and Glass”
Sheryl Crow – “A Hard Day’s Night”
Kris Kristofferson and Tom Morello – “Working Class Hero”
Chris Stapleton, Sheryl Crow and Brandon Flowers – “Don’t Let Me Down”
Chris Stapleton, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson – “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”
The Roots – “Mother”
Spoon – “Hey Bulldog” and “Cold Turkey”
Willie Nelson – “Imagine”
Brandon Flowers – “Instant Karma”
Pat Monahan “Jealous Guy”
Eric Church – “Mind Games”
Tom Morello – “Power to the People”
Steven Tyler – “Come Together”
Steven Tyler and Eric Church – “Revolution”
Peter Frampton, Sheryl Crow and Aloe Blacc – “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”
Everyone – “All You Need Is Love”
