Fans of British Invasion era pop music, young and old alike, will be thrilled that the me&thee coffeehouse is once again hosting a benefit concert that will include Beatles music galore.  "All You Need is Love" features a variety of different acts in various configurations all playing their own unique takes on Beatles songs. This year's show is on Saturday, May 21 at the me&thee on 28 Mugford Street, Marblehead, MA.  Part of the proceeds from this concert will go directly to a special fund to send musicians into local schools for workshops and concerts. The show begins at 7:30 p.m.

 

Patrick Coman merges bluesy shuffles with the red dirt of his native Oklahoma with an upbeat and contemporary take on traditional American music. In addition to performing, Coman hosts the popular "For the Sake of the Song" concert series which brings together top songwriters to collaborate in performing songs from their biggest influences alongside their original work. He is also the host of "Local Folk" on WUMB.

 

Raised in rural upstate New York, Eric Lee began studying classical violin and traditional Irish fiddle at the age of nine and was soon performing and recording with local artists. As a teenager, he attended the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and was asked to join The Strangelings after an informal campground performance. Since then he has gone on to become a member of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival House Band and now performs solo as well as in two bands, The Gather Rounders and The Morning Bugle. This will be his second appearance at a Beatles Benefit.

 

T Max, is the publisher/ editor of New England's longest running music magazine-The Noise.  He's also a performer of the one-man folk-rock opera called Why Do We Go to War? His newest recording is The Portal's Rhyme: Undoing the Secret of Time.  He can often be seen in the audience at the me&thee in his capacity as music reviewer and he's looking forward to giving back to the community and singing some Beatles songs for us.

 

Sean McKenna began a musical collaboration called Lay Low Moon and it has since grown to become a full-fledged four piece unit that regularly plays in the greater Boston and Cambridge scene.  Sean's solo work is a creative blend of acoustic and folk instrumentation and thought-provoking lyrics. He's excited about reinterpreting some of his favorite Beatles songs for this benefit.

 

Jody Moore has been a regular contributor to the Boston and Cape Cod music scene for some time. She heads the Jody Moore Band and covers a wide variety of songs from all decades and has a special affinity for the Beatles.

 

Emily Mure is a native of New York City and attended the LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts where she became an accomplished oboe player and went on to major in Oboe Performance (and Psychology) in college. Eventually she turned to guitar and writing her own songs and has played in many key listening rooms and festivals. Her latest album, Odyssey, integrates her classical roots and composition techniques with her folk and Irish inspired singing and songwriting.

 

The duo of Tim Rowell and Erik Ringstad are both instructors at the Real School of Music in Burlington, MA.  Tim, from Marblehead, is an award winning clawhammer banjo player. He's been playing banjo for more than 30 years and was greatly influenced by Pete Seeger. Tim has played at the me&thee with his old-time string band Jubilee Mule and with a children's music trio called The Chicken Pluckers. Erik Ringstad is a Berklee School of Music grad where he excelled in jazz composition and guitar performance. He's been active with many bands throughout his career, most notably Acousticity. Both musicians are excited about adding their distinctive takes on some popular Beatles songs.

 

Scrambled Eggs (Mike Birch, Grady Moates, Lin Sprague, and Kevin Wall) have perfected their well-crafted harmonies and spot-on interpretations of Beatles songs. They have pretty much become the Beatles Benefit house band.  Their enthusiasm and spirit are infectious. This year they plan to play some of the songs that the Beatles performed in their last live performance.

 

Marblehead's own Jim Trick returns to the "All You Need is Love" benefit this year.  Trick is known for his warm and engaging performances and his interpretations of Beatles songs are unlike no others. Jim has become a regular headliner at the me&thee and has recently had a string of stellar shows at various venues in New England and beyond. He's also a frequent lecturer at Berklee College of Music where he advises students about the heart and soul that is needed to pursue a career in music.

   

Everyone is welcome to come out on Saturday, May 21 to support the me&thee and all of of these wonderful musicians who have donated their talent and their valuable time on a "gig night" to help with this benefit. Tickets are available at  www.meandthee.org, at Spirit of 76 Bookstore, Arnould's Gallery or at the door.  Adults: $20, Seniors $15, Children/Students $5 or Family package: $45.  The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served throughout the evening.