Bob Eubanks, beloved disk jockey and host of “The Newlywed Game,” took the stage at Smothers Theatre alongside Beatles cover band Ticket to Ride on Oct. 20. Eubanks told stories of the Beatles’ concerts in America and his experiences in producing the concerts.
Eubanks is the only living person to have produced the Beatles’ concerts all three years they toured in America. Eubanks explained to the audience that he borrowed $25,000 on his house to pay the Hollywood Bowl for the production of the concert.
Eubanks had never produced a concert before, but he said he knew there was something special about what John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr brought to the table.
“I was working at this hot rock and roll station, KRLA, and I’ve never been great at picking new records,” Eubanks said. “But boy, when the Beatles released their first record or so, man our station went crazy.”
The event opened with Ticket to Ride’s performance of “Twist and Shout.” The band was dressed in wigs and outfits to resemble each member of the Fab Four. Eubanks then entered the stage to a roaring set of applause from audience members.
As Eubanks spoke and the cover band played, a projection screen behind the stage displayed photos and video clips of the Beatles playing in their American shows, as well as fans who went crazy for the group. Tickets for the concerts, which were in 1964, 1965 and 1966, went for anywhere between $4 to $7.
Eubanks gave the audience inside stories about what it was like to work with such a famous group — fulfilling their contracts was easy, for the most part, Eubanks said. He shared humorous anecdotes of fulfilling the four’s requests for Dr Pepper and portable televisions in their dressing room.
Ticket to Ride seamlessly weaved their covers into the stories Eubanks told. Audience members sang their hearts out to 19 hits, including “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” “Yesterday” and “Let It Be,” among others.
Eubanks paused the telling of his stories in order to reveal a special surprise he had for the audience. He told them that Pepperdine was so nice that they wanted to give away a free poster to one lucky member in the audience, who would pick up their prize after the show.
Eubanks went on to describe the meanings behind some of the Beatles’ hits. He said “Yesterday” originated from McCartney singing the words ‘scrambled eggs’ over and over, until the four developed it into a real song.
Eubanks ended the show with a description of the origins of “Hey Jude,” which McCartney wrote for Lennon’s son, Julian. The song was supposed to be a shred of advice for Julian as his parents went through a divorce.
This paved the way for “Hey Jude” to be the last song of the show, with audience members singing along louder than any previous song.
After the show, Eubanks sat behind a table in the lobby where he sold posters and other exclusive merchandise. Audience members eagerly greeted him and engaged in conversation.
Ticket to Ride also roamed around the lobby after the show. Many audience members posed to take photos with the four.
In an interview with Eubanks, he shared more exclusive sentiments about the Beatles and his personal reasoning for doing this backstage show.
“I have put together this show, ‘Backstage with the Beatles,’ because I truly believe that if they were alive today, they would be as popular as they were back then,” Eubanks said.
Outside the theater, there was a board which asked visitors what their favorite Beatles song was. The board was covered in colorful sticky notes where people shared their favorite songs, including songs not played during the show such as “I Will” and “In My Life.”
Eubanks shared his own favorite song by the Fab Four, which is “Let it Be.”
“I really feel that it was a really, really good song that had heart, and I really did like it,” Eubanks said.
Eubanks said he really enjoys putting on this show at this point in his life, especially because he isn’t occupied with the same things he used to be. He said if nothing else, it is something fun for Beatles fans, and they have been successful with it.
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Contact Amanda Monahan via email: amanda.monahan@pepperdine.edu
