When Michael Barrett was 7 years old, he heard a song that changed his life: "She Loves You." Almost instantaneously, much of the music he had been listening to seemed outdated, stale and secondhand. Now, as one of the five members of the Beatles tribute band The Sun Kings, Barrett still adores that classic rock vibe just as much as he did in his youth.
"It's timeless. It always sounds fresh every time you listen to it," he said. "Every time you hear a Beatles song on the radio, it takes you back to the first time you heard it. There's always a good feeling. It's what everyone knows, and it seems to be pretty much immune to trends."
The Sun Kings will perform July 8 at Bonfante Gardens Amphitheater in a concert to benefit the Bonfante Gardens Educational Foundation. The event is presented by the Gilroy Rotary and Bonfante Gardens Inc. Comic Dave McRae, who also sits on the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education, will kick off the show with a comedy routine.
Although The Sun Kings don't look a whole lot like The Beatles - for starters, there are five of them - they're proud that their sound is enthusiastic and engaging, said band member Drew Harrison.
"The Beatles were the soundtrack of my childhood. Their songs are intelligent and fun, and you get a sense of positiveness out of it, a sense of possibility and inspiration," he said. "They were great with melodies. It's much more complicated music than one would of think typical pop music."
The group came together in 2000 after bumping into each other at various Bay Area open mic nights. When they realized they all had something in common - a love of The Beatles - they decided to try playing music together, and the band formed. They perform anywhere from eight to 12 gigs a month, and about three or four benefits a year, Harrison said. The concert, about 2 1/2 hours long, is full of music that will appeal to multiple generations, Barrett said.
"People like something they can hold onto and feel good about. (The Beatles) had the impulsive rhythm that made kids move. They came from a lot of big-band melodious stuff and spit it out in a way that still sounds fresh and modern," he said. "(The music) keeps us young."
For more information about The Sun Kings, go to www.the-sun-kings.com.
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