The "My Favorite was Bingo" Story

It was an ordinary day. Just got back from Springettsbury Park near York, PA. After spending an enjoyable day with our family, Carol and I headed to the park with our daughter, daughter-in-law, and our three grandkids. Wanted to hear the concert by "Beatlemania Now". Every Wednesday and Sunday evening during the summer, the Park holds free concerts. Some are well attended while others are not. Most people who attend are older, like me, so the bands are geared to the over 50, or maybe I should say, over 60 crowd. Knowing it would be crowded, Caden, my grandson, and I headed over to the park in the morning to place half a dozen chairs on the grassy slope in front of the bandshell. About 10 years ago we went to a concert held in Lancaster that featured "Beatlemania Now" and really enjoyed it. All songs featuring or written by John, Paul, George and Ringo, The Beatles. My wife grew up up with The Beatles and we have a few of the original LP albums framed in our house. The show was based on thesmash Broadway hit,"Beatlemania" which opened in 1977. As the show drew to a close, members of the cast formed their own touring companies to continue playing and performing Beatle songs. "Beatlemania Now" began its first tour in 1983 and is still going strong. We decided to take the kids and grandkids to the concert with us to expose them to the music that we grew up with. And ...... they loved it. Loved the atmosphere probably more than the band. Dancers of all ages lined the front of the outdoor bandshell as they danced to the songs of the Beatles. Young kids played Frisbee on the grass next to the stage, one small child was running his John Deere tractor across the front of the stage, and the food vendors on the other side of the stage were busy all night. But, the band was fabulous. Didn't seem to be the same band that we had heard before, but that was quite a few years ago and I realize that people do age and change their appearance. My two granddaughters talked their mom into heading to the front area and dancing while our grandson enjoy watching with us, from a safe distance away. What a festive time everyone was having, as we joined in with the band for a few of the songs. After an hour and a half, and with a few changes of costume, the band introduced the members and played their last song (I'm sorry to say I don't remember their names, only who they were supposed to be). After that last song, everyone in the audience, led by LDub, kept yelling for "One More Song." They re-entered, I suppose as they usually do, and played not only one, but three more songs. What I time we, or at least Carol and me, had tonight. On the ride home, Courtney, our oldest granddaughter, was listening as Carol and I were sitting in the front seat and talking about how the band sounded and looked like John, Paul, George and Ringo, when she interrupted and said, "My favorite was Bingo!" It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photos from the top are: The band "Beatlemania Now", Paul (sorry I don't remember his real name), George, John, Ringo, and bandshell as the moon rose overhead.