The radiant music of the Beatles will ring through an historic Valparaiso venue.
The MegaBeatles is a large band that plans to dish the big sound of the Fab Four at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21 in the Memorial Opera House.
“We’ll definitely do ‘I Am the Walrus’ — that’s a big crowd pleaser,” said Portage’s Chad Clifford, a lead singer for the rocking conglomerate.
Likewise on tap is the jaunty “Penny Lane.”
Adding to the night’s festivities will be the CrawPuppies and the Chris and Lou Band.
Members of those two groups will be incorporated into the MegaBeatles.
“It’s usually nine people,” Clifford said in regard to the makeup of the super-sized band that played last Memorial Day weekend at Abbey Road on the River — a huge Beatles festival in Louisville, Ky.
The ’60s-themed celebration attracts some 20,000 people and numerous tribute bands.
It moves to Indiana turf this year in Jeffersonville. The MegaBeatles are set to play the 2017 edition of Abbey Road on the River that runs May 25-29.
But before that, three different bands will stir things up at the Valparaiso Beatles bash.
The lineup includes the CrawPuppies, a longtime favorite on the regional rock scene.
Fronted by Clifford, the Northwest Indiana quartet is likely to churn out “All My Loving” and “Twist and Shout,” two mainstream standards from the iconic British group that split up in 1970.
Although the Saturday concert will dip into deep-album tracks from the Liverpool lads, Top-10 commercial hits will not be ignored.
“There’s certain ones that you just kind of have to do,” said Clifford, a guitarist. “We’re doing our best to keep it fresh and exciting, but not at the expense of not playing the songs everyone loves hearing.”
MegaBeatles has a membership that, besides Clifford, includes Mike Curtis, Chris Sulcer, Eric Taylor, Chris Karp, Marty Paxton, Chris Kurtis, Lou Samaniego and Aaron Hedges.
This marks the third year that the opera house has hosted the night of Beatles music, which serves as a fundraiser for the ornate venue.
Touting a dance area for the Beatles show, the structure has a long history of providing entertainment, as it dates back to the late 19th century.
“We use the funds from the MegaBeatles concert to jump-start our programs for the year,” said Scot MacDonald, business director for the opera house. “It helps us pay for royalties, it helps us pay costs for shows — anything from costumes to sets to whatever other expenses we may have. It also helps with paying for programs for our children’s theater. It’s just kind of our beginning-of-the-year money.”
MacDonald said the Beatles concert generally raises between $10,000 and $15,000 for the Memorial Opera House.
He said the bulk of the money that is raised comes from ticket sales.
Additionally, bar sales and donor contributions comprise part of the generated funds that help the facility, which sells flex packages for shows.
Attendance figures are a strong indication of the public demand that exists for the timeless material generated by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
“We’ve sold out the previous two years and we are well on our way to selling out this year,” MacDonald said in a phone interview this month.
The Memorial Opera House seats 350, according to MacDonald.
Clifford said he loves playing at the Memorial Opera House, which is in his hometown.
“I’ve got a warm spot for it because my family’s lived in Valparaiso since the 1800s,” said the 1987 graduate of Valparaiso High School. “It makes me smile to think about all my relatives who I never knew could very easily would have gone to an event there.”
With familial roots in Valparaiso that go back to the 19th century, Clifford has a stake in the future of Memorial Opera House and its artistic programs.
“It’s important to me to see it continue to thrive,” he said.
Events such as the concert of Beatles music are valuable in the push to continue momentum.
The songs remain a pop-culture force.
“I think it’s really positive music with great melody and beautiful harmony,” Clifford said. “It reminds people of maybe a slightly less cynical time.”
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
MegaBeatles, CrawPuppies, Chris and Lou Band
Where: Memorial Opera House, 104 E. Indiana Ave., Valparaiso
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21
Tickets: $35, plus $2 processing fee
Information: 219-548-9137, www.memorialoperahouse.com
