A disclaimer is in order for those expecting the boys in the band June 25 at the Bartholomew County Library Plaza to look like the famous Liverpool lads.
Guitarist and singer Dean Metcalf chuckled his way through a quick, public service announcement about the Indianapolis-based classic rock group The Tempos.
“This is definitely not a Beatles look-alike group. Or really even a try-to-sound-alike band,” Metcalf said, chatting by phone from Indianapolis, where he lives. “But, we’re going to be doing good solid versions of Beatles songs.”
The veteran musician, better known to some as the executive producer of the long-running radio and TV Bob and Tom Show, and his mates — Columbus native and bassist Keith Carey, plus drummer Kyle Grayson, and acoustic guitarists Barclay Grayson and Bill McCully — will mark Global Beatles Day with a collection of mostly early tunes from the Fab Four.
The ensemble’s free concert will unfold at 6:30 p.m. June 25 at the Bartholomew County Public Library Plaza, 536 Fifth St. in downtown Columbus.
“We’re all huge Beatles fans,” Metcalf said.
Because of that, he’s uncertain exactly how many tunes the group will cram into its hour-plus set list (though an original, unedited list stretched to 23 songs). He’d like to include numbers such as “A Hard Day’s Night,” which he sings lead on, “You Can’t Do That” and perhaps some of the band members’ solo material, such as Ringo Starr’s “Boys.”
“Maybe we’ll keep playing until the library folks tell us we’ll have to go home,” he said.
The idea for the event surfaced simply, according to Mary Clare Speckner, the local library’s community services coordinator. A webinar from the state library mentioned that June 25 is Global Beatles Day.
Before you could twist and shout, she was on it.
“I ran with it,” Speckner said.
Metcalf, who has performed a range of Beatles’ songs in other bands he’s in, remains hard-pressed to explain the foursome’s gargantuan popularity and impact.
“Obviously, there’s just tons of stuff written all about the Beatles,” Metcalf said. “There are books. Movies. You can even go to places such as IU and take an entire class on the Beatles and their huge influence.
“It’s great that young kids today hear the music and still get turned on by it. It’s hard to analyze. But the answer is far simpler than anybody thinks. They say it sounds great — and it somehow makes them feel good.”
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What: The Indianapolis-based classic rock band The Tempos performing a Beatles concert in honor of Global Beatles Day.
When: 6:30 p.m. June 25.
Where: Bartholomew County Public Library Plaza, 536 Fifth St. in downtown Columbus.
Admission: Free.
Information: 812-379-1266 or mybcpl.org.
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