A Night With the Beatles in Israel… and Rona Kenan

Posted by Ms. Babble

August 2, 2008

On my way to the post office the other day, I noticed one of the many concert posters plastered along the way: “Magical Mystery Tour: Beatles Cover Band in Concert!”.

It’s hard to pass up the opportunity to see a Beatles cover band in Israel.

When E went online to check on the ticket prices and location, we were both excited to see that one of the greatest Israeli singers, Rona Kenan, would be a guest performer too.

It’s safe to say that Rona is the one Israeli musician that has found a place in my heart. Maybe because her music is akin to the Beatles? Maybe because she sometimes sings in English? Maybe because there’s a slight resemblance to yours truely?

Either way, E and I both found our way to the south side of Tel Aviv (south side represent!) to a venue called “Barby”. (Below the name it reads “House of Israeli Musicians”.)

It was a small, cosy venue and we scored a stellar spot along the back rails center stage directly in front of the bar. I had seen Beatles cover bands in the States before. Some dress the part (complete with Beatle wigs) and some don’t bother with theatrics. So, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect this time around.

After waiting an hour for the show to start (the website said 10pm but they didn’t start until 11pm), five guys walked on stage in black suits (apparently as a general nod to the Beatle suits from the early 60’s). After tearing up the theatre with two classic Beatle tunes, they announced that a few special guests would appear. Before Rona came a comedian who had a suprisingly good voice for “Come Together”.

They had an incredibly long set (upwards of 25 songs, I believe) and we managed to get clips of Rona’s performance. She chose a few relatively obscure Beatles tunes which I found refreshing. (You can only hear “Hey Jude” so many times before it starts to lose its luster.)

Rona Kenan with “Magical Mystery Tour” singing “I Will”: