A few years ago, Classic Albums Live presented Abbey Road at the Lowell Summer Music Series. This year they return to Boarding House Park on Saturday, August 26th to present Sgt. Pepper!

“Classic Albums Live is known for perfectly reproducing albums on stage song for song, note for note.  This performance will include horn and string sections.

Classic Albums Live (Logo)

“Sgt. Pepper is such a common part of our lives. For the past 46 years we’ve had Pepper journeying alongside us as we trip through life. And lucky for us The Beatles put diamonds in our sky.

Classic Albums Live (Official Photo)

“There’s been a ton of writing and critical praise heaped upon the album so that it’s close to impossible for a piece of art to stand up to such lauding. But Pepper does in fact stand up. It may be the most important piece of art ever created — so much so that it makes the Mona Lisa frown. And unlike monumental feats of architecture, you don’t have to travel to the other side of the world to experience it. More people have listened to Sgt. Pepper than watched Citizen Kane. Combine and add up all the Bach, Brahms and Beethoven record sales and you’ll find that they don’t come close to selling as many albums as Pepper.

“Sgt. Pepper is the first classical rock album. All the albums that Classic Albums Live performs are classical albums, but Pepper is the flagship. When Classic Albums Live first took it on, it was intimidating. Here was a bunch of shaggy musicians tackling the most important piece of music ever made, but we found the heart of the album. The George Harrison track – ‘Within Without You’ – proved not only be the most challenging but the most rewarding. Whenever we play the song live you can hear an audible gasp from people in the audience. Growing up, this was the track that we used to get up off the couch and lift the needle on, but now it’s the most compelling track and demands attention. Funny that.

“The first time we performed this album, I remember there being a palpable buzz in the air. No one had ever performed the entire album prior to us, let alone boast the ‘note for note’ claim. The show was magical. A historical night. The next morning, the Toronto Star’s review called the show “Joyful” and “Thrilling.”

“It’s an honor to be on stage with this incredible piece of music. We know how to perform this album. We’ve been doing it for 10 years and living with it our entire lives. And we keep Getting Better. All the Time.”

Tickets for the Classic Albums Live: Sgt. Pepper show are priced at $29 in advance (fee-free!) and children 12 and under are always free courtesy of Eastern Bank. There are also premium seats – beach chairs are provided by the Series – set in two rows directly in front of the stage for $79. Tickets for this show go on sale on Friday, May 5th at 9 a.m. through Lowell Summer Music Series.

For those of you who are unaware of the Series, or if you are aware of it but have never attended a show there, it is an outdoor (weather permitting) concert series held on National Park Service grounds in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Series is not-for-profit, which helps keep the ticket prices reasonable.

Surrounding Boarding House Park are old mill buildings, part of the Lowell National Historical Park, which you can tour if you arrive early enough. They provide an unusual setting for an evening of great music and ambiance.

The Series generally runs from mid-June to early September.

This Series is dear to my heart. I have been a season pass holder since 2007 and it is one of the highlights of the year (and of summer in particular) for me. Many lasting friendships have been made there. I expect this will be another excellent year!

I will post additional announcements for the Series as they are made.

The final lineup is:

June 10 (Saturday) – Trombone Shorty

June 16 (Friday) – Michael Franti & Spearhead

June 17 (Saturday) – Vince Gill

July 9 (Sunday) – Melissa Etheridge

July 14 (Friday) – The O’Connor Band

July 21 (Friday) – Graham Nash

July 22 (Saturday) – Ryan Montbleau

August 4 (Friday) – Amos Lee

August 6 (Sunday) – Dawes

August 12 (Saturday) – Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

August 19 (Saturday) – David Grisman Sextet

August 20 (Sunday) – Stephen Stills and Judy Collins

August 26 (Saturday) – Classic Albums Live: Sgt. Pepper

September 1 (Friday) – Rosanne Cash