Beatles night invites musicians to ‘help’

For eight years, the four-state area has seen a regular Beatles night; a night where musicians come together to play Beatles music for a charitable cause.

This year, it has moved to the Kitchen Pass.

“Basically what we do is invite all the local musicians to come in and play their favorite Beatles song,” said Lee Snider, organizer of the event.

Several bands took them up on the offer. Local favorites like the Ben Miller Band, Toto Jojo and the Smith Brothers, featuring members of Big Smitty are involved in this years shows, as well as headliner Rattle Trap.

“I’ve always just loved Paul McCartney,” said Rattle Trap bassist Logan Beckett, sophomore mass communications major. “I never really listened to the Beatles when I was a kid but Paul McCartney, it was easy to get into the whole thing because all the Beatles are good musicians.

“As a musician, they’re kind of like — everybody’s interested in what the Beatles used to do and what they are, and what they still are today.”

Formally known as A Little Help From Our Friends, the organization switched names with ownership to Beatles Night: Come Together. The group was originally started by Chris Grey and Steve Kenny, who recently retired.

“They’re no longer involved,” Snider said. “They’ve passed it along to us and we’ve carried it on the last couple of years.”

Other changes to the organization include selecting Boys and Girls Club of Joplin to be the beneficiary of the event.

“This is the first year with the Boys and Girls Club,” Snider said. “They do a lot of good for our community. They serve over 160 hot meals a day and they have an after school program, and if we don’t help out kids, the community is going to die.”

The show usually brings in around $2,200 a year for its chosen organization between door prizes and raffles.

“Not only do we collect money from door sales at the gate, but this year we’re raffling off three guitars, and we’ve got some other really neat prizes; some collector’s items, some Beatles collector’s items,” Snider said.

The show begins at 8 p.m.  tonight at the Kitchen Pass. Admission is $8.