The House of Blues celebrates 50th Anniversary of British Invasion on November 7

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA (10/01/2013) - On February 15, 1964, News In Brief put it this way: “There are rumors abound that the [Beatles] are Britain’s revenge for the Boston Tea Party.” In December 26, 1963, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” began playing on U.S. radio stations. By the time the Fab Four appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show two months later, captivating 60 percent of the American viewing audience, the British Invasion had officially begun. Before you could say “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!” Beatlemania had swept the country. The world’s first boy band acted adorably goofy and good-natured in their radio and television interviews, especially during the first wave of Beatlemania. They also dropped the “roll” from rock ’n’ roll and replaced it with “pop,” combining for the first time rock and popular music in a unique fashion without losing rock’s primal, driving sound. The Beatles were quickly followed by The Rolling Stones, who were perceived by the American public as a much more 'edgy', scruffy and even dangerous band. This image distinguished them from the Beatles, who were more refined, classy and even parent-friendly. The Rolling Stones appealed more to an 'outsider' demographic and popularized, for young people at least, the rhythm and blues genre. The Rolling Stones would become the biggest band other than The Beatles to come out of the British Invasion. The British Invasion was one of the watershed developments in American popular music history and is credited with inspiring the free speech movement and countless other social changes. With the 50th anniversary of the British Invasion only a few months away, this raises a question which has fueled arguments since both bands were covering Chuck Berry songs. Who's better? The Beatles or the Rolling Stones? On Thursday, November 7, the House of Blues Sunset will host "Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Shoot Out" with these two legendary bands engaging in an on-stage duel courtesy of renowned tribute bands Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash. The show consists of six alternating mini sets with both bands coming together on stage for an encore. Fans must choose between "Sir Mick Jagger" fronting the Stones through their sweaty rhythm & blues anthems, or the Beatles mining their beloved catalogue of indelible classics. Since 2011, Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash have been going head-to-head across the Western United States in casinos, clubs and performing arts centers, cranking out the hits of the Stones and the Beatles. The show’s next stop is a three month residency at the Harrahs Reno showroom. During the show, band members exchange tongue-in-cheek barbs about the rivalry between the bad boys of London and the lads from Liverpool. “In fact, the Beatles and the Stones were fast friends,” said Young Hutchison, who plays “Keith Richards” in the show. “But if you were a 60’s kid, you had to be one or other – not both.” The two bands have always been close. The Stones' first hit was a Beatles song called "I Wanna Be Your Man" and it was George Harrison who recommended that Decca sign the Stones after the record company passed on the Beatles. Mick Jagger inducted the Beatles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Abbey Road promise a 30-song, hit-packed chronological three sets, opening with "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and the Beatlemania years, to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band, before building through the band’s “flower power” period. Jumping Jack Flash will perform three sets of crowd-pleasing rock and rollers guaranteed to get even the most devoted Beatles fans on their feet dancing. CALENDAR: The question about which band is better – Beatles or Rolling Stones – has been a spirited debate for half of a century. These two legendary bands will engage in an on-stage, throw down - a musical 'shoot out" if you will - courtesy of tribute bands Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash on Thursday, November 7 at 8 pm. Tickets are $15/$18 and may be purchased online at www.houseofblues.com, by phoning (323) 848-5100 or at the door. The House of Blues is located at 8430 Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood 90069.The show is open for ages 18 or older. Doors open at 7 pm. And here is some additional information about Abbey Road: The Abbey Road band members portray the Beatles in an award-winning, nationally touring musical biography of the "Fab Four" called In My Life - A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles. The musical gives the audience a glimpse inside the world of the Beatles from the band’s point of view, as well as hear some of the greatest songs ever written. The producers wrote the script to give the audience a chance to “be there” at pivotal moments in the extraordinary career of the Beatles: Liverpool’s legendary Cavern Club, The Ed Sullivan Show, Shea Stadium, and the final live performance on the rooftop of the Apple Corp offices. In My Life is more than just a Beatles tribute concert. The play begins at the Cavern Club with the first meeting of Epstein and the soon to be “Fab Four.” Eventually, Epstein convinces the boys that matching suits and synchronized bows at the end of a performance will be better for their image than jeans and black leather jackets. This encounter results in February 1964, when America watched the Beatles for the first time on The Ed Sullivan Show, playing “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Progressing through their various musical stages, the audience re-experiences the psychedelic era of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the creation of the haunting “Yesterday” and the raucous rock and roll of “Revolution.” The Los Angeles Times said "the show delivers." The Long Beach Press Telegram called Abbey Road a "highly faithful tribute" and the Idaho Statesman said "if you like the Beatles, this is the ticket for you." The band headlines Knott's Berry Farm, the Canyon, Harrah's Tahoe, Harrah's Reno, Harrah's Rincon and Pala Casino. Additional info about Jumping Jack Flash: Led by electrifying showman Joey Jagger, Jumping Jack Flash honors the privilege of re-creating a Rolling Stones live performance by delivering what audiences come to see — the theatrics and power of the “Greatest Rock-n-Roll Band In The World” in its’ prime, with you in the front row! Performing song selections from all periods of The Stones’ legendary career, you can depend on hearing the band perform the hits that you still sing along to in your car (however badly). The greatest care has been given to the smallest details, to insure that song performance, wardrobe, instrumentation, etc., are spot on re-creations of the real thing. No that's not really Mick-n-Keef in your local theater, but it is bloody close!