The Beach Boys to Headline Music Festival Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Beatlemania

Louisville, KY (April 21, 2014) – Louisville will be the home of a world-wide event this May, and we aren’t referring to the Kentucky Derby. Abbey Road on the River, an international music festival held on Memorial Day weekend, will present a concert by the band that wrote the soundtrack to summer – The Beach Boys – on Sunday, May 25^th at 8:30pm. The Beach Boys will be joined by 60 other bands over the 5-day festival to commemorate 50 years since the start of a musical revolution. The event will feature more than 200 live performances on 8 stages, as well as special activities including the Give Peace A Chance photography exhibit, screenings of the documentary “Good Ol Freda” and Q&A sessions with The Beatles’ longtime secretary Freda Kelly, and presentations by former CEO of Apple Records Tony Bramwell.

The music of The Beach Boys and The Beatles is nothing short of magical, and even 50 years after it was written, it continues to reach new generations. The parallels between these two bands are unmatched by any other. Both comrades and competitors, their paths crossed on many occasions, including in 1968 in Rishikesh, India where Mike Love and The Beatles studied Transcendental Meditation, and also in 1999 when both bands were inducted into the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame. After visiting England in 1966, The Beach Boys were hailed as The Beatles only rival.

Since 1961 when The Beach Boys were formed in Hawthorne, California, the band has sold over 100 million albums, received 31 RIAA Platinum and Gold Record certifications, and charted over 80 songs worldwide, with 36 in the Billboard’s Top 40 Hits – the most by an American rock band.  Among the international sensation’s most popular hits are “Good Vibrations,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get Around,” “God Only Knows,” “Surf’s Up,” and “California Girls.” In addition to performing these favorite songs at the festival, The Beach Boys will pay tribute to The Beatles by singing a few of The Fab Four’s songs. The Beach Boys are led by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, who along with Christian Love, Randell Kirsch, Tim Bonhomme, John Cowsill and Scott Totten continue the legacy of the iconic American band. This concert will not feature Brian Wilson, Al Jardine or David Marks.

American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist John Sebastian will open for The Beach Boys on Sunday, May 25^th at 7:00pm. Sebastian is the founder of The Lovin’ Spoonful, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band who topped the charts with hits like “Do You Believe in Magic,” “Summer in the City,” “Daydream,” and “Nashville Cats” between 1965 and 1968.

Another highlight of the event will feature a collaboration between Ambrosia and former Wings guitarist and special guest Laurence Juber who will perform a tribute to The Beatles on Friday, May 23^rd at 8:15pm.

Abbey Road on the River, the world’s largest Beatles-inspired music festival, will be held at the Belvedere Park, Galt House Hotel and Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, KY from May 22-26^th. 2014 marks the 10^th Anniversary of the festival’s arrival in Louisville; it was originated in Cleveland, OH in 2002. Festival sponsors include The Neil Huffman Auto Group, 103.5 WAKY, 107.7 WSFR, Louisville Magazine, Louisville.com, Budweiser, Shock Top, the Muhammad Ali Center, The Galt House Hotel & Suites, the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Gretsch Guitar, and Coca-Cola.

Visit www.arotr.com to purchase festival tickets, make a reservation at the Galt House Hotel, and get more information about Abbey Road on the River.