I arrived at Coffee Catz in Sebastopol at about 2:40pm on Saturday, 10 minutes after the monthly Beatles Sing-a-long had started. The room was packed with Baby Boomers belting out the lyrics, accompanied by my friend David Klotz with alternating guitar and piano, along with another guitarist. I squeezed onto the end of a bench at the back, next to a young couple who had their heads together doing chemistry homework, seeming oblivious to the loud singing. I think they were the only people under 50 in the crowd.
Clearly this crowd was composed of regulars, because not only did they know all the songs (myself included of course), but had learned gestures to go with some of the lyrics.
There were songbooks available for people who wanted to sing all the verses. We all know the refrains of course.
Afterward I talked with a couple of ladies who had come from Marin and Napa Counties for this event. They were old friends of David Klotz, who moved here from Berkeley and was quickly embraced by the Sebastopol music scene.
Next month instead of the Coffee Catz singalong there will be a Beatles Night at the Sebastopol Community Center April 12. Should be fun!
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