Last Minute Plans: Beatlemania At Transistor

By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 8, 2011 6:20PM

On February 9, 1964, The Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Yada, yada, yada, they became the biggest rock band the world has ever known. Tonight you have a chance to look behind the patina of myth and rose-colored memories at two of the primal documents of Beatlemania. And it's free.

Transistor in Andersonville is hosting a free, BYOB screening of that original 2/9/64 broadcast tonight, which includes vintage commercials and other acts that appeared on the show (Frank Gorshin, who played The Riddler on Batman; acrobats Wells & the Four Fays; comedy team McCall & Brill; and so on). After that comes the main attraction: A Hard Day's Night, the Richard Lester-directed classic that has been borrowed from/ripped off by pretty much every rock comedy since (as far as homages go, we prefer that of Peter Sellers to all others). In any case, it'll do until Justin Bieber's 3-D movie opens on Friday.

Tonight, February 8 at Transistor, 5045 N. Clark, 7:30 p.m.