Beatle friends there is a brand new Beatles convention in town and it called "Fab 4 Con Jam." This new Beatles convention held the first event this past weekend virtually. Robert Rodriguez, the great Beatles author and host of the "Something About the Beatles" podcast.
It was a two-day event and had a little something for everyone in the Beatles fandom. I enjoyed many of the discussions. Some highlights were the Rooftop reunion with Kevin Harrington, Alan Parsons, and Chris O'Dell. I found their memories of the famous performance to be so interesting. Speaking of Kevin Harrington, his talk with Ken Womack remembering Mal Evans was so touching. I am so glad that I saw it. Chris O'Dell & Nancy Andrew's talk about the 1970s and being with The Beatles was another great session.
For those that are more music-minded. There were a lot of great musicians that played a variety of Beatles songs. I especially liked the performances live from the Cavern Club. There were also so many acoustic guitar performances that were wonderful.
My favorite thing about the weekend was the discussions with the fans. There was an interview with a British woman, Linda, that used to hang around Cavendish Avenue, Apple, and EMI in 1969. Obviously, I really enjoyed her stories, especially one about a time that George Harrison showed up at Paul's house. There was another interview with Debbie, who was at the Ed Sullivan Show in NYC and is seen in the footage. She also saw The Beatles in concert on many occasions and was met the Beatles in 1965. The other fan that was part of the interview was Carol Tyler, who wrote the great book Fab 4 Mania.
It was very refreshing to see so many new faces and especially female Beatles historians discussing the importance of females in the Beatles' history.
While I am not crazy about this new virtual format for Beatles events, this one really worked well. People from all around the world were able to participate, which would most likely not happen in person. Many of the interviews were live and others were recorded earlier, which really seemed to help things run easier than they would if it was all live.
Personally, I found Fab4Con Jam to be a breath of fresh air in the Beatles convention world. As times continue to change, the festivals we enjoy have no choice but to change with them. I am not saying that as a jab against the Fest for Beatle fans at all because I also enjoyed that convention this past year as well. It is just that Fab4 Con Jam went deeper into the Beatles discussion and was very thought-provoking.
I am pretty sure you can still purchase a ticket and watch the interviews and performances for the next month. Please check it out -- you won't be disappointed! https://fab4conjam.com/
This was the first Beatles convention I've ever attended and I loved it, even virtual. All the womens' voices were appreciated.
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