Twenty-two years ago, Spencer Albee was both performing as a musician and booking a small venue in Portland, Maine. One week, needing a solid Saturday night draw, he and his bandmates of similar mind decided to do a show where they covered songs by The Beatles. “And it went bonkers… and then that went awesome,” Albee tells Vanyaland. “So now we’re up to three nights at the State Theatre.”
Beatles tributes are nothing new though. Any band with a modicum of musical ability and an Etsy account can pick up some Fab Four-styled wigs, learn “Twist and Shout” and bring in a crowd. That’s not what Albee does. In fact, he bristles at the idea.
“All the stuff I’ve seen is just felt very silly,” he says. “There were wigs and costumes – overweight guys like me squashing themselves into Sgt. Pepper outfits with a wig on. Like, you’re 50, what are you doing? It’s silly.”
Going under the moniker Spencer and the Walrus, Albee and a cast of players from Portland’s rich and vibrant music scene will take over the State Theatre this Friday and Saturday night (November 29 and 30) and then do a matinée Sunday (December 1) as part of the 22nd iteration of Beatles Night. The level of musicianship is off the charts, and there’s a care and dedication to the songs which nobody else out there is doing. Composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Sean Morin was brought in a dozen years ago to handle orchestrations, effectively upping the ante.
Albee, who serves as musical director and takes on a good amount of vocals and instrumentation, has worked in the past with everyone from David Bowie to De La Soul. He says he wanted to do “the hard stuff that no one ever does.” That means deep cuts, b-sides, and songs from the solo careers of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
Most importantly, it’s fun. Last year, veteran drag performer Cherry Lemonade brought down the house with an encore of “I Am the Walrus.” The shows are filled with special guests, each contributing their greatest strengths to the songs. Singer/songwriter Cilla Bonnie delivered a haunting rendition of “Dear Prudence” while Dominic Lavoie served up an achingly beautiful version of Lennon’s “Mind Games.” The pool of talent isn’t just local either. Wilco bassist John Stirratt came out to sing “Baby’s in Black” on one of the nights last November.
Albee promises more of the same this weekend. He’s also releasing a three-disc retrospective on Friday, which will be available at Beatles Night. Dubbed Time Machine: 2024 — 2000, it tells the last 24 years of his own musical journey in reverse, beginning with his latest single, “Everybody’s Gotta Live,” a cover of the anthemic Arthur Lee/Love track.
Ahead of this weekend’s Beatles Night threesome, Albee sat down with Vanyaland for a 617 Q&A (Six Questions; One Recommendation; Seven Somethings). He talked about the evolution of the undertaking, breaks down some of his dream collaborators, and waxes on why George Harrison was kind of a dick.
:: SIX QUESTIONS
Michael Christopher: Why the Beatles?
Spencer Albee: I credit my mother for it. We all, I think, end up to some degree probably being influenced by the music of our parents that they listened to. I got a lot of different music from my dad, but Roy Orbison from my dad and The Beatles from my mom. Because of timing and everything, my mom was around during the day. She worked at night. I have a very early memory of her behaving very weirdly.
She had this trick where she would put me in my stroller to vacuum so she could move me around and just know where I was while she was vacuuming. But I just remember her doing this freakout thing, “What the heck was that?” And I realized later, like, “Oh, it was the drum solo on Abbey Road.” She was air drumming. And then moving forward, if I got a good report card, I’d get a new Beatles tape. I just really got into them in general and their personalities, because they’re like a band and a comedy troupe. I really kind of dug in and, I mean, obviously, I listened to other things [laughs], but that was my foundation.
***
When you started, how big was the venue?
I mean, we had 300 people crammed into not that much space. So, it was a tiny venue. It was a bar, it was a music venue, but it was like a bar venue.
And it had outgrown that room already from the first night?
Kind of. Yeah. And because I was touring a lot, I didn’t have the wherewithal to be like, “Oh, we should do a residency” or anything. It was, just, like a good night for the bar. It was a good hit for us. We enjoyed learning the material. To my knowledge, they’re not recorded, or maybe they are, but I’m sure I would hate to listen to it. I’m sure we were awful.
Is it surprising to see how much it’s evolved not only from there but to three nights or two nights and a matinée?
Yeah, it’s three full shows. It’s crazy to me. And additionally, we do it regionally now too. So, we’ve got almost two seasons. I certainly wouldn’t have expected for it to have…it’s gone too far. [laughs] It’s just wild. This wasn’t some sort of grand plan. You know what I mean? It just kept evolving. I got to give it to Lauren Wayne who runs State Theatre. She was like, “Let’s add a matinée.” And we did it. And it’s the second biggest night.
Saturday is always the biggest night just because of the OG night. They’re all big in their own way, and they all have their own personalities. The Sunday one’s fun because it’s earlier, we’ve done all the songs now. Feels like the pressure’s off a little bit, and there’s a bunch of people there. Either they couldn’t make the first two nights, or they bring their kids, and they get to have a beer, and it’s a theater full of parents, so none of the kids – they can just run around, do their thing. It’s fun. We have been a lot of people’s first concerts, which is wild.
***
Last year, one of the coolest things was The Beatles released a new song, “Now and Then,” 20 days before the first Beatles Night show. And you guys learned it. What was that process? You must’ve been like, “Well, we have to do this.”
That was it. I mean, that was it. It was like, “Well, there’s a new Beatles single. I dunno how many more of those there are going to be.” So, everyone was just like, “Yeah, we’ll just learn it.” And Sean Morin, he just went to his lair, wrote the arrangement, we learned it, came in, played it. And last year when it came out, it’s like, “Okay, the last Beatles single.” You put so much pressure on it. You don’t mean to. It’s like, “This has to be incredible because it’s The Beatles,” but it’s also, it’s like, “It’s just a fucking song, man, relax.” We play it again this year. We were all, “I dunno what we were complaining about last year, this song is great. It’s great.”
You do solo Beatles songs, you do Beatles adjacent songs like you’ve done Traveling Wilburys. Is there anything that’s too much of an outlier? Would you cover “The Girl Is Mine” [Paul McCartney’s duet with Michael Jackson] or Bowie’s “Fame” [which featured Lennon on backing vocals]?
We’ve done “Fame” and this year we’re doing [another McCartney and Jackson collaboration] “Say Say Say”. Does that answer your question?
[laughter]
Do you know why we’re doing “Say Say Say?” Because it’s a fucking banger! It’s Mike Jackson. It’s Paul McCartney. The horn chart on that is unbelievable. It’s great. Is it the most groundbreaking? No. No. Do you remember that James Cameron movie? True Lies? This is after Aliens and T2. This guy is an auteur, and he’s reinventing the way movies are made, right? Is that movie on that list? No, but it’s just a bunch of people who are really good at what they do, doing it and having a good time doing it. And it’s great and its purpose is fun. And I don’t think so much weight, so much gravity needs to be put on absolutely every single thing. If you’re going to compare the merits of a hot dog versus a T-bone steak, it’s like, everything has its purpose. I try not to be too precious about that shit.
Who is your favorite Beatle?
I default to Paul just because he’s also put out the most material. I relate to his work ethic. I relate to his musical sensibilities. I even relate to his flaws. Like, “Oh, that’s what I do too.” I have an ability – I’m not trying to compare myself at all on a level of ability – but, like he, I feel like I can take a song that’s maybe not much or great even, or maybe it’s not even good, but I can put enough to make it sound good enough and lock in the rhythm section, mix it right, or add the right production element. So, it’s Paul for me, although I just love them all. It’s “the gang.” You love the gang because the gang’s great. I also grew up imprinted on a lot of the solo McCartney stuff. But then, yeah, if you handed me [Lennon’s] Mind Games and said, “That’s the only record you get for the rest of time,” I’d be like, “I can work with that. That’s a good one.”
Has your appreciation grown for one of them in particular over the years, especially since you started doing Beatles Night?
Yes. I simultaneously have dug in and have grown to understand and relate more to George’s material. And this whole idea that he is this, “Oh, he’s ‘the quiet one’ or ‘the all-knowing mystic.’ He alone was the center of The Beatles, the centered one.” It’s like, oh, A, his material is great, and I’ve been loving to broaden my relationship with it more. And, like, after watching Get Back, it’s like… he was a little dick. [laughs] Mr. Hare Krishna Peaceman is just being just like a fucking pill.
But I also think that he also would be the first [to say] “Yeah, what’d you think? I’m a human being.” But also, I think that he didn’t put in the work in the beginning. So, it’s like, “Oh, try getting more songs on a Lennon/McCartney record. It’s like, “Well, yeah, true. But they are Lennon/McCartneys.” Do you lower the bar? And then he very obviously caught up in a big way. So, this idea that he’s the downtrodden, I’m like, “I don’t buy it.”
***
Do you think you can be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t like The Beatles?
No. No. I think you can be in a relationship with somebody who it’s like, it’s not their favorite. But I think to actively dislike The Beatles is just… I mean, yeah, I guess it’s music, but it covers so much ground. To dismiss it as a monolith is so crazy. And maybe you can be sick of it and get it, but to just outright be like, “Oh, The Beatles suck.” You’re dumb.
:: ONE RECOMMENDATION
We’re in a post-election time, and these are divisive times. And I think that, and I wouldn’t want to recommend a way of life to anybody, I can only speak to what’s bringing me a little comfort. Recently I’m just thinking about my community and how I can be as benevolent of force in my community and helpful where I can be in serving my community.
I think everyone’s done with being preached at and told what to do and what they’re doing wrong and all this shit. I’m over it. I’m over it. But I have a belief that if we, as people, spend more time with our neighbors and working with our neighbors – even just helping somebody for the sake of doing it and not for the performative act of doing it. Do something nice and don’t tell anybody that you did it and see how good you feel.
:: SEVEN OF SOMETHING
If you could have any seven special guests join you for Beatles Night – they have to be alive – who would they be and what songs would you do with them?
Well, I would just rule out the Beatles themselves because I think that’s too easy, because obviously how cool would it be if, I mean, that would be cool is all hell. And if they wanted to join, obviously that’d be great. But I think I’d look to people that would appreciate it and enjoy it.
Fruit Bats — My gut tells me he’d really enjoy it, and he’d be really good, I think, at either joining us for a song, but I feel like he’d shine on “I Will,” or something like that. Something really kind of tender. Or he’d also probably do really well with, “She’s My Baby” off of Wings at the Speed of Sound. He’s got a little bit of that California country pop. When I listen to his records, I’m like, “When is this from?” I love it. I would say I’ve probably listened to Fruit Bats as much as I’ve listened to Pink Floyd. So, in a way, for me to go see Fruit Bats in the 300-seat venue was kind of the same level of joy as if I got to go see Pink Floyd in that size venue.
Brandi Carlile — Another person that I think would be awesome to perform with, who is alive, Brandi Carlile is an awesome singer, and I would love to do something soulful and soaring with her. And that might come in the form of, like, “Let It Be” she would crush, “Let It Be” or “Something.” Let’s do “Something” with Brandi.
Wilco — John Stirratt from Wilco joined us last year. We’ve become friends with him over the years. But that gang could come on by anytime. I think that would be fun, and I would love to do something profoundly psychedelic with them. So maybe it’s like an “I Am the Walrus” situation with them. Actually, you know what it would be fun to do with Wilco is to do an interpretation and a recreation – but through interpretation – of “Revolution 9.” Get real creative with it – it’s almost like doing a painting of a song, right? It’s not a cover because it can’t really be covered. But maybe there are some elements that are the same. Also, you could look at something like “Tomorrow Never Knows,” that’d be a more straightforward answer. I bet that’d be pretty amazing with them. But then, so would “Dig a Pony” though.
Sierra Ferrell — Really loving her voice lately, and something kind of like coy and lilty for her, I think. And I mean, that could be something even kind of rocking and coy, like…Oh, you know what song she sings? “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window.” She would smash that song.
Billie Eilish — Yeah…what would you do with Billie Eilish? Sings predominantly pretty gently, right? “Across the Universe” with Billie Eilish.
I feel like it’d be a lot like the way Fiona Apple did that a number of years ago.
Yeah. Yeah. And so, there’s another one.
Fiona Apple — Fiona Apple is a great choice. She would be a great fucking choice. And you could literally do any of the Beatles songs, because very clearly she’s in there already. You could do no wrong. I’m inclined to give her something… “Strawberry Fields.” No, no. It’s “A Day in the Life.” That would be stunning. And then just to make the concert go over the top, you bring Brandi back out at the end to do the middle bit. Crowd goes wild. Oh, wait, no, not Brandi. Let’s introduce a new artist. So, for the middle bit, how about Childish Gambino? Out of nowhere. Boom. Childish Gambino. Because he’d be doing some fucking crazy awesome, super subtle choreography that you can’t figure out how he does that, but it’s like, why is that so compelling? [laughs]
Stevie Wonder — Stevie Wonder would be fun as shit. And, also, incredibly distracting, because how would you separate yourself from the mission at hand and not also be able to just separate that you’re listening to Stevie Wonder, or you’re standing next to him. [laughs] It would be overwhelming. There’s one inclination to have him do his, in my opinion, superior version of “We Can Work It Out,” but he can do that with his band. It’s just, I dunno, a better version. He nailed it. You can’t say that about many Beatle covers.
I want to do another song for Stevie, and there’s a McCartney song off of McCartney II, which I think is a huge underplay, and it just doesn’t get any love. “Summer’s Day Song.” And I would love to hear his interpretation of that song because it’s all based in synthesizers. The framework has been built. And I think if you gave that framework to an artist who has the skillset, the expressive skillset that Stevie does – he is just such an amazing musician. And not to infer that the Beatles weren’t, but Stevie is just, like, he’s next level. He’s nuts. And if you took that, I feel like if you took that framework that Paul made and you gave that to Stevie and he interpreted it, there wouldn’t be a dry eye in the house.
SPENCER AND THE WALRUS PRESENT BEATLES NIGHT :: Friday, November 29, Saturday, November 30, and Sunday, December 1 at State Theatre, 609 Congress St., in Portland, ME :: 8:00 p.m., all-ages, $26 in advance, $31 day of show :: Event info :: Advance tickets: Night 1, Night 2, Matinée
