The Shows
Rock ‘n’ Roll Music Trivia Show
Music has a distinct way to evoke memories likes no other media. Popular rock and top 40 songs from an era elicit thoughts of places you visited or lived in addition to people, events and special moments. This game provides a great way to reminisce with friends and break the ice with acquaintances at settings as diverse as business conferences, class reunions, university campuses (especially family and home coming weekends) and community festivals. Baby boomers, Generation X and Millennials all enjoy the game to remember “their era” while learning more about “other eras”. Along with the memories, the Timmons Brothers balance their knowledge of rock ‘n roll with humor to make it an entertaining and fun event for all.
Learn More
Schedule a show by calling (803) 400-3768 or email timmonsrock@gmail.com.
Beatlemania: A Craze for The Beatles Sweeps the U.S.A (1964-1966)
This presentation looks back at the arrival of the Beatles to New York City and their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, which would be later described as the single most influential hour that would change the state of music as John, Paul, George and Ringo performed to a constant deafening scream. The press would label this hysteria as Beatlemania. They were called “mop tops” for their long hair. Their success would mean an unprecedented five singles in positions #1 through # 5 in April 1964 during the time of their first US tour followed by two hit movies.
After Beatlemania (1966-1968)
In this presentation, the era from late 1966 (after the last live concert) to early 1968 (the creation of their own Apple label and industries) is examined when The Beatles focused their creative energies on their music. The result was a period where The Beatles would push forward into unabashedly psychedelic territory with use of orchestral arrangements that provided innovative music with the release of the albums Revolver, Magical Mystery Tour and Sgt. Pepper (the album recognized by critics and publications as one of the most influential albums in the history of rock music). With the success of The Beatles Rock Guitar Hero and the charting of re-mastered CDs of Beatle albums, the unabated appeal and fascination of The Beatles continues to exert worldwide. This program provides insight into another era of the world’s most popular and commercially successful group.
British Invasion
When the Beatles arrived in the United States on February 7, 1964, they had the number “1” song on the USA Billboard charts with “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” A correspondent covering their arrival said “The British Invasion this time goes by the code name Beatlemania” and it set off a wave of a large number of British rock ‘n’ roll and pop performers who became popular in the USA from 1964 to 1966
America’s Response to the British Invasion
In the early 1960s, American popular music was dominated by instrumental surf music, vocal girl groups and teen idols. In 1964, the British Invasion started and changed the landscape of American music. It prompted many existing bands and artists to adapt to maintain relevance and record sales. Therefore, American garage rock bands were adopting a sound with a British Invasion inflection, and many other groups were inspired to form.
Protest and Psychedelic Music: A Reflection of the Times (1967-1972)
In this period of protest and psychedelic music, a new phenomenon called the music arts festival developed with the creation of the Monterrey Pop Festival in 1967. It became the template for other large, multiple days outdoor festivals culminating with the iconic Woodstock festival over a four day period in August 1969. The Woodstock Music and art Fair has become regarded as one of the greatest and most pivotal moments in popular music history for not only its performers, but its association with peace and the counter-culture.
Hollywood and Rock ‘n’ Roll: Through the Lens of Cinema
This presentation will serve as reflection on how the film industry has portrayed rock through the years with the hits, misses and obscurities. From documentaries to live concerts to action/comedies, film producers, writers and directors have taken different perspectives bringing rock ‘n’ roll to the big screen. From the early days of rock with the effusion of music from Billy Haley and the Comets in Blackboard Jungle to the introduction of what would later be known as the rock video through The Beatles in the cleverly played Hard Day’s Night to the allstar rock cast of Tommy and documentaries like Woodstockand live concerts, such as The Last Waltz and the drama/concert Purple Rain, the movies and rock ‘n’ roll have experienced a rather dysfunctional relationship. A two-hour multi-media exploration of a diverse array of rock ‘n’ roll and movies will be an entertaining and informative trip through nearly 60 years of the genre.
Presentations - Specific Popular Rock Culture Topics
“The Split of Rock/Pop AM/FM Radio – 1968-1973″
It was a period that followed a rebirth of American rock led by the British Invasion. The focus will be the transition of rock ‘n’ roll from the late sixties into the early seventies. We will contrast the two large outdoor concert environments of Woodstock and Altamont Speedway from only August 1969 to December 1969 and how this set the foundation for the beginning of the 1970s music scene and the demise of flower power (although not suddenly) and the break-up of The Beatles and Diana Ross and the Supremes among other ’60s icons. Highlighting the artists from the ’60s who continued to prosper into the early ’70s were the following among others: the four former Beatles as solo artists, Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, CCR, Deep Purple, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton (through various bands), The Who, the Kinks and Chicago to name a few as well as Paul Revere and The Raiders becoming The Raiders.
Of course, along with Altamont and the break-up of The Beatles, late 1969 through 1971 was an era for cataclysmic change with the tragic deaths of Hendrix, Joplin, and Morrison and the Vietnam War protests throughout college campuses and the deaths of four students at Kent State to stun the counterculture world. This change in music was also occurring in the radio stations across the USA. Until 1968, AM radio was the voice for both top 40 and the rock bands. By 1968, this split slowly began with each band on the radio forming its identity with the rise of new FM stations and an “album-oriented rock” sound while AM radio and some established FM radio stations continued to make hits and top 40 songs their format.
TV’s Portrayal of Rock ‘n’ Roll Through the Decades”
The Timmons Brothers will address the love-hate affair between rock and roll and television. Since the 1950s when both industries began to blossom to the present, TV and rock have been at odds sometimes and have enjoyed some moments of mutual celebration, but for the most part, they co-exist. From the early days of rock and roll when bands appeared on such television shows as The Ed Sullivan Show, American Bandstand, Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, Top of the Pops, and others, censorship was evident. Although acts such as Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and The Doors performed their music amid controversy with TV’s censorship of acts to videos on MTV, some of rock’s greatest moments such as The Beatles American debut, the 1985 Live Aid Concert, and Michael Jackson’s moonwalk, also were captured on TV. Discover how local & national TV shows such as Soul Train, Jerry Rasor’s Dance Party, & HBO’s Vinyl have fostered the love/hate relationship. There is sure to be something to trigger a memory of historical rock and roll moments on television.
Timmons Brothers Live Presentation – “50th Anniversary of Woodstock: A Look Back at August 1969”
David and John will be recognize one of the most significant events in the laurels of rock ‘n’ roll history when they present a multi-media presentation, “50th Anniversary of Woodstock: A Lookback at August 1969”.
Highlights include an extensive colorful review of events of 1969 before, during, and after the Woodstock Festival (initially called “An Aquarian Exposition: Three Days of Peace and Music”). The video will include director’s cut of rarely seen footage as well as the iconic moments associated with the festival. The core of the festival was the music of 32 artists including The Who, The Band, CCR, Sly and the Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Blood Sweat and Tears, CSNY, Jefferson Airplane among others, but the event transcended into art, popular culture, and the news of the day. Invite us to your area to commemorate the 50thanniversary of the event that produced a number 1 soundtrack album set, a film recognized as the 1970 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, and a title by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the “50 Moments That Changed Rock N’ Roll”.
