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Sixteen years ago, Jimi Bernath created an event to commemorate the death of John Lennon, who was shot and killed on December 8, 1980 — but the annual Beatles/John Lennon Memorial Sing-Along is a more of a celebration of life. “The Beatles are perennial,” says Bernath. “They’re as popular as they were fifty years ago, really. And it’s a good get-together to kick off the holidays.”
In fact, the hardest part of putting together the all-ages, totally free sing-along every year is selecting the songs, Bernath notes. “Over the years, I’ve come to realize what songs are the easiest to sing,” he explains. “And we do a lot of John’s solo stuff, too. Toward the end, it gets kind of emotional when we sing ‘Imagine’ and join hands in a big circle…. It’s a wake and it’s a celebration and it’s a joyous occasion.” And the very last song — “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” — is bound to put everybody in the holiday spirit.
Come sing along with Bernath, annual regulars and plenty of newcomers today from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Mercury Cafe, 2199 California Street; lyric sheets are provided, and because everyone sings along to the recorded songs, there’s no pressure to join in. Call 303-294-9281 for more information.
Sun., Dec. 8, 2-5 p.m., 2013
