Staten Island Benefit Concert To Celebrate 50th Anniversary Of Beatles Album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It was 50 years ago today that the Beatles released their groundbreaking eighth studio album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, in the United States.
A local charity is celebrating the occasion with a benefit concert Friday night at the St. George Theatre, at 35 Hyatt St. on Staten Island.
The Beatles Blast is a fundraiser for a Staten Island-based charity.
"All of the proceeds go to Where To Turn to fund our community projects," said Dennis McKeon, who started the nonprofit on the heels of 9/11.
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The organization gives away toys at Christmas, does community cleanups and helps the elderly.
"We do a snow shoveling for seniors program, we have a senior prom for the senior citizens every year," McKeon said, adding that they also "collect prom dresses and we redistribute them to girls who can't afford them. We distributed about 400 prom dresses this year."
The show features the Beatles cover band the Blue Meanies.
"They can play every Beatles song, they sound just like the Beatles," McKeon said.
The band and the Richmond County Orchestra will perform the full album, song-by-song including the classics "With a Little Help From My Friends," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "When I'm Sixty-Four," and "A Day In The Life."
Veterans and service members get in free.