#169 – From Me To You with David Pomerleau (bassist, Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes, The Walrus – A New Orleans Beatles Tribute)

The Beatles 3rd single, and their first bonafide #1 hit, is a sub-2 minute blast of all the early hallmarks of early Beatlemania: John & Paul singing together, a super catchy hook, and chord progressions more complex than just about any of their peers were pulling off. And of course, a mop-shaking “wooooo!” The band always viewed this song as a major leap in their songwriting ability and quality, and in learning how to add in complex changes and arrangements, an early and encouraging signal to them that they aren’t bound by conventional means of thinking…about anything.  Joining us this week is our old pal David Pomerleau, who you may have met on our 3rd episode. He’s the bassist for mainstay New Orleans rock/funk band Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes, as well as Jonathan’s bandmate in The Walrus – A New Orleans Beatles Tribute. After quarantine shut down their original bands, David and Jonathan found themselves picking up more Walrus work than ever, as socially distant porch concerts became the only outlet for live music in New Orleans. A band that played maybe 4 shows a year started playing at least 4 shows a month, for pretty much a whole year. So now, after a year diving deeper into Beatles music, we talk about what’s changed in how they view and appreciate Beatles music, and what it’s like playing in a (no-costumes) Beatles tribute band. We also discuss working with changing voices, finding new paths as songwriters and performers, pilot koala bears, and silly Beatles trivia. Follow David’s musical projects Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes (facebook) and The Walrus (instagram @WalrusNOLA) for livestream performances and more!

What do you think? Too high? To low? Just right? Be sure to follow along, leave your comments, and join in on the discussion on the rankings at Facebook (facebook.com/rankingthebeatles), on Twitter @rankingbeatles, and on Instagram @rankingthebeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

Reviews

Judge Timbers

Ranking the songs of the Beatles? What could possibly go wrong? But somehow this podcast gets it just right thanks to the wit and charm of the co-hosts and their guests. The listener quickly discovers the rankings are used not to incite heated arguments but rather as a starting point to spark a positive deep dive into every Beatle song. Put simply, Ranking The Beatles is a welcome addition to the Beatle podcast universe.

spazaru

Required listening if you like The Beatles at all. Great guests every week and Jonathan and Julia are fun and genuinely funny (even the tired Mike Love jokes). I listen every Tuesday morning as soon as I wake up. One week around Christmas they took the week off so I just slept the whole week until there was a new episode. It was worth the wait.

finfan64

Nice to see a truly excellent new Beatles podcast. This one is hosted by a very appealing young couple, who along with their well selected guests, have a winning combination of professional musical knowledge and the enthusiasm of fans. It’s an interesting format that by definition promises to only get better as it goes along. If they can make the “Only a Northern Song” episode good then they’re unstoppable

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