Capturing Beatlemania: An Interview with the Tribute Band Beatle Nation, Keeping the Spirit Alive

Ladies and gentlemen, on December 16, the Army Navy Club will get ready to step back in time and relive the magic of the legendary Beatles as Cornwall Welcomes the Tribute Band Beatle Nation, who has been captivating audiences with their authentic renditions of the Fab Four’s timeless classics! Today, we have the privilege of sitting down with Ed Lauzon, and as we delve into their world, we’ll uncover the passion and dedication that drives this talented group of musicians to pay homage to one of the most iconic bands in music history.

• How did your band members become such dedicated Beatles fans, and what inspired you to form a tribute band?

I think as musicians, we were all inspired by the music and the songwriting talents of the individual members of the Beatles and especially the Lennon-McCartney songwriting duo. They set the bar very high in nineteen sixties, so much that they are among the best songwriters of modern-day music. Personally, I have always been drawn to the melodic basslines written by Paul McCartney and how well-suited to the song they are. As our Beatle tribute band was being formed I just had to seize the opportunity.

• Can you share any interesting anecdotes or stories from previous Beatles tribute shows you’ve performed?

I will never forget the first time a group from Cornwall showed up to one of our shows in Ottawa. They had gone out of their way to have their own band shirts created with the band members’ names printed on the sleeves as well as having organized a chartered bus for transportation to and from the show. I knew right then that we were onto something great.

• How do you approach the challenge of replicating the vocal harmonies that are such a trademark of The Beatles’ music?

Our individual voices understandably differ from that of the original Beatles so we employ subtle shifts in vocal arrangements (who sings which harmony) so we’re able to sound closer to the original recording. Dedicated vocal rehearsals are important in getting things to sound exactly the way we want them to.

• What do you think sets your Beatles tribute band apart from others, and how do you capture the essence of The Beatles’ music?

We really don’t focus on other bands nor spend time comparing us to other Beatles Tributes. We feel our time and energy are better spent on improving our own product. We identify our individual musical strengths and strive to collectively push them to the maximum to make our product as good as possible.

• What message or feeling do you hope the audience takes away from your show, especially in the context of celebrating The Beatles’ timeless music? 

Our show is chronologized from the early Beatles hits to the latter, as if taking a musical journey from 1963 to 1970. Great attention is paid to detail, from instruments to wardrobe. We utilize Rickenbacker guitars, Hofner basses, Ludwig drums, and Vox amplifiers to mimic the tone of the Beatles’ original sound.

As live performers, we want to give the audience their money’s worth so they walk away feeling satisfied with having shared their evening with us. We never take our fans for granted and do our best to say hello to as many as we can after the performance. I believe this is one of the reasons we have built such a loyal fanbase.

• How can fans purchase tickets for the Cornwall show, and do you have any special promotions or merchandise available for this particular performance?

Tickets for the Cornwall show on Sat., Dec. 16th are $25 each and are available at the Army Navy Air Force Club, 14 Marlborough Street, as well as online through eventbrite.com. We will have Beatle Nation t-shirts available for sale and hope to have ball caps ready by that date as well. We hope to see many Beatles fans at our upcoming show. We have been working hard on fine-tuning our performance and we will not disappoint.