Come Together – A Trip Down Abbey Road

One song from every Beatles album and then Abbey Road in its entirety! “Yes” was the swift reply from the enthusiastic “Beatle-freak,” Andrew Napoli (essie+ nap, Looseleaf), when asked to organize a tribute to Abbey Road for its 50th Anniversary in 2019, and World Cafe Live is thrilled to welcome back the show for its fourth year. The response was automatic after several successful productions of other beloved albums including The Beatles (“White Album”), Rubber Soul, Revolver, and an epic tribute to Sgt. Pepperʼs Lonely Hearts Club Band in 2017 which featured a sitar, horn section, and string quartet. Andrew knows how special Abbey Road was and is to so many people as one of the Beatlesʼ best albums never to have been performed live by the Fab Four. So Napoli assembled some of Phillyʼs best musicians to help bring the music to life. Napoli himself would play the McCartney bass lines but looked to the expertise of Andrew Lipke to help carry the show with soaring vocals and electrifying guitar. Lipke, a South African born, multiinstrumentalist and composer, is active in many different styles has performed across the country, most notably with Amos Lee, and the Led Zeppelin tribute, Get the Led Out. Singer-songwriter Essie Riddle, joins the production on lead and backing vocals, parlaying her bluesy, soulful range into classics like “Oh Darlinʼ.” Riddle is a West Virginia native who studied opera at Westminster Choir College and enjoys merging her classical training with rock and blues sounds. The band also features the talents of drummer Ryan Lutz (Looseleaf), keyboardist/vocalist Nate Graham (Ryan Tennis Band), and guitarist Rory Geoghegan (Secret American). Audiences welcomed Come Together: A Trip Down Abbey Road with sold out performances in 2019 at World Cafe Life (Philadelphia, PA), Newtown Theater (Newtown, PA), and other regional venues. Featuring special guests for each performance, this show is energetic and fun for all ages. The Beatlesʼ universal message of love is ever apparent in Abbey Road and this production will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful to take a sad song and make it better.