Flower Power comes to Sumter Opera House

Two great shows combined with Memorial Day weekend bring the Flower Power movement to the Sumter Opera House in Downtown Sumter.

On Saturday at 7:30 p.m., you’ll swear The Beatles are in the house. Whether you’re yearning for early melodies such as “Michelle” or later favorites such as “Hey Jude” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” you’ll want to be in the audience when The Return, a Beatles tribute band, comes to the Sumter Opera House.

Follow that with Sunday’s event at 7:30 p.m. when The Lovin’ Spoonful, the ’60s music sensation famous for hits including “Do You Believe in Magic,” “Daydream” and “Summer in the City” brings its high-energy, hand-clapping show to the Sumter Opera House.

If you missed your opportunity to see the Beatles live and in concert, come see The Return. More than a decade ago, the group played to a nearly sold-out show last time they were in Sumter.

“We’ve had many requests to bring them back to Sumter,” Sumter Opera House Cultural Manager Seth Reimer said. “We were ecstatic to find a date for them to come back to our stage!”

The Return begins each show with a tribute to the early Beatles and playing songs found on albums including “Meet the Beatles” and “Rubber Soul.” They follow the early years with songs made famous later such as “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club” and the “Magical Mystery Tour.”

Not only has The Return matched sounds of The Beatles, playing on identical instruments and using the same brand of amplifiers, but they have also perfected the harmonies and head movements made famous by the Fab Four. They have perfected movements of each band member down to John Lennon chewing gum on stage.
The band got its start in 1995 playing songs made famous by The Beatles. They realized they were on to something big by the response from the ever-growing crowds. The Return band members worked tirelessly to perfect each song note for note. Their efforts paid off as they hired an agent and have now appeared in many countries around the world, including England.

The Lovin’ Spoonful was one of the most successful pop/rock groups to have jug band and folk roots, and nearly half the songs on their first album were modernized versions of blues standards. Their popularity revived interest in the form, and many subsequent jug bands cite them as an inspiration. The rest of their albums featured mostly original songs, but their jug band roots showed up again and again, particularly in “Daydream” and the lesser-known “Money,” featuring a typewriter as percussion.

The band worked with producer Erik Jacobsen to release its first single on July 20, 1965, “Do You Believe in Magic,” written by John Sebastian. “Do You Believe in Magic” reached No. 9 on the Hot 100, and the band followed it up with a series of hit singles and albums throughout 1965 and 1966, all produced by Jacobsen.

The Lovin’ Spoonful became known for such folk-flavored pop hits as “You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice,” which reached No. 10, and “Daydream,” which went to No. 2. Their only song to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 was “Summer in the City.”

Later that year, the No. 10 hit “Rain on the Roof” and the No. 8 hit “Nashville Cats” (which went on to become a staple in the concerts of bluegrass legend Del McCoury) completed the group’s first seven consecutive Hot 100 hits to reach that chart’s top 10. The only other 1960s act to achieve that feat is Gary Lewis & the Playboys.

Tickets are $25-$35 for both groups. The Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St., has ample free parking available within several blocks. For more information about this and any other upcoming shows, visit www.SumterOperaHouse.com online or call (803) 436-2616.