Cheap Trick brings Magic to Sgt. Pepper's at the Hollywood Bowl

Each night on August 10th and 11th, 18,000 people filled the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles to observe what was publicized as “Sgt. Pepper’s at 40 … A Beatles Celebration.”

Since the Beatles never performed the Sgt. Pepper' s Lonely Hearts Club Band live, the idea was to present the album in its entirety on its 40th anniversary. The evening featured veteran rockers Cheap Trick, as well as solo acts by Aimee Mann, Joan Osborne, Rob Laufer, Ian Ball and Al Jourgensen from Ministry. All were backed by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra with Edwin Outwater conducting and longtime Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick managing the in-house sound.

The first half of the show highlighted various well-known songs from albums such as Rubber Soul, The White Album, Magical Mystery Tour, Let It Be and Abbey Road, while all the songs on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band were performed by Cheap Trick after the intermission.

Yet something extraordinary transpired between listeners and musical artists. Many concert goers remarked it was magical, or a night where magic filled the air. How apropos. The name Cheap Trick implies magic, and they performed the song Magical Mystery Tour to boot. The Beatles also included a photo of Aleister Crowley, well known occultist and practitioner of magic, on the famous cover of the Sgt. Pepper’s album. So magic appears to be a fitting theme for the musical jubilee.

Music has been associated with magic for centuries, and in Jonathan Goldman’s book Healing Sounds, he states, “In the Ancient Mystery Schools, the priests and magicians were often also the musicians.” Why? Because all three roles became intertwined since it was believed they each had the power to heal and transform the human body and psyche.

The word magic often conjures images of Harry Potter-like wizardry, tricks and illusions, but the origins of magic are actually closely tied to alchemy. Alchemy focused not only on the physical transformation of base metals into gold, but spiritual transformation. At the core of spiritual transformation is healing. So is the Magical Mystery Tour offering us a proposition to embark on an odyssey of magic, music and healing?

Steve Turner, renowned British music journalist and author of The Gospel According to the Beatles poses a similar question in his book. "Were we being invited to a show or a form of ritual where we would be taken on a spiritual journey? Was this an invitation or an initiation?" Who can say for sure the meaning of the lyrics, but John Lennon and George Harrison openly spoke about their quest for spiritual understanding and enlightenment. Their songs often reflect what they found to be at the heart of their seeking: love.

Esoteric magic and alchemy attempted to bring about a transformation within an individual so that their emotional pain could be healed, thereby moving them closer to feelings of joy and love. That’s why music can be so magical. It generally bypasses our linear, logical thinking and connects us to the seat of our emotions which can instantly transform or influence our mood. It’s difficult to hear the light-hearted Sgt. Pepper’s tune and not feel joy. The closer we move to joy, the nearer we are to feeling love.

The real magic of the Sgt. Pepper’s 40th anniversary gala was summed up by the encore. The entire ensemble of singers and musicians linked arms and performed "All You Need Is Love." They couldn’t have picked a more perfect song to reinforce the spirit of a special night where love and magic filled the air. Love (and a little magic) is all we need to get us through a hard day’s night.