Simply put, Nowhere Boy is a film that all Beatles and John Lennon fans should go out and see on its opening weekend, October 8th. What better way to celebrate John’s life than to see this moving story of John’s formative adolescent years. It really gives a new look at this time in John’s life we hadn’t seen on film before. The details and songs were accurate and obviously researched quite well. Sam Taylor-Wood did a wonderful job directing, showing John as accurately as can be, without it looking anything at all like a documentary. Aaron Johnson (in attendance) was terrific as John, and the rest of the cast-super. I feel like I got a little better sense of who John was and what gave him his drive to get to the ‘toppermost of the poppermost’. Yoko spoke briefly about the filmakers and how she really loves the film and what they did with John’s story. Producer Harvey Weinstein read a message from Paul, after the film, saying something like he liked the guy who played him, but he was better looking. Paul also had best wishes to the Quarrymen and to keep on rockin! They performed 3 songs live on stage at the conclusion of the movie. Other notables in attendance – Billy J. Kramer, Mark Hudson, Ken Dashow (Q104.3), Little Steven, Will Lee, Michael Stipe, Bob Gruen, Harvey Keitel, Ethan Hawke, Billy Connolly, Salman Rushdie. Our own  Martin Lewis was responsible for putting the premiere together and for providing the Free Tickets for our giveaway. The first thing Harvey Weinstein said on stage was ‘I want to thank Martin Lewis, without whom none of this would have happened.” Congratulations on a job extremely well done, Martin. At the private afterparty, 2 time FEST FOR BEATLES FANS Battle of the Beatles Bands winners Blueberry Acres entertained in a real recording studio. Their ages were pretty much the same as the Quarrymen were when they began. Len Garry of the Quarrymen noted that these kids were much better than they were!

If you live in the NY/NJ area, remember, tomorrow (Thursday) night at the NJ PAC in Newark, there will be a full concert by The Quarrymen, preceded by an advance screening of Nowhere Boy.

Below are some of the comments from fans we sent to the premiere:

I would like to truly thank you for a wonderful evening. The movie was great and The Quarrymen were fun. My seats were fantastic (first row center). My wife and I cannot thank you enough for such a splendid and enjoyable time.

My personal thanks for the opportunity to have been part of last nights NOWHERE BOY premier, it’s a night I will remember for some time to come.  You, your staff. The Weinstein Co, The Quarrymen, et al did a FANTASTIC job!  Again, my niece and I were thrilled to be part of it!

A heartfelt thanks for allowing me to attend the opening.  It was great to see Yoko speak as well as Harvey Weinstein and the director etc….the movie was fantastic, and seeing the Quarrymen play three songs afterwards was a great sight!

Over 500 fans tried to win one of the 50 pairs of tickets for tonight U.S. Premiere of Nowhere Boy in NYC. We actually ended up giving away more than the 50 we announced, and there are no more. Some fans are traveling from as far away as Virginia and Georgia to attend. You gave us a challenge trying to pick the winners – so many great comments. We look forward to seeing all winners tonight. Please feel free to write us your thoughts and comments on the film. We will post some of those as well. Remember, Nowhere Boy opens nationwide on October 8th. It is a story about John’s formative years leading up to the formation of The Beatles. Everybody should go see it on the opening weekend. What better way to celebrate what would have been John’s 70th birthday (Oct 9th).

Here are all of the winners reasons they wanted to attend:

I’ve got a feeling She said, She said Tell me what you see. I want to tell you Yes it is a Ticket to ride to NYC to see Nowhere Boy.

I don’t want to spoil the party, but I can act naturally around a crowd of celebs! Please give me a ticket to ride!

Because my 14 year old son Tristan LOVES the Beatles more than anything!!!! And I love him more than anything,and these are the things we do for those we love!

I’ve been lucky enough to see Paul and Ringo in concert several times, and although I was 13 when I went to my first Beatlefest in 1977(!), I did not live in NYC until the late 1980’s, and never had the chance to meet John. Attending the premier will make me feel one step closer to having known John, as odd as that sounds, and otherwise it’s wonderful that you have the chance to send 100 people there.

The Beatles and their music has influenced the world.
When my daughter, now 29, was an infant, I would play The Beatles for her,
it would lull her to sleep and, now many years later, her love of their music equals mine.

Simply put because I ”Imagine!”

It’s my Daughter’s Birthday on the 21st and she is going to be 25 yrs old. She is a Beatle fan, but I on the other hand am THE BEATLE FAN!!!!

It would be an honor seeing this film commemorating John’s 70th Birthday. I have been a fan of the Beatles since seeing them on the Ed Sullivan Show as a 5 year old in 1964.

I would LOVE to attend because I really love John Lennon and think he was really an amazing human being. I’m very excited to see the movie which may give us a glimpse of how it was for a member of the greatest rock band to grow up through life’s struggles when he just a young lad.

A) this should be seen in a real theater ( i saw the trailer at th e fest in NJ last march, and have been looking forward ! )
B) it would be a very cool thing to see with my daughter.

I’ve been a fan of John ever since I saw him perform with the Beatles in ’64 on Ed Sullivan. As as musican myself, I continue to be inspired by his work.

Throughout my life, I have been taught many valuable life lessons and have been motivated by many inspirational “words of love and wisdom” through the music of the Beatles. I would love to attend the special premiere with my daughter so I can share with her the insights into the special ”magic and soul” of John Lennon.

I IMAGINE this would be the best night IN MY LIFE. DON’T LET ME DOWN.

Nothing would mean more to me than seeing a film about the poet and musician I love best in the city that he loved best. Shine on, John!

John Lennon’s impact on music is something that can’t be put into words. The fact that the premiere is in New York and is approaching what would have been Lennon’s 70th birthday is quite fitting and I would like nothing more than to experience this once in a lifetime film in person.

I would like to attend because I have been working long hours and weekends throughout the summer so I never had a vacation this summer. Winning tickets to see this movie would be my summer vacation, plus it would force me to leave my desk early and see that there is life outside of work.

I am a lifelong Beatle fan since seeing them on the 6pm news in the Fall of 1963. I attend Beatlefest annually since 1974 and am so grateful that Mark and Carol create the venue for us fans to express our Beatle love and enable us to make like minded friends – I live the philosophy of the Beatles and promote it everywhere ”In My Life”.

As a Beatles Dealer ”in the business”, it is rare for me to just ”enjoy” an evening of sharing the love I have for John Lennon & The Beatles with other fellow Lennon and Beatles fans. This would be one of those few rare opportunities to finally just let myself go and ”enjoy”.

True Beatles fan. Went to first concert at Shea Stadium and went to the Dakota that fateful night. Always attend THE FEST and a member of the Beatles NY meet-up group.

Because I saw the trailer at the NY/NJ Fest earlier this year and it looked terrific.

We’ve loved traveling to learn more about John’s life- we’ve been to Liverpool and London, and even got to see the Quarrymen in Florida, thanks to the Fest. It would be great to see the Nowhere Boy premiere in New York City, not only because we have seen Imagine:John Lennon and Lennon:The Musical there, but because it is the city he loved as an adult.

I want to attend the premiere because the early, pre-fame period of the Beatles is one of my favorite periods in Beatles history, because those years signify hope, determination, and yearning to me. The Beatles continue to have an impact on people’s lives to this day, mine included, and none of it would have been possible without the early hard work, determination, and yearning to be ”toppermost of the poppermost”.

Great event to attend with my 23 yr old daughter who has been on the Magical Mystery Tour in Liverpool.Because John Lennon & Imagine are so important to our family, last year I got a tattoo of his self-portrait, with Imagine written under it,as a tribute to my late dad.

Any look at the formative years of John Lennon, even a fictionalized one, is bound to entertain, much like the music legend himself. Besides, in NYC, it’s rare to get an opportunity like this for free!

I have been a lifelong Beatlefan, and have a deep profound love and appreciation of their music and all the lore and mystic surrounding it and them, as well as their broad, yet truly immeasurable influence on popular music and culture. Please put aside a pair of this premiere of ’’Nowhere Boy’’ tickets for my wife and I, and we’ll be exceedingly grateful.

’cuz I was there at the time…….

I’m obsessed with the beatles since I can ever remember and even have a tattoo for them (strawberry fields tattoo on my back). I would love to attend the premiere and experience this. I’ve never missed a fest and live for the beatles!

I’m a first generation Beatles fan, follow all things ”Beatle” and have attended EVERY NYC area B’Fest since 1975!!!

I am the ultimate Beatle Fan and John has always been my favorite since I saw him perform at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in 1964. I would be honored to attend the premiere.

From teaching me as a toddler to sing along to every word of Strawberry Fields Forever and bringing me to my first Beatlefest at what was then known as the ”Meadowlands Hilton” as a 6 year-old, my dad has always made daddy-daughter time very special. His birthday is coming up, and I’d love the chance to return the favor and have another splendid time bonding with my dad.

The life of John Lennon, has influenced my own life in so many ways as to be unimaginable. Without his music, life and character to research, admire, and enjoy, I would not have been motivated or strong enough to achieve many of the things I fought for in my life.

My sister’s birthday is September 21st. Since she was at the Beatles 1965 Shea Stadium show and has been an avid fan since… FOREVER… I couldn’t think of a better gift to give her than a ticket to this wonderful movie!

SINCE ATTENDING MY FIRST CONCERT EVER (THE BEATLES 1965 CONCERT AT SHEA STADIUM WHEN I WAS 11 YEARS), I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A HUGE BEATLES FAN AND I ATTEND THE FEST EVERY YEAR. IT WOULD BE A BIG HONOR TO ATTEND THE PREMIERE OF THIS LENNON MOVIE.

OK look, John’s my guy, always has been, always will be. Ever since I was eleven years old and I saw The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show…..oh man, I just told you how old I am.

My girlfriend is a Beatles fanatic, and has made me a fan. I have been trying to come up with a perfect place or way to propose and thought that this would be it.

I saw the previews for this film at the Jersey Fest this past March (I’ve been at EVERY ’Fest since 1974!) and I would LOVE the opportunity to see this film in the company of other like-minded Lennon fans. Lennon’s birthday has always been a reason for me to celebrate, and this movie premiere would be the ultimate way for me to ”connect” with my hero; the greatest rocker of all time…John Lennon.

I have been a Beatles fan for most of my life….I am 59, and John is my favorite. Attending this premiere would give me the opportunity to be a part of something very special and it is an opportunity I will not ever likely have again.

i would like to take my 12 year old son who is a huge JL fan, like his dad.

In addition to being a Beatles fan I’ve also been a fan of ”The Man from UNCLE” with David McCallum since ’64. In order to bring things full cycle, I’d like to give the star of ”Nowhere Boy” a copy of ”Violent Playground”, the 1958 film in which David plays a character named John, the leader of a group of Liverpool teenagers.

I’m an OB/GYN– a real life ”Doctor Robert”. Per John’s lyric, day or night I’ll be there anytime at all– thus, I feel it would be a violation of John’s wishes for me not to attend this premiere!

John’s had a huge impact on my life since the moment I first saw him in Help!. Seeing his life before The Beatles on the big screen will most definitely be an experience like none other and one surely not to pass up.

No one has effected the world and my life like the Beatles…..There will NEVER be another Beatles. ALL the citzens of the world are just a little bit better because of the Beatles and their mark on the world……

I am proud to say that I am one of the biggest Beatles fan in the world, their music runs through me every day. Let’s face it, what other band who hasn’t recorded since 1969 still goes to number 1 and wins grammy awards in the 21st Century?

As a lifelong fan of The Beatles and Lennon in particular, and a longtime Fest attendee (since the 1970’s) I have a special interest in the early formative years of the group, and the years specifically in Lennon’s life that led up to the earliest days of the band,
I am as excited about the thought of attending this premiere as I was when I was able to luckily attend an advance NYC screening of IMAGINE in 1988 and I hope I can be among the lucky ones to also attend this new magical night.

I want to be able to win these tickets because my daughter, Elisha, just moved to Montclair, NJ to attend grad school for MUSIC THERAPY. She is interning at the adult pyschiatric hospital in the Bronx and the first day she sang for the residents they all wanted the Beatles songs played and sang by her WHICH IS HER FAVORITE MUSIC SINCE SHE WAS 7 YEARS OLD.

John represents the most gifted musician of all. He has touched countless generations and it is fitting that his life is chronicled on film. He has been missed daily for thirty years, the songs that have gone unwritten are missed, but his life continues to be celebrated by the world and his message of PEACE lives on.

The most exciting event of my life happened in 1976 when I was lucky enough to run into John in NYC and kissed him!! I’d love to attend this event where I can have a great time with all my Beatles-minded friends from the Fest.

I am an NYC-based lifelong fan, scholar, and collector of the Beatles, and, as with most artists, find the early formative period to be perhaps the most fascinating – which for the Beatles is the period represented in this film. In the past two years I have made trips to Liverpool, Hamburg, and London, where I have visited all of the important sites that were part of the early days!

The Beatles are my life! I’m 18 years old and I’ve been obsessed with the Beatles since I was 9. I don’t know what I’d do without them. They saved my life!

The long-awaited premiere of Nowhere Boy takes place next Tuesday (September 21) at a secret location in New York City. YOU could be there with all the stars!
The Fest is very proud to be a part of this premiere and we have 50 PAIRS OF TICKETS for the premiere to award to lucky prize-winners! All you have to do is tell us why you want to attend this special event, in two sentences or less, in the form below. The 50 winners will each get 2 tickets for the premiere.  The premiere takes place in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday September 21.  To get the best seats, you will want to arrive by 6.00pm.  So if you enter this contest – be sure that you can attend if you’re a winner. You must be 18 years or older to enter.

Winners will be notified by email by 10:00pm EDT this Sunday.  To attend you MUST respond to that email – confirming that you will definitely attend no later than 5:00PM on Monday. Then we will tell you where the location of the premiere will be.
John Lennon’s 70th birthday – cool links!

• Overview of John Lennon 70th anniversary:  www.HappyBirthdayJohn.org
• The “Happy Birthday John!” Concert in NYC:   http://tinyurl.com/2fm339o
• Fan Video Tributes to John Lennon:  http://tinyurl.com/3xos23q
• “Nowhere Boy” trailer:  http://tinyurl.com/2dmpl96
• “Nowhere Boy” official website:  www.NowhereBoy.com
• The West Coast Premiere of “Nowhere Boy”: www.ModsAndRockers.com
• The Quarrymen 2010 US Tour:  www.TheQuarrymen.info
• The Quarrymen – fan video tribute:  http://tinyurl.com/2vyvanw

Special $5 per ticket discount for the first show of the Quarrymen “Happy Birthday John!” tour!
Thursday September 23rd at the NJPAC in Newark, NJ

Each show on the tour includes an exclusive Sneak Preview of the new movie Nowhere Boy and a full-length concert by John Lennon’s original band-mates The Quarrymen – The Band That Became The Beatles. They have been Special Guests at previous FESTs. Now see them in a Concert Hall!!

The tour starts next week in Newark – on Thursday Sept 23rd.  Friends of the Fest get a $5 discount on each ticket.

Details:
1)    Go to The Show:  http://tinyurl.com/27ly3zu
2)    Instant register with the site (it’s easy and free)
3)    Click on Buy Now button
4)    Select seats
5)    Proceed to check out
6)    In space for promotional code enter: The Fest

Full tour details:  http://www.TheQuarrymen.info/
Other John celebrations:   http://www.HappyBirthdayJohn.org

Who is Harry Nilsson…and Why is Everybody Talkin’ About Him? opened last Friday, at the Cinema Theatre, in NYC and the response was a resounding two thumbs up!! If you live in the area, we urge you to see this special film about a special friend to the Beatles and to the FEST. It is playing through this Thursday. It will also be opening soon in Los Angeles and Seattle. Pictured, just after the screening, are (L-R) Carol Lapidos, David Leaf (Producer of Who is Harry… & Producer of U.S. Vs. John Lennon), John Scheinfeld (Producer, Writer, Director), Harry’s Wife Una Nilsson, and Mark Lapidos. Photo by David Peel.

Sept 14th Update: The film is doing so well, it has been extended for another week.

Just preceding last night’s MTV Video Music Award’s show, VH1 had a special program where they counted down the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. It was no surprise at all The Beatles came in at Number ONE! They had celebs talk about The Beatles and had some good clips from various points in their careers. One cute clip shows Ozzy Osbourne saying he wanted to become the ‘fifth’ Beatle.

Next Saturday, Sept 18th, GLEN BURTNIK and Friends will perform the entire albums of Help, Rubber Soul and Let It Be at the NJ State Theatre in New Brunswick at 9:00PM. Glen and fellow LIVERPOOL member JOHN MERJAVE will be joined by many other musicians for a very special evening.

For fans to take advantage of the discount online,  click here, then click BUY REAL TIME TICKETS, then sign in with promo code getback, and then purchase tickets. Or, charge by phone at 732-246-7469 and mention getback. When buying online, fans must be logged in with the promo code prior to choosing seats in order to get the discount. You will save $5.00 per ticket.

Hope to see you there.

Perhaps there is a little Instant Karma working here, but two wonderful separate movies about two dear friends are being released shortly. First up is a documentary, Who is Harry Nilsson…and Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him? The Beatles called Harry their favorite American singer and he was best friends with John and Ringo. This film about his life opens this Friday, September 10th at the Cinema Theater, 22 East 12th St, NYC. We were privileged to have a sneak preview at last month’s Chicago FEST and it was very well received. John Scheinfeld (Director, Writer,Producer) will be there in person on Friday and Saturday’s 7:30PM and 10:00PM shows for a Q & A following the film. For Tickets or more information, CLICK HERE.

As we anxiously await the release of Nowhere Boy on Friday, October 8th, a film about John’s youth (which we also sneak previewed in Chicago), we can tell you that there will be a series of concerts by John’s first band, The Quarrymen, where Nowhere Boy will be shown just prior to the concerts. Go to www.HappyBirthdayJohn.org for Tour details. The first of these special events take place at the NJ PAC in Newark on Thursday, Sept 23rd. If you live in the area, it is a great place to see the movie and The Quarrymen. Hope to see you there.

THIS DAY IN BEATLES HISTORY: It was 36 years ago TODAY, September 7, 1974 the first day of the first Beatlefest (as it was called back then) was held at the old Commodore Hotel in NYC. That was the FEST that John truly almost showed up to pick the winner of his guitar that he autographed for charity. The convention made the cover story of Rolling Stone Magazine, a month later, written by the late Joel Siegel. The cover headline was Strange Rumblings in Pepperland!

Although over a month away, many celebrations are being planned to celebrate the birth of John Lennon, 70 years ago, on October 9th. Yoko will again be in Iceland for the Imagine Peace Tower Lighting Ceremony. Closer to home, we have the release of Nowhere Boy to look forward to. Keep checking on some special announcements concerning this outstanding Feature Movie, in theaters on October 8th. For more info, go to www.NowhereBoy.com. There are some other cool sites. Dave Haber of BeatlesNews.com, has set up one just for all the news you want about the celebrations – www.HappyBirthdayJohn.org. John’s first band, The Quarrymen (former FEST Guests) are coming to the states for a Tour they are calling the Happy Birthday, John 2010 US Tour. For all the details on the tour, go to http://www.TheQuarrymen.info/.

We have also noticed some pretty interesting videos popping up on YouTube. Check out this one, for example- CLICK HERE.

The image shown here is from a Brand New Black Light Poster, coming out in about 3 weeks.

August 24, 1968, I hear Hey Jude for the first time. It was on WABC -in New York and It was on a small transistor radio. I was a waiter at Kutsher’s CC in the Catskills and I was half asleep, in between breakfast and lunch work. It seemed to go on forever. I couldn’t get over what I had just heard! To me, it is the greatest song ever. In college that fall, I would not leave the car if it was on the radio until the song was over (and it was on every single hour, during its nine week run at Number One.) Needless to say, I was late for many classes in my senior year!!! All these years later it is still 7:11 of pure joy and magic. The final song that Liverpool performs at the FESTS is always Hey Jude. Go have a listen to it today. See what I mean.