Performance of the Beatles' 'Revolver' and 'Abbey Road' to benefit Autism Think Tank and the Children’s Music Fund

Is is just me, or does it seem that just about every news release landing in my inbox this week has something to do with the Fab Four? Well, if it takes a massive 50th anniversary celebration of the Beatles arrival in the U.S. to highlight benefits like this one, that's a good thing!

WILD HONEY PRESENTS THE BEATLES’ REVOLVER AND ABBEY ROAD LIVE ONSTAGE Benefit for the Autism Think Tank and the Children’s Music Fund to take place Saturday, March 1, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre

Colin Hay LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Benefit-concert producers the Wild Honey Foundation, with generous support fromTruetone Music, will present the classic Beatles records Revolver and Abbey Road albums, performed in their entirety and in order by a star-studded house band and guest singers. The event, which will benefit the Autism Think Tank and the Children’s Music Fund, will take place Saturday, March 1, 2014 at 8 p.m., at the historic Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 4401 W. 8th St., Los Angeles. Current members of the Wild Honey Orchestra include a who’s who of respected L.A. recording artists: musical director Rob Laufer, guitar, vocals; Jim Laspesa (Dave Davies/Susannah Hoffs), drums; Derrick Anderson (Bangles), bass; Rusty Squeezebox (Baby Lemonade, Love), guitar; Willie Aron, keyboards, vocals; Jordan Summers, keyboards; Nelson Bragg (Brian Wilson Band), percussion, vocals; multi-instrumentalist Probyn Gregory (Brian Wilson Band); Sarah Kramer, horns; and Kaitlin Wolfberg, strings; with special guest appearances by current Paul McCartney guitarist Rusty Anderson (schedule pending) and Laurence Juber (Wings). Guitar legend Laurence Juber Vocalists include The Bangles, Matthew Sweet, Al Stewart, Denny Laine (Wings, Moody Blues), Jody Stephens (Big Star), Grammy Award-winner Dan Wilson, Colin Hay (Men at Work), The Muffs, Chris Stamey (The dB’s), Paisley Underground legends The Three O'Clock, Louise Goffin, Christine Collister (Richard Thompson band),  Paul Chastain (Velvet Crush), Tommy Keene, David Marks (Beach Boys), Keith Allison (Paul Revere & the Raiders/stellar 1960s sideman), Tim Piper/Cosmo Topper (Just Imagine Show), Rob Laufer, Darian Sahanaja (Wondermints), John Wicks (The Records), John Easdale (Dramarama), Val McCullam (Jackshit, Jackson Browne), Steve Stanley (the Now People). Mike Viola, Steve Barton & Dave Scheff (Translator), Bill Berry, Kristian Hoffman, Andrew Sandoval, David Goodstein, Morty Coyle, and the always-possible Very Special Guests.  The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet. As with last year’s sold-out Wild Honey Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper show at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, this event will benefit the  Autism Think Tank The non-profit organization brings together a team of top autism specialists, via an Internet medical conference, to tackle the seemingly intractable and painful medical/psychological issues faced by kids like Wild Honey co-organizer Paul Rock’s nine-year-old son Jake, a non-verbal autistic boy with extreme digestive distress and self-injury issues. Thanks to Jake’s recent involvement with the Think Tank (made possible by one of the three sponsorships raised by the previous show), there has been a huge reduction in his digestive-distress-induced self-injury. Building on this success, the proceeds from this show will help the Think Tank relieve the suffering of even more kids like Jake.   The show will also support the  Children’s Music Fund, a Southern California non-profit, in their effort to provide music therapy and musical instruments for children, adolescents, and young adults with chronic or life-altering illness. Founded by Autism Think Tank member Dr. Raffi Tachdjiian, an UCLA allergist and pediatric pain specialist, the Children’s Music Fund works to harness the amazing healing power of playing and listening to music to reduce the pain and suffering of kids with autism, cancer, and many other debilitating conditions.   Dating back to 1994, Wild Honey’s grassroots benefit/tribute shows have featured appearances by Brian Wilson,Dave Davies from the Kinks, the late Alex Chilton, Danny Hutton from Three Dog Night, Chuck Negron, Dan Wilson, P.F. Sloan, John Brion, Peter Case, The Plimsouls, Victoria Williams, The Williams Brothers, Dave Alvin, The Blue Shadows, Aimee Mann, Michael Penn, Scott Miller from the Loud Family, Ann Magnuson, and so many more. The shows have been produced at various Los Angeles-area locations including the Morgan-Wixson Theater in Santa Monica, the Roxy, the Knitting Factory (Hollywood) and the El Rey Theatre. Over the years, Wild Honey shows have raised funds and awareness for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, Habitat for Humanity, the Liberty Hill Foundation, USC Norris Cancer Center, and the Coalition to End Gun Violence while paying tribute to musical idols:  Brian Wilson, The Kinks, The Byrds, The Everly Brothers, The Hollies, Harry Nilsson, Pete Townshend, solo Paul McCartney, and Elvis Costello.   For more information about the Autism Think Tank and the Children’s Music Fund please go tohttp://www.autismthinktanknj.com/http://thecmf.org/who-we-are For more information on the Wild Honey Foundation, please go to:https://www.facebook.com/groups/183120448393501/