An exploration of the seminal and transformative 18 months that one of music’s most famous couples — John Lennon and Yoko Ono — spent living in Greenwich Village, New York City, in the early 1970s.

*Join us Saturday, May 24, before the 5 PM screening for a special Beatles tribute performance by Blue Jay Way, a dynamic trio born from Tosco Music’s annual FabFest. The live music begins at 4:30 PM in the Bill Simpson Foundation Auditorium (Auditorium 4), followed by a post-film discussion at 7 PM with author Jay Bergen, musician Steve Stoeckel, and composer Alan Kaufman. Presented in partnership with Tosco Music and FabFest (October 3–4).

About Blue Jay Way:

Blue Jay Way is a dynamic trio dedicated to celebrating the timeless music of The Beatles. Born from Tosco Music’s annual FabFest, Blue Jay Way brings fresh yet faithful energy to the Fab Four’s iconic catalog.  The group is made up of Jackson Harden-guitar, Rob Bloise-piano, and Patrick McFall-percussion.  With their tight harmonies and a deep reverence for the original recordings, the group transports audiences through the Beatles’ evolution — from the early pop hits to later experimental studio sounds, Blue Jay Way delivers a tribute that’s heartfelt, high-energy, and unforgettable.

About the post-screening panel:

Jay Bergen worked as a trial attorney in New York City for 45 years. In 1975, he was given the task of representing John Lennon in his court case against Morris Levy. The two became friends and eventually won their case against Levy in 1976. Bergen released his book “Lennon, the Mobster, & the Lawyer: The Untold Story” in 2022, detailing his time with Lennon during the 1970s. He now lives in Saluda, NC, and was featured at Fabfest in 2023.

Steve Stoeckel joined his first band in 1966. For the last 45 years, he has been one of the leaders of the Spongetones, who are known across the universe, and around the world for their Beatlesque pop music. Along with currently working on a new solo album, the Spongetones will release a new album on Big Stir Records later this year. He lives in Charlotte and owns more Hofner basses than he wants to admit.

Alan Kaufman is an arranger, producer, composer, performer, and educator, originally from New York and living in Charlotte since 1978. He has performed with a wide variety of artists,  ranging from Johnny Cash and Bernadette Peters to Pavarotti and blues great Joe Williams. He has composed and arranged for choir, orchestra and concert band and remembers sitting in front of the TV set when the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show!