After last year’s streaming-only show, an enthusiastic crowd welcomed Curtiss A and his all-star band of friends and fellow rock & rollers back to First Avenue’s Mainroom on Wednesday, Dec. 8 for his 42nd tribute show commemorating the anniversary of John Lennon’s death. (A livestream was also available this year for those who chose to watch remotely.)

The marathon set included songs from every era of Lennon’s career but, switching it up from last year, they performed in essentially reverse order - starting with the solo years, followed by the later Beatles era and, after a break, a final set of early Beatles songs and early songs covered by the Beatles.

The band was large and included a number of “reinforcements” to help out with the marathon set as players came and went - some taking over for the second half and others who joining for a song or two. The nearly four-hour (!) show must have quite the project just to coordinate all the logistics onstage. There were at times a string quartet, a small horn section and an ever-rotating cast of bass players.

Some of the musicians there for the entire show included former Clams singer Cindy Lawson; Greg Inhofer on keyboards; Bongo John Haga on drums; and the always solid Terry Isaacson and Steve Brantseg on guitars. Dave Boquist joined on acoustic guitar and his son Shane was featured on vocals for a version of “I’m Only Sleeping.” Lawson and backup vocalist Jim May took the lead on “Dear Prudence” and Greg Inhofer took a turn in the spotlight for “Here, There and Everywhere” while Curt took a well-needed break. 

Curtiss recently turned 70 and announced that he was also celebrating being cleared of an unspecified cancer that he’d been diagnosed with in recent years, making the return to the live stage with a real audience again this year even sweeter.

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Setlist
Give Peace a Chance
Instant Karma
Cold Turkey
I’m Losing You
Isolation
Crippled Inside
Watching the Wheels
#9 Dream
Mind Games
Jealous Guy
Whatever Gets You Thru the Night
(Just Like) Starting Over
Be Bop a Lula
20 Flight Rock/Rip It Up
Yer Blues

Revolution
Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Come Together 
I Want You / She’s So Heavy
Hey Bulldog
Don’t Let Me Down
Dear Prudence (Cindy Lawson)
Here, There and Everywhere (Greg Inhofer)
In My Life
A Day in the Life / We Can Work It Out / Tomorrow Never Knows
Strawberry Fields Forever
I Am the Walrus
Glass Onion
Happiness is a Warm Gun
The Word
The End

Rain
And Your Bird Can Sing
I’m Only Sleeping (Shane Boquist)
Nowhere Man
Day Tripper
Ticket to Ride
Help!
I’m a Loser
I Feel Fine
Hard Day’s Night
No Reply
Any Time At All
You Can’t Do That
Tell Me Why
It Won’t Be Long
All I’ve Gotta Do
From Me To You
Please Please Me
Rock and Roll Music
Money
Boys (Bongo John Haga)
Please Mr. Postman (Lawson)
Twist and Shout
Bad Boy (Brantseg)
Slow Down
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
I Saw Her Standing There
Hippy Hippy Shake