The spirit of George Harrison was present in Albany on Friday, March 6, as All You Need it George, an all-star tribute to Harrison took the stage at Lark Hall.
Calling on Harrison’s solo and Beatles catalog, as well as a few collaborations and a tune by Ringo, the night was an affair for those who were drawn to wide-ranging music of “the quiet Beatle.” With a lineup of Jackie Greene (guitar) Steve Kimock (guitar) Pete Lavezzoli (drums) Reed Mathis (bass) Berry Duane Oakley (bass) and Gil Assayas (keys), the supergroup assembled lived up to the hype, and the moment.
With the audience seated off to one side and others opting to stand, the mostly full crowd was familiar with Harrison’s solo work, which was on display throughout Set 1. Much of his 1970 album All Things Must Pass was performed, including “Wah Wah,” “If Not for You,” “Art of Dying,” “My Sweet Lord,” “Isn’t It a Pity,” “Beware of Darkness” and a raucous set-closing “What Is Life” made up a large chunk of the opening frame, and if you were a fan of this album upon release or the 2014 remaster, this was the show for you. “What is Life” was accentuated by keyboardist Gil Assayas’ synth that brought in horns and all the accentuation needed to add polish to these classics. Watch Set 1 here.
With a setlist that worked towards greater familiarity as the show progressed, Set 2 began with a jazzy take on “Taxman,” an evergreen song if there ever was one. “Norwegian Wood” came on strong, then softened before getting airy and light, but never not mellow, channeling the south Asian music Harrison embraced in his career. “I Want to Tell You” off Revolver and “If I Needed Someone” from Rubber Soul celebrated two of Harrison’s contributions to the Beatles catalog, the latter bringing in a West Coast Grateful Dead sound through the likes of guitarists Steve Kimock and Jackie Green. “Something” from Abbey Road was a highlight, albeit brief, but receiving a rousing round of applause.
The plea of “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” was not lost on the crowd who embraced the passionate 1973 tune, while a pair of Traveling Wilburys songs – “End of the Line” and “Handle With Care” – were superbly performed and placed, with the 1987 “Got My Mind Set On You” from Cloud Nine bringing back memories of George’s music video to mind, as well as “Weird Al” Yankovic’s perfect parody, “This Song is Juts Six Words Long.” How often do you get to hear one cover of TW, let alone two, and a 1988 Video Music Awards nominee, all in one set?
To wrap up the set, Ringo Starr’s solo work “It Don’t Come Easy” was a pleasant surprise, while Cream’s “Badge” – which Harrison contributed to as “L’Angelo Misterioso” for contractual reasons – would close the set and was a true highlight of the evening. Watch Set 2 here.
For an encore, another song that featured Eric Clapton, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was performed alone, leaving only “Here Comes the Sun” as the lone Harrison song to not make the cut this evening. No bother, this was a fresh take on Harrison’s catalog – the first perhaps, for a tribute band – and with no notes, as the feeling George’s music provided was worth the price of admission.
Catch All You Need is George this week:
3/11 Chevalier Theatre – Medford, MA
3/12 Newton Theatre – Newton, NJ
3/13 Penn’s Peak – Jim Thorpe, PA
3/14 The Hamilton – Washington, DC
3/15 Tarrytown Music Hall – Tarrytown, NY
All You Need is George – Lark Hall, Albany – Friday, March 6, 2026
Set 1: Wah Wah, Awaiting on You All, If Not for You, Art of Dying, Let It Roll, My Sweet Lord, Isn’t It a Pity, Beware of Darkness > Jam (Within You Without You), What Is Life
Set 2: Taxman > Norwegian Wood > I Want to Tell You > If I Needed Someone, Something, Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth), End of the Line, Got My Mind Set On You, Handle with Care, It Don’t Come Easy > Badge
Encore: While My Guitar Gently Weeps
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