He doesn’t sing or play an instrument. Instead, the gangly, 55-year-old overgrown adolescent known as Beatle Bob just may be the world’s only full-time concertgoer. The nickname is a nod to the bowl haircut he’s worn since the Fab Four first rocked his world during junior high four decades ago.
You've probably seen him at a show somewhere in Chicago, or one of the big festivals — dancing at the lip of the stage, like a man possessed.
And while the full-time fan has his admirers, plenty of other music lovers are fed up with what they consider churlish behavior.
Have you seen him? Where? Was he a funny oddity that lifted your spirits, or did he drive you crazy and you shouted him down?
Yes, I've seen Beatle Bob various times in Chicago and at SXSW. If you see Bob at a show, you know it will be a good one. I sometimes say hi and have a short pleasant chat. Most memorable was seeing Bob on the side of the stage at a daytime SXSW show at Victory Grill featuring Roky Erickson. I don't think there was a happier person on the planet at that moment than Beatle Bob.