Long Island Author Steve Matteo (Smithtown resident) will participate in a Q&A discussion (moderated by Tony Traguardo, Fab4Free4All podcast) and book signing event featuring his new book “Act Naturally: The Beatles on Film” at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (97 Main St., Stony Brook,) on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 2 pm. The event is free with admission and open to the public.
“I grew up on Long Island and have written for many Long Island music and entertainment publications,” Matteo said. “I’m thrilled to be interviewed at LIMEHOF about my new book on the Beatles. The hall is all about honoring and celebrating the legacy of great music. When I write my books, chronicling musical history that give music fans a deeper understanding of artists and their times is very important to me. Long Island has a rich history of popular music and music fans on Long Island are some of the most knowledgeable and passionate in the world.”
This unique event bridges the mediums of books, music and film and is likely to appeal to audiences of all genres, not to mention Beatles fans. LIMEHOF plans to do more author-themed events in the future.
“We are excited to have Steve come to speak at The Hall of Fame about his book “Act Naturally” and share his insights on The Beatles on Film,” said Kelly Leung, LIMEHOF board member and director of community outreach who organized the event. “Having Tony Traguedo from the Fab4Free4All podcast moderate and speak is also an added bonus to what is sure to be a fun event. We continue to welcome opportunities to introduce Long Islanders to local authors and podcasters on a regular basis at the museum.”
For details on this and upcoming events please visit https://www.limusichalloffame.org/museum/
About Act Naturally, the Beatles on Film
The Beatles produced five films during their time together: “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Help!,” “Magical Mystery Tour,” “Yellow Submarine,” and “Let It Be.”
Some were cinematic successes, and some were not, but—along with subsequent reissues, bonus material, and Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back,” a documentary companion to “Let It Be”—they comprise an endlessly fascinating document of key phases in the group’s career.
In this comprehensive deep-dive into the band’s movies, author and longtime music journalist Steve Matteo follows the origins, filming, and often frenzied fan reception of projects from the 1964 premiere of “A Hard Day’s Night” through 1970s “Let It Be” to the release of “Get Back” in 2022.
Matteo explores the production process, original theatrical film releases, subsequent VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray releases, and bonus materials, along with the U.S. and UK soundtracks. In addition to copious anecdotes and behind-the-scenes details, he also places these films in their larger context, a period of unprecedented artistic and commercial innovation in British and world cinema.
Filled with stories and insights that will satisfy collectors, buffs, and casual fans alike, this is the definitive account of an underappreciated part of the Beatles’ creative output.
About Steve Matteo
Steve Matteo is the author of “Let It Be “(33 1/3-Bloomsbury) and “Dylan” (Union Square & Company-Barnes & Noble). He recently contributed to “he Beatles in Context,” which was published by Cambridge University Press.
He is a contributing editor with The Vinyl District and has written for such publications as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, New York magazine, Time Out New York, Rolling Stone, Spin, Rock’s Backpages, Relix, Goldmine, Interview, Elle, Citizen Truth, Literary Hub and Salon.
He has worked for Pete Townshend of the Who in various capacities for Left Field Services, Towser Tunes and Trinifold. His radio career includes working at WLIR-FM, WNYT and FM Odyssey and he often appears on radio, including on the Sirius XM Volume Channel, Q104, Joe Johnson’s Beatle Brunch, Talk More Talk: A Solo Beatles Videocast, 21st Century Radio, WAAM, WFUV, WUSB, WPPB and WHPC and television in his capacity as a music journalist and an author.
He has lectured on Bob Dylan at the New School for Social Research in New York and journalism at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He holds a B.F.A. in Communication Arts from the New York Institute of Technology.
