by Christine Lorraine Morgan, Nov. 5, 2026

After the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan, they went to the Peppermint Lounge in NYC to watch the Epics, two nights in a row. The ironic part of this situation is that the Epics’ show contained a pretty sharp parody of the Beatles.

After the shows, the Fab Four sat down and enjoyed the company of the Erie performers. Some of these images were captured during that backstage interaction.

The Epics is the band after whom the group in “That Thing You Do” was crafted.

Vinny, one of the singers in the Epics and my uncle, told me that one night Tom Hanks spoke with him in the Shaggy Dog. Vinny said he told him about the Epics, and that Hanks took notes on a napkin. Vinny described him as “that dark-haired guy on ‘Bosom Buddies.’ “

This rocking act from Erie’s little Italy performed on Jack Parr, Carnegie Hall, and on closed circuit TV for President Kennedy.

These photos tell a good bit of the story. Oh yes, there was talk of a movie deal, which might explain the pose in front of the columns.

By Christine Lorraine Morgan, Nov. 4, 2026