Smothered and Covered

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More About

• George Harrison
• The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
• The Beatles
• Saturday Night Live
• The Who (Band)

Honestly, before I was asked to write this, I'd never heard of the Smothers Brothers. But my mother, who grew up in the '60s, sure had. Luckily there's a wealth of clips on YouTube to help me catch up. "SmoBros" Tom and Dick (unfortunately there's not a third brother named Harry), are best known for the popular Vietnam-era variety show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which earned a controversial reputation thanks to the anti-war overtones that eventually led to its downfall. My mom fondly remembers Tommy—the "dumb one"—whose signature comeback, "No wonder Mom always liked you best," never failed to tickle the audience's funny bone. It's the kind of show I'd watch just to see what they came up with next (take a cue, Saturday Night Live). And the musical acts were stellar—The Who blew up a drumset after performing "My Generation," The Beatles sang "Hey Jude" and George Harrison made a solo appearance looking very groovy in a pair of tight green pants. But the dapper SmoBros were the glue that held everything together, along with a guitar and string bass. They"ve kept the act going for half a century and are booked well into 2010. See the Smothers Brothers in concert 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie. Tickets are $44.50 to $59.50. Visit ticketmaster.com.
Wed., Oct. 21, 8 p.m., 2009