Pardon the cliché, but if you had told me a few weeks ago that I would have the chance to see The Beatles perform live, with their own orchestra, in Raleigh, N.C., I naturally would not have believed it. Yet, surprisingly contrary, opportunity knocked. On Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009 I did just that. Of course, it was not the real Beatles – that would have been more creepy than cool considering Lennon and Harrison are dead – however, the crowd hardly seemed to notice as everyone was twisting and shouting along with the band as it played along with the full orchestra.To hear the combination of the rock and roll and the classical chords is better than could be imagined. Seeing the musicians perform, with the conductor leading, and “The Beatles” in front of them, center stage, with the lights changing from blues, greens, and whites, to reds or purples depending on the song, was a sensory privilege. The power of the orchestra was held back by mild sound barriers, yet still was a strong accompaniment to the group and spectacularly added to the performance, which the original Beatles never had the opportunity to give. Once again, the fact that this was a cover band did not stain the show in the least. Everyone in the audience had nothing but praise. Even when “Lennon” performed “Imagine,” his sometimes-controversial song asking listeners to imagine a world with no heaven, no countries and no possessions, everyone enthusiastically applauded. The orchestra added visual and emotional depth, making it all the more receptive. The performance began with the orchestra performing a medley of various songs, allowing the audience to gently immerse themselves into the music. Then, The Beatles burst on stage wearing their original 1960s black suits and played “Got to Get You Into my Life,” which really got the crowd going and set expectations for the show even higher. Everyone’s expectations were easily met. Donning their Sgt. Pepper’s brightly colored garb, they began the next set with “All You Need is Love.” Another costume change for the group and two more for Lennon rounded out the show with them in their later 70s clothes and Lennon in his cream colored suit, ending the show with a compilation of “Golden Slumbers” and other songs. Throughout the show the band played off each other and the crowd encouraging handclapping and shouting, acts somewhat unusual for the symphony. Surprisingly, with the first encore, “Hey Jude,” the audience was singing along, loudly, and swaying with hands in the air. For the second and third encore they played “Twist and Shout” followed by “Can’t Buy Me Love,” both of which had the entire auditorium, literally every single individual, on their feet dancing, singing and shouting like all those teenage girls in the old clips.  All this leads to only one conclusion – this is not “just rock music.” As seen from its power to not only bring together families but also to bridge the generational gaps, it is so much more. One could argue that The Beatles and their music have become a natural part of American culture.