John & Yoko Concert Film Opens with Split‑Screen
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- Power to the People: John & Yoko in NYC opened today for a limited theatrical run, showcasing the August 30, 1972 Madison Square Garden benefit concerts.
- Ben Wainwright-Pearce edited the film using split-screen technique, presenting the singer on one half and band members on the other.
- John Lennon was 31 during the performances, which were his last full-length concerts after the Beatles, featuring songs from his three solo albums.
- Elephant’s Memory served as the backing band, with notable members Jim Keltner on drums and Stan Bronstein on saxophone delivering high‑energy rock.
- Yoko Ono performed several avant‑garde tracks—including 'Move on Fast' and 'Born in a Prison'—but the film omits its titular song 'Power to the People'.
- Stevie Wonder joined the finale’s reggae‑beat 'Give Peace a Chance' alongside Melanie and Phil Spector, ending the concert without a curtain call for Lennon.
- Kurt Vonnegut was among the audience, joined by Allen Ginsberg and music executive Allen Klein backstage.
Why it matters: The film gives Lennon fans, music historians, and cinema enthusiasts a rare, fully restored glimpse of his only full‑length post‑Beatles concerts, while showcasing Ben Wainwright‑Pearce’s split‑screen editing that revives a 1970s cinematic technique; it also foregrounds Yoko Ono’s avant‑garde songs, a contribution often downplayed in other coverage.
