Four Redmond High School (RHS) musicians will get the chance to rock out on stage with a professional touring production. The string quartet is made up of RHS seniors Kai Slesarev-Nogami and Teagan Elliott with juniors Thrisha Ramesh and Mathangi Venkatesh. They will be playing seven classic hits from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The touring show is called Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown. The show pits Rolling Stones tribute band “Satisfaction” against rival Brit boys “Abbey Road” in an all-out musical showdown for rock dominance. The performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 21 at the Kirkland Performance Center. 

The four high school musicians belong to prestigious area ensembles, including the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. In April 2019, all members performed at Carnegie Hall with the RHS Studio Jazz Orchestra. Members have competed at the Northlake Music Educators Region Solo and Ensemble Festival, where they received superior honors. They will join the other bands to play the following songs: "Eleanor Rigby," "Yesterday," "A Day in the Life," "Hello Goodbye," "Hey Jude," "Gimme Shelter" and "Ruby Tuesday." The string quartet is made up of two violins, a viola and a cello. 

“I grew up listening to the Beatles,” said RHS quartet member Kai Slesarev-Nogami. “My favorites are either ‘My Guitar Gently Weeps’ or ‘Blackbird’.”

Here is a description of the show according to the press release: The two greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time face off in Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Showdown. Taking the side of the Fab Four is Abbey Road, one of the nation's top Beatles tribute bands. With brilliant musicianship and authentic costumes and gear, Abbey Road plays beloved songs spanning the Beatles' career. They engage in a "showdown" of the hits with Stones tribute band Satisfaction - The International Rolling Stones Show, who offer a faithful rendition of the music and style of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the bad boys of the British Invasion. The production includes multimedia, period costumes and vintage instruments. It has toured for years, with a critic for the Los Angeles Times at one point declaring: "this is the most unique tribute show in decades." The Kirkland show is part of a 125 city tour of the U.S., Canada and Australia.