DeKALB | On Saturday, John, Paul, George and Ringo will stop by Otto’s Niteclub.

OK, so the real John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr obviously cannot play in DeKalb on Saturday (or anywhere else for that matter), but the Beatles tribute band American English will.

Band Members Eric Michaels (McCartney), Young Hines (Lennon), Doug Couture (Harrison), Tom Gable (Starr) and Ken Zemanek (keyboards) come together to form American English — the band’s many critics rave as being the best Beatles tribute band performing today.

“We do everything like the Beatles,” said band leader Eric Michaels.

To recreate the authentic Beatles sound, band members sing the same parts and play the same instruments that the original members played. Sounds that they cannot recreate are constructed by Zemanek, American English’s “5th Beatle.”

“[Ken] adds all the extra special treatment — all the strings and odd sounds he creates with a synthesizer,” Michaels said. “It’s amazing because nobody else does that.”

In addition to musically emulating the original Beatles, American English strives to look and act like them on stage. Michaels, who originally learned to play a right-handed bass, relearned on a left-handed bass to play like Paul McCartney. The members even come complete with Beatles hairstyles.

When asked about the degree of the band’s authenticity, Michaels chuckles.

“People just don’t get it,” he said. “Our Ringo (Tom Gable) has the Ringo nose — that’s no plastic nose!”

American English authenticates their look even further by dividing their shows into three parts — significant of the three “Beatles eras.”

“Each time we got through a period change, we go through a costume change,” said Michaels. The members even paint their instruments to look like the psychedelic ones that the original Beatles played.

To help recreate the authentic Beatles look and sounds, the members study the Beatles’ videos, live performances and interviews.

“We take it seriously,” said Michaels. “We’re actors and musicians in that respect.”

Despite tours taking the band as far away as England and Japan, American English remains true to their Chicago roots.

“England has been very good to us,” says Michaels in his British accent. “But the most important people are right here — we’re supported by the Midwest.”