Being a cover band is like very risky karaoke. Not only do you not have the comfort of the lyrics in front of you, but you have to play the instruments at the same time.

American English braved the risks inherent in being a cover band last Friday night at Otto’s, 118 E. Lincoln Highway, to perform 35 Beatles songs.

Four mop tops and matching black suits donned the stage and broke into a rousing rendition of “Love Me Do.” A crowd spanning the spectrum of age groups responded with cheers and raised drinks to four faces that bore a striking resemblance to their predecessors.

Eric Michaels, Kevin Mantegna, Martin Scott and Tom Gable seemingly aged seven years through the course of two-and-a-half hours; still young and fresh as they crooned to “A Hard Day’s Night” and elicited the voices of the crowd for “Yellow Submarine,” they soon after aged years in minutes as Scott donned glasses and a blindingly colorful guitar for “Taxman” and “Magical Mystery Tour.”

“Did you enjoy your trip?” Mantegna called out from the stage, and was greeted by the cheers of a crowd who thought they were seeing the ghost of John Lennon reincarnate. Eleven songs in the prime of their lives seemed to be as long as the four pseudo-Liverpool boys could hold off time as they again aged to round out the last 10 songs, including an encore in masquerade as the embodiment of the “Abbey Road” cover.

“I feel a weird sense of nostalgia even though I’ve never seen The Beatles,” said Elena Haliczer, a senior English major.

The nostalgia seemed to be what the 220 people at Otto’s needed, leaving with grins on their faces and the band with their resounding cheers.

“It’s hard not to get excited and get into it if you’re into The Beatles or American English,” said Jacky Kyle, smiling as her third time seeing American English ended.