Somehow it seemed fitting. The Beatles' tribute band the Fab Four was booked at Club Nokia on Saturday (10/24). Across the L.A. Live courtyard at the larger Nokia Theatre, the surviving, active members of Liverpool's '80s Fab Four-- Echo & the Bunnymen [ tickets ]--paid tribute to themselves and their former comrades by performing "Ocean Rain" in its entirety, backed by an orchestra.

Upon its release 25 years ago, the Bunnymen's famously cocky frontman Ian McCulloch proclaimed "Ocean Rain" "the greatest album ever made." It isn't, but it is one of the finest efforts released in 1984, combining post-punk angst with the sort of lavish arrangements made famous by those other lads from Liverpool. Back when "Ocean Rain" was released, the Bunnymen were still rising stars, but by 1988--after courting US mainstream success and succumbing to clashing egos--McCulloch went solo. A year later, original drummer Pete de Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Rising above the tragedy, McCulloch and the band's original guitarist Will Sergeant revived the Bunnymen in 1997 with a series of solid releases (original bassist Les Pattinson left in 1999), but nothing approaching their '80s prime, so revisiting "Ocean Rain" was not only a good idea, perhaps it helped the band get its mojo back. The Bunnymen have staged similar "Ocean Rain" shows in London and New York, but it's the first time the band has brought the concept to the West Coast, with the special occasion allowing it to step up to the size of venues it played in its heyday.

Unfortunately for the Bunnymen, the show at 7,100-seat Nokia Theatre was far from a sell out, while the band's one-time rivals U2 drew record crowds the following night at the massive Rose Bowl. Still, those who did attend the "Ocean Rain" show found it well worth their while. Sticking with the script McCulloch, Sergeant, a quartet of sidemen, and the orchestra played the album in running order, reminding fans how powerful the Bunnymen were at the height of their powers.

Despite reports that his voice has been ravaged by time, McCulloch's singing sounded as rich and expressive as ever. The album's centerpiece, the moody epic "The Killing Moon," has received renewed attention over the years with its inclusion in the 2001 cult film "Donnie Darko" and covers by Pavement and Grant-Lee Phillips. In concert, the song didn't fail to induce chills, especially with Sergeant's elegant, mid-song, cascading guitar solo. Yet, the lesser-known tracks also shined. In "The Yo Yo Man," the strings and brass surged and retreated, giving way to intricate orchestral sections and tinkling keyboards, which provided a nice foil to McCulloch's "always up and down" lyric. "Thorn of Crowns," which followed, had McCulloch giving his most aggressive vocal of the "Ocean Rain" segment, with Sergeant ripping at his guitar strings. Later, in "My Kingdom," Sergeant's guitar battled for position with the orchestra. The Bunnymen concluded the segment with a stunningly beautiful reading of the title track that featured McCulloch dropping to his lower register as mournful cellos swelled.

Throughout the "Ocean Rain" segment, photographs of the band's younger selves--beginning with the album's cover--were flashed on the hall's big screens, while the band played in near darkness, bathed in blue and green lights. This was a touching tribute to de Freitas, but frustrated fans that wanted to get a glimpse of the 2009 version of McCulloch in his trademark coat and shades. On rare occasions, a spotlight shined on Sergeant to highlight his guitar work and strobelights were utilized for dramatic effect to draw attention to the orchestrations, but McCulloch spent the evening in the shadows.

Following a brief intermission, the Bunnymen returned sans orchestra for a second set that consisted of early fan favorites ("Rescue," "All That Jazz," and "The Cutter") and some of their US hits ("Bring on the Dancing Horses" and "Lips Like Sugar"). At times, McCulloch strained a bit vocally on the more raucous tunes, but rode out the rough spots with pure passion. He also interjected snippets of some of his personal favorites--such as The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues," Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side," and Wilson Pickett's "In The Midnight Hour"--into Bunnymen originals.

Newer material, including "Think I Need It Too," from the forthcoming album "The Fountain," and 1997's "Nothing Lasts Forever," held their own against the Bunnymen's finest. The sentiment of the former track may indeed by true, but Saturday the Bunnymen proved that they and "Ocean Rain" are doing just fine, more than a quarter century later.