John Vezmar sees a potential burden in performing songs penned by the Fab Four.

"There's an abundance of Beatles cover songs out there, a lot of them being crap that should've never been recorded," said Vezmar, co-owner of Hammond's Blue Room Cafe. Vezmar is also a regular region performer and songwriter.

"When you jump in to cover a Beatles song, you're playing with the big boys. We have to be on mark when we play these songs, or we can be up for some heavy criticism," he said.

Performing alongside five fellow area artists Saturday at Blue Room Café's third annual "Tribute to the Beatles," Vezmar came up with the idea for the Fab Four showcase with his brother, Paul Vezmar, Blue Room Café co-owner and fellow songwriter and area performer.

Paul Vezmar will perform with his band, the Lovetones.

John Vezmar, who is in the process of recording what will be his first full-length album with his backing band, the Dreamers, cites the Beatles, along with diverse acts from Queen and Ryan Adams to Richard Hawley among his band's primary influences.

While Vezmar notes he and his band will have a few tricks up their sleeve for their performance Saturday, they plan on, for the most part, letting the Beatles' original arrangements be.

"I think as a band, to get the opportunity to play the songs (in their original structure) fits us," he said. "It kind of makes sense to us that we would play these songs the way they are."

Like Vezmar and his Dreamers, Windy City-based rockers Bunkertown are also remaining loyal to the source material for their set. Making its second tribute appearance, the band, according to front man and guitarist Mark Anderson, put its own spin on the original recordings last year.

"With the Beatles, it was 'this is how it goes'; it went into the book, it was copyrighted, it was done, don't mess with it, and I'm on that train now," Anderson said.

"But the way that someone plays their guitar and will accentuate a note here and there or the tonality of a person's voice is going to make (the interpretation) sound a little unique."

Schererville's Joshua McCormack's set is expected to be another story.

While a Beatles aficionado, McCormack's tastes also run toward the left-of-center likes of Bjork, Tom Waits, Tim and Jeff Buckley and cult German experimentalists Can, to name a few. He has a pair of new releases, the full-length "Funeral of the Siren" and "The Paris EP," which will be available for purchase at Saturday's tribute.

McCormack, who has performed at each of the Vezmars' Beatles tributes, spends months coming up with arrangements for his set.

"I listen to the songs and listen for what I can do with the songs," he said.

"(The Beatles) decided, especially with their later songs, to take on the arrangements themselves, so I kind of have taken that into consideration -- they tested their own limits and the limits of public taste. They're one of the few groups (from their era) that opened the doors for what songs could be in popular music."

In putting his own spin on the original songs, McCormack is aware he may not win full support of the masses.

"You always wonder who's going to like (the arrangements) and who's going to be annoyed, and that's kind of the fun of it," he said.

"It's kind of like what the Beatles did with their later music and people were saying 'What in the world are they doing?' "

Yet McCormack has found a fan in show cocreator and fellow "Tribute" performer Vezmar.

"He makes each song almost like a theater production," Vezmar said. "It's fascinating, incredible stuff."

Joining the Vezmars, Bunkertown and McCormack at this year's tribute are eclectic Chicago-based songwriter and performer Brice Woodall and longtime region favorite Nomad Planets.

"Unless you're a Beatles tribute band, you just can't go out and play Beatles music," Anderson said. "But this is a good excuse to go out and play some of the best music that's ever been written."

The Vezmars are donating $1 of each ticket sold for their "Tribute" to the Haven House, a Hammond-based shelter for victims of domestic violence.