A shocking announcement has been made by Sir Elton John. His recent multi-year jaunt around the world called the “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour, was indeed the last time you’ll ever see Sir Elton himself onstage playing classic hits like “Bennie & The Jets,” “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues,” “Crocodile Rock” and so many more. But the surprise is, Elton John’s Former Drummer Takes the Stage with Tribute Band at Icehouse Amphitheater.
It’s a heartbreaking moment for Elton John fans that the man who has sold an estimated 300 million albums worldwide will no longer sit behind the piano and churn out beautiful masterpieces. But if you live in Lexington, you can catch the next best thing this Friday, September 6th at the Icehouse Amphitheatre on Main Street.
Tokyo Joe, one of the area’s most popular bands, has put together a suitably extravagant homage to the one and only Sir Elton called, appropriately enough, “Rocketman: A Tribute To Sir Elton John.”
The most important part of the show is this: behind the drum kit for this show will be none other than Charlie Morgan, who spent 13 years playing drums for Elton John. He is the drummer you hear on classic Elton hits like “Wrap Her Up,” “I Don’t Want To Go On With You Like That,” “Believe,” “Something About The Way You Look Tonight” and more. Elton John’s Former Drummer Takes the Stage with Tribute Band at Icehouse Amphitheater will definitely be the highlight of the show.
Morgan appears on five Elton John albums between 1985 and 1997. So the drumming is about as genuine as you’ll get at a tribute show.
Meanwhile, Tokyo Joe will be pulling out all the stops up front. The band has a history of exemplary live shows, and Rocketman is no different. This concert works similarly to the model of a real Elton John concert, one from his outrageous-costume era, the mid-to-late 1970s. The band goes to extraordinary lengths to wear costumes that are replicas of those worn by Elton himself, and to entertain visually with state-of-the-art lighting.
That means the feathers and tiaras and glitter and gigantic sunglasses will be part of the evening when the band comes to the onstage wardrobe. Having said that, it’s not just about the visuals.
The band endeavors not just to recreate hits like “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “Candle In The Wind,” but to express the emotion of the songs as well, whether that means exuberance or heartbreak.
As the band themselves said as part of the concert’s advertising, “Rocketman is sure to leave every Elton John fan feeling as though they have experienced a tribute performance worthy of the original. Anyone who loves Elton John and his music will love this show!”
Doors open at 6 p.m. tonight, Sept. 6, and tickets are $29. This event is presented by O’Hara’s Public House.