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Elton Dan & The Rocket Band

Friday, October 06, 2023 @ 8:00pm



Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631

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Elton Dan Seeks to Carry the Candle for Experiencing the Live Concert Experience of Elton John 

From his teenage years learning classical music on piano, Elton Dan Gasser always held Elton John as his greatest influence. Through decades of improvising and singing on thousands of stages from bars to cruises to amphitheaters – Dan thrives on playing live. With the popularity of tribute bands on the rise, Dan is fulfilling his destiny and leads a project paying homage to the greatest songbook in rock music.  

At an Elton Dan concert, you will be enveloped into the magic of Elton’s music through a multimedia production, over-the-top costume changes, the incredible musicianship of the Rocket Band and the high-energy performance that Elton Dan brings to the stage like Elton John of the days past. Maybe Dan’s greatest talent is his love of people and ability to share the spotlight such that the audience feels like they are the rock stars!   

Elton classics including “Rocket Man,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “I’m Still Standing,” “Philadelphia Freedom,” “Tiny Dancer,” and “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting.” The band also chooses some songs from deeper in the catalog.  

The Rocket Band features 7 musicians of virtuoso calibre - they bring the songs to life with brilliance and joy.  Vocalist Karen Backes-Douthage has performed since the age of 9, including tours with the Capitol City Symphony Choir and she often brings out a few guest songs as Cher!  Her husband, Guitarist CJ Dothage studied at Berklee College of Music and has played more than 2500 live concerts.  Bassist Paul Greenlease is a graduate of the Bass Institute of Technology and has performed with Buddy Guy, Carmine Appice and Percy Sledge. Drummer William Graham BA in Music Performance from Missouri Western State University and is a member of the Percussive Arts Society. Percussionist Wes Faulconer earned a BA in Music at the Kansas City Conservatory; he also owns one of the largest percussion stores in the US, Explorers Percussion, so he has all kinds of instruments to add color and excitement to the music.  Guitar/Keyboard/Vocalist Dean Christoper who made his mark in the New York music scene performing recitals, being signed by Warner Brothers, as well as leading the Tommy Bolin Music Festival in Iowa each year.   

VIP package is often offered which gives the concertgoer the best seats, an opportunity to meet, greet, and be photographed with Elton Dan onstage, and other bonuses that all add to the ultimate Elton Dan experience. 




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EVENT PREVIEWS

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Mayo Performing Arts Center's Arts in the Community free summer concert schedule for 2026 has been announced. MPAC will present six free concerts between June and August. The lineup includes the return of three of their most popular events – Bollywood Dance Party, Country Line Dancing and Salsa at Sunset, as well as singer-songwriters, and more.



(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- From June 4 through October 15, 2026 (except for July 2), Classic American Tales (CAT) once more presents Tales at the Dormer House in which guests are treated to lemonade and tasty treats while listening to stories written by noteworthy authors, read by a variety of performers. The schedule is 4:00pm every Thursday at the historic Dormer House Bed and Breakfast (800 Columbia Avenue) in Cape May, NJ. Performances are on the front porch, weather permitting.



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East Lynne Theater Company presents "Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years" by Emily Mann

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- The reimagined East Lynne Theater Company opens its Season Forty-Six with the extraordinary, real-life story Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years by Emily Mann, running June 18 to July 19, 2026 at the Clemans Theater for the Arts at the Allen AME in Cape May.



Princeton

Princeton Summer Theater presents "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Summer Theater's 2026 Children's Show is You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which runs weekends from June 20 to August 1, 2026. A beloved musical since its premiere in 1967, Clark Gesner brings Charles M. Schulz's "PEANUTS" characters to the stage. The musical ventures through the highs and lows of young life, from baseball and homework to young love and friendship. With an empathetic and whimsical eye, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown reminds us of the importance of connection and joy.



2026-27

2026-27 Season Preview: Split Level Concerts at Jersey Shore Arts Center

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Split Level Concerts at the Jersey Shore Arts Center (JSAC) in Ocean Grove has announced the full concert lineup for its third season. All shows will take place beginning at 8:00pm in JSAC's Palaia Theater. The season lineup includes Willie Nile, John Gorka, Dan Bern, Catie Curtis and Band, Stephen Kellogg, Abbie Gardner, Heather Maloney and Band, and Kim Richey. As they have done in prior years, artists from the Asbury Park music scene will open many of the shows.












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