Elton Dan & the Rocket Band (Elton John tribute)

On Friday, Oct. 10th the Community Center for the Performing Arts proudly welcomes Elton Dan & The Rocket Band to the WOW Hall. 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, and jumps at every gig offered him – Dan developed an ability to shine and to share that spotlight energy with the people who came to listen. He always added Elton John songs when the band was strong enough to pull it off. In 2015, with the popularity of tribute bands on the rise, Dan finally decided to do his destiny and lead a project paying homage to the greatest songbook in rock music. Thus Elton Dan and The Rocket Band was formed. “Elton John is my all-time favorite artist and primary inspiration for playing music,” Elton Dan says. “There’s a lot to it. It’s not a challenge to play and sing, but the diversity from album to album is a rich tapestry of influences including blues and especially country music.” “I play his music every day, not only to get better also to be enriched and to learn more of his compositions.” 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. “So much energy and pure joy!”, “Fantastic costumes and production!”, “Mesmerizing,” are a taste of the comments from their fans. “I want our shows to be a true tribute to the greatest musical artist ever,” Dan says. “When someone attends one of our shows, I don’t try to imitate Elton. Rather, I want the concertgoer to be immersed in the full experience.” 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! Fans now follow The Rocket Band around the country, flying or driving in and meeting up with Dan and the band. “I do love to interact with people before, during and after the shows, I feed on it,” Elton Dan says. “Seeing people become empowered, validated, even healed through a live music event is transformative in my life.” “We embrace ALL people to come and celebrate and be emboldened by the soundtrack of our lives that Elton and Bernie have left to us. It’s a tremendous honor and brings me great passion.” Dan’s philanthropic work extends beyond the stage, and he seeks to participate in humanitarian causes. Elton Dan and his band have helped raise over $300,000 for the Dream Factory, which gives terminally or critically ill children their biggest wish. They also have raised over $170,000 for Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, a facility dedicated to treating the medical needs of children. Elton Dan performed with Danny De Los Reyes of the Zac Brown Band for the children at Children’s Mercy Hospital. “I want to honor not only Elton but also his generous legacy and the culture he stands for,” says Elton Dan. Elton Dan has attended 17 Elton John concerts around the globe, including being front and center during Elton’s final live shows in North America at Dodger Stadium this past November. Dan has interacted with David Furnish, Elton John’s partner. As done last year, on Elton’s birthday, March 25, Dan will video the audience singing “Happy Birthday” to Elton and send it to David for Elton to enjoy. It’s just another example how Elton Dan finds ways to make his concerts an even greater event to empower and celebrate people.