Gene Cornish and Felix Cavaliere (Courtesy of Felix Cavaliere & Gene Cornish’s Rascals)Two of The Rascals‘ four original members — singer/keyboardist Felix Cavaliere and guitarist Gene Cornish — are joining forces for a series of North American tour dates running from the summer into the fall.
The group, dubbed Felix Cavaliere and Gene Cornish’s Rascals, will feature Carmine Appice of Vanilla Fudge on drums. Appice also has played with Rod Stewart, Cactus, Ozzy Osbourne and many other artists over the years.
The trek, which includes 14 confirmed shows, kicks off on July 18 in Stamford, Connecticut, and is plotted out through a November 4 concert in Louisville, Kentucky.
This trek will mark the first time since Cavaliere and Cornish have hit the road together since 2013, when all of the original Rascals — Felix, Gene, singer Eddie Brigati and drummer Dino Danelli — took part in the touring version of the band’s multimedia show Once Upon a Dream.
“I had an epiphany while performing in Hawaii last year,” says Cavaliere about his decision to team up with Cornish again. “It’s not about me — it’s about the fans. It’s about the music. I spoke with Gene and he agreed that we can’t take any of this for granted anymore.”
Adds Cornish, “There’s something magical that happens when we’re on stage together…We’re going to celebrate these songs for as long as the fans allow us to and give the fans a chance to see us perform live.”
Appice, meanwhile, notes, “I grew up watching The Rascals on Ed Sullivan; I’m a huge fan. These songs are the soundtrack to so many peoples’ lives. I’m looking forward to sharing the music with lifelong Rascals fans, and…new generations of fans.”
Here are the tour dates for Felix Cavaliere and Gene Cornish’s Rascals:
7/18 — Stamford, CT, “Wednesday Night Live” at Columbus Park
7/20 — Westbury, NY, NYCB Theatre at Westbury
7/21 — Toms River, NJ, Count Basie Presents RWJ Barnanas Health Arena
8/16 — Alexandria, VA, The Birchmere
8/17 — Orilla, ON, Canada, Casino Rama
8/24 — Anaheim, CA, City National Grove of Anaheim
8/25 — Saratoga, CA, The Mountain Winery
9/9 — Northfield, OH, Hard Rock Rocksino
9/21 — Morristown, NJ, Mayo Performing Arts Center
9/22 — Cranston, RI, Park Theatre – RI Center for the Performing Arts
10/25 — Ridgefield, CT, Ridgefield Playhouse
10/26 — New York, NY, Town Hall
10/27 — Lynn, MA, Lynn Auditorium
11/4 — Louisville, KY, The Louisville Palace Theatre
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