Courtesy of Flower Power Concerts Inc.The “It Was Fifty Years Ago Today — A Tribute to The Beatles‘ White Album” tour, a star-studded traveling salute to the classic 1968 double album, kicked off Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The fall U.S. trek features Todd Rundgren, The Monkees‘ Micky Dolenz, Christopher Cross, Badfinger‘s Joey Molland and ex-Chicago singer Jason Scheff performing most of the songs from the record, as well as some of their own hits.
Rundgren tells ABC Audio that the audience at the tour’s first concert “ate…up” the performance, while admitting that there will be some tweaks to the show moving forward.
“We’re still in some turmoil trying to figure out exactly how the show should run, and who’s gonna sing what,” Todd explains. “But give us a week…and we will have settled in, and I think everything will be much more confident.”
Among the White Album tunes Rundgren is playing are “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Helter Skelter” and “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide (Except for Me and My Monkey)”.
Todd says he quickly claimed “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” because he’d recorded it for a George Harrison tribute album and also played it with the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra at a Beatles anniversary show at the Hollywood Bowl.
Rundgren adds that he enhances his performances by working in “some costume changes,” noting that he has “a theatrical streak” and thinks it helps “break the show up.”
Todd reports that among the White Album tunes fans won’t hear on the tribute tour is John Lennon‘s avant-garde sound collage “Revolution Number 9.”
As for his own tunes, Rundgren is performing his two biggest hits — “Hello It’s Me” and “I Saw the Light.”
Here are all of the remaining dates on the “It Was Fifty Years Ago Today” tour:
9/24 — Clearwater, FL, Ruth Eckerd Hall
9/25 — Fort Lauderdale, FL, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
9/26 — Meriden, MS, Riley Center for the Performing Arts
9/28 — Akron, OH, Akron Civic Theatre
9/29 — Danville, KY, Norton Center for the Arts
10/1 — St. Charles, IL, Arcada Theater
10/2 — Milwaukee, WI, The Pabst Theater
10/3 — Kansas City, MO, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
10/5 — Beverly, MA, Cabot Theatre
10/6 — Concord, NH, Capitol Center for the Arts
10/7 — Orono, ME, Collins Center for the Arts
10/8 — Ridgefield, CT, Ridgefield Playhouse
10/10 — Staten Island, NY, St. George Theatre
10/11 — Boston, MA, Berklee Performing Arts Center
10/12 — Westbury, NY, NYCB Theatre at Westbury
10/13 — Morristown, NJ, Mayo Performing Arts Center
10/15 — Glenside, PA, Keswick Theatre
10/17 — Red Bank, NJ, Count Basie Theater
10/18 — New London, CT, Garde Arts Center
10/19 — Bethlehem, PA, Sands Bethlehem Event Center
10/20 — Washington, D.C., Warner Theatre
12/4 — Grand Prairie, TX, Verizon Wireless Theatre
12/6 — Phoenix, AZ, Celebrity Theatre
12/7 — Las Vegas, NV, Westgate Resort & Casino
12/8 — El Cajon, CA, Magnolia PAC
12/11 — Los Angeles, CA, The Wiltern
12/13 — Reno, NV, Grand Sierra Resort – Grand Theater
12/15 — Jackson, CA, Rancheria Casino
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