Elton John tribute band to rock Redstone for 75th B-day of Rocket Man
The one and only Sir Elton John was born Reginald Dwight on March 25, 1947.
Elton Dan was born Dan Gasser, and the 57-year-old native of Orange County, Calif., will pay tribute to the 75th birthday of the Rocket Man with his Rocket Band on Wednesday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Redstne Room at River Music Experience, 129 Main St., Davenport.
Gasser’s eight-person band includes backup singers, fittingly over-the-top costumes and high-energy performances, all in honor of Elton.
“We’ve had great, loving crowds that love the music, sitting, singing along and just great theaters,” the veteran musician and huge Elton John fan said in a Tuesday interview. “It’s fantastic.”
By April 1, the current Elton Dan tour will have taken them to 17 shows in 11 states, over 30 days. On Elton’s actual 75th birthday Friday (March 25), the band will be playing in Burlington, Iowa, at the Capitol Theater (211 N. 3rd St.)
“We’ve been busy, I mean super busy, every month,” Gasser said. “It’s good to be playing again.”
Based in Kansas City, he’s been performing as Elton Dan since 2014. “I’ve always played Elton John music, since I was a teenager,” Gasser said. “He’s always a favorite and everybody’s like, oh man, you gotta do a tribute.”
He originally resisted, thinking it may be disrespectful, but the Elton tribute industry is pretty competitive and talented, he said.
“I always say, we don’t try to be Elton John; we try to pay tribute to his music,” Gasser said. “I always talk about what a generous humanitarian he is, with all of his foundations, every single show. I recognize him for that. And I tell them they’re delighted that they’re going to share in the enjoyment of Elton John songs.”
While Gasser nails the over-the-top look and piano-fueled sound of the Rocket Man, he doesn’t attempt to talk in his voice, with an accent.
His flamboyant costumes feature genuine Gucci glasses, and Swarovrski crystals in the outfits. Gasser changes costumes a few times during the show.
“We’re very authentic, when it comes to the look for sure. And the sound I think we play note-for-note on most of the stuff,” he said.
Gasser started playing in cover bands as a teenager, formed his own band, and got a full scholarship as a football kicker at Missouri State University.
Since the 23-year-old Elton John hit the charts in 1970 with “Your Song,” the British knight has had over 70 Top 40 hits, and has sold more than 300 million records worldwide. He holds the record for the biggest selling single of all time, “Candle In The Wind 1997” (in honor of Princess Diana), which sold over 33 million copies. Since launching his first tour in 1970, Elton has over 4,000 performances in more than 80 countries to his credit.
Starting in the ’80s
Gasser first saw Elton in concert in the mid-’80s at the Irvine Amphitheater, south of Los Angeles, and has seen him 12 times total – including last month at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
“I’m usually just in shock and awe every time I see him,” Gasser said. “He is truly a genius. I mean, I played piano my whole life and I do okay. I mean I played on cruise ships. I made a living doing it and every time I watch him, I’m just blown away. It’s just brilliant. People I don’t think appreciate what an incredible piano player he is. And he’s just phenomenal.”
In the past couple years, Gasser has added a number of tunes to his setlist, including “Candle in the Wind,” “Madman Across the Water,” “Funeral For A Friend,” “Harmony,” and “Honky Cat.”
He really likes the deep cut “Amoreena” from 1970’s “Tumbleweed Connection,” which he also does.
Gasser played during the early ‘90s on Norwegian Cruise Line ships, and passengers always requested Elton’s music. “People from all over the world on these cruise ships, and I had 300 new people every week and they always want to hear ‘Your Song’; they want to hear ‘Tiny Dancer’: they want to hear ‘Bennie and the Jets,’ and I played those every night on the cruise ships.”
Of the many Elton tribute bands, one Gasser really respects is in St. Louis, called Dogs of Society (culled from the lyrics of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”).
The real Elton on his farewell tour
Elton John last played the Quad Cities on Nov. 10, 2017, at Moline’s TaxSlayer Center. He is in the midst of a massive “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour, which is taking him on his last stops around the world (March 23 he plays in St. Paul, Minn.).
Elton won’t be back in the QC, but among his tour dates are March 26 in Des Moines (Wells Fargo Arena), March 30 in St. Louis (Enterprise Center), April 2 in Milwaukee (Fiserv Forum), Aug. 5 in Chicago (Soldier Field), and concluding U.S. dates Nov. 20, 2022 at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles. He continues touring in 2023 across Europe (in rescheduled concerts cancelled from 2021), ending July 8, 2023 in Sweden.
After the real Elton wraps up his six-decade touring career, it will be even better for tribute acts like Gasser, since fans won’t be able to see the real deal live anymore.
“I think there’s absolutely no question about it,” he said Tuesday. “I mean, even now with this tour, some people just, with his tickets, let’s face it. You can’t hardly get to see him for under a few hundred bucks. When he’s done, I think our stock will go up even higher, because people love the music so much. They want to feel it and experience it, and be part of it.”
Gasser got a real kick seeing Elton’s Twitter account the day after the February Kansas City concert. “He said, we loved the costumes and they got a picture of me,” he said. “I had my shiny hat on, my Gucci glasses and I had a Crocodile Rock yellow jacket on.”
Tickets for the Wednesday Davenport show are $25 in advance and $30 the day of, available HERE. To learn more about Elton Dan, click HERE.
