Forget about an Elvis impersonator wrapped in a size-to0-small jumpsuit and singing in a smokey dive. Today, the tribute concert concept often means big-budget productions, grade-A talent, sell-out crowds and Broadway runs.
An array of these shows will be setting up shop soon at a trio of local venues: Symphony Hall, Variety Playhouse and the Fox Theatre. Each performance brings its own individual style, from musical theater presentations to full-on rocking rave-ups.
The Carole King Songbook
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will enlist a trio of Broadway vocalists to help weave the aural tapestry of singer-songwriter Carole King. Liz Callaway (“Cats,” “Miss Saigon”) leads the charge, sharing the mic with Allison Blackwell (“The Lion King,” “A Night With Janis Joplin”) and Bryce Ryness (“Hair,” “Legally Blonde”). One of the Brill Building’s secret weapons, King penned hits for Aretha Franklin, the Monkees, the Drifters, James Taylor, herself and numerous others. Don’t be surprised to hear such classics as “A Natural Woman,” “Fire and Rain” and “Up on the Roof.”
8 p.m. March 18-19. $20-$65, plus Ticketmaster fees. Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 1-800-653-8000, ticketmaster.com.
Get the Led Out
Dubbing itself “the American Led Zeppelin” may be quite a claim, but Get the Led Out goes to great lengths to re-create Zep’s time-tested catalog. While many Zeppelin tribute acts channel the extended jams the band often performed in concert, Get the Led Out opts to replicate the exact sound found on the original records. Since Led Zeppelin made good use of multi-track recorders in the studio, duplicating the sound requires an arsenal of musicians beyond Zep’s power quartet. In fact, you’ll see six or seven performers wading through the dry ice at a Get the Led Out show. Expect more than two hours of career-spanning tunes, from radio-ready staples (“Stairway to Heaven,” “Whole Lotta Love”) to Zep rarities (“Hey, Hey What Can I Do,” “The Rover”).
8 p.m. March 24. $40-$45, plus fees. Egyptian Ballroom at the Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 1-855-285-8499, foxtheatre.org.
Rumours
The rumblings about Rumours are true. This Fleetwood Mac replica may be the fastest rising tribute band on the Atlanta musical landscape. Rumours has yet to celebrate its first anniversary, yet it's already headlining House of Blues venues across the country, venues such as Daryl Hall's club in Pawling, N.Y., and an upcoming gig at Variety Playhouse. Lead vocalist Mekenzie Jackson embodies a young Stevie Nicks, both physically and vocally, with an authenticity worthy of the actual "Gold Dust Woman." "Don't Stop," "Rhiannon," "Over My Head" and the rest of Mac's greatest hits typically pack the Rumours set list. Fauxgerty, a tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival, will open the evening.
8 p.m. April 15. $12 advance, plus fees; $15 day of the show. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-524-7354, variety-playhouse.com.
“A Night With Janis Joplin”
The Tony-nominated Broadway show stars Mary Bridget Davies as the soulful yet troubled 1960s vocalist. This rock musical serves as a tangible flashback to the psychedelic era, as Davies takes the audience on a tour through Joplin’s career. The show drops you in the middle of iconic Joplin moments, including Woodstock, sans the mud. The spotlight even illuminates the singer’s influences, with actresses belting out numbers as Bessie Smith, Aretha Franklin and other soul stirrers. Pulsating lights, elaborate sets, full choreography and Davies’ whiskey-soaked vocals take the tribute concept to the next theatrical level. Davies, who actually toured with Joplin’s original band, Big Brother & the Holding Company, nails the vox and stage presence so well that it will take you to the edge of eerie.
6:30 p.m. April 17. $39-$79.50, plus fees. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 1-855-285-8499, foxtheatre.org.
“Let It Be”
Having exposed audiences on Broadway and in London’s West End to Fab Four fever, this concert-style production now has a pair of shows touring simultaneously in North America and the U.K. This magical mystery tour soon will invite Atlanta fans to hop aboard. Liverpool’s Cavern Club proves to be the logical first stop. Others include the group’s legendary Royal Variety Performance, a visit to Pepperland with the band in full “Sgt. Pepper” regalia, and a re-creation of the “Let It Be” rooftop jam. About 40 Beatles songs make the cut, running the gamut from “She Loves You” to “Hey Jude.” You won’t find a scripted storyline; “Let It Be” basically serves as the Beatles concert that never happened.
8 p.m. April 22. $35.50-$83.50, plus fees. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 1-855-285-8499, foxtheatre.org.
Music of Elton John
Vocalist-pianist Michael Cavanaugh may be best known for being handpicked by Billy Joel to play the lead in the Broadway musical “Movin’ Out.” But, this time, he honors the music of another piano man, who happens to be a part-time Atlanta resident. With the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra behind him, Cavanaugh will rocket through the Elton John oeuvre. Think “Crocodile Rock,” “Your Song,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Bennie and the Jets” and oodles more. The show will serve as the final bow of the ASO’s 2015-2016 Pops season.
8 p.m. May 27-28; 3 p.m. May 29. $20-$65, plus Ticketmaster fees. Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 1-800-653-8000, ticketmaster.com.
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