Saturday, October 1 at 7 p.m. – RUTLAND – Bennie and the Jets, the first Elton John tribute band, will play Saturday at the Paramount Theater in downtown Rutland. The band is fronted by Greg Ransom, whose voice is naturally exactly like Elton Johns’, and Greg’s piano playing is fair for the money.
Ransom has the ability to trick you into thinking you’re at an Elton John concert. Ransom started playing the piano at age 10. Thanks to a piano teacher with a penchant for rock, Ransom’s interest in the piano spanned high school, learning theory, harmony I and II, stage orchestra, and madrigal singers. .
In high school, Ransom and his classmates formed a band they called “The Awakening”. They opened for local MTV Basement Band winners The Breakdown at the Central High School Halloween Dance and performed a dance at MacDuffie Private School in Springfield. Their big hit was a song called “Swashbuckler”, a catchy gospel-inspired pop song. Other crowd favorites were a blues song he co-wrote called “McPherson Avenue” and an evergreen ballad called “Serenade.”
At 21, Ransom was playing the piano in a downtown hotel bar when the hotel owner requested an Elton John song. He played “I guess that’s why they call it the blues”. The hotel owner approached him afterward and told him that he vocally sounded like Elton and that he should consider putting on the hat and glasses and forming a tribute band.
In 1995, Bennie and the Jets formed with Greg Ransom on piano and vocals, Dan Moraski on guitar and backing vocals, Bob Lilja on drums and backing vocals, and Ken Walpurgis on bass. They played two local gigs in the Springfield area before they got a call from a nationally known entertainment broker who needed a band from Elton, so Ransom sent him a tape.
From that day on, Bennie and the Jets became an international touring band. Bob Lilja was soon replaced by Steve Lawton on drums and backing vocals and Ken Walpurgis was replaced by Mike Gibbs on bass and backing vocals. This remains their current lineup. Bennie and the Jets have performed worldwide for a wide variety of venues.
Tickets: $29 (plus taxes and fees). For more information, visit paramountvt.org.
Saturday, October 1 at 7 p.m. – RUTLAND – Bennie and the Jets, the first Elton John tribute band, will play Saturday at the Paramount Theater in downtown Rutland. The band is fronted by Greg Ransom, whose voice is naturally exactly like Elton Johns’, and Greg’s piano playing is fair for the money.
Ransom has the ability to trick you into thinking you’re at an Elton John concert. Ransom started playing the piano at age 10. Thanks to a piano teacher with a penchant for rock, Ransom’s interest in the piano spanned high school, learning theory, harmony I and II, stage orchestra, and madrigal singers. .
In high school, Ransom and his classmates formed a band they called “The Awakening”. They opened for local MTV Basement Band winners The Breakdown at the Central High School Halloween Dance and performed a dance at MacDuffie Private School in Springfield. Their big hit was a song called “Swashbuckler”, a catchy gospel-inspired pop song. Other crowd favorites were a blues song he co-wrote called “McPherson Avenue” and an evergreen ballad called “Serenade.”
At 21, Ransom was playing the piano in a downtown hotel bar when the hotel owner requested an Elton John song. He played “I guess that’s why they call it the blues”. The hotel owner approached him afterward and told him that he vocally sounded like Elton and that he should consider putting on the hat and glasses and forming a tribute band.
In 1995, Bennie and the Jets formed with Greg Ransom on piano and vocals, Dan Moraski on guitar and backing vocals, Bob Lilja on drums and backing vocals, and Ken Walpurgis on bass. They played two local gigs in the Springfield area before they got a call from a nationally known entertainment broker who needed a band from Elton, so Ransom sent him a tape.
From that day on, Bennie and the Jets became an international touring band. Bob Lilja was soon replaced by Steve Lawton on drums and backing vocals and Ken Walpurgis was replaced by Mike Gibbs on bass and backing vocals. This remains their current lineup. Bennie and the Jets have performed worldwide for a wide variety of venues.
Tickets: $29 (plus taxes and fees). For more information, visit paramountvt.org.