GODFREY – ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ — hello, Dogs of Society L&C Music Scholarship.
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The Dogs of Society, an Elton John tribute band, is playing a big-production benefit concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10 in the Ann Whitney Olin Theatre at Lewis and Clark Community College’s Hatheway Cultural Center.
Fifty percent of the concert proceeds will go toward a new scholarship that will provide financial assistance to music students looking to further their studies in music production and performance ensembles.
“The band wants to help music students and support music education,” said Dogs’ keyboardist Louis Michael, who is also a professor/program coordinator in L&C’s Music Department. “The band saw a need for monetary assistance to support music students in music production and performance ensemble classes that are not covered by financial aid. It is going to be a great night of Elton’s killer catalog of tunes for a great cause.”
Lewis and Clark offers state-of-the-art Macintosh Pro Tools classes, which teach students how to record, edit and master their own music or create demos for their own bands. The L&C Music Department also has a video editing suite, which will eventually become part of the program, allowing students to create their own music videos.
The college’s performance ensemble classes often appeal to students and community members who aren’t music majors, but want to participate in music ensembles.
“Music majors often want to take an additional instrumental ensemble, which is not covered by their financial aid,” Michael said. “Community members as well may be interested in participating in an ensemble but may not have the financial resources to do so. All of these courses can be taken for college credit or non-credit and now, through the establishment of the Dogs of Society Scholarship fund, we will be able to offer our students financial assistance to further their studies in this coursework.”
Aside from Michael, Dogs of Society features John Gore as Elton on lead vocals and piano, Steve Johnston on guitar, Curt Shaw on bass and Dave Johnson on drums. Percussionist Peter Hussey, an L&C music professor, will join The Dogs for this concert.
Dogs of Society faithfully reproduces Elton John’s classic catalog of hits in a live rock concert experience with smash hits like “Bennie and the Jets” to deeper cuts like “Funeral for a Friend” and many more hits.
“Really, Elton’s songs are the star of our show,” Gore said. “We want the audience to feel like they’re at an actual Elton rock concert at the height of his career.”
Dogs of Society has played to crowds as large as 8,000 at arenas, city-wide celebrations and national fundraisers, plus sold out shows at intimate theatre venues throughout the Midwest.
“When Louis presented the idea of a Dogs of Society Scholarship, the whole band was immediately on board,” Gore said. “I feel so fortunate to work with such a talented group of musicians and we are all thrilled to support music education with this benefit concert.”
General admission tickets are $20 and are available at the door the night of the concert. In commemoration of Veterans Day, veterans may purchase half-price advance tickets through L&C’s Career and Veteran Services department by calling (618) 468-5500.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with a cash bar in the Hatheway lobby.
To learn more, visit the band’s web page at http://www.dogsofsociety.com/ and the Facebook event, https://www.facebook.com/events/2111505815740304/.
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