WEST WINDSOR, NJ – Calling all Deadheads young and old! The Reock & Roll Revue returns to Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC’s) Kelsey stage March 6-8 for a psychedelic, tie-dyed weekend of performances with the band’s newest show “The Grateful Dead: The Studio Recordings 1967-1977.”  Kelsey Theatre is located on Mercer’s West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

Three Days. Three Albums. One Weekend.

For the first time ever, Reock & Roll Revue will bring to life the Grateful Dead’s musical energy. The band will journey through the first ten years of the Dead’s studio recordings then recreate the music from a different Grateful Dead album each night as originally recorded on vinyl. The performance will also feature a video compilation of Reock & Roll Revue shows. 

Friday night, March 6. Reock & Roll Revue kicks off the series with the Grateful Dead’s fourth studio album, “Workingman’s Dead.” Recorded in 1970, the album employs an Americana-styled songcraft and includes mainstays such as “Uncle John’s Band,” “Casey Jones,” “High Time” and “Cumberland Blues.”

Saturday night, March 7. The Band will play the enduring masterpiece “American Beauty” which was the Dead’s fifth studio album that was recorded back to back with “Workingman’s Dead.” The vinyl peaked at number 30 on the Billboard 200 chart and includes the hit song “Truckin’.” Other favorites on the album include “Till the Morning Comes,” “Sugar Magnolia” and “Friend of the Devil.”

Sunday afternoon, March 8. Reock & Roll Revue will round out the series with “Terrapin Station,” the ninth studio album by the Grateful Dead. Released in 1977 – which “Rolling Stone” magazine termed the “Grateful Dead’s Greatest Year”– the disc is known for tracks such as “Dancin’ in the Streets” and “Passenger.” The album reached No. 28 on the Billboard Album Chart.

Reock & Roll Revue has developed a devoted following at Kelsey, having performed to sold-out crowds. Past performances include the Allman Brothers’ “Eat a Peach” album, as well as tribute concerts for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; The Who; Chicago and The Beatles. 

Tom Reock, band leader of Reock & Roll Revue, explained the process of putting together this unique event. “This is the very first time we will be performing this show,” said Reock. “We spend about four months putting these shows together.”

Reock emphasized the precision involved. “For the Dead show in particular,” said Reock, “when we get to the second act, we play the featured album in the originial album order. There will be some jamming throughout the evening, but we usually don’t stray too far from the original recordings. This show is far and away the most challenging we’ve done, mostly because of the amount of material required for this one weekend.”

Who’s Who in the Band

Reock & Roll Revue’s Grateful Dead tribute band includes 16 talented musicians from in and around the state: 

Mario DiBartolo (Hamilton) Acoustic & Electric Guitars; Jerry Steele (Princeton) Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Pedal Steel, Mandolin, Banjo and Vocals; Tom Reock (Hamilton) Keyboards and Vocals; Bud Belviso (Hamilton) Guitars and Vocals; Hal Jordan Ketofsky (Kendall Park) Bass Guitar and Vocals; Steve Schupsky (Hamilton) Drums and Percussion; Bob Demetrician (Franklin Park) Percussion and Vocals; Brian T. Leahy (Hamilton) Keyboards and Vocals; Lisa Bouchelle (Levittown, PA) Vocals; Lindsay Jordan (Kendall Park) Vocals; Joe Grillo (West Trenton) Saxophones; Angelo DiBraccio (New Brunswick) Saxophone and Flutes; Jim Stagnito (Stanhope) Trumpet.

Special featured guests include: Pete Tonti (Crosswicks) Guitars, Keyboards and Vocals, Michael Slom (Princeton Junction) Lead Vocals and Dino Colarocco (Robbinsville) Bass Guitar.

Show Times

Friday, March 6 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 7 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 8 at 2 p.m.

Tickets

Tickets are $31 per person and may be purchased online at https://kelsey.mccc.edu/shows_current.shtml or by calling the Kelsey Box Office at 609-570-3333. Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible and hearing devices are available upon request. Free parking is available next to the theatre.

 

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Reock & Roll Revue will play a Grateful Dead Tribute of three albums in three days at the Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Community College March 6 through 8. Tickets are $31 per show and are available online at https://kelsey.mccc.edu/shows_current.shtml or by calling the Kelsey Box Office (609) 570-3333.
(Photo courtesy of Tom Reock.)