All the Elton John fans really enjoyed the Elton Jeff & the Honky Cats concert at Theatre at the Center. I enjoy Elton John’s music in small doses so even though the costumes were sparkly and the music upbeat, it was a bit much for me.
I did appreciate the onstage screen with background videos, information about the year the song was released, what EJ was doing at that point in his life and other fun factoids.
Elton Jeff, aka Jeff Gajewski, and the Honky Cats are local favorites, selling out venues across northwest Indiana and Chicagoland. Elton Jeff is a piano ‘whiz’, a skill he uses to emulate Elton John. He also sports several different pairs of glasses as well as sparkly costumes.
I think the Honky Cats were one of the best parts of this concert. Instead of a guitar and a bass playing background, this group included a three-piece brass section which did full justice to Elton John’s music.
The Honky Cats are Jeff White (Bass), Kurt Bonomo (Guitars), Andy Sutton (Drums), Dee Dee Bonomo (Vocals), Terry “Sonny Lee” Tritt (Saxophone), Dan Cummings (Trumpet) and Chris Linstrot (Trombone).
The first act song list included hits like Philadelphia Freedom, Bennie & the Jets, Daniel, Tiny Dancer, The Bitch is Back and much more. Act II included Pinball Wizard, Candle in the Wind, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Rocket Man, Crocodile Rock, I’m Still Standing and more.
More information about Elton Jeff and the Honky Cats can be found at www.eltonjeff.com.
