Billy Joel tribute act returns to Tupelo
In a crowded milieu, there are some tribute acts that stand out — for their authenticity, an innovative approach, or a clear love of the music they’re recreating. Gloucester-based Captain Jack & the Strangers, who cover Billy Joel’s songbook, manage to tick all three boxes. Since forming in 2022 they’ve become a favorite on the New England circuit.
The group began after Jack Favazza and a group of musician friends traveled to see Joel perform. A piano player in his early twenties, Favazza was already a fan, as was his bass-playing friend Mike Parsons. The rest, all members of well-known North Shore bands, were curious but not as committed.
By the show’s end all were in agreement. Favazza and Parsons, along with percussionist, sax and keyboard player Mike Lindberg, drummer Steve Russo and guitarists Mark Pelosi and Jim Frontiero, were ready to start a Joel-centric band. They started crafting a setlist that included both well-known hits and tasty deep cuts.
They began with a swagger Joel might appreciate. Though veterans of the nightclub circuit, all wanted the act to work in big venues.
“Not that we don’t like the music in the bar scene, but we wanted to get on a stage, we wanted to sell tickets,” Favazza recalled in a recent phone interview. “We wanted to take it a little more seriously.”
A good instinct, it turned out. An early show at North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Mass., happened because Favazza knew someone at the venue who was willing to take a chance on a new band. They sold the place out in seven weeks. “So after that, she said, ‘We’ll be having you back next year.’”
Another high point came this year when they played Toad’s Place, a legendary New Haven, Connecticut, club where stars like Bob Dylan and Steve Earle have performed.
“It was kind of a short-notice thing and that’s OK,” Favazza said. “They gave us a chance [and] they loved the show.”
They’re building a fan base in New Hampshire, having appeared at Nashua’s Center for the Arts, and multiple times at Tupelo Music Hall.
“A lot of the other venues say, ‘Yeah, we’d like you to come back next year or in six months.’ That’s when you pick up the momentum and your confidence goes up,” Favazza said.
Though the song selection ranges across Joel’s career, the band maintains the exuberant energy of his mid-’70s to late ’80s prime. During the show, Favazza bounds across the stage for the in-your-face hit “It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me” and lays a tablecloth on his piano to perform his favorite, “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant.”
Even seasoned fans can be surprised by the mix of material, Favazza continued.
“After every show, someone comes up to us and goes, ‘I didn’t know that Billy Joel wrote all those songs. When we dive into the B-sides, they’re like, ‘I remember that song, it was in this movie.’ These songs are tied everywhere in our culture.”
Favazza plays solo gigs in Boston and around the North Shore. His sets include Elton John and Barry Manilow along with Joel’s material. He’s been doing it since a college friend helped him secure a gig in a Gloucester restaurant. After playing a couple of songs, he was invited to appear weekly.
“Billy Joel is the only tribute act I do,” he said. “I figured, who’s the No. 1 piano man? OK, I found him.”
He’s drawn to Joel’s music because he discerns a thread in it that dates back to rock’s beginnings. Many musicians were inspired in 1964 when The Beatles appeared on national television for three consecutive Sunday nights, like Joel. “You can hear The Beatles in his songs — that’s what I think makes it timeless, whether it’s lyrics or feelings or the music itself.”
Though Favazza enjoys honoring the music of one artist in his act, he has original songs, and their time may come.
“I haven’t published anything for the public, but maybe someday,” he said. For the time being, he continued, “I play these songs because I want to.”
Captain Jack & the Strangers
When: Saturday, Jan. 3, at 8 p.m.
Where: Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry
Tickets: $40 at tupelohall.com
Featured photo: Captain Jack & the Strangers. Courtesy photo.