Elton John Tribute Kicks Off Mable House Amphitheater's Return To Live Shows

Following the shut-down of its venue due to the pandemic, the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre will once again be hosting LIVE music beginning July 10 at 8pm!

Their premiere concert is the internationally touring show Remember When Rock Was Young-The Elton John Tribute. That they are an Atlanta based show only adds to the feeling of coming home to live performances.

The show stars the multi-talented singer/pianist/actor/creator Craig A Meyer and features the incredible Rocket Band!

When asked what it felt like to be facing a hometown audience, Meyer replied, "Atlanta has the best audiences and we are honored they chose us to reopen the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre. We have a long history with the MHBA and we could not be more pleased."

Tickets are available on Ticketmaster https://www.ticketmaster.com/Mable-House-Barnes-Amphitheatre-tickets-Mableton/venue/115323.

The spectacular outdoor venue regularly holds 2500 but will have reduced capacity of 1300 for these first performances. Limited tables are available. The venue has food vendors on site, but also allows guests to bring their own food and drinks. Gates will open approximately 90 minutes prior to the concert.

In the world of musical homages, there are tribute artists, cover bands and impersonators, but Craig A Meyer's Almost Elton John show is something else entirely.

"Really, I'm an illusionist," says Meyer, who for the last 13 years has used smoke, mirrors, sequins and platform heels to convince audiences that he's the next closest thing to the British pop superstar.

"I lovingly call [Almost Elton] my 'superhero' alter ego," he adds. "I step in a phone booth and walk out wearing a cape. I'm still Craig, but I'm also this other entity. It's fun to step into somebody else's heels for a while, if you will."

On Saturday, July 10, Meyer and his backing group, the Rocket Band, will bring pop classics such as "Tiny Dancer," "Bennie and the Jets" and "Crocodile Rock" to the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre.

Growing up, Meyer says, he never doubted that he was destined for the stage. His parents tell him he "sang before [he] spoke," and the passion for performance he developed was crucial to breaking into new social circles as his family followed his father, a Lutheran minister, around the world.

Meyer taught himself to play piano in elementary school by listening to and replicating melodies by pop piano greats such as John, Billy Joel and Barry Manilow. A passionate dancer and singer, his broad skill set has landed him spots in Broadway companies for Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Starlight Express" and "Cats" as well as film and TV acting jobs and positions in touring companies alongside Manilow and Frankie Valli.

The decision to don the platform shoes as Almost Elton John came after crowds responded enthusiastically to his performance of a pair of John's songs during a benefit at a theater in Atlanta, where he is based.

"There were people who came up to me afterward who said, 'There were moments when I could close my eyes, and I could have sworn I was listening to Elton John,' " he says. "It was like, 'Huh. I never really thought of this in that way.' "

After a quick shopping trip through Atlanta's Little Five Points district, he put together the first of what would eventually become 20 stage costumes, each more over-the-top than the last. After working up a set and putting feelers out, he began performing as Almost Elton. He now performs 100 concerts annually and has made appearances in Las Vegas, California, New York, Monaco and Turkey.

As much as he enjoys wowing audiences with his costumes -- the average show includes three or four wardrobe changes -- Meyer says the driving force behind Almost Elton John is helping people reconnect with music they often associate with significant moments.

"You have generations of families at these shows, and they all have a different connection to the music and to a time in their lives that was important to them," he says. "Everybody has a different connection to the music, but it's all still very personal. I get to be a part of that magic."

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