Felix Cavaliere and Gene Cornish of The Rascals Come to MPAC This September

Felix Cavaliere and Gene Cornish -- two legendary founders of The Rascals -- team up for the first time in five years in their new tour that brings the sounds of the legendary 60s group The Rascals to Mayo Performing Arts Center on Friday, September 21 at 8 pm. Tickets are $49-$89.

Felix Cavaliere and Gene Cornish cite the fans and love of their timeless songs as reasons for this collaboration. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, Grammy Hall of Fame, Vocal Group Hall of Fame members and Songwriter Hall of Fame, The Rascals are widely considered the best "blue-eyed soul" group to come out of the 1960s and their music is the soundtrack of a generation. The Rascals have 17 Top 20 hits, seven Top 10 hits, and three No. 1 hits that include "Groovin'," "People Got To Be Free" and "Good Lovin'."

"I had an epiphany while performing in Hawaii last year," Cavaliere said. "It's not about me - it's about the fans. It's about the music. I spoke with Gene and he agreed that we can't take any of this for granted anymore."

Cornish, who first worked with Cavaliere and future Rascals singer, Eddie Brigati, in Joey Dee & The Starlighters in 1964, echoed Cavaliere's feelings.

"There's something magical that happens when we're on stage together," Cornish said. "We're going to celebrate these songs for as long as the fans allow us to and give the fans a chance to see us perform live."

Joining them on this new journey is hall of fame drummer, Carmine Appice. The Brooklyn-born iconic drummer's resume includes Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Rod Stewart, Beck Bogert & Appice, Ozzy Osbourne and Pink Floyd.

"Gene and I both thought there's no way we can replace our brother Eddie, and Dino expressed that he didn't want to do it," Cavaliere said. "We both thought of Carmine at the same time."

During his first phone call with Cornish, Appice wasted no time saying "I'm in."

"I grew up watching The Rascals on Ed Sullivan, I'm a huge fan," Appice said. "These songs are the soundtrack to so many peoples' lives. I'm looking forward to sharing the music with life-long Rascals fans, and to new generations of fans."

About The Rascals
Originally named The Young Rascals, and comprised of Felix Cavaliere, Gene Cornish, Eddie Brigati and drummer Dino Danelli, the group signed to Atlantic Records in 1965, Just a short time later their first single "I Ain't Gonna Eat Your Heart Out Anymore" reached modest success. Now just called The Rascals, they struck No. 1 in February 1966 with mega hit "Good Lovin.'" They followed suit with a string of hits like "I've Been Lonely Too Long," "Groovin'" (No. 1 in 1967), "How Can I Be Sure," "A Girl Like You," "A Beautiful Morning" and "People Got to Be Free" (No. 1 in 1968).

Mayo Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The 2018-2019 season is made possible, in part, by a grant the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the F.M. Kirby Foundation and numerous corporations, foundations and individuals. The Mayo Performing Arts Center has been designated a Major Presenting Organization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Mayo Performing Arts Center was named 2016 Outstanding Historic Theatre by the League of Historic American Theatres, and is ranked in the top 50 mid-sized performing arts centers by Pollstar Magazine.