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Right now, you might say that LanceBattalion is “just another band out of North Texas, on the road and trying to make ends meet.”
But if LanceBattalion has anything to say about it, their music will one day be as memorable as those nostalgic lyrics from Boston recalling the legendary rock group’s earliest days.
On June 25, the ambitious young retro rockers will take a mighty leap towards realizing their dream when they open for the Levitt Pavilion’s first ticketed concert for 2022—a show headlined by Tommy DeCarlo, the singer for Boston since 2007, along with special guest
Rudy Cardenas, an “American Idol” star famous for Journey covers.
Singer Tommy DeCarlo has performed on every Boston tour since 2007, playing to sold-out audiences around the world. A former Home Depot manager, DeCarlo is perhaps one of the world’s most unlikely rock stars, having joined Boston following the death of the band’s original lead singer, Brad Delp.
A tribute song about Delp’s passing that DeCarlo wrote, recorded and posted came to the attention of the band’s management, and the rest is history.
Some of the top touring professionals in the business will join DeCarlo on stage at the Arlington show, including August Zadra (Dennis DeYoung Band) on lead guitar/vocals; Walter Inoon (Survivor/The Babys) on keyboards/guitar/vocals; Mike Morales (Dennis DeYoung Band) on drums; and Payton Velligan on bass/vocals.
Rudy Cardenas first rose to national prominence in 2007 as an “American Idol” contestant known for his rousing performance of one of Journey’s most beloved anthems, “Open Arms.” His relationship with the band’s music has continued since that time, and Levitt guests can expect to hear Cardenas perform a range of favorite covers from both the Steve Perry and Gregg Rolie eras at the June 25 show.
LanceBattalion is a group of freshly graduated Mansfield High School musicians, who formed a band in ninth grade after encouragement from their teacher, Lance Davis. Three years later, Levitt exec Letatia Teykl caught their retro-flavored act—which includes southern rock, blues, grunge and a bit of country - when the boys performed at a Mansfield restaurant where she happened to be dining. That evening Teykl invited the group to open for Desperado, a popular Eagles tribute band that headlined a Levitt show in 2021.
“The guys were great on our stage, and our audience loved them,” says Teykl. “When the opportunity to pair them with Tommy and Rudy came up, I knew we had a winning concert combination.”
General admission and reserved seating tickets ($38 to $75) for the DeCarlo/Cardenas show are available at levittarlington.org.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Levitt’s highly popular free outdoor concert series, which runs May through mid-summer, then picks up again Labor Day weekend and runs through October.
Gates open at 6:30 p.m. June 25. Early arrival is suggested for anyone with general seating tickets and those who wish to eat or drink before the show. LanceBattalion takes the stage at 7:30 p.m., followed by Tommy DeCarlo and special guest Rudy Cardenas at 9 p.m.
Coolers, chairs, and outside food/beverages are not permitted at the June 25 show, nor are pets. (But all of these are welcome for the Levitt’s non-ticketed shows.)
Concessions will be available, including beer, wine, and spirits. Also, eclectic pre-and post-show dining options abound at walkable and short driving distance destinations throughout downtown Arlington.
Parking is free.
Levitt Pavilion Arlington presents more than 50 free outdoor concerts a year with a broad-based concert calendar of professional musical artists, from world music to jazz and home-grown Texas country to hot Indie artists. The Levitt presents emerging talent and original artists from a range of music genres, many of them Grammy Award winners, as well as local musicians as part of the Levitt’s “Share the Stage”
initiative promoting North Texas talent. Ticketed concerts and other special events are also produced by the Levitt Pavilion Arlington. Noted as a signature destination and performing arts centerpiece for Downtown Arlington, The Levitt plays a significant role in Downtown Arlington’s designation as a Cultural District by the State of Texas and the recent designation as a Music Friendly Community by the Texas Music Office. For more information, visit levittpavilionarlington.org.
Mansfield, Texas, is a booming city, nestled between Fort Worth and Dallas, but with a personality all its own. The city’s 76,247 citizens enjoy an award-winning school district, vibrant economy, historic downtown, prize-winning park system and community focus spread across 37 square miles. The Mansfield Record is dedicated to reporting city and school news, community happenings, police and fire news, business, food and restaurants, parks and recreation, library, historical archives and special events. The city’s only online newspaper launched in September 2020 and will offer introductory advertising rates for the first three months at three different rates.
The Mansfield Record is the only local newspaper serving Mansfield, Texas. Established in 2020, the Mansfield Record is bringing the focus back where it should be.
