Benny Mardones’ backing band The Hurricanes will headline a tribute concert to the late “Into the Night” singer in Syracuse.
“Bless a Brand New Angel: The Tribute To Benny Mardones featuring Benny’s Hurricanes” will take place Saturday, November 13, at the Palace Theater on James Street in Eastwood. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Tickets are on sale at syracusetix.com; prices are $10 for general admission or $25 for reserved seating in the first four rows. Fans can also purchase a limited edition Mardones tribute concert t-shirt with their tickets.
The concert will feature a performance by The Hurricanes with Kim Fetters, Kevin Farrell, Andy Rudy, Todd Troubetaris, John Mangicaro, Pete Levante, Jeff Gordon, Mark Yonnick and Dan Redmond, some of whom are flying in from around the country. The multimedia event will combine live music with videos of Mardones throughout his career.
Benny’s widow, Jane Mardones, will also be in attendance and Syracuse Jazz Fest founder Frank Malfitano will host a small ceremony recognizing many of the people who helped make Mardones a star in Syracuse.
According to a press release, attendees 12 and older must provide evidence of at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccination or a negative Covid test administered 24-72 hours prior to curtain in order to attend this performance. Children under age 12 will be permitted to attend with adults that meet the vaccination or testing requirements. All patrons will be required to wear masks at all times while in the facility.
A Benny Mardones tribute concert is scheduled for Nov. 13, 2021, in Syracuse.
Mardones, also known as “The Voice,” died at his California home last year after nearly two decades of struggling with Parkinson’s disease. He was 73.
He was best known for “Into the Night,” one of the few songs to reach the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 twice. The rock ballad appeared on his 1980 album “Never Run, Never Hide,” and hit No. 11 that year; nine years later, an Arizona radio DJ’s “Where Are They Now?” special helped propel the song back to popularity, ascending to No. 20 in America in 1989.
Between those nine years, he struggled with cocaine and alcohol, and stopped performing after his 1981 album flopped. After his son was born in 1985, he moved to Syracuse to get clean. He successfully kicked the drug habit and began performing again with a local band, The Hurricanes, drawing large crowds of 15,000 at Long Branch Park and 24,000 at Weedsport Speedway.
“When I was addicted to drugs, Syracuse opened its arms to me,” he told syracuse.com in 2017, before playing his final show at the Turning Stone Resort Casino. “It gave me my life back. The fans never wavered. The radio stations played my songs.”