Carl Palmer’s Tour To Honor Keith Emerson

Of course, Palmer, along with Emerson and guitarist / singer Greg Lake, made up Emerson, Lake & Palmer, one of the premier progressive rock bands to emerge from England in the early 1970s.  Emerson, who reportedly was depressed because nerve damage hindered his playing, committed suicide at his Southern California home earlier this month.  He was 71.

Emerson was known for a flamboyant style on stage that included stabbing at one of his keyboards with a knife.  One of the highlights of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s performance at 1974’s California Jam festival was Palmer playing the piano while suspended in mid-air.

Palmer is now calling the upcoming outing “The 2016 Remembering Keith and The Music Of Emerson, Lake & Palmer Tour.”  The journey launches in New York and includes stops in Londonderry, N.H.; Wilmington, Del.; Indio, Calif.; and Dallas, Texas.

“I will deeply miss Keith and I want you all to know I will carry on flying the ELP banner and playing the great music with my band for many years to come,” Palmer said.  “We have lost a very talented and gifted musician but this great music will continue for a long, long time.”

Included in the run is a special show planned for the Olympia Theatre in Miami, Fla. Titled “Pictures At An Exhibition – A Tribute To Keith Emerson,” the June 24 evening will feature music by Palmer’s ELP Legacy Band (guitarist Paul Bielatowicz & bassist Simon Fitzpatrick) along with special guests, cinematic images, and performances by The Center For Contemporary Dance.  The night will also include guest musicians yet to be announced.

“I hope this is something all fans of ELP and Keith Emerson will all want to come along and see to help celebrate his music,” Palmer said.  “I had wanted to marry the music of ELP with a contemporary dance interpretation for quite a while. Originally, this event had been scheduled to be a celebration of my 50th year in music and I had invited Keith to come and participate in this and other special events that had been planned in 2016.  He told us he was interested, but sadly, fate intercepted these plans.  I felt it was imperative that we turn this event into a tribute to him and the music we made together.”

The tour also includes special art events exhibiting and selling canvases from Palmer’s “The Rhythm Of Light” and “A Twist Of The Wrist” collections that resulted from collaborations between the drummer and the Los Angeles Art Team, Scene Four.  Here are the dates:

June 2 – New York, N.Y., B.B. King Blues Club
June 3 – Sellersville, Pa., Sellersville Theater 1894
June 5 – Londonderry, N.H., Tupelo Music Hall
June 6 – Wilmington, Del., World Cafe Live At The Queen
June 7 – Arlington, Mass., Regent Theatre
June 8 – Hamilton, Ont., Molson Canadian Studio
June 9 – Jim Thorpe, Pa., Penn’s Peak
June 10 – Bay Shore, N.Y., YMCA Boulton Ctr. For The Perf. Arts
June 11 – Syracuse, N.Y., Palace Theatre
June 12 – Ferndale, Mich., The Magic Bag
June 15 – Ridgefield, Conn., Ridgefield Playhouse
June 16 – Peekskill, N.Y., Paramount Hudson Valley
June 17 – Lexington, Mich., Lexington Village Theatre
June 24 – Miami, Fla., Olympia Theatre At Gusman Center (Pictures At An Exhibition – A Tribute To Keith Emerson)
July 8 – Agoura Hills, Calif., The Canyon
July 9 – Indio, Calif., The Rock Yard @ Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
July 12 – Dallas, Texas, Poor David’s Pub

Some shows are already on sale.  Check out CarlPalmer.com for more information.