Back in the early ’70s, a group of Tamaqua-area boys with a passion for music decided to rock the region by pursuing their dreams and starting their own band, Eclipse.

Fast forward over four decades later, two members of the beloved local treasure will be reuniting for a one-time show on Sunday at the Angela Triplex Theatre in Coaldale.

Glenn Jones and Wayne Zimmerman, both 59, will be headlining the “Beyond the Eclipse” show with a diverse set list including covers of ’60s, ’70s and ’80s classics, as well as some original acoustic work.

Doors open at 4 p.m. and the show begins at 5 p.m.

The Beginning of something good

Jones, Zimmerman and the rest of the band met in middle school.

Their friendship, love for rock ’n’ roll and desire to seem cool to girls, according to Jones, were all inspirations for getting together and starting a musical journey.

Zimmerman, who credits his mother for his passion for music by making him start piano lessons at age 10, had a thorough background in music already.

Jones, although he played the saxophone for the school band, explained that other than Zimmerman, none of the other players had played their instruments before their first practice.

“We never even played our instruments before so it was banging and learning as we went and it was really terrible for a while,” Jones said. “We practiced all the time and got good pretty quickly.”

As Zimmerman remembers it, the first time Eclipse, named after the Pink Floyd song, practiced together, he played an air-driven organ, and one of the guitar players dissected an old radio to make an amp.

They all attempted to play Paul McCartney’s “Band on the Run.”

“Eventually we started getting real equipment and we became a real band who played at real places,” Zimmerman said.

Their first actual gig was at a church youth group party where the band was paid $42 total, $7 each to perform.

Zimmerman remembers sticking microphones in the back of the piano to amplify the sound.

As the band evolved, Zimmerman settled into the role of keyboardist and Jones played bass primarily and saxophone occasionally.

Other members of the band who are not performing at the concert played guitars and drums.

Closer to when Jones left the band his junior year in 1977 when he moved down south, the band incorporated a horn section including trumpet and trombone.

A passion for music

Following their time as bandmates, both Jones and Zimmerman held on to their love for music, although pursuing several different careers and moving multiple times.

Zimmerman, who has a background in computer software publishing and test-prep production, moved from Pennsylvania to the New York Metro Area to Virginia.

Over that span of time, he played for several cover bands, including a Doors cover band, participated in duos and performed solos, and eventually ended up playing in the two bands he plays for today.

“I really feel the music emotionally … I connect with the music (and) the other musicians,” said Zimmerman. “In particular, I like to connect with the audience. The more enthusiastic the audience becomes, the more enthusiastic I become.”

He also explained that because he’s been musically involved nearly his whole life, he believes “it’s a medium that really inspires the soul.”

“Whether you play it, listen to it or dance to it – it’s a common language that brings us together and makes us forget about all the bad things going on around us … it helps us live in the now,” he said.

Jones, who also moved around quite a bit in his life but now settled in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, obtained his law degree at age 40 but always deep down, he knew his passion was for music.

“After (my) legal career fell apart, I decided to go back to (my) dream and where (my) heart always was and that was music,” Jones said.

Following the revitalization of his musical journey, Jones has gone on to perform internationally, both in the United States and the United Kingdom, and has released three albums with one on the way.

“Ready for the Good Times” is set to release within a few months with a release party on Jan. 12 at The Blue Note Grill in Durham, North Carolina.

“While I still love the rock ’n’ roll, and that’s what this show is about, my original writing has evolved more … (it’s) acoustic, rootsy, (and) a little softer … a little more into the singer-songwriter world; more thoughtful, from the heart.”

Homecoming

Both Zimmerman and Jones are eager to reconnect with old classmates and perform in the area where it all started, intertwining the evolutions of their respective sounds.

“It’s going to be these two different worlds but I think that’s a good thing,” Jones said. “Wayne will do a lot of classic stuff, I’ll do some promotions from my new album, (some) acoustic guitar, singing my singer/songwriter songs, then we’re going to combine and do a bunch of songs from the old Eclipse set list.”

They’re going to play “some happy ’70s rock ’n’ roll favorites and (relive) some good old memories,” Jones said. “I’m looking forward to being back (and) seeing some old friends.”

Attendees can purchase tickets in advance, at the door the evening of the event or online at www.theangelatheatre.com under the special events tab.

There will be a meet and greet following the show.