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Tributes galore

The American Rush Tribute Lotus Land brings the force of live Rush to life on stage at Penn's Peak at 8 p.m. March 12. Enjoyed by die-hard Rush fans, musicians and casual music listeners alike, the Lotus Land experience has been heralded as the ultimate celebration of the craftsmanship of Rush's music and spirited performances.

With the true setup and sound of the Canadian power trio, Lotus Land delivers the thrill that people expect when they see Rush in concert. Their performances have wowed sold-out houses and their fan base continues to grow.To highlight their musical career so far, the band had the opportunity to work with D&E Entertainment to perform during the premiere of the award-winning documentary "Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage.""It was an incredible honor for us," says Lotus Land's Chris Nelson. "It was like being asked to repaint the Mona Lisa in front of a roomful of art critics." The band's success that night secured them as the nation's premier Rush tribute band.Each of the Lotus Land band members - Nelson, Bob Chartrand and Mark Dalton - has had their share of notable gigs during their musical careers. Nelson has been the guitarist for Herb Reed and the Platters since 1994 and has played with such performers as DD Martin, Anthony Vitti, The Drifters, The Coasters and Jon Finn. Chartrand and Dalton teamed up early on for two ventures, The Lye and Shiny Green Flies.Together with those bands they enjoyed sharing the stage with such big names as ELO II and The Alarm.These seasoned musicians don't take the task of recreating Rush's music lightly."In this band, we take great pride in being a three-piece band whose performance, we feel, will please even the most fanatical Rush fan," says Dalton."In a nutshell, we strive to be the closest thing musically to Rush that anyone has yet heard. Whether or not we achieve this goal will surely remain a matter of opinion. What is far less subjective is the fact that we have dedicated ourselves to this end. When all is said and done, we hope to bring you the music of Rush with a live sound as big and true to form as can be heard anywhere."Elvis is in the houseRyan Pelton brings the king to the Penn's Peak stage at 8 p.m. March 19.Throughout his career, Pelton has been involved in a number or unique opportunities that have led him to call himself the "Forrest Gump" of the "Elvis tribute artist" world.Pelton performed with the world's largest impersonator production show, Legends in Concert, for nearly a decade, including a six-year stint in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.Early in his career, Pelton appeared in an all-Elvis version of "The Weakest Link," where he walked away the winner of the second-largest total ever won on the show in the United States.He has appeared in an international commercial for Volvo, was the featured Elvis tribute artist in a special collector's "Elvis Edition" of TV Guide, and was the body double for Elvis as he performed a duet of "If I Can Dream" on American Idol with Celine Dion. During this time he also made his first movie appearance as he played Elvis in the Dakota Fanning move, "Hounddog."Pelton continues to write and record his original music under the name Blake Rayne, and is currently working on his first original album under that name. "Blake" also continues to audition for acting roles, saying that, "Acting is one of the hardest things I have ever done … I guess that's why I like it so much. It kind of calls to my soul."But have no doubt - Pelton got his first break in entertainment by singing Elvis Presley music, and he has no plans to stop what got him where he is any time soon.Says Pelton, "Life is like a box of chocolates … and I got the one that looks like Elvis. I consider myself lucky … and I owe so much to Elvis. Without the King and his music, I'd still be building websites.Paul Revere's RaidersPaul Revere's Raiders are coming to Penn's Peak at 8 p.m. April 15.It took Paul Revere years to perfect the slick, fast-paced dynamo of a show that has entertained audiences all over the world, an act that features his hand-picked band of the best showmen in the business. After decades of performing this well-oiled machine, long before his passing in 2014, Revere decided to get off the road and hand over his legendary three-cornered hat to The Raiders.Continuing the Paul Revere & The Raiders tradition is the extremely talented foundation of the show, longtime members Doug Heath, Ron Foos and Danny Krause. Rejoining the show is Revere's son, Jamie Revere.Rounding out this lineup is multitalented singer and former 10-year member of The Lettermen, Darren Dowler. Last but not least is powerhouse drummer Tommy Scheckel, who was a member The Buckinghams for 27 years.Also at Penn's Peak• 8 p.m. Saturday Melvin Seals & JGB• 8 p.m. March 3, Warren Haynes and The Ashes & Dust Band• 8 p.m. March 5, Bruce in the USA• 8 p.m. March 11, Pink Floyd Experience• 8 p.m. April 8, Ronnie Spector sings the Fabulous Ronettes• 8 p.m. April 16, Buddy Guy and Jimmie Vaughan with the Tilt-a-Whirl BandTickets for all concerts are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Penn's Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant and Bar.For more information on Penn's Peak, go to

www.pennspeak.com or call 866-605-7325.

Paul Revere's Raiders. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS