Local Live: Top 5 concerts to see on LI this week

This week’s Top 5 is composed of five shades of rock — folk rock, classic rock, country rock, hard rock and pop rock. Take your pick and grab a pair of tix!

AMERICA

For five decades Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell have had a highly successful partnership with their band America, which is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.

“Our friendship is the core of our strength,” says Beckley. “We are reminded every night why we do what we do when we see thousands of people on their feet singing along.”

Songs like “A Horse With No Name,” “Sister Golden Hair,” “Ventura Highway,” “I Need You” and more will comprise the set list.

“The hits make up the bulk of the show,” says Beckley. “There’s archival video clips that roll and we talk about the years we’ve put behind us.”

WHEN/WHERE 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 21, LIU Post’s Tilles Center, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville

INFO $42-$79, 516-299-3100, tillescenter.org

NO QUARTER

What makes this Led Zeppelin tribute band stand out from the rest is its attention to the original band’s live performances.

“We don’t just play the studio versions. Our goal is to play each song the way the band performed it on stage,” says guitarist/founder Bryan Christiansen. “Led Zeppelin’s concert film, ‘The Song Remains the Same’ is something we study very carefully and draw from.” 

WHEN/WHERE 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 22, Patchogue Theatre, 71 East Main Street, Patchogue

INFO $20-$50, 631-207-1313, patchoguetheatre.org

AARON LEWIS

Lewis likes balancing his two roles as lead singer of alternative rock band Staind and a country solo artist.

“It allows me the opportunity to get sick of one thing and go do the other,” says Lewis. “With Staind, I look forward to the purge.”

However, Lewis, who plays both catalogs alone on acoustic guitar, never knows what kind of crowd he is going to face.

“Some nights they are quiet, attentive and hanging on every word. Other nights can be quite disorderly,” says Lewis. “A happy medium is where the magic is, but there’s a fine line.” 

WHEN/WHERE 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 21, NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury

INFO $49.50-$99.50, 516-247-5200, thetheatreatwestbury.com

ZEBRA

Headlining night two of the Sundance/Roxy Music Hall reunion, Zebra will recreate its 1990 live album, “Zebra Live,” which was recorded at Sundance back in 1989.

“We played both of those venues a lot. It’s part of what kept the band alive,” says lead singer/guitarist Randy Jackson. “People are still coming out to see us, which is amazing and just blows my mind. Our Long Island fans are very loyal.”

Y&T and Danger Danger will open the show.

WHEN/WHERE 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 22, Mulcahy’s, 3232 Railroad Avenue, Wantagh

INFO $39-$49, 516-783-7500, muls.com

MICKY DOLENZ

The drummer of the Monkees is geared up to deliver what his fans want.

“The meat and potatoes of my show are the Monkees’ hits and we tend to be very faithful to the original recordings,” says Dolenz. “The crowd is going to get ‘Last Train to Clarksville,’ ‘I’m a Believer,’ ‘Daydream Believer’ and ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday.’ The songs just stand up, they can almost sing themselves.”

Very often his crowd is multigenerational and Dolenz has a message for the young ones.

He says, “If I see a kid in the audience, I’ll say, ‘Hey, remember I sang ‘I’m a Believer’ long before 'Shrek!’ ”

WHEN/WHERE 3 and 7 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 23, My Father’s Place at the Roslyn Hotel, 1221 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn

INFO $75 (plus $25 food/beverage minimum), 516-413-3535, myfathersplace.com

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.