Zebra to celebrate 45th anniversary at NYCB Theatre at Westbury
Zebra singer-guitarist Randy Jackson of Centereach will celebrate his band's 45th anniversary at NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Nov. 5. Credit: Steven J. Messina
Zebra is about to show its stripes again on Long Island. The rock trio will celebrate the band’s 45th anniversary with a concert at NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Nov. 5. This is the venue's first new booking since the pandemic.
"I am not too surprised that Felix [Hanemann, bassist], Guy [Gelso, drummer] and I have been able to get along and stay together all these years, but what does amaze me is that the fans are still here to celebrate this with us," says Zebra singer-guitarist Randy Jackson, who lives in Centereach. "If I had to point to the one main factor in the longevity of the band, I would have to say that it is no doubt the incredible loyalty of our fans."
Zebra was a staple of the Long Island club scene performing at such legendary locations as Speaks in Island Park, Hammerheads in Levittown and West Islip, as well as The Mad Hatter in Stony Brook. But since the band went national in 1983, Westbury has been a regular stop on its touring schedule.
"Westbury is laid out so that everyone has a good view of the stage and everyone is pretty close to the performers. There is an intimacy in there that you can only get with that type of seating configuration," says Jackson, 66. "Westbury is also centrally located to the area where we first made our mark here on Long Island in 1977."
In terms of the set list, Jackson is keeping it a secret. However, he did drop some hints.
"We will be doing plenty of the early Zebra tunes along with some new surprises," he says. "I want the fans to leave feeling refreshed by a review of the past and hopeful about the future of a band that they have all been a big part of!"
Tickets ($34.50-$89.50) go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. at ticketmaster.com. A presale is currently running on the same website with promo code RANDY.
David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.
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