Starship Comes To Poway This October

The voice behind such mega-tunes as "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," "Sara," "We Built This City," "Jane," and "Find Your Way Back," is Mickey Thomas. Anchored by his still-powerful vocals and immense talent, Starship - the band he has starred in through multiple iterations, continues to soar. Starship brings its successful and popular tour to Poway OnStage on October 12 for a one-night-only performance.

Before there was Starship, there was Jefferson Starship. And before that, Jefferson Airplane. With this production the band will mine its deep back catalog. "We'll play songs from every record I had a hand in," said Thomas. This will include a medley of the group's earliest hits as Jefferson Airplane as well as new material.
Starship's bench includes Mickey Thomas, lead vocals, Jeff Adams, bass, John Roth, guitar, Phil Bennett, keyboards, Darrell Verdusco, drums, and Stephanie Calvert, vocals. Drummer Darrell Verdusco and keyboardist Phil Bennett joined the band in the mid -1990s. Bassist Jeff Adams was added in 2000, vocalist Stephanie Calvert in 2006, and guitarist John Roth in 2012. This gang can play the material inside out as they've demonstrated many times over to ecstatic fans.

Mickey Thomas is a class act and a wildly talented vocalist. He burst onto the scene in the late 1970s with Elvin Bishop, singing lead vocals on the smash hit, "Fooled Around and Fell in Love." His intention to pursue a solo career was sidelined when he joined Jefferson Starship in 1979. Back then another star band member was the legendary Grace Slick. The band recorded its first hit, "Jane," almost immediately after joining forces. Many hits followed.

Jefferson Starship became Starship in 1985 and released its debut album, "Knee Deep in the Hoopla."

It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA,) and is best remembered for spawning the No. 1 hits "We Built this City" and "Sara." Starship continued to reach the top of the charts at the same time MTV began infiltrating pop culture. The band released videos for all of their hits. Starship music is featured in the soundtracks for Rock of Ages, Guardians of the Galaxy, Skeleton Twins, and the TV series Glee.

Thomas is the faithful standard bearer of a band that's had one of the most unique rides in the history of American music. He's known its story since the early days of Jefferson Airplane, then its morphing into Jefferson Starship, and finally, its evolution into simply Starship. There is no denying the relevance of this band and its contributions to the music scene. This show will bring back many memories for longtime fans, and should earn new ones for first timers who are dazzled by this hit parade of talent and staying power.

At $45-$75, tickets for Starship are on sale now at www.powayonstage.org and the box office at 858-748-0505. The 800-seat Poway Center for the Performing Arts is located at 15498 Espola Rd. at the corner of Titan Way in Poway. The box office is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, and two hours before curtain. Due to its generous sponsorship, GEICO Youth Tickets (for age 12 and under) are half off regular pricing. Discounts are available for seniors (65+), active duty military, and students (12-22). Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more by calling the Box Office at 858-748-0505.

Poway OnStage, (a dba of The Poway Center for the Performing Arts Foundation), is a 28-year-old non-profit organization that offers professional performing arts events, including concerts, dance performances, theater productions, and a children's theatre series. The Foundation operates through a special partnership with the City of Poway and the Poway Unified School District.

Visit our website at www.powayonstage.org.