Due to unforeseen circumstances Rick Wakeman’s: The Even Grumpier Old Rock Star date at Buffalo, NY will need to be rescheduled into 2022.

We are working on a new date to be announced as soon as possible.

All tickets for the original date will be honored for the new date. If you have any questions please contact the Babeville box office info@babevillebuffalo.com or 716-852-3835

DSP Shows presents Rick Wakeman: The Even Grumpier Old Rock Star Tour Live in Asbury Hall 

7pm Doors, 8pm Show

Tickets: On Sale Fri. June 25 10am –  General Admission Seated tickets, $45 advance, $50 day of show, can be purchased on Eventbrite, Babeville Box Office (M-F 11a-5p).  Front Row and Meet & Greet Packages available – details below!

Please Note:To ensure the safety of all concert goers, artists, and our staff,all patrons will be required to wear a mask (unless actively drinking) AND provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination (two weeks past second shot) OR proof of a negative COVID PCR test (received within the past 48 hours) to enter the venue.
If vaccinated, please sign up for the NY State Excelsior Pass Application for easy access on your phone. We will also accept your physical vaccination card or a clearly legible photo of your vaccination card on your phone. If unvaccinated please bring printed or digital proof of your recent negative PCR test.
Regardless of vaccination status if you are feeling sick or have been exposed to someone with COVID please stay home.
Checking for status will add a little time to venue entry so please plan accordingly. 
If you have special needs please let the box office know in advance at info@babevillebuffalo.com or 716-852-3835.
Thank you for your understanding and for helping keep one another safe.

Rick Wakeman

Born in Perivale, Middlesex, England, Rick Wakeman’s interest in music manifested itself very early, and from the age of seven on he studied classical piano. At the age of 14, he joined a local band, Atlantic Blues, the same year he left school to enroll in the Royal College of Music. He had his eye on a career as a concert pianist, but Wakeman was dismissed from the college after it became clear that he preferred playing in clubs to studying technique.

By his late teens, he was an established session man, playing on records by such diverse acts as Black Sabbath, Brotherhood of Man, and Edison Lighthouse. At the end of the ’60s, his name also began appearing on the credits of albums by such artists as Al Stewart and David Bowie, and one set of sessions with a folk-rock band called the Strawbs led to his joining the group in 1970. After two albums with the Strawbs, Wakeman joined Yes, a post-psychedelic hard rock band that had attracted considerable attention with their first three albums. Wakeman played a key role in the final shape of the group’s fourth record, Fragile, creating a fierce, swirling sound on an array of electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizers, and Mellotrons. Fragile was a hit, driven by the chart success of the single “Roundabout,” and Wakeman was suddenly elevated to star status.

Yes’ next album, Close to the Edge, expanded his audience and his appeal, for his instruments were heard almost continually on the record. During the making of Close to the Edge in 1972, Wakeman also recorded his first solo album, an instrumental work entitled The Six Wives of Henry VIII, which consisted of his musical interpretations of the lives and personalities of the said six royal spouses. Released early in 1973 on A&M Records, it performed respectably on the charts. Public reception of Yes’ 1974 album, Tales From Topographic Oceans, was mixed, and the critics were merciless in their attacks upon the record. Wakeman exited the group before the album’s supporting tour. His new solo album, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, adapted from the writings of Jules Verne and featuring a rock band, narrator (David Hemmings), and full orchestral and choral accompaniment, was released to tremendous public response in both America and England, where it topped the charts. In 1975, his next album, The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, was given a grand-scale premiere at Wembley’s Empire Pool, although it also cost Wakeman a fortune to stage the event on ice. During this same period, Wakeman began working on film scores with the music for Ken Russell’s Lisztomania, which was a modest hit.

In 1977, Wakeman returned to Yes, with which he has continued recording and touring. His solo career continued on A&M into the end of the ’70s, with Criminal Record and Rhapsodies, which were modestly successful. Wakeman’s biggest media splash during this period, however, came through his alleged role in getting the Sex Pistols dropped by A&M Records soon after being signed. None of this bothered his fans, which rapidly expanded to encompass those he picked up through his work with lyricist Tim Rice on a musical adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984, and his burgeoning film work, which included the music to movies about the 1976 Winter Olympics and the 1982 soccer World Cup competition. Additionally, he became a regular on Britain’s Channel 4. Wakeman’s audience and reputation survived the 1980s better than almost any progressive rock star of his era, as he continued releasing albums on his own label. He also remained associated with Yes into the ’90s.

In January 2016, Trevor Rabin announced he plans to perform with Wakeman and Jon Anderson as Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman (ARW), later in the year. Anderson revealed the three wrote “some unique songs together”. Also in January, following requests from fans, Wakeman recorded piano versions of “Life on Mars?”, “Space Oddity”, and “Always Together” as a tribute to David Bowie following his death with proceeds from the songs donated to Macmillan Cancer Support.

VIP PACKAGES:

FRONT ROW PACKAGE 

• One (1) front row reserved ticket
• Priority check-in and entrance
• Meet & Greet with Rick Wakeman
• Photo opportunity with Rick Wakeman
• Invitation to private sound check
• Merchandise item designed and created exclusively for package purchasers
• Collectible laminate to remember your evening
• Onsite check-in staff

MEET & GREET PACKAGE

• One (1) premium reserved ticket or One (1) general admission ticket with early entry before general public 
• Priority check-in and entrance
• Meet & Greet with Rick Wakeman
• Photo opportunity with Rick Wakeman
• Invitation to private sound check
• Merchandise item designed and created exclusively for package purchasers
• Collectible laminate to remember your evening
• Onsite check-in staff

MEET & GREET UPGRADE – TICKET NOT INCLUDED

• Priority check-in and entrance
• Meet & Greet with Rick Wakeman
• Photo opportunity with Rick Wakeman
• Invitation to private sound check
• Merchandise item designed and created exclusively for package purchasers
• Collectible laminate to remember your evening
• Onsite check-in staff

You will be contacted via email by SLO Customer Service approximately one (1) week prior to show date with details about your package elements. Package elements are NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-TRANSFERABLE. NO REFUNDS will be given under any circumstances. NO NAME CHANGES will be permitted. The original package purchaser, and all members of your party, must be in attendance at time of check-in and enter the venue together. Venue exit and re-entry may not be permitted.  A valid ID of the original purchaser is required. The sound check will take place prior to the show, early arrival to the venue is required.  The Meet & Greet will be prior to the show, you may miss some, or all, of the opening act.  Meet & Greet subject to change, if needed, to comply with COVID-19 guidelines.

At packager’s discretion, exclusive merchandise will either be shipped directly to the address provided at the time of purchase (alternate shipping addresses are not permitted) or available for pick-up on the night of the show. If merchandise is available for pick up on the night of show, a valid ID of the original purchaser is required.  If shipped, delivery of merchandise may arrive a minimum of 30 days after the show.  Merchandise is not needed for entry to the show. Collectible laminate is commemorative only and does not gain or authorize access into the venue or backstage areas.  Packager is unable to ship merchandise outside of the US and Canada. For questions related to your package elements please email slocustomerservice@slotix.com. This offer is not valid if this ticket was purchased via fan-to-fan.