Kartune to perform on cruise to Bermuda

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A popular local band has invited its fans to help it rock the boat next month.

And not just any boat: Kartune will be on board a cruise ship heading toward Bermuda.

“It’s so fun to do. Everyone has a good time,” said Kartune’s leader, Tommy Bruno, of Hazleton.

The “kruise” — as the band calls it — departs Sunday, June 10, and won’t be Kartune’s first. Since 2005, the band has sailed on 11 ships, providing entertainment to guests cruising to the Bahamas, South Florida, Canadian ports and assorted Caribbean islands.

The Bermuda itinerary, however, is one of the band’s and travelers’ favorites.

“Lately, Bermuda has been the main one because people really seem to enjoy it,” Bruno said.

The Norwegian Escape will leave from New York, and Kartune will perform a number of shows while on the way to the island. Sometimes, the band plays pool side, in a theater or in a club.

Based in Hazleton, Kartune performs music from the 1960s to today throughout Northeast Pennsylvania, so many travelers hail from Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton and surrounding areas. Bruno said he sees a lot of familiar faces, and travelers often know one another — or come to know each other as the trip gets underway.

“The people who work on the cruise ships come from countries all over the world,” Bruno said. “A lot of workers are from the Philippines, so they typically don’t see American bands. So once we perform, they treat us like rock stars.”

On a previous cruise, Bruno and his band met members of Filipino group Next Stage. The group knew of many of the songs Kartune played, and the two bands shared the stage.

“We’ve had musicians from other countries sit in with us, too,” Bruno said, noting the interactions keep shows fresh and unpredictable.

The seven-night cruise arrives in King’s Wharf, Bermuda, on Wednesday, June 13. After docking for three days in Bermuda, the cruise will head back to New York.

More information can be found on the group’s website, kartune.com.

Contact the writer:

jwhalen@standardspeaker.com

570-501-3592

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