Tribute rock: Where the music is the star

Above: Think Floyd USA performs "Breathe." It's nothing like the real thing, but is it better than nothing?

The Rolling Stones used to sing “It’s the singer, not the song.” But lately it seems the inverse is true.

Saturday night out at Sandstone, you can hear songs from four hall-of-fame, classic-rock bands: Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, the Doors and the Stones. The show is billed as “The Rock ’n’ Roll Dream Concert.” It features four tribute bands: Think Floyd USA, Houses of the Holy, Mojo Risin’ and Satisfaction. Tickets cost $23. Show time is 7 p.m.

You can visit each band’s Web site/MySpace and hear how “authentic” it sounds. Think Floyd is a nine-piece band (including three backup singers) that typically plays two albums from the Floyd’s catalog. The singer for Houses of the Holy (Farrell Webber of St. Louis) passes muster as a Robert Plant sound-alike; Mojo Risin’, from Cleveland, says it knows virtually the entire Doors catalog, and its lead singer looks more like Jim Morrison than Val Kilmer did; and Satisfaction, from Shreveport, La., has about five dozen Stones songs in its repertoire.

This tribute thing has been going gangbusters for years. Google “U2 tribute” and you’ll get a list of many: Rattle and Hum, 2U, Elevation, Zoo2, Unforgettable Fire …

The jam-band world has long had its tribute bands, like the Schwag (Grateful Dead), who roll through Kansas City regularly, including the annual Thanksgiving night show. And Crosstown Station regularly schedules California VooDoo, a local Widespread Panic tribute band (it’ll be there Aug. 30).

But the fad is spreading to lesser-known acts. On Aug. 2 at the Riot Room (formerly the Hurricane), you can hear the music of Huey Lewis and the News from the tribute band Heart & Soul.

If it’s just familiar songs you want to hear, catch the local trio the Zeros, who have been working for a living by singing other bands’ hits. Or catch one of the many “tribute nights” that pop up at places like the RecordBar and Bar Natasha, where local musicians have honored the music of Journey, Leonard Cohen and Ben Folds.

Or head to Howl at the Moon in the Power & Light District, where you’ll hear nothing but live versions of songs you’ve heard 100 times or more.

None of this is good news, I suppose, for bands writing their own songs, trying to attract new fans and accelerate their own careers. But it’s not a bad tradeoff, if you’re willing to suspend your skepticism and focus on the songs, not the singers.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Comments

[bewlay]

I just started reading a book "Like a Rolling Stone: the Strange Life of a Tribute Band" with one writer's experience following Sticky Fingers, a Rolling Stones cover band. There's a funny incident where the singer hires two replacement guitarists that don't look like Ron Wood or Keith Richards and don't sing (that could lead to a snarky comment there.

[gsp]

"...singer not the song..", is the Who I think. Join Together.

[Tim Finn]

The Stones have a song called "The Singer Not the Song." It's on "December's Children" (1965)

[Gary]

Tim, what's your opinion on tribute bands like the Schwag? Not being a deadhead I won tickets to their upcoming show and wanted your thoughts on them. It would be appreciated.

[Tim Finn]

I generally don't go to tribute shows -- I'd rather spend the time seeing a band do its own material -- but I have no real objection to the idea, either. And the Schwag have been doing it forever so they must have something legitimate going. I'm not sure I'd go unless I were at least a more-than-casual Dead fan, though.

[Tom (Don't Buy from Scalpers)]

I would not walk across the street to hear some so called Tribute Band. Why go to see something that is at best a pale imimtation of the Real Deal. Besides haven't Classic Rock Stations that are all owned by the same 3 enties made Classic Rock like finernails on the blackboard after the the 1 millionth playing of Sweet Home Alabama.

[Tom (Don't Buy from Scalpers)]

I would not walk across the street to hear some so called Tribute Band. Why go to see something that is at best a pale imimtation of the Real Deal. Besides haven't Classic Rock Stations that are all owned by the same 3 enties made Classic Rock like finernails on the blackboard after the the 1 millionth playing of Sweet Home Alabama.