There’s a difference between a cover band and a tribute band; that difference being cover bands just play other people’s songs while tribute groups play the music of one band. Preferably iconic. Often in character.
It doesn’t surprise me that Asheville is more accepting of tribute bands than run-of-the-mill party bands playing everything from “Brick House” to “Living on a Prayer,” wedding singer-style. Tribute bands smack of a certain level of artistic integrity, rather than ‘80s nostalgia and synthesizer zeal. In the midst of ernest singer-songwriters and world fusion outfits, Zeppelin tribute Custard Pie has become a household name. And Zoso: The Ultimate Zeppelin Tribute makes frequent stops at the Orange Peel and the Handlebar.
But a glance at Wildwing Cafe‘s June schedule reveals this tribute-band thing might be going too far. Every single Friday is tribute night:
• Friday, June 1: Tuesday’s Gone, A Lynnrd Skynrd Tribute.
• Friday, June 8: The Soft Parade, A Doors Tribute.
• Friday, June 15: Lil Malcolm & the House Rockers, A New Orleans Tribute to Zydeco Music.
• Friday, June 22: Dave Matthews Tribute Band.
• Friday, June 29: The Wholigans, A Who Tribute.
The list begs the question, aren’t tributes intended for bands long-gone and likely dead? But Dave Matthews is alive and well in Virginia.
Since the beginning of this year, tribute bands of all ilk have flooded the area’s music scene. January brought The Machine (Pink Floyd) and Badfish (Sublime) to the Orange Peel.
In February, Bruce in the USA (Springsteen) played the Handlebar. In March, the Westville Pub hosted a David Bowie Tribute benefit show, Stella Blue held a Johnny Cash tribute and The Eggmen (Bealtes) played Bobo Gallery.
April brought Ten (a Sublime tribute band, not to be confused with Ten … a Tribute to Pearl Jam) to Wildwing. Earlier this month, the same bar offered Almost McGraw (Tim McGraw) and Wrong Way (yet another Sublime tribute). Next month, the Handlebar gears up for Lez Zeppelin, an all-girl Zeppelin tribute.
Is it tribute overkill, or is too much of a good thing never enough? And what band truly deserves a tribute?
—Alli Marshall, A&E reporter
“Tribute bands smack of a certain level of artistic integrity…” Indeed they do, a very low level. It’s all good, sure, takes some talent to be a cover band, certainly of a great band. Takes a lot more talent to put a band together, write, and hold it together. Thats why some good players do the tribute band thing, it is safe, easy, and seemingly more lucrative than an original band. Safe and easy. Fans who don’t want to be challenged by something new love it, they can live vicariously through musicians making a buck kicking up yesteryear. It is still a cover band, sorry, no integrity there.
“There’s a difference between a cover band and a tribute band; that difference being cover bands just play other people’s songs while tribute groups play the music of one band.”
And thus, that is the ONLY difference.
I suggest more originality with tribute bands: how about a black metal Air Supply tribute band??? An all-tambourine Pink Floyd tribute band??? Experimental noise Beatles tribute band??? While these may sound absurd, they’re far more interesting than a note-for-note carbon copy.
Personally, I’d rather hear someone play good cover songs well than bad original songs at all. Trash talk cover bands all you want, but there’s a lot of musicians in this town that play “originals” that are just shy of “totally stolen” covers, and do it badly. It pains me to say it, but just because something is original doesn’t mean that it’s good.
@supergenius: How about a goth-metal version of the Beach Boys? I’d pay to hear that! (The Cemetary Beach Boys?)
Rizz, exactly. I’d rather avoid both cover bands, including “tribute” bands, and bad originals. It is quite hard to put together, and maintain, a good original band, as we all know. There’s integrity.
I am in a band called The Folsom Prison Gang. We are a Johnny Cash tribute band in Western North Carolina (about an hour south of Asheville). We decided to go for the tribute band because:
1) We all love the music of Johnny Cash.
2) At this point of our lives, we just want to play and not worry about originals, etc.
3) The last thing this area needed was another cover band playing Lynyrd Skynyrd covers.
We work hard to put on a good show and generally people really seem to dig the music we are playing. We are not an impersonation band, we do not try to act like Cash. We simply focus on the music.
So if the music is good and entertaining…Who cares if it is original or a cover? The point is that it is good and live!