BURNING BRIGHT AT WHITE COLLAR CRIME TONIGHT 1-27

Happy New Year! TRIBUTE BANDS!

Tis the season for a serious lack of attendance-worthy original music in the area, hence the tribute bands such as Led Zeppelin copycats, Zoso -  performing January 13 and 14 atThe Lincoln Theater in Raleigh - and  Abbey Road (take a wild guess who they parrot)  are simultaneously performing at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro.   So, basically you can tell yourself The Beatles and Led Zeppelin are playing the same two nights in your town. And deciding which one to go see will be a decision made based solely on the deepest and most serious meditation.  Beatles or Zep?  Beatles or Zep?  Maybe I could make it to the Beatles and Led Zeppelin in the same night! Why not?

I had the pleasure of catching ZOSO several years ago at a private party and noted the Robert Plant playing front man behaved as if he were actually the man himself; demanding drink, drugs and women to be delivered to him at once!  As if he and Jimmy, Bonzo, and the boys had just skidded down the runway in their private 747.  Sorry pal,  there might be some left over Cheeto Dust in the van next to the Bush Lite and sleeping bags.  

It's not that I don't appreciate the value of a band thriving on the creativity and art of others artists.  Music is something of a shared endeavor anyway. And, if these tribute or cover bands make people jump for joy in nostalgic ecstasy, more power to them.  I just feel that the characters being played should simply be left on stage with the memories. 

Humorist, music journalist and Author Chuck Klosterman does a bang up job describing tribute bands in an essay included in Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas.  I highly recommed reading this essay, if not all of his work