July 15, 2005
I never once stopped thinking about tomorrow*
I just got back from DC9, where I saw Mac Attack, a Fleetwood Mac cover band and Athens 83, an early REM cover band. Believe the hype.
Let me just stop here to say that my only two coverband-related experiences are
1) Reading Chuck Klosterman's account of a GnR act that toured fourth-rate dives in a drunken haze;
2) A band the older brother of someone I knew when I was 15 was in that could barely crank out "Rockaway Beach" without having an instrument fall out of time.
But maybe cover bands deserve another look. Seriously, have you heard The Bravery? It may be time to embrace musical influences in the transparent form of straight-up imitation.
First up was Athens 82 (or 83, depending on whom you ask), which did a pretty good job of sounding like REM, circa 1982/3, even if the lyrics were comprehensible. I found it a little strange that "Michael Stipe" wrote "free Borf" on the back of his shirt since the actual Borf would probably find REM circa 2005 tired and "boojy."
Mac Attack then took the stage. The act features members of the Carlsonics, Washington Social Club and a Stevie Nicks from I briefly worked next door from about a year and a half ago. Small world.
The played the hits. They played the "deep cuts" from the '80s Mac albums nobody bought. There was on-stage drama and feigned intra-band squabbles, all served with a heaping dollop of irony. The evening ended in a rendition of "The Chain" that went for about 15 minutes, with members of Athens 82 joining Mac Attackers and random fans on stage for an extended rock out/freak out that pushed the limits of indie rock, classic rock, the floorboards of DC9 and "Lindsay Buckingham's" wig.
I got my money's worth, even in 1979 dollars.
*Mac Attack never actually played that song.
Posted by rj3 at July 15, 2005 1:04 AM
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Comments
Nice shot of the spastic elephant guitarist as well.
Posted by: chrisafer at July 15, 2005 2:46 PM
Can free borf sing??????
Posted by: Paul at July 15, 2005 4:44 PM