I Guess I Like Cover Bands

When I say cover bands, what comes to mind? A bunch of guys, banging around with guitars and drums, trying to recreate some classic rock sound, I’d bet. Now while I’m sure there are some really bad cover bands out there, I want to talk about some good ones I’ve seen lately. Now, to be honest, I’m not a huge concert guy. I don’t really dance and I don’t like the crowds. I usually end up watching people and making fun of their concert antics. My fiancée likes to go out and do stuff and so she’s been dragging me out of my cave to do things I wouldn’t usually try. So a couple of weeks ago, I found myself walking into the State Theater in Falls Church, Virginia to see a Queen cover band. I like Queen. I have their Flash Gordon soundtrack, on record, which I got when I was a lad. Who doesn’t enjoy the Highlander soundtrack? I like all of their hits. I didn’t expect much, but I’m a good sport, so off to see Almost Queen (www.almostqueen.com) I went. And you know what, they were really, really good. I mean really good. They looked like Queen. They played like Queen. It was impressive. The guy that portrayed Freddie Mercury was tremendous. They didn’t play any songs from Highlander, but maybe when I see them AGAIN in a few weeks they’ll break off a little “Princes of the Universe” for me.

My cover band experience doesn’t end there though. Once again, here we go back to the State Theater, this time it’s a twofer, Almost Journey and 2U (www.notU2.com). Now I’m not a huge fan of U2, they’re okay; I can take them or leave them. I like some Journey songs, but probably not enough to go to a Journey show. BUT, being a good guy, I put on a smile and went along for the fun. And leave it to these guys to really turn me around. When I got to the theater, I was a little disappointed that 2U had another cover band opening for them. But little did I realize the amazing gimmick I was about to behold. Spoiler Alert: 2U and Almost Journey was the same band! It was hilarious and really, really good. Bono was Steve Perry! The Edge was Neal Schon! The drummer was not only the drummer for Almost Journey and 2U, but also for Almost Queen. The bass player made time during songs for dramatic rock poses for picture takers. The lead singer did a great job as both singers. So much so that a frenzied older lady slipped her phone number to him. It was a super fun show. They played all the hits and some deep cuts. If you get a chance to see any of these bands, you should check them out. It’s a lot cheaper than seeing the real thing and I’m sure just as much fun.