The good news: people are showing up in droves for live music.
The curious news, and maybe not-so-good-news if you are a young musician trying to develop a career: the songs driving the most success were often written decades ago, and the acts selling tickets are tributes to legendary bands and singers.
In venues across Newfoundland and Labrador, it’s not hard to find tribute shows on local bills, with packed houses enjoying the music of everyone from Pink Floyd to Bob Dylan to Queen.
“I think it really comes down to a love of the music and the familiarity,” said Brad Randell, theatre co-ordinator for Corner Brook’s Rotary Arts Centre, “and some of the memories that they may have already had through listening to that music.”
Randell books at least such shows a month.
“We will do a yearly Leonard Cohen tribute… we generally will sell out two or three nights,” he said. “Most recently we’ve been doing recurring Fleetwood Mac tributes; that’s been very successful for us as well.”
He attributes the success of the shows to the nostalgia that people have toward artists and songs.
Some examples of recent tribute shows include Mick Davis who is touring a Bob Dylan tribute show to Arts and Culture centres across the province, and Sandy Morris, Larry Foley and Roger Howse, who completed a tour featuring Eric Clapton’s entire 1993 Unplugged album.
“For the most part, it’s going to be people that grew up listening to that music,” Randell said. The audiences not only include baby boomers and Gen X, but their children, who grew up listening to their parents’ favourite records.
Singer Kelly-Ann Evans says her Queen tribute shows this year that attracted audiences of up to 5,000 people.
Evans says the allure of tribute shows also comes from the fact that seeing an original artist — that is, if they’re even still performing or alive — might be very expensive and requiring travel. So, for people who want to listen to their favourite artist’s songs, tribute shows are the next best thing.
“I have spent my career covering music of people I love,” she said. “I’ve historically covered the music of male artists and it’s always so fun, even in terms of the interpretation of lyrics from a female perspective versus a male perspective.”
Tribute shows come in different styles. Some performers strive to closely emulate the original artist, mimicking their mannerisms and voice.
Others, like Evans, take more artistic liberties in their interpretations.
A gateway into the music scene
Evans says tribute shows don’t have to overshadow artists who are struggling to win audiences with their original music.
Instead, they can serve as a “gateway” to the music scene and draw more people to live performances.
For example, in her shows covering Queen songs, she says she was accompanied by the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, which some in the audience had never heard before.
“And they’re like, ‘oh my Lord, we’re going to get season tickets next year because we want to come and experience the music of the orchestra,'” she said.
Evans has more shows planned for March.
In Corner Brook, Randell says next week the Rotary Arts Centre will have Craig Young do a tribute show to country legend Hank Williams, and a 17-year-old musician will perform songs from Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Patsy Cline.
“I don’t see the the demand really waning,” Randall said.
“I think good music — honest, good music — there will always be a demand for it.”
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