Tribute bands for Millennials: New wave of ‘90s, 2000s music acts growing in Syracuse

The Frank White Experience, a live band tribute to Notorious B.I.G., performs at Middle Ages Beer Hall in Syracuse, N.Y., on Dec. 2, 2023.

Syracuse, N.Y. — In the span of 55 days, you could see Red Hot Chili Peppers, Daft Punk, Notorious B.I.G. and Godsmack all perform in Central New York — sort of.

One More Time, a Daft Punk tribute, performs at The Song & Dance in Syracuse, N.Y., on Jan. 12, 2024.

More accurately, Dark Necessities, One More Time, The Frank White Experience and Faceless performed tributes to RHCP, Daft Punk, Biggie and Godsmack, respectively, over the past two months. They’re part of a growing trend of tribute bands for Millennials, celebrating their favorite music of the 1990s and 2000s.

“I have been seeing a lot more tribute bands come out,” Faceless singer Ed Felber told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. “The more modern tribute bands are starting to come around… it’s almost like its own culture now.”

Tribute bands have existed since the dawn of popular music, with Elvis impersonators and faithful recreations of The Beatles. For a long period of time, it seemed most tributes were for the biggest artists of the ‘70s and ‘80s, like the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

Now, as adults in their 30s and 40s yearn for a more nostalgic time, there’s a desire to hear the songs that shaped their youth. And as artists of any era get older, it’s natural to see more tributes to their music, says Ian Cattell, the Syracuse singer and bassist for the internationally touring Pink Floyd tribute band Brit Floyd.

“You go back 20 years and the bands that started to not tour as much… that’s one of the reasons why you might wanna have a tribute act is because the band isn’t touring anymore or not touring as much anymore,” Cattell explained. “There’s a market for it or… you just want to pay, in a literal sense, pay tribute to the band. So as time marches on that’s happening more and more.”

Some tributes exist for artists that are still active and touring. Godsmack and Red Hot Chili Peppers both performed in Syracuse last year, for example, but tributes can still fill a void if they don’t come often. Godsmack has played the Salt City just twice since 2015, and RHCP’s JMA Wireless Dome performance was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group’s first appearance in Central New York since Woodstock ‘99.

Faceless, a Syracuse-based tribute to Godsmack, performs at Sharkey’s Event Center in Liverpool, N.Y., on Jan. 26, 2024.

Other tributes celebrate artists that you can’t experience live today. Daft Punk split up in 2021, for example, and Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. “Biggie Smalls,” was shot dead in 1997.

DJ Shaykey and Keisha Brownlee, both originally from Brooklyn, said they were really excited to see The Frank White Experience perform a live band tribute to Notorious B.I.G. at Middle Ages Brew Hall in December. They were 12 and 14 when they first heard the legendary rapper, and briefly got to relive their youth on a cold and rainy Syracuse night.

“Feels like home,” Shaykey said.

LESS MONEY, LESS PROBLEMS

There’s a financial incentive for tribute bands and the venues that book them — with a benefit for the fans.

It cost just $5 at the door to see Dark Necessities and Faceless perform together at Sharkey’s Event Center in Liverpool last week. By comparison, ticket prices ranged from $69 (plus fees) to $600 for Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Dome in April.

The Frank White Experience, a live band tribute to Notorious B.I.G., performs at Middle Ages Beer Hall in Syracuse, N.Y., on Dec. 2, 2023.

“People would sooner pay $10 to see four guys pretending to be KISS than $5 to see four guys playing original songs nobody had ever heard before,” Chuck Klosterman wrote in the “Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs” essay “Appetite for Replication.” “And club owners understand money.”

Cruel Summer, a Rochester-based tribute to Taylor Swift, sold out this weekend’s concert at Middle Ages Beer Hall. Tickets were $20 (plus fees), much more affordable than Swift’s “Eras Tour,” where tickets cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars for shows in Toronto, Philadelphia and New York City. (Swift hasn’t performed in Syracuse since she was an opening act for Rascal Flatts at the New York State Fair in 2007.)

“Chances are you’re not gonna get tickets (to Swift) so this is a chance for people to come and experience something similar,” Cruel Summer singer Alyssa Cocoand said.

Due to high demand, Cruel Summer is already planning to return to Syracuse for more shows, including an April 11 performance at Middle Ages Beer Hall. Tickets are on sale at ticketweb.com.

And the best part is, the tribute bands often guarantee fans will get to hear the songs they want to hear. Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante and Chad Smith didn’t play “Under the Bridge” at the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert, but Dark Necessities did, plus the irreverent “Sir Psycho Sexy.”

Since selling albums is not a primary source of income for most artists in the streaming era, bands make more money on tour. That means classic rock groups like REO Speedwagon and Journey might tour forever, even when there are no more original members of the band. Foreigner is already pretty much a tribute band, with original guitarist Mick Jones playing a limited number of songs on tour at age 79; Lynyrd Skynyrd is still on the road after its last original member died in 2023.

Dark Necessities, a Syracuse-based tribute to Red Hot Chili Peppers, performs at Sharkey’s Event Center in Liverpool, N.Y., on Jan. 26, 2024.

What artists of the Y2K and “TRL” generation could still tour for 50 years? For those that can’t or won’t, tribute acts can step up.

WHAT IS A TRIBUTE BAND? DO THEY LOOK OR SOUND LIKE THE REAL THING?

Tribute bands perform a show that’s entirely (or almost entirely) the music of one artist, celebrating their music with a live experience. It’s different from a cover band, which will play a variety of covers for a bar, club, party or wedding.

The Frank White Experience, a live band tribute to Notorious B.I.G., performs at Middle Ages Beer Hall in Syracuse, N.Y., on Dec. 2, 2023.

Cynics are quick to dismiss tribute bands as “rip offs,” “mock stars” or poor impersonations of the original artists. That can be challenging when performers actively try to sound like a carbon copy, though other tributes focus more on capturing the spirit of the original musicians.

“Looks don’t matter,” said Rob Koritz, the drummer for longtime Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra. “It is about doing the music justice and bringing the feeling of that music to the audience.”

“Our main goal is to make sure that everyone who’s coming out is having a good time,” Dark Necessities frontman Dan Fox said. “That is paramount. Like, we could have a crappy musical performance but if we’re putting on a good show and everyone’s having a good time and they’re enjoying themselves that’s fine… Because what’s the point of going out to a show if you’re not going to have a good time? You just stay at home and listen to a CD.”

One More Time, a Daft Punk tribute, performs at The Song & Dance in Syracuse, N.Y., on Jan. 12, 2024.

Faceless, a Baldwinsville-based tribute to Godsmack, treats the alternative metal band’s music with reverence and aims to fully recreate the Godsmack concert experience. Felber sounds eerily like singer Sully Erna, and even looks a little like him, wearing a bandana as he blazes through fan favorites like “Awake” and “Voodoo.”

“We will do our best to get as close as possible,” Felber said.

Felber says he’s seen Godsmack perform 17 times live, plus solo shows by Erna, and will even incorporate covers of other artists that Godsmack performs live — in the style of Godsmack, of course.

Other acts explore more creative interpretations of the music. TraGedy performs an all-metal tribute to the Bee Gees and other ‘70s acts, while Yellow Dubmarine plays reggae versions of Beatles songs.

The Frank White Experience gives hip-hop more of a jam band sound, sometimes even performing a full concert mashup of Notorious B.I.G. and Grateful Dead songs. If you close your eyes, the vocalist sounds like Biggie’s fierce flow on “Hypnotize” and deeper cuts, but the beat sounds more like “Shakedown Street” than the funky sample from Herb Alpert’s “Rise.” (The crowd at Middle Ages Brew Hall responded more strongly when the drummer took over to perform Snoop Dogg/Dr. Dre songs “Gin & Juice” and “The Next Episode” while the DJ played the original backing tracks.)

“There are are many bands out there that try to sound like the studio albums or the live albums or they do it in with their own interpretation,” Cattell said. “All of them are valid, it’s just a matter of what you decide to do.”

Cocoand doesn’t wear a wig or dye her hair blonde like Swift, but she will do outfit changes for Cruel Summer shows, including a “Lavender Haze” jacket. Swifties in the crowd, which Cocoand says range from ages 10 to 50, will dress more like the singer, incorporating friendship bracelets and glitter.

Faceless, a Syracuse-based tribute to Godsmack, performs at Sharkey’s Event Center in Liverpool, N.Y., on Jan. 26, 2024.

“I take it pretty seriously,” Cocoand said, noting that she studies live clips of Swift on TikTok and the “Eras” concert film. “She’s got so many incredible songs and, like, I wanted to make sure I captured her greatness as a songwriter and not mess up the lyrics and portray the emotions that maybe she portrays… I wanted to give her songs justice and I wanted to give the people that come to see her you know if they come to see me instead or as well as I want them to have a similar experience.”

One More Time looked just like Daft Punk, DJing in robot helmets while playing hits like “Human After All,” “Harder Better Faster Stronger” and “Get Lucky.” But the duo also played remixes in a variety of genres from Daft Punk’s eras — including The Weeknd collaborations and the “Tron Legacy” soundtrack — while mixing in other songs, including Kanye West’s “Stronger” and New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give.”

“You can’t see (Daft Punk) live anymore, so it’s the next best thing,” Syracuse resident Michael Haegerty said while attending One More Time’s January concert at The Song & Dance in Syracuse.

“I loved how they still blended new hits with the old,” another Syracuse resident, Michael Abbott, added. “That middle ground of like paying homage and doing their own thing is a crazy feat!”

Playing the same songs over and over again can be a struggle for both tribute bands and the original artists. But there are ways to keep the music fresh.

Koritz said Dark Star Orchestra, which has been performing Grateful Dead songs for more than 25 years, said the band improvises 90% of its shows. “If we were a true ‘tribute band’ who had to play it the same way every time, I would have left a long time ago,” he said.

Cattell, 54, has been playing covers of Pink Floyd songs professionally for nearly three decades, starting with Syracuse-based bands Crazy Diamond and Childhood’s End. He joined Brit Floyd in 2005, when the group was known as The Australian Pink Floyd, and has since played hundreds of shows around the world. (The Aussie members kept the previous name and still perform today as The Australian Pink Floyd Show.)

Cattell told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that Brit Floyd tries to sound like the albums or the live recordings, but changes up its set list every year. He continues to study music today and plays other instruments besides bass, including the Chapman stick (for 1987′s “A Momentary Lapse of Reason”), the trumpet (for “Summer of ‘68″ or part of “The Wall”) and the acoustic guitar.

“I feed off the energy from the audience,” he explained. “If the audience is loving it and there’s an energy in the room it doesn’t matter that I’ve played this song 1000 times.”

WHY TRIBUTES?

Every tribute act is in it for the same reason as the original artists: The music. Tributes start with fans who love the songs, and sometimes they love the songs even more than the original artists.

Cattell loves the challenge of playing Pink Floyd songs for an audience that can be very demanding. They expect “The Dark Side of the Moon” to sound like “The Dark Side of the Moon.” If Brit Floyd can’t deliver, diehard fans will have other Pink Floyd tributes to choose from.

“You pour a lot of work into something and and you try to perfect it and you go out and the people love what you do and that’s the reason why I do it,” Cattell said. “I’ve been in a lot of original bands and there’s a lot of satisfaction to come from going out and doing your own material. Unfortunately it’s very hard to to get anywhere with that… I’ve often played gigs like that where there’s more people in the band than there are in the audience.”

Cruel Summer is a show for the Swifities, but all of the group’s members are in original bands as well. Cocoand and bandmate Matt Merritt average half a million monthly listeners on Spotify as the musical duo Roses & Revolutions, which has had music featured on TV shows like “Batwoman” and Netflix’s “Selling Sunset.”

Tribute bands are not legally allowed to portray themselves as the real thing, but the name recognition in “A Tribute to…” helps sell tickets. Some tribute acts are full-time jobs, and can pay more reliably than an original band.

Nostalgia is also a key factor. Boomers and Gen X have supported tribute bands of the ‘70s and ‘80s for decades because they remember what it felt like to hear those songs for the first time — and the music still means a lot to them.

“The stuff you love when you’re 14 is the stuff you’ll love for the rest of your life,” Syracuse native Tom Kenny, the voice “SpongeBob SquarePants,” said while receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 SAMMYS.

Gen Z might not be ready yet for a tribute to Drake or Cardi B, but they will someday. There are already shows dedicated to Bruno Mars (such as Earth to Mars), Adele (Absolute Adele), Maroon 5 (Maroon Vibes) and One Direction (Only 1D).

Today belongs to the Millennials, the generation born between 1981 and 1996, which is why tributes to Shania Twain (Shania Twin), Spice Girls (Wannabe) and even the Tragically Hip (Practically Hip) are popping up across North America. There are also themed dance parties for an artist (like DJ Swiftie’s TayTay Dance Party) or genre (e.g. Emo Night Brooklyn), but Merritt and Cocoand strongly advocate for live bands over DJs.

“I think tribute bands are fun,” Cocoand said. “It just brings people in a room that all have the same interest and you know that’s what they can do is just scream songs whether it’s from their childhood from high school or from right now.”

“It’s not just about the band. It is about the fans,” Felber agreed. “That’s the biggest thing. You want those people to to stay at your show and give them the best show that you can.”

Upcoming shows by tribute bands in the Syracuse area:

• The Lizards: A Tribute to Phish – Feb. 1 at Funk N’ Waffles, Syracuse
• Cruel Summer: Taylor Swift Tribute – Feb. 2 at Middle Ages Beer Hall, Syracuse
• Get the Led Out (Led Zeppelin Tribute) – Feb. 3 at The Stanley Theatre, Utica
• Dark Necessities: Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute – Feb. 3 at Kallet Theater, Pulaski
• Beatlecuse 10 (The Beatles tribute) – Feb. 10 at Middle Ages Beer Hall, Syracuse
• My So-Called Band (’90s Tribute) – Feb. 10 at Walley, Auburn
• Kiss This: Tribute to KISS – Feb. 10 at del Lago Resort & Casino, Waterloo
• Half Past Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) – Feb. 12 at Funk N’ Waffles, Syracuse
• The Warped Tour Band: A Tribute to Emo/Pop-Punk w/ Blink Things (Blink-182 Tribute) and Dookie (Green Day Tribute) – Feb. 16 at Middle Ages Beer Hall, Syracuse
• Faceless: The Ultimate Tribute to Godsmack – Feb. 10 at Lombardo’s Bridie Manor, Oswego
• Faceless: The Ultimate Tribute to Godsmack – Feb. 17 at JPs Tavern, Baldwinsville
• Monsters of Metal – Penntera (Pantera Tribute) – Feb. 17 at Middle Ages Beer Hall, Syracuse
• Grateful Upstate Toodeloo (Grateful Dead tribute) – Feb. 19 at Funk N’ Waffles, Syracuse
• Weird Phishes (Radiohead and Phish tribute) – Feb. 23 at Funk N’ Waffles, Syracuse
• Smells Like Nirvana: Tribute to Nirvana – Feb. 24 at Westcott Theater, Syracuse
• Ship of Phools (Grateful Dead tribute) – Feb. 26 at Funk N’ Waffles, Syracuse
• Come Back to Earth: A Live Mac Miller Tribute – March 1 at Westcott Theater, Syracuse
• Bonfire: AC/DC Tribute – March 2 at Kallet Theater, Pulaski
• Gold Dust Gypsy: Tribute to Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac – March 2 at Middle Ages Beer Hall, Syracuse
• Dark Star Orchestra: Grateful Dead Tribute – March 14 at The Stanley Theatre, Utica
• Emo Kids: A Live Band Tribute to Emo – March 15 at Westcott Theater, Syracuse
• The Magic of Motown (Motown Tribute) – March 15 at The Stanley Theatre, Utica
• My So-Called Band (’90s Tribute) – March 16 at Funk N’ Waffles, Syracuse
• Seattle Sons (Tribute to Seattle Grunge Music) – March 22 at Sharkey’s Event Center, Liverpool
• Dead to the Core (Grateful Dead Tribute) – March 22 at The 443 Social Club & Lounge, Syracuse
• Beyond Frontiers: Journey Tribute feat. Joey Belladonna – March 24 at Turning Stone Showroom, Verona
• Brit Floyd: Tribute to Pink Floyd – March 26 at The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater, Syracuse
• Appetite 4 Voltage: Tribute to Guns N Roses and AC/DC – March 30 at Middle Ages Beer Hall, Syracuse
• Nirvani: A Nirvana Tribute Experience – April 5 at Funk N’ Waffles, Syracuse
• The Hair Band Experience: Tribute to Poison, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard – April 6 at State Theatre of Ithaca
• The Frank White Experience (Live Band Tribute to Notorious B.I.G.) – April 13 at Jewish Community Center Association, Utica
• Double Vision: The Foreigner Experience – April 13 at Kallet Theater, Pulaski
• The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA – April 18 at del Lago Resort & Casino, Waterloo
• Elton Rohn: Tribute to Elton John – April 20 at Turning Stone Showroom, Verona
• Tripping Billies: Dave Matthews Band Tribute – April 20 at Kallet Theater, Pulaski
• Dark Necessities: Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute – April 20 at Lizard’s Tailgator Lounge, Waterloo
• The Rocket Man Experience: Elton John Tribute – April 23 at State Theatre of Ithaca
• Live Dead & Brothers: Tribute to Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers Band – April 24 at Westcott Theater, Syracuse
• Hard Promises: Tribute to Tom Petty – April 27 at Middle Ages Beer Hall, Syracuse
• Always Abba: Tribute to ABBA – May 3 at Palace Theatre, Eastwood
• The Ultimate Doors: The Doors Tribute – May 11 at Westcott Theater, Syracuse
• American Ride: Toby Keith Tribute – June 8 at Kallet Theater, Pulaski
• Nirvanna: A Tribute to Nirvana – June 15 at Sharkey’s Event Center, Liverpool
• Separate Ways: Journey Tribute – June 15 at Kallet Theater, Pulaski
• Dark Necessities: Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute – June 22 at JP’s Tavern, Baldwinsville
• Fleatwood Mac: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac – Oct. 11 at Kallet Theater, Pulaski
• Meet Loaf: Tribute to Meat Loaf – Oct. 12 at Kallet Theater, Pulaski

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