Look Again, It's Not Bon Jovi

Friday night, Feb. 26, I spent not watching the Winter Olympics; instead I attended a concert/show at the Cascades Casino in Langely, BC with my musician friend Michele Raye. A Bon Jovi tribute band called Blaze Of Glory was playing in the casino theatre. Michele knew a couple of the players, so we payed them a visit.

I thought I was not familiar with Bon Jovi's catalogue beyond hits like "Livin' On A Prayer," "Wanted Dead Or Alive," and "You Give Love A Bad Name." I confess that as the show progressed I recognized more tunes, Bon Jovi has entered my subconscious through osmosis. The band, of course, attempted to "be" Bon Jovi. Lead singer Ted Moore bore a passing resemblance to Jon Bon Jovi and the guitarist, Randy Robertson, dressed like Ritchie Sambora complete with long, black leather coat; black, designer cowboy hat; and requisite Stratocaster. Being a faux Bon Jovi was the task for these guys and, all in all, they pulled it off quite well.

The show was hampered, I thought, by an uneven mix throughout the night. Yes it was a rock show, but the presence of the "ice-pick-through-the-ear-drums" frequencies and overbearing bottom end took away from the band's efforts. Musically the band was precise in recreating Bon Jovi's sound and songs. The talk box was used by Robertson in "Livin' On A Prayer," along with the 12-string acoustic guitar in "Wanted Dead Or Alive." Musical subtleties were lost in the mix, which was unfortunate but did not damper the enthusiasm of the audience. For the most part, the crowd sang along, women danced by themselves and groped at the singer just like a real Bon Jovi show, and after all was sung and done, the band received a standing ovation and returned with an encore.

The Cascades Casino is a smaller casino and therefore does not have the budget for the big name acts. Perusing the upcoming shows revealed tribute bands seem to be the rage there. Up next on the calendar is a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute followed in the coming weeks by a Rolling Stones tribute and a Patsy Cline tribute. Along with faithful musical recreations, all of the groups, Blaze of Glory included, bore a passing resemblance to the original act. And this is key for audience acceptance. There is a level of authenticity these groups need to achieve in order to maintain the charade. The music is one component of this authenticity, the other is the visual representation. The audience, many of whom might never have the opportunity to hear the original acts in concert, buy into the act based on these authenticity markers and concomitantly do their part to fulfill the fantasy. They cheer, sing, grope, and dance just as if it was the real Bon Jovi on stage and not an impostor. Interesting phenomenon.

So, while other musicians toil away at cover songs in the "old" bars, some manage to capitalize on the success of other groups and take the cover band strategy to a new level. It's not enough to perform songs by other musicians, now actually "being" a famous musical act can be a lucrative gig. It's the cover band on steroids. And kudos to the players for pulling it off. There are not a lot of venues left for cover bands anymore, but for old rockers being someone else can be worthwhile.

Just a small footnote, while searching the Interweb I found a Bon Jovi tribute band based in Dallas, Texas called Blaze Of Glory: The Ultimate Bon Jovi Experience. I am writing about the Vancouver-based band with the same name.