Tenacious D has been preaching it since 2002, but a tribute can be a wonderful thing. Tribute shows are way cheaper than tickets to see the original artist, and the set lists usually consist of a band’s best-known anthems instead of a mixed bag of newer material.
Unfortunately, Chattanooga only sees tributes to a handful of artists, such as Journey, Bon Jovi, Elvis and Pink Floyd. That’s why it gave me pause when I saw that a group of local musicians will play a birthday tribute to Bruce Springsteen at Rhythm & Brews on Wednesday.
I’ve never seen a local homage to The Boss, and after donning my thinking cap, I gave consideration to other artists I’d like to see tributes to. Here are five I think are most desperately needed and what they need to nail to be convincing.
1. Queen.
• Getting it right: Without an energetically operatic frontman to nail Freddie Mercury’s vocals, this would never, ever work. Also, he pretty much has to wear red suspenders and have an epic mustache.