When I left Fakefest on Saturday evening, the first music festival I attended in close to two years, I was a happy camper. Listening live to three top notch tribute bands felt amazing. I had a real blast and knew this was likely not the last time I had come all the way to Atlantic City for this free annual open air event. What I didn’t anticipate was the timing of my return the very next day.
After all, I had been on my feet for close to five hours, so the thought of chilling on Sunday and reliving my Saturday at the event by writing a post about it sounded pretty attractive. Even after I had put together the post in the morning and scheduled it for yesterday, spending a quiet Sunday still was my plan. Then I took another look at the lineup for that day and all for sudden I felt, ‘damn, why wait until next year to have more fun.’ Plus, every great concert needs an encore, so here are some impressions from the final day of Fakefest.
The Gimmer Twins
This Rolling Stones tribute from Philly in and of itself would have been enough of a reason to return to Atlantic City. I’ve seen this band various times over the past four years. Adopting the nickname of the songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the group is led by Keith Call (vocals, harp) and Bernie Bollendorf (guitars, vocals), who bring to life the sound and looks of Jagger and Richards in the ’70s. While the additional musicians don’t resemble the other members of Stones, they sound fantastic: Michael Rubino (guitars), Bobby Corea (drums), Rob Ekstedt (bass), Rocco Notte (keyboards), Valorie Steel (vocals) and Bobby Michaels (saxophone, flute, organ). For more information, check out their website.
Some of the tunes The Glimmer Twins performed included Brown Sugar, All Down the Line, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Gimme Shelter, Happy and Tumbling Dice. Here’s their rendition of Let’s Spend the Night Together, which the Stones first released as a double A single together with Ruby Tuesday on January 13, 1967. The song was also included as the opener of the U.S. version of Between the Buttons, which appeared a week later.
Here’s another Stones classic that I think has one of the best lines in rock & roll: It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It). The was the lead single of the It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll studio album released in October 1974. I like it, yes I do!
Refugee
Refugee were formed in New York in early 2014 by six musicians who according to the group’s website “have a deep love for the music of Tom Petty.” Who can blame them? Their members include Mike Epstein (lead vocals, guitar), Dominick Rosato (lead guitar), Andrew Nadien (keyboards, vocals), Hillary Epstein (vocals, harmonica, percussion, keyboards), Chris Arrigo (bass) and Niles Hughes (drums).
Refugee’s set featured I Won’t Back Down, Free Fallin’, Even the Losers, Refugee, Last Dance With Mary Jane, You Wreck Me and American Girl, among others. Here’s the opener You Got Lucky, the lead single of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers‘ fifth studio album Long After Dark from November 1982.
Let’s do another one: Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around. Co-written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell for Stevie Nicks, the song became the first single of her debut solo album Bella Dona that came out in July 1981. The recording also featured Petty and all of the Heartbreakers except Ron Blair – the bass part was instead performed by Donald “Duck” Dunn.
Unforgettable Fire
Unforgettable Fire were formed on New Year’s Day in 1995 and, according to their website, were “one of the very first U2 tribute bands to ever perform in America.” In addition to playing songs spanning U2’s entire catalog, the group also recreates the looks of the Irish band. In particular, I’d like to call out lead vocalist Anthony Russo who bears a striking resemblance to Bono. The band’s other members include Mick Normoyle as The Edge, Craig Kiell as Adam Clayton and George Levesanos as Larry Mullen Jr.
Some of the tunes Unforgettable Fire performed featured I Will Follow, With Or Without You, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride, Mysterious Ways and Gloria. Here’s Beautiful Day, followed by Vertigo, from the October 2000 and November 2004 studio albums All That You Can’t Leave Behind and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, respectively.
The last track I’d like to highlight is Unforgettable Fire’s rendition of One. U2 recorded that tune for their seventh studio album Achtung Baby from November 1991.
Yes, driving three hours back and forth from my house to Atlantic City two days in a row was a significant amount of time spent in the car. But I had a blast, so I feel it was worth it!
Sources: Wikipedia; Glimmer Twins website; Refugee website; Unforgettable Fire website; YouTube
The U2 band sounds really good…and you are right…he does look like him quite a bit!
I like the Keith in the Stones band.
With the Petty band…I have to wonder if he ever heard them?
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Is Mike Epstein related to Howie?
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Good question. I doubt it, assuming Refugee’s website would acknowledge any such connection.
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I was joking in a previous comment that you were going to see tribute bands. But you were! The King, the veritable fucking Maharishi of all tribute bands is back! Too bad there wasn’t a Springsteen cover band called Atlantic City.
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Oh, Jim, how could you make fun of the undisputed King of Tribute Bands?!
Don’t worry, it’s all good. I know you like to tease me about my little obsession – in a friendly way!
Good observation about “Atlantic City”. You and I should team up and propose that name to a Springsteen tribute, and then charge them to use that name!😆
I know many Springsteen fans dig the “Nebraska” album. While nowadays I like it better than I used to, I still can’t say I love it. Not sure I will ever fully warm to it.
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Yes, in a snarky but friendly way. I would never intentionally insult milord. 🤣
Rather than sell that name we should form that band! You, of course, will do all the singing.
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Brilliant idea, Jim. People would pay us for me to stop singing!😂
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I personally would pay to hear “Born in the USA” sung in a German accent!
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Or perhaps even performed in German?😂
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Yes, Kraftwerk meets Scorpions meets Springsteen.
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I think I could sing “Das Model” – Klaus Meine perhaps not so much. Though I could probably replicate the German accent!😀
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This seemed like the appropriate place to mention this. Last night, the better half and I went to a Classic Albums Live show. Don’t know if you’ve written about this before but it’s a Toronto-based organization that pulls musicians together and recreates great albums. We saw a seven-piece band outside in Lowell, MA do “Hotel California” top to bottom. Very faithful recreation write down to fading the song out as on the album. The only thing is that the album kicks off with the title song so it’s somewhat anticlimactic. Then they did a bunch of hits like “Witchy Woman,” “One of These Nights,” etc. The Eagles are doing the same show but this one we can actually afford.
Check out this write-up. It’s especially interesting in regard to what they did back in 2006.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_Albums_Live
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Thanks, Jim, this sounds like fun. I am familiar with “Classic Albums Live” and think we may have discussed it in the past. I’d definitely consider catching one of their shows if an opportunity presents itself.
“Hotel California” is my favorite Eagles album. While I’m glad I saw them once (during their final tour with Glenn Frey) and it was great, I’m not planning to see them again, unless they drastically reduce their ticket prices, which is unlikely to happen.
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Ok. But what I was pointing you to in Wikipedia is that in Toronto they did all 213 Beatles songs live over 14 hours.
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Thanks for calling that out again. That is indeed remarkable. And while I’m a Beatles and tribute band nut, it doesn’t sound like an experience I would want to have.
I can do 3.5 our 4 hours of Springsteen. But 13 hours, as Wikipedia notes? That’s true overkill! I suppose the musicians must have performed in shifts – and must have been sick of The Beatles for sometime thereafter!
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Agreed! Maybe over a couple of nights. Plus, it’s hard to get that shit right. I have seen several Beatles tribute bands and while all were good, none quite get the harmonies right. Classic Live did pretty well with Eagles. Don Henley is, I think, one of the finest rock singers ever and the guy who sang his parts did a pretty good job. Almost everybody in the band sang. The guitar players were really good and one of them was killer. And all of them were far too young to have been around when the Eagles fist landed.
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All sounds great. And, yes, I agree, oftentimes, it’s the vocals that are the tough part to nail, whether it’s The Beatles or the Eagles. Their harmony singing was perfect!
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