By Chuck Darrow
As anyone who has been paying attention surely knows, tribute bands—especially those focused on artists of the classic rock variety—have become an integral part of the live entertainment scene. While some acts—among them The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead—have many groups exclusively performing their music, others are less common in the tribute band universe.
One such superstar group is Rush, the Toronto-based trio whose virtuosic musicianship, complex musical arrangements and often dense and cryptic lyrics (primarily written by the drummer, the late Neil Peart) captured several generations of rock fans. That there aren’t many Rush imitators on the boards isn’t surprising because of the complexity of the music and the singular, high-pitched vocals of bassist Geddy Lee.
But one unit proudly carrying the Rush banner is the appropriately named The Rush Experience. The band, which is based in the Washington, D.C. area and hits the stage at Tropicana Atlantic City Aug. 24, provides an uncanny recreation of Rush’s singular sonic blueprint. The band’s rise to casino-headlining status is quite impressive, considering the relatively short amount of time the three members—drummer Vince Tricarico, Burke Hunn (guitar) and David Kidd (vocals/bass/keyboards) have been together.
“I was in a Rush band, but it was a four-piece,” offered Tricarico during a recent phone chat. “We had a keyboard player who sang. But I had a booking agency tell me one time, ‘You’re not a tribute band, you are a cover band.’ And that right there, that’s where I shifted from, ‘Hey, let’s go out and play some Rush’ to ‘Let’s go out and play some Rush and really be a tribute.
“Like if you’re in a Tom Petty band and there’s 10 people in the band, that’s not really a Tom Petty band,” he added, referring to the five-member Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
“I’ve seen some Led Zeppelin bands with like eight or nine people in the band; that doesn’t work for me. So, I formed a trio and played with a group of guys for a while, and it just wasn’t hitting.”
That put Tricarico on the hunt for more simpatico musicians. In August 2022, he met Kidd through a mutual friend and Hunn joined the fold in February 2023. That, he suggested was “where things got exciting.”
“A lot of people would think the first thing I [think] is, ‘Can the guy play the Neil Peart parts? Can the guy sing like Geddy?’ he reasoned. “But when I hear a Rush tribute band, the first thing I listen to is the guitar tone, because the guitar tone is where it makes the biggest difference—at least to me. And maybe,” he chuckled, “that’s because I wish I played guitar. It’s just a cool instrument.”
Fans of the percussive arts should also find Tricarico’s drum set pretty cool as well.
“My ‘A’ kit rotates 180 degrees,” he explained. “It’s on an octagon. If you look at pictures of us online, you’ll recognize it [as an exact replica of Peart’s setup]. It’s made to the specifications of Neil P’s ‘Snakes and Arrows’ tour kit from 2000.”
While painstakingly duplicating Rush’s sound is of paramount importance to the group, its dedication to accuracy extends beyond that to the production and, as evidenced by Tricarico’s drum rig, the instruments played by the three musicians.
“I look at [being a tribute band] as a question of, ‘Can you do it?’ And [fealty to the subject] is where we really make sure. Dave is as intense singing Geddy Lee’s parts and playing keyboards and bass as he would be doing his own thing,” Tricarico said.
“We love to do this. It’s fun. But we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do it right, because we know we’re under the microscope. I think Rush fans are the most rabid fans. They know more about that band than just the songs. I mean, growing up, I knew every piece of gear that Neil P. had. I knew the guitars [Alex Lifeson] played. That’s the way it is. So that’s what we’ve tried to do,” he added.
“You see the guys that dress up like David Lee Roth [of Van Halen], and the guys that dress up like Steve Perry [of Journey]; thank God we don’t have to dress up like Rush. But our stage set is the costume. The moment the cover comes off the drum set and the audience sees it, they instantly recognize it.”
For tickets, go to ticketmaster.com.
Resorts remembers Woodstock
And speaking of musical tributes, this weekend marks the 55th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival, the three-day bacchanal of sex, drugs and, especially, rock ‘n’ roll that defined the Baby-Boomer generation. Saturday, Resorts Casino-Hotel is remembering that epochal rain-soaked, bash with a pair of musical offerings and other activities.
From 1 to 4:30 p.m., the Side Story Band will be on the Boardwalk outside AyCee’s oldest legal casino serving up a slew of songs performed at Woodstock. The festivities also include Woodstock trivia contests with special prizes; a ’60s costume contest; tie-dye station; a photo station with a Volkswagen bus, Woodstock dancers and drink specials at the Glitter Bar and DraftKings Sportsbook.
Among the items to be given away are love beads, peace signs, funky sunglasses and show tickets.
The musical nostalgia moves to the Superstar Theater for an 8 p.m. performance by Back To The Garden 1969–The Woodstock Experience which will recreate the sounds of such festival attractions as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Jimi Hendrix; Sly & The Family Stone; Jefferson Airplane and The Who.
For tickets, go to ticketmaster.com.
