THE SINCEREST
SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY
by Kristen Maxwell
A look into the world of tribute bands
Dave Damm doesn't look like Neil Diamond. His chin-length black hair and lineman build hardly suggest he could impersonate the singer of a romantic melody like "Hello Again," but that's just what he does.
But of all the performers and bands out there, why Neil? The answer is simple: the Wichita senior loves Neil Diamond. And it shows in an interview as
much as in performance.
Upon calling Damm for an interview, I got his voice mail. Ten seconds later he called back.
"Sorry, Kristen," he says, sounding out of breath. "I had Neil cranked up on my headphones and was practicing some moves in the mirror."
Damm remembers seventh grade, when his mom came home with a Neil Diamond cassette. He couldn't stop listening to It. That year he also saw the marvel in concert for the first time. Ten years later, Damm celebrates his
love and admiration for the performer and his music with his very own Neil Diamond tribute band, Dave Diamond.
Kevin Brown loves and admires another successful band: Boston. The Kansas City, Mo., junior is a typical college student. He's a business major, member of Sigma Chi fraternity and he plays the guitar. Brown has been a part of many original bands, but says nothing is like his tribute, More Than a Feeling, named after one of Boston's greatest hits.
He got involved in the band six months ago when his friend and bandmate, Matt Vianello, came to him with the idea.
"After laughing at him for a few minutes, I
Ten seconds later he called back."Sorry, Kristen,"he says."I had Neil cranked up on my headphones and was practicing some moves in the
started really thinking about it," Brown says."I thought, "This is actually kind of brilliant.""The two recruited four other guys and the band was formed. They are now represented by two entertainment agencies, AME Entertainment and Omni Entertainment.
mirror."
'It's fun because it's not very stressful. It's like a novelty.' Brown says.
Dave Damm, aka Neil Diamond
A bit of history
10> JAYPLAY 04.27.2006
Although music critics claim that tribute bands are a new American phenomenon, tribute bands have been showing up around the globe, especially in the United Kingdom, ever since the time of Elvis and The Beatles.
"They (tribute bands) may be more popular or well-known now in the Midwest, but they've been around for years," says Frank J. Moyer, president of AME Entertainment.
Moyer signed his first tribute band 15 years ago
when Jimmie Van Zant, first cousin of Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, was bringing a tribute dedicated to his cousin's band to Lawrence. Moyer says he recalls watching them and thinking this was a name he could sell, market and do well with. He quickly began representing the bard. To date, Moyer and the band have put out tribute albums as well as three albums of original work.
Brown says he wouldn't be surprised if the popularity of tribute bands has increased in recent years.
"The quality of popular music has been going downhill in recent years. Someone needs to bring back the good bands," he says.
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