Just a cover band.

Whoa man, it's been a while.

I read a post on Facebook today and I really took offense to it. I started to write a long response and then thought, well it said no offense so...I guess I'll let him have his moment with his thought. Here is his post:

No offense to any of my musician friends that play covers but only in Toledo could a Battle Of The Bands be won by a cover band. This is the equivalent of a chain restaurant winning best restaurant.

My response was: "So should I just consider myself as Applebee's?"

But I kept thinking about it...and I wanted my point to be heard also. So, I'll use this forum.

I am a cover band singer. It is really all I have aspired to do. I have attempted writing songs. I'm not very good at it. I have found that I am alright with arranging a song, but in order to do that, you need a song that is already written.

So I sing other people's songs. Does that mean I don't practice them, learn them inside and out, put my own spin on it when I can actually think of something that works? Does it mean that I don't have the same vocal talent?

In a city with several cover bands, predominantly female fronted cover bands, I have had to work my ass off to stay relevant and still get gigs. Add to that several venues that bring in bands from other cities. My band has strived to add new songs, add dance moves, pick up the older standard songs.

I can't speak for every cover band but for Noisy Neighbors it is not just an expression of music, it is a business. We are very calculated in the moves we make. We want to grow our fan base, we want to grow in the number of venues we play, and yes, we want to make more money. It is difficult. It is difficult to know what the crowd wants. It is difficult to anticipate what the next big hit from radio will be and if people will want to dance to it. We are a party band. We aim to keep the dancefloor busy. If the dancefloor is busy then they get thirsty. More drinks = more money for the bar. More money for the bar = more gigs.

I am incredibly lucky to be able to go through this journey with some of the best guys I could ask for. Bert, Doug and Jeff are my brothers. We all understand that every move matters and that we just want to be the best we can be....as a cover band.