Those tired of going to a dance club to hear the same repetitive dubstep beats should try going back to a time when rock and roll was king.
An upcoming live show at Metropolis promises to be a cover-band extravaganza, featuring three bands, all of whom specialize in one of three eras of classic rock: the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s.
“We sound like we’re straight out of the ‘60s,” says Younger than Yesterday lead guitarist Josh Weed. “We go to great pains to play the songs accurately, and not to take any liberties with them, unlike some cover bands.”
Weed’s ‘60s oldies band covers rock icons of that decade, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks, and features frontman Bryan Politano (a.k.a. Rock Lindsay), who played in veteran Victoria rock band Roxxlyde during the ‘80s.
Rock of Ages, another band on the bill, has been playing shows for over a year.
“We all dress up, put on our wigs, get out there, and just rock the hell out of the place,” says lead singer Laura Petriello, who was one of the 10 finalists in Victoria Idol.
Ken Kempster, the band’s drummer, formerly played as a second drummer for Nomeansno, a Vancouver-based punk band who formed in Victoria in the late ‘70s and are still active today.
“I’ve been playing drums for almost 30 years,” he says. “I’ve played with a lot of Victoria bands over the years, but now I’m happy to be playing with Rock of Ages. It’s really fun when we’re playing classic rock songs and getting everyone dancing.”
Free Ride, a band highlighting the ‘70s, is the newest act in the show, rounding out the event with their debut performance. Appropriately, the band stretches across generations: their bassist, Dan Politano, a Victoria artist also known for his solo recordings, is the son of Younger Than Yesterday’s frontman Bryan Politano.
Decades of Rock
9pm, Saturday, December 3
Metropolis, $10
metropolisconcert.com