Inaugural concert of Soul Remans,a blow you away Led Zeppelin tribute band…and maybe more.
Saturday night with Soul Remains – a tribute band that blows your mind
Tribute bands are an interesting part of the music ecosystem. They do not follow one fixed life cycle: they appear seemingly out of nowhere; some may fade when bookings, personnel, or audience interest dry up; but others can last for decades. Their survival depends less on simple imitation than on a durable song catalog, a distinctive live experience, reliable musicianship, and the ability to keep attracting both devoted fans and new listeners.
Bands such as Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Queen, the Grateful Dead, ABBA, and Led Zeppelin offer recognizable songs across several generations, enough repertoire for themed shows and repeat attendance. This makes them great subjects for tribute bands. The Tributes can vary their show, playing “eras” or “the hard rock collection” or some other aspect of their idols. This helps the tribute keep things fresh and attract audiences.
Many flame out, often because the work is demanding and economically iffy. A tribute group must retain capable performers, manage recurring costs, differentiate itself from competitors, and persuade venues that audiences will return even though the set lists are familiar.
But I think the most valuable asset a tribute band can have is outstanding talent. The Judith Priestess, formed by singer/musician/producer/actress Militia Vox, has been entertaining thousands since 2008 because it has all of these. Others like the B-Street Band and the Bootleg Beatles have been around even longer, for the same reason – they create great music.
I was lucky enough to attend the inaugural concert by a Led Zeppelin tribute band called Soul Remains Saturday night, and while I can’t predict its longevity because it just formed, I can say with conviction that it has the outstanding talent to make that possible. The band is all-star, made up of some of the best musicians in Lakeside and beyond. While I don’t know the details of its origin story, I know that what I saw Saturday night was assembled by the drummer, Horatio (Spanish with a “c”). He brought together the award-winning guitarist Chris Cuevas, the multi-talented Jeffrey White on guitar and keyboard, Kevin Bañuelos on bass, and Elizze Navarro on vocals. Every one of the musicians is much sought after in the community and is a technically and emotionally excellent artist.
They booked the largest venue in Lakeside, the state-owned CCAR auditorium, and sold about two-thirds of the seats – a remarkable accomplishment for a new band with no built-in fan base on its first time out (of course, each of the musicians has a fan base).
The show was a blow-out success. They filled the auditorium with sound, going all out, putting 150% of their hearts into the music; Chris Cuevas, who I have heard many times, played like a demon from hell on a burning guitar. Elizze’s vocals soared across the hall like a shooting star as she sang her heart (and throat) out. I told her afterward that she finally found a venue big enough for her voice. Horacio pulled off the difficult task of staying true to John Bonham’s drumming, while making it his own, matching and supporting the other artists in their interpretations of the Led Zeppelin songs.
Jeffree White’s guitar was spot-on, evoking, but not copying, the original, and his keyboard took us back to the magic of the 60s. Kevin Bañuelos’ fingers were a blur on is base as he filled in the background and then moved forward to move things along, always hitting just the right chord to match the drumming and the keyboard. Put simply, there are a new band in playing their first concert, and they were tight…and outstanding. And the special effects and videos behind them s were first-class professional.
Like I said above, some tribute bands last for years or decades and some disappear quickly. Soul Remains has now established its identity as a top-of-the-line rock and roll band with their own identity. No one who was in that audience Saturday night will ever forget Elizze’s vocals echoing through the auditorium with incredible power, or Cuevas doing the same with electric guitar solos that practically peeled paint from the walls. The audience was cheering, and waving cellphone lights, and singing …and gave them a standing ovation and cries for more (otra!, in Spanish). Soul Remains knows how to make people happy, one of the major elements of success.
Soul Remains has booked a second concert next Friday, which I plan to attend, not only to check out the second time around but just to enjoy absolutely great music. What happens after that is up to them, but from what I heard Saturday night, if they want to, they can be around for a long time, either as a tribute band or a rock band. They are that good.
Patrick O’Heffernan
Banner: Elizze Navarro opens the show for Soul Remains with Horacio Salcedo behind her on the drums