Whether you're seeking Motown or hair metal, these Boston bands have you ‘covered'

Boston Globe

3 days ago

Eventually, frontman Scott Benjamin realized, 'Oh, this is an entertainment gig. It isn't a rock star gig.' More than 25 years later, the band connects with tipsy crowds of locals and tourists alike, engaging the audience and making up songs on the spot about their newest fans from Brazil or Germany
(or, on one recent night, Traverse City, Mich.).
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
They pride themselves on 'reading the room' and adjusting their setlist accordingly, says Benjamin: 'Will these guys want Bon Jovi, or is this more of a
Advertisement
The Spittin' Vinnies are part of a thriving network of cover bands in and around Boston. These are groups that work overtime to make people smile. They play familiar songs in various styles — classic disco, hair metal, yacht rock, Motown — and they share one common denominator: good vibes.
Advertisement
'If it doesn't have some kind of uplifting … something,' says Debra Vinci, who leads the band DVinci Soul, 'we're not interested.'
There are lots of bands that pay tribute to the music of one legendary act — the Beatles, or Pink Floyd, or Bob Marley, or the band Boston, to name a few. To narrow the field, we're focusing on the regional bands that function like live-action jukeboxes, playing the songs you know and love (or in some cases, thought you hated) by the wildly varied hitmakers of yesteryear. Here is a short list of some of Boston's finest cover bands.
DVINCI SOUL
This soulful big band offers three-part vocal harmonies and a tight horn section. Led by Debra Vinci — an executive coach by day — they play classic songs by Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, sprinkling in some newer favorites from Amy Winehouse and
Next gig:
RUN FOR COVERS
Like a lot of their peers, this five-piece band based south of Boston has roots in original rock music. But their eclectic setlists — ranging from AC/DC and Miley Cyrus to modern country — have kept them busy for nearly 20 years. 'We get an itch to write a new song once in a while, but it goes away,' says singer Matt Corona.
Next gig:
Advertisement
Run For Cover's eclectic setlists — ranging from AC/DC and Miley Cyrus to modern country — have kept them busy for nearly 20 years.
Kayla Amber
BOOTY VORTEX
'Boston's finest funk and disco band' recently played Boston's Pride celebration, and earlier this year they opened for the DJ team the Glitter Boys at Roadrunner's first annual Prom Party. With their big band energy, 'we reset some minds, I think,' says trumpet player Mark Coronado. Two decades in, the band has been seeing their audiences skew younger of late, 'which is fantastic,' Coronado says. 'Disco has this very strong staying power. Everyone knows the tunes, whether they realize it or not.'
Next gig:
THE CHICKEN SLACKS
Saxophonist Jeremy D. Valadez took over the leadership of this long-running cover band about 15 years ago, after moving to Boston with $500 in his pocket and 'promising myself to play the music that I love.' Taking their name from Sam Cooke's 'Twistin' the Night Away' — 'he's dancing with a chick in slacks' — the band plays every first and third Thursday at the Cantab Lounge, spicing up its repertoire with the honking sax sound of Valadez's hero, King Curtis.
Next gig:
BUOYS OF SUMMER
If there's one dominant trend in the long-running world of cover bands, it's the rapid rise of yacht-cap-wearing 'soft rock' tribute bands. This seven-piece group honors 'the smooth-sailing, silk stocking SoCal songs' of the '70s and '80s, from Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald to Ambrosia and Rupert Holmes.
Next gig:
THE BOSTON NATURALS
Cover bands at the beach are a summer ritual, and this group of stage veterans have been rocking Cape Cod's shoreline for two decades. Featuring musicians who have toured and recorded with Santana, Dr. John, and G. Love & Special Sauce, to name a few, they bring a high level of musicianship and classic rock flair to the flip-flop crowd.
Next gig:
Advertisement
THE CRAB SHACK BAND
Based in Southern New Hampshire, this rock and pop cover band answers to a chef's-kiss tagline: 'good vibes, bad dance moves.' The group's repertoire consists of some cover band staples (Tom Petty, Elton John) and some less obvious pop-rock songs (by Blink-182 and Jimmy Eat World). After resisting it, guitarist and bandleader Chris Avery agreed to play Chappell Roan's 'Pink Pony Club' for one recent wedding party, 'and everyone went nuts.' It's since become a staple of their set.
Next gig:
James Sullivan can be reached at [e-mail].