Review Centre: Tribute Bands

"March 26, 2017 Last night (March 25, 2017) the legendary Presley & Cash Highway Road Show pulled into Windsor for a night of fun, frolics and fundraising through the experience and dedication of two skilled local tribute artists. Paying Cash – The Johnny Cash Show and a Elvis brought the music of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley to the Olde Walkerville Theatre for a fundraising event for the Miracle League of Amherstburg. The show began with Harrow, Ontario tribute artist who brought the post-war Elvis to life in a vibrant and highly entertaining set. The music selection was unique, as was his leg-shaking performance. This was a true tribute and not really an over-the-top impersonation as we so often see. There were no jumpsuits, no giant belts and no overweight wig-wearing phonies – this was the cool suit-jacket wearing Elvis that the world loved in 1956 and 1957. He had enough looks and moves to pull it off and present a believable reproduction of the way Elvis moved, sang and even interacted at the peak of his musical return. The song selection resembled the King’s 1957 performance at the PNE in Vancouver with such non-traditional tracks like Blueberry Hill, That’s When Your Heartaches Begin and Peace in the Valley. In many ways the lead singer reminded me of an early Michael Buble, with just enough Elvis in the mix to make it plausible and entertaining, but also enough of himself to keep it fresh and lively. He nailed Elvis’ voice from the early years, as well as the swagger and personality we would expect in an early Elvis tribute. The Silvertones mastered the musical presentation and were the perfect band to backup the energetic Elvis show. After a lengthy set, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of incredible music could bring to the table if he decided to record some original music. It took a leap of faith to bring Buble his first recording contract, let’s hope someone does the same for him. Headliners Paying Cash captured the essence of 1968 Johnny Cash in both attitude and skill, pairing perfectly with 57-58 Elvis – these were the “attitude” years for both superstars, and although a decade apart, they seemed musically aligned at these specific intervals. The lead singers 12-year old daughter joined him on stage for three June Carter duets, and later when he acoustically took on Cash’s death-bed hit Hurt with guitar and piano accompaniment. The singer looked exactly like Cash at various times when he was at the mic, but he was always perfect when it came to the movements and nuances that Cash had on stage. You could actually see the fire in his eyes during such attitude anthems as Cocaine Blues, Folsom Prison Blues and Cry, Cry, Cry. That fire and his voice were right on par with Joaquin Phoenix’s movie adaptation of Cash, The band itself was so close to the original backup band that they should change their name to The Windsor Three. The guitarist handled the lead guitar as if he invented those licks himself, bassist injected some humour when he wasn’t playing his stand-up bass and drummer provided a solid drum beat throughout. The only thing missing was that they weren’t dressed in full black suits like The Tennesee Three probably would have been.The superstar of the show was his daughter, who charmed the audience with her stunning voice and light-hearted personality – a combination that played out in a fun and charming take on June Carter Cash for three songs, including the infamous relationship-song Jackson. Her personality and voice matched well with her fathers and the duets were a standout moment, much as they were in the movie Walk The Line. Paying Cash is a well put together band that captures the young and rebellious Johnny Cash like none other. This was the era of Johnny Cash that fans love the most and rarely get to see on its own in a tribute show. Should The lead singer and Paying Cash ever decide to hit the studio, I wouldn’t be surprised if the results sounded much like early Blue Rodeo, mixed with some good old Johnny Cash.If these two bands do play together again, the Presley-Cash combination is a sure fire knock-out not to be missed."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Saw their first show at 3rd and Lindsley and was quite impressed. Definitely a band to watch out for in the future. Pretty great bunch of musicians for sure."

Reply by Face Value--A Tribute to Phil Collins
So glad you enjoyed the show Jay!

Rating: 8 / 10 Share this review:

"Excellent show and would hire again! Really enjoyed his dance moves and costumes and resemblance to MJ!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hi Sam, We would just like to say the biggest thanks, the evening went so well, everyone was buzzing! What a night we all had on Saturday! The band made our night so special for us and Dale and the band made that possible. We knew you were fantastic but you on the night you lit up the sky and everyone thought the Band was amazing. Your help and advice sorting the stage in the lead up to our wedding was exceptional, you were so helpful, accommodating and reassuring when we had a question or query. Please pass on our sincere thanks to Dale and all the band who are all so gifted / talented, and so much fun! They absolutely made our wedding day one night that we will never ever forget! The dance floor was never empty, Dee and Mel were incredible so much charisma and simply Amazing! Thanks for making it such a special night for us family and our friends – you blew us away ! We will absolutely be recommending you to anyone and everyone (!) and wouldn’t hesitate to sing your praises."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Mat is an extremely professional and reliable bass player who brings his A game to every show! He has a vast catalogue of songs and is always happy to do on the spot requests. Along with his outstanding bass playing, and professional attitude, he provides exceptional backing vocals and harmonies. Need him on guitar, he’s got you covered too. Mat is a guy who won’t let you down (10 / 10)"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you! Awesome night. Can’t wait for the next concert” “Drove from Westchester NY to Long Island just to see them perform"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We had the GooRoos entertain on our outdoor stage and the evening was very successful for us. They showed up plenty early to set up their equipment and lighting. They have a very professional show, dressed in nautical clothes and sounded great. Our customers really enjoyed the evening and we will have them back."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"A must have! Amazing performer with tons of energy. All 3600 Kids & Adults in attendance absolutely loved the show!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We loved this band. Lots of great dance tunes. Great people too! Highly recommend. Phill Collins music is not easy to play , but they nailed it. Thanks for the great time!"

Reply by Face Value--A Tribute to Phil Collins
Thank you so much for the kind words! So glad you enjoyed the show!

Rating: 9 / 10 Share this review:

"Excellent! Thank you so very much. Really enjoyed this show!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"James played for my husbands retirement celebration and we were able to choose the songs we wanted from an extensive list. We were thrilled with James’s performance. He was very professional and everyone loved his music. Just perfect. Would thoroughly recommend James and would definitely use him again! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Couldn’t have asked for a better performance. My guests are still talking about it."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"This was a thriller, thriller night. My grandpa even went as far as to getting his old mj suit out of the wardrobe to join the act. It was fabulous! Out of all the impersonators i have hired this was definitely one to remember. Hope to hear you sing with that majestic voice again."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Tarquin was a terrific tribute - we had him play for an hour at our wedding and he went down a storm. He's an excellent soundalike with a fantastic voice and his mannerisms were spot on. He left to the cry of "more, more, more" from the wedding party and you can't say any more than that."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Groove Jacks are an exceptional live band. They play a range of rock classics and filled the dance floor."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: