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Dream Theater => Dream Theater => Topic started by: JayOctavarium on December 31, 2013, 07:16:36 AM
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A friend of a friend (seriously) is in this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC9ww4Z-Qa8&feature=youtu.be
They are based in San Diego I think... so all ya'll Southern Californians... keep your eyes open!
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As many of you know, I played for several years in a DT tribute band (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3q01tfD73E). We had one golden rule that was not to be violated: Do NOT try to look like the band members.
Seeing that video just now, the rule was there for a reason.
Regarding their skill, I would have to hear live audio to judge. This was all overdubbed.
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DT is not a band with a strong image that should really be emulated by a cover/tribute band.
If you're forming a tribute band of some 70's or 80's bands, wigs are fine, but it looks really silly when you're trying to copy something like a modern prog band.
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The bass player is not doing a good job looking Asian.
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The bass player is not doing a good job looking Asian.
:rollin
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Yeah, going for "the look" just seems....cheesy or something. No one's going to see Dream Theater these days because of how hunky everyone in the band is :lol
No offence to the guys themselves, of course. ;)
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It's not just the look actually. If you look at the keyboard player, he has the swivel keyboard, the notation stand, and he does the Jordanesque "fist into the audience" at 2:20.
In my opinion, what they need is Nicky. He got James down to a T.
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Really? When I saw this I thought the look was REALLY cool. They really nail it because it's a lot more than just wigs. They really get the details. Even the overdub guy.
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This is hilarious. Although I gotta say the guy playing Jordan definitely has the mannerisms down pat :lol
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The JP clone looks ridiculous
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No DT with Portnoy clone band will ever be complete without a drum tech Jose imitator to swing the mic around.
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The JP clone looks ridiculous
I was actually wondering whether they made him bulk up.
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I really would like to hear a live recording though. If they put as much effort into their playing as they put into their looks, they could be really good.
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Yeah and MP didn't spit all over the place. Very inaccurate portrayal.
Seriously though, like others have said, the image is ridiculous. If it were an Ozzy tribute then sure, the vocalist could wear those blue circular glasses and waddle around like he shit himself, and that would be fine...but this was just odd.
The music seemed pretty good. The vocalist wasn't bad, but was very bad for a Dream Theater tribute band.
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If it were an Ozzy tribute then sure, the vocalist could wear those blue circular glasses and waddle around like he shit himself
lol so true
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In my opinion, what they need is Nicky. He got James down to a T.
I would pay to see that band.
And promptly leave. But they'd still get my money for having the balls to go out there.
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Bassist looks like Mike Dirnt in a Myung wig
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Corny image or not, a band is as good as its drummer. And sorry, but this fellow is awfully bad. I mean, how bad can you be if you can't even play Honor Thy Father's intro properly?! It's one of the easiest MPisms ever.
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Yeah the drummer is pretty bad they should probably hold auditions soon to replace him.
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Yeah the drummer is pretty bad they should probably hold auditions soon to replace him.
Needless to say, they need to find 7 drummers who look like the ones who auditioned for DT :P
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The JP clone looks ridiculous
I was actually wondering whether they made him bulk up.
:rollin
Lol, this is my favorite thread about us yet guys! And no, I was not "asked" to "bulk up." I'm a pretty swol guy and a couple pushups before a performance to really enhance the guns is all it takes to really put it all together! :tup
Most people don't separate "tribute" band from "cover" band. We're a tribute to dream theater, which is to give the audience the closest experience to a DT performance as possible (visual as well as audio). If you think that takes away from the music, then I'm sorry to hear that. We're gonna be out playing a lot this year, and we're looking forward to the fun times ahead playing DT music for their fans. We hope you can all make it to a show and if you still don't like it come up and talk to us. We're all nice guys and fellow DT fans, not ego-driven maniacs. Hell, I might even buy ya a beer.
Catch ya guys on the road!
C Bro :metal
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This is hilarious. Although I gotta say the guy playing Jordan definitely has the mannerisms down pat :lol
Jordan smiles when he is playing.
Considering that they are "available for booking worldwide" and have a manager I'm hoping that they will be paying Dream Theater their performance royalties through The Harry Fox Agency and have appropriately applied for permission to Dream Theater and Road Runner, for the use of the bands likenesses and marks for the purposes of generating a profit. Wouldn't want to be accused of bootlegging a whole band.
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Wow, got to get rid of the wigs :loser: Other than that, not bad and I'd be interested in seeing you guys. :metal
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This is hilarious. Although I gotta say the guy playing Jordan definitely has the mannerisms down pat :lol
Jordan smiles when he is playing.
Considering that they are "available for booking worldwide" and have a manager I'm hoping that they will be paying Dream Theater their performance royalties through The Harry Fox Agency and have appropriately applied for permission to Dream Theater and Road Runner, for the use of the bands likenesses and marks for the purposes of generating a profit. Wouldn't want to be accused of bootlegging a whole band.
I wouldn't lose sleep worrying yourself about that, but thanks for your concern. ;)
Wow, got to get rid of the wigs :loser: Other than that, not bad and I'd be interested in seeing you guys. :metal
Who said we're wearing wigs?? :angel: Glad we've peaked your interest. See you at a show!
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No, you want to pique their interest. If you peak it, then they'll never be more interested in you. :P
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No, you want to pique their interest. If you peak it, then they'll never be more interested in you. :P
I also can't spell annemone... wait... anemonknee.... dammit.....
You know what, I'm gonna stick with guitar. I've got songs to learn. Oh, and lifting. :metal
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Oh my god why
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(https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/avatars/Musicians/Cardigans.jpg)
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I think the 'tribute' side to it is less important than the sound, but it's cool to see you guys have gone all in and out. In any case, the music sounds great, so if that's what your DT covers sound like then rock on and keep it up is all I have to say. ;) :metal
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This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen, great work.
How many people on Youtube have JP guitars and sound pretty much exactly like JP? These guys not only have the sound but they're going the extra mile and I think that's admirable. Every other 'tribute' band (KISS, Bon Jovi, etc) all look and act just like the real band so I dunno what the problem is with these guys doing the same.
Also, Fake James LaBrie was moving around way too much, he needs to stand perfectly still to *really* nail it.
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In my opinion, what they need is Nicky. He got James down to a T.
I agree, though it was a huge letdown not to see 'James' wail on the tambourine and swig from the water bottle.
All in all, great job. If you ever came to Missoula, MT. I wouldn't miss the show. :metal
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I wouldn't lose sleep worrying yourself about that, but thanks for your concern. ;)
I won't. You would actually have to make money for Dream Theater to give a shit. That will never happen. :lol
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That was cool and disturbing at the same time. Also, this is the closest we'll ever get to seeing Portnoy playing On the backs of angels and Bridges in the sky. :lol
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This is ridiculous....
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I won't. You would actually have to make money for Dream Theater to give a shit. That will never happen. :lol
This is ridiculous....
If we were in this for the money I'm sure we could find more popular groups to tribute and get paid from. This is completely about the fun of it and being fans of DT ourselves. Just so happens we're all musicians that look "close enough" that we can take it to the next level of performance. I get that it's not for everybody, but how about a show of support for 5 guys getting together and having FUN playing DT music for DT fans?!
And for the record, we're already "unofficially" DT approved because they're using part of our EPK video in their touring intermission video. If it's good enough for them then hopefully it'll be good enough for all you guys!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7hTzzusmZ4
For all the others who dig what we're doing, thanks a bunch! Now I gotta get back to practicing. Still got a lot of songs to learn... ;D
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I won't. You would actually have to make money for Dream Theater to give a shit. That will never happen. :lol
This is ridiculous....
If we were in this for the money I'm sure we could find more popular groups to tribute and get paid from. This is completely about the fun of it and being fans of DT ourselves. Just so happens we're all musicians that look "close enough" that we can take it to the next level of performance. I get that it's not for everybody, but how about a show of support for 5 guys getting together and having FUN playing DT music for DT fans?!
And for the record, we're already "unofficially" DT approved because they're using part of our EPK video in their touring intermission video. If it's good enough for them then hopefully it'll be good enough for all you guys!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7hTzzusmZ4
For all the others who dig what we're doing, thanks a bunch! Now I gotta get back to practicing. Still got a lot of songs to learn... ;D
After doing the video for Jordan, and meeting DT fans all over the US, over the last three months, I have been handed at least 20 DVD's of bands who are paying tribute to Dream Theater. Only one of them had musicians who were almost good enough, musically, to play Dream Theater. In all of those videos the crowd is about five to ten people.
I'm clarifying that I am not picking at you because you are a Dream Theater tribute band. I have no issue with tribute bands, though I have never seen a DT tribute that came even close to the real thing.
My response is because of the "available for worldwide bookings" and your management contact at the end, and the trailer-like feel of your video, which is basically a commercial, and SO Southern California wannabe industry "big business" that I really can't stand it. I just left LA to get away from the "movers and fakers." If you want to play your music, play your music, but don't act like you are some famous international touring act generating the five thousand dollars necessary to play an international booking. If you hadn't have represented yourself in that manner, I probably would have been down to support you.
*shrugs*
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After doing the video for Jordan, and meeting DT fans all over the US, over the last three months, I have been handed at least 20 DVD's of bands who are paying tribute to Dream Theater. Only one of them had musicians who were almost good enough, musically, to play Dream Theater. In all of those videos the crowd is about five to ten people.
If I may add to this: The above is the sad reality of a Dream Theater tribute band. I was the guitarist of "Glass Prison", a Boston-based DT tribute band (example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3q01tfD73E ), and while the first few concerts were the usual "friends and family" showing up, it was virtually impossible to get gigs. Don't get me wrong, the people who showed up loooved us. But, in the end you're a tribute band to a band that already barely anybody knows. Venues either never heard of DT, or were saying "yeah thanks, first of all nobody will show up for this, and I also don't want to have a band butchering this stuff either."
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After doing the video for Jordan, and meeting DT fans all over the US, over the last three months, I have been handed at least 20 DVD's of bands who are paying tribute to Dream Theater. Only one of them had musicians who were almost good enough, musically, to play Dream Theater. In all of those videos the crowd is about five to ten people.
If I may add to this: The above is the sad reality of a Dream Theater tribute band. I was the guitarist of "Glass Prison", a Boston-based DT tribute band (example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3q01tfD73E ), and while the first few concerts were the usual "friends and family" showing up, it was virtually impossible to get gigs. Don't get me wrong, the people who showed up loooved us. But, in the end you're a tribute band to a band that already barely anybody knows. Venues either never heard of DT, or were saying "yeah thanks, first of all nobody will show up for this, and I also don't want to have a band butchering this stuff either."
Once again, I am not knocking Dream Theater tribute bands, at all. But, even members of Dream Theater have trouble getting Dream Theater fans to show up for their side gigs. Look at DT social media numbers. 3 million fans on Facebook, yet they haven't cracked a gold record from the new album. Considering that one aspect of Dream Theater is making a profit from their fan base to keep their music alive, I would prefer that someone with a limited entertainment budget spend the money on an official Dream Theater CD, rather than using the money on a tribute band that his no intention of sharing the wealth of they do generate a profit.
My recommendation, if anyone wants it, is if you do have a Dream Theater budget, use to buy something from the band, an official product which will compensate DT for their hard work, and years of dedication. I think anyone who is actually affiliated with Dream Theater can appreciate that sentiment.
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After doing the video for Jordan, and meeting DT fans all over the US, over the last three months, I have been handed at least 20 DVD's of bands who are paying tribute to Dream Theater. Only one of them had musicians who were almost good enough, musically, to play Dream Theater. In all of those videos the crowd is about five to ten people.
I'm clarifying that I am not picking at you because you are a Dream Theater tribute band. I have no issue with tribute bands, though I have never seen a DT tribute that came even close to the real thing.
My response is because of the "available for worldwide bookings" and your management contact at the end, and the trailer-like feel of your video, which is basically a commercial, and SO Southern California wannabe industry "big business" that I really can't stand it. I just left LA to get away from the "movers and fakers." If you want to play your music, play your music, but don't act like you are some famous international touring act generating the five thousand dollars necessary to play an international booking. If you hadn't have represented yourself in that manner, I probably would have been down to support you.
*shrugs*
Well, without getting into too much dissection, our first show which was in a little hole-in-the-wall-bar and promoted with only about a 5 days notice drew in over 40 people, so there is an audience for what we're doing that you may not be aware of. Tribute bands in LA/OC/SD rarely if ever play by themselves, and are typically part of a "tribute night" that is an incredibly popular event culture out here right now. Most tribute nights with good tribute bands pack the house every time. Whether we'll be part of that house-packing line-up, only time will tell, but we're hopeful (obviously).
Our booking video was done specifically at the request of our booking company (not a management company), Music Zirconia, which is a tribute booking agency that does book tributes "worldwide." Currently we have in and out-of-state bookings being lines up that will be announced soon, so it does exactly what it's supposed to and showcases our sound and ability to generate interest from venues. It's a necessary promotional tool for this particular industry.
After doing the video for Jordan, and meeting DT fans all over the US, over the last three months, I have been handed at least 20 DVD's of bands who are paying tribute to Dream Theater. Only one of them had musicians who were almost good enough, musically, to play Dream Theater. In all of those videos the crowd is about five to ten people.
If I may add to this: The above is the sad reality of a Dream Theater tribute band. I was the guitarist of "Glass Prison", a Boston-based DT tribute band (example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3q01tfD73E ), and while the first few concerts were the usual "friends and family" showing up, it was virtually impossible to get gigs. Don't get me wrong, the people who showed up loooved us. But, in the end you're a tribute band to a band that already barely anybody knows. Venues either never heard of DT, or were saying "yeah thanks, first of all nobody will show up for this, and I also don't want to have a band butchering this stuff either."
Don't get me wrong, we knew going into this that there would be people that would try to put down the idea or tell us that we couldn't possibly pull it off, but the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive and promoters and venues are contacting us daily for booking availability. We're in the very early stages of this group right now and hope it lasts long enough to have a great time doing it. If the interest fades I wont regret a moment of it. It's been an amazing experience already, and it's only going to get better from here. I'm realistic and understand we wont win over every DT fan, and we're not trying to. For a lot of people only DT will do, but for many others we'll be a great opportunity for them to hear the music of one of their favorite bands when DT isnt in town. Hope you all give us a shot!
-C Bro
Aka, Ridiculous JP Clone ;)
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I'm impressed with the time and effort put into re-creating the DT experience -- right down to the mannerisms of the band members (the bassist even does the Myung head nod to get the hair out of the way, lol). I can see how some people would think it's a bit much, but once you get passed that I admire the work that went into it. It looks very professional. Anyone that loves DT this much gets a thumbs-up in my book. If you guys ever come to the NY area, I'd check it out for sure. I hope you get decent crowds. Good luck guys!
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My recommendation, if anyone wants it, is if you do have a Dream Theater budget, use to buy something from the band, an official product which will compensate DT for their hard work, and years of dedication. I think anyone who is actually affiliated with Dream Theater can appreciate that sentiment.
I don't think those two things are interchangeable like that. That is, people showed up to our gigs to see a live band play their butts off, and enjoy some cool suds with that. If they didn't go to see us, they wouldn't have spent their money on a Ystejam bootleg. They would have gone to another bar.
My suggestion to this tribute band is, you better enjoy playing this stuff on its own merit, because you're not gonna be piling up the gigs. On a sidenote, we always said the best thing that could have happened to us would have been DT quitting. Because, given DT's constant touring, a lot of people will have said "eh, I'll wait until the real thing comes around".
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ugly_guitar_guy, you're so positive. Keep on keepin on and best of luck with the band!! :metal
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My recommendation, if anyone wants it, is if you do have a Dream Theater budget, use to buy something from the band, an official product which will compensate DT for their hard work, and years of dedication. I think anyone who is actually affiliated with Dream Theater can appreciate that sentiment.
I don't think those two things are interchangeable like that. That is, people showed up to our gigs to see a live band play their butts off, and enjoy some cool suds with that. If they didn't go to see us, they wouldn't have spent their money on a Ystejam bootleg. They would have gone to another bar.
My suggestion to this tribute band is, you better enjoy playing this stuff on its own merit, because you're not gonna be piling up the gigs. On a sidenote, we always said the best thing that could have happened to us would have been DT quitting. Because, given DT's constant touring, a lot of people will have said "eh, I'll wait until the real thing comes around".
I'm sorry. I'm very opinionated. It's an interesting idea, and it is most definitely unique. If you are doing it for the love of music then do it. If you are doing it generate a profit then I am not so sure I am behind it. That's how I feel about it.
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I Think that if you have enough skill to play DT songs you MUST try to write you own music, instead of creating a cover band (and dressing in that way, it's seriously ridiculous...it's DT, not Kiss!) and stuff like that.
Nothing personal with you, but i have a band (2 actually, and we're not making cover at all) and it's so hard to find good gigs and clubs, because of all these fuckin' cover band and all the people who support them!
I really appreciate much more someone that "sucks" in playing his own music than someone who's playing in a coverband, expecially if musicians are able to play something as difficult as DT (or Malmsteen and that kind of stuff)..is such a waste o talent! IMO
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I Think that if you have enough skill to play DT songs you MUST try to write you own music, instead of creating a cover band (and dressing in that way, it's seriously ridiculous...it's DT, not Kiss!) and stuff like that.
Nothing personal with you, but i have a band (2 actually, and we're not making cover at all) and it's so hard to find good gigs and clubs, because of all these fuckin' cover band and all the people who support them!
I really appreciate much more someone that "sucks" in playing his own music than someone who's playing in a coverband, expecially if musicians are able to play something as difficult as DT (or Malmsteen and that kind of stuff)..is such a waste o talent! IMO
That's good advice.
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Don't let anyone tell you that it won't work or it's a bad idea. There'll always be people who want to hear DT music. As for the money issue. I don't think DT (or anyone associated with them) would take it personally that anyone of these guys made a few dollars for their performance (if it's even plausible that anything at all was being made, just sayin' most cover bands put a lot of effort and then get like $200-$300 to split 4-5 ways, that's abysmal for a nights performance and anyone that gets offended that it takes away from DT is making too many correlations between unrelated circumstances). I don't think it's the kind of situation that is profitable in the sense that it'd effect DT in anyway what so ever, the source of the income wouldn't have been redirected to anything DT related. The only thing that's happening here is they're practically giving more exposure to the band name.
Money doesn't rule the world, it doesn't even really exist, it's just putting faith in a symbol. :rollin
I Think that if you have enough skill to play DT songs you MUST try to write you own music,
I'm inclined to agree with this part too, if you can play DT music, you probably understand music composition well enough to be able to write your own material which some of you probably already are. ;)
Although I think covers can be just as important as original material for a new band starting out. Especially if those covers represent your band influences and taste anyway, a few familiar covers thrown in between original compositions is a great way to get peoples attention and even get them paying more attention to the original songs. It's the best of both worlds!
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Nothing personal with you, but i have a band (2 actually, and we're not making cover at all) and it's so hard to find good gigs and clubs, because of all these fuckin' cover band and all the people who support them!
I really appreciate much more someone that "sucks" in playing his own music than someone who's playing in a coverband, expecially if musicians are able to play something as difficult as DT (or Malmsteen and that kind of stuff)..is such a waste o talent! IMO
Weeeelllll .... there is a reason why people more likely show up for a cover band than an original one. The reason is, 98% of original bands plain suck. It's 17-year olds who are more driven by their hope of fame than their skill. Whereas cover bands are usually older people with steady jobs who have however been playing their instruments for a long time, and on top of that you know it will be music that was well-written.
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My recommendation, if anyone wants it, is if you do have a Dream Theater budget, use to buy something from the band, an official product which will compensate DT for their hard work, and years of dedication. I think anyone who is actually affiliated with Dream Theater can appreciate that sentiment.
I don't think those two things are interchangeable like that. That is, people showed up to our gigs to see a live band play their butts off, and enjoy some cool suds with that. If they didn't go to see us, they wouldn't have spent their money on a Ystejam bootleg. They would have gone to another bar.
My suggestion to this tribute band is, you better enjoy playing this stuff on its own merit, because you're not gonna be piling up the gigs. On a sidenote, we always said the best thing that could have happened to us would have been DT quitting. Because, given DT's constant touring, a lot of people will have said "eh, I'll wait until the real thing comes around".
I think this is the most important issue here. It's not only that DT isn't famous, they are constantly touring and putting out albums and remain as active as ever, that's the main reason why it's going to be difficult. If it were a retired band, or a band like, let say... U2, that these days they release an album and tour every 5 years or so, it would've been easier, but in the case of DT, "the real deal" it's very much alive and kicking. If I were to give some advice, I'd say play different things from whatever the actual band is playing, in order to satisfy a different demand.
I'd ditch the looks however... or at least focus on the Train of Thought era, when every band member looked pretty normal, these looks are more distracting and given everyone's comments, it's not achieving the actual effect you're looking for anyway. And don't take offense, but you kind of look more like BlobVanDam's 3D models of the band than the actual members :P.
Anyway, good luck! Anyone who can pull off DT stuff deserves my respect!
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My recommendation, if anyone wants it, is if you do have a Dream Theater budget, use to buy something from the band, an official product which will compensate DT for their hard work, and years of dedication. I think anyone who is actually affiliated with Dream Theater can appreciate that sentiment.
I don't think those two things are interchangeable like that. That is, people showed up to our gigs to see a live band play their butts off, and enjoy some cool suds with that. If they didn't go to see us, they wouldn't have spent their money on a Ystejam bootleg. They would have gone to another bar.
My suggestion to this tribute band is, you better enjoy playing this stuff on its own merit, because you're not gonna be piling up the gigs. On a sidenote, we always said the best thing that could have happened to us would have been DT quitting. Because, given DT's constant touring, a lot of people will have said "eh, I'll wait until the real thing comes around".
I think this is the most important issue here. It's not only that DT isn't famous, they are constantly touring and putting out albums and remain as active as ever, that's the main reason why it's going to be difficult. If it were a retired band, or a band like, let say... U2, that these days they release an album and tour every 5 years or so, it would've been easier, but in the case of DT, "the real deal" it's very much alive and kicking. If I were to give some advice, I'd say play different things from whatever the actual band is playing, in order to satisfy a different demand.
I'd ditch the looks however... or at least focus on the Train of Thought era, when every band member looked pretty normal, these looks are more distracting and given everyone's comments, it's not achieving the actual effect you're looking for anyway. And don't take offense, but you kind of look more like BlobVanDam's 3D models of the band than the actual members :P.
Anyway, good luck! Anyone who can pull off DT stuff deserves my respect!
Dream Theater is more famous than you think. In the last two months I've been in L.A., San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Pittsburgh, D.C., North Carolina, Georgia, West Palm Beach, and Miami Beach, The Florida Keys, The Everglades, Naples, and Orlando and everywhere I have gone, I have been promoting the video I did for Jordan, and almost every day of the last two months I have found Dream Theater fans. With the second Grammy Nod they got a lot of attention, internationally. Also, Live at Luna Park was number one on Billboard's "hard rock album" charts. They're huge.
(That's about 6k in travel, and I am not receiving any sort of residual or getting paid for any amount of views.)
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Yeah, going for "the look" just seems....cheesy or something. No one's going to see Dream Theater these days because of how hunky everyone in the band is :lol
No offence to the guys themselves, of course. ;)
I just wanted to add to this post. I'm not crazy about the costumes and all, but I would definitely attend a show if you guys played in or around the Boston area.
Also, I don't think I buy the idea that giving money to this tribute band for their performances is going to somehow diminish the amount of revenue going to the actual members of Dream Theater. In fact, my guess is something like this can only help the band become more popular. Especially if the music is well executed, which it definitely seems to be!
On a side note to rumborak, I had no idea you were such an accomplished musician. Cool beans dude. :tup
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Barry, I saw Rumbo's band. Very good but I do understand what he was saying. On;y a few DT nerds like me went to see him in some little bar.
Ralf, I thought you were talking about doing other prog bands and playing out again. Did that fall through?
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Yeah, going for "the look" just seems....cheesy or something. No one's going to see Dream Theater these days because of how hunky everyone in the band is :lol
No offence to the guys themselves, of course. ;)
I just wanted to add to this post. I'm not crazy about the costumes and all, but I would definitely attend a show if you guys played in or around the Boston area.
Also, I don't think I buy the idea that giving money to this tribute band for their performances is going to somehow diminish the amount of revenue going to the actual members of Dream Theater. In fact, my guess is something like this can only help the band become more popular. Especially if the music is well executed, which it definitely seems to be!
On a side note to rumborak, I had no idea you were such an accomplished musician. Cool beans dude. :tup
Honestly, I wasn't really going to address this, but since two people have now questioned what I said:
I work in the entertainment industry as an artist, as my primary profession, and much like Dream Theater I completely support myself on my ability to generate money from my intellectual property. To add legitimacy to my statements, I've developed three major cable networks shows, released feature length films, done videos for rock stars. I have an intimate understand of where people's entertainment dollar goes. The money spent on Dream Theater items, and concert tickets is the same money spent on going to see a Dream Theater cover band. Anyone who has completed a college level marketing class could tell you that.
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I don't really know what's going on in this thread.
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I don't really know what's going on in this thread.
What's happening right now is the high post engagement of this thread is giving this band more exposure than they would have got if no one had criticized the way they look. You can see they are gaining supporters, regardless of what is said. Flame wars are good for artists social media numbers. There is a known value in negative marketing. It turns out, in a very literal way, that the haters make you famous. In those terms, are they really taking a hit from this thread or is it slowly building their career?
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...So? I'm honestly trying to see what point you're making here.
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...So? I'm honestly trying to see what point you're making here.
This is rock n roll. There is no point.
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:metal
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It seems odd that so much effort would be put into copying the look of a band that not only isn't well-known for its look, but isn't really well-known at all. The wigs just kind of look silly, and the keyboardist frightens me. His beard is situated firmly in the uncanny valley.
In any case, the "tribute" element would be easy to look past if the band were full of really amazing instrumentalists, which doesn't really seem to be the case, unfortunately. The drummer is weak sauce.
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Dream Theater is more famous than you think. In the last two months I've been in L.A., San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Pittsburgh, D.C., North Carolina, Georgia, West Palm Beach, and Miami Beach, The Florida Keys, The Everglades, Naples, and Orlando and everywhere I have gone, I have been promoting the video I did for Jordan, and almost every day of the last two months I have found Dream Theater fans. With the second Grammy Nod they got a lot of attention, internationally. Also, Live at Luna Park was number one on Billboard's "hard rock album" charts. They're huge.
(That's about 6k in travel, and I am not receiving any sort of residual or getting paid for any amount of views.)
Well, at first I wrote "isn't very famous" if that helps, but then I thought about the word "fame" and I'm not sure if that applies to DT. Sure, they are widely known, but they are not famous, if that makes sense. Of course, all of this words about size are relative. For their genre, they are massive, for heavy metal, they relatively medium-to-big(nowhere near the big ones, but they are known in the scene), but in general, including all music and pop artists, I'd size them as mid-to-small. Just look at the YouTube numbers, their latest hit has a million viewers, which is big, but comparing to the large bands who have 25+million on their views and they seem smaller. So, all in all, they are internationally known? Sure, and they are growing, five to ten years ago you said Dream Theater and only a few people knew what you were talking about, even among music fans, now they are known among music fans, but not that much among the casual listeners.
As Portnoy once put it very well on an interview, within their bubble they are huge, outside their bubble they aren't.
I quote YouTube numbers because I think it's more accurate than albums sales right now, albums sales I think they measure how big a band's hardcore fanbase is, and DT may have one of the largest maybe, but they barely have a casual fanbase I think, even if they heard of the band, if you ask someone for a song name, they would go :huh:. I may be wrong of course, I'm not part of the business, just baseing it on old-fashion completely subjective powers of observation ;).
And I'm don't think because of the people who are viewing this they will suddenly become popular :-\. In fact we're not even discusing the tribute band anymore :lol. As for me, they would have to come to a city than even some argentinians have problems locating it in a map :lol. I would definetely travel 1000km to Buenos Aires to see Dream Theater, but definetely not for a cover band ::).
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Dream Theater is more famous than you think. In the last two months I've been in L.A., San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Pittsburgh, D.C., North Carolina, Georgia, West Palm Beach, and Miami Beach, The Florida Keys, The Everglades, Naples, and Orlando and everywhere I have gone, I have been promoting the video I did for Jordan, and almost every day of the last two months I have found Dream Theater fans. With the second Grammy Nod they got a lot of attention, internationally. Also, Live at Luna Park was number one on Billboard's "hard rock album" charts. They're huge.
(That's about 6k in travel, and I am not receiving any sort of residual or getting paid for any amount of views.)
Well, at first I wrote "isn't very famous" if that helps, but then I thought about the word "fame" and I'm not sure if that applies to DT. Sure, they are widely known, but they are not famous, if that makes sense. Of course, all of this words about size are relative. For their genre, they are massive, for heavy metal, they relatively medium-to-big(nowhere near the big ones, but they are known in the scene), but in general, including all music and pop artists, I'd size them as mid-to-small. Just look at the YouTube numbers, their latest hit has a million viewers, which is big, but comparing to the large bands who have 25+million on their views and they seem smaller. So, all in all, they are internationally known? Sure, and they are growing, five to ten years ago you said Dream Theater and only a few people knew what you were talking about, even among music fans, now they are known among music fans, but not that much among the casual listeners.
As Portnoy once put it very well on an interview, within their bubble they are huge, outside their bubble they aren't.
I quote YouTube numbers because I think it's more accurate than albums sales right now, albums sales I think they measure how big a band's hardcore fanbase is, and DT may have one of the largest maybe, but they barely have a casual fanbase I think, even if they heard of the band, if you ask someone for a song name, they would go :huh:. I may be wrong of course, I'm not part of the business, just baseing it on old-fashion completely subjective powers of observation ;).
And I'm don't think because of the people who are viewing this they will suddenly become popular :-\. In fact we're not even discusing the tribute band anymore :lol. As for me, they would have to come to a city than even some argentinians have problems locating it in a map :lol. I would definetely travel 1000km to Buenos Aires to see Dream Theater, but definetely not for a cover band ::).
Their Facebook numbers are more accurate. For comparison:
Anthrax = 2,254,531 likes
Slayer = 4,296,030 likes
Judas Priest = 4,080,297 likes
Stone Temple Pilots = 2,106,080 likes
Alice in Chains = 4,619,918 likes
Nine Inch Nails = 3,424,536 likes
Dream Theater = 3,572,184 likes
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Venues either never heard of DT, or were saying "yeah thanks, first of all nobody will show up for this, and I also don't want to have a band butchering this stuff either."
Spoken like a true prog snob :lol
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Barry, I saw Rumbo's band. Very good but I do understand what he was saying. On;y a few DT nerds like me went to see him in some little bar.
We definitely emulated DT well in the sense that it was a total sausage fest :lol
Ralf, I thought you were talking about doing other prog bands and playing out again. Did that fall through?
Yeah, that never went anywhere. The bass player and I were interested, but the drummer is a total flake.
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Barry, I saw Rumbo's band. Very good but I do understand what he was saying. On;y a few DT nerds like me went to see him in some little bar.
We definitely emulated DT well in the sense that it was a total sausage fest :lol
Ralf, I thought you were talking about doing other prog bands and playing out again. Did that fall through?
Yeah, that never went anywhere. The bass player and I were interested, but the drummer is a total flake.
Haha I was walking down the street in Miami Beach when the Progressive Nation Cruise let out. All day there where Dream Theater fans, everywhere. At one point I looked over and there was this smoking hot chick wearing a Dream Theater shirt. I was like, "Wait what?!" I rubbed my eyes, made sure I wasn't drinking something that was causing me to hallucinate. She was real. I swear!! :lol
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I once made the joke that you could drop a bomb at a DT concert and not a single girl would die, nor would there be one mourning :lol
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Hey, hey! You saw I was with the wife at your show who digs DT so I at least know one woman that likes prog. :lol
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This whole concept made me cringe real hard
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BTW, regarding that comment that DT implicitly "vetted" the band by playing that snippet during the intermission ... I have to be honest, I'm perceiving the reason for the inclusion to be different than the OP poster. If DT's type of humor is anywhere the same as mine, the video was included because of its lulz factor. There have been many capable tribute bands (split screen covers for example), none of those ever ended up on the intermission video, next to Jordan's band-aid video.
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Of course it's for the lulz factor, I mean how uncanny is it for the DT members to see alternate versions of themselves to that extent. Point is, it's still been recognised by DT and they're obviously not offended by it or upset about anything. I don't see how these guys could be detrimental to the real Dream Theater in anyway unless they somehow became a threat. So unless we want to explore those ridiculous possibilities then let these guys be themselves. By being Dream Theater. :yarr
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Like I said, this is my favorite thread about us on the internet. :biggrin:
I Think that if you have enough skill to play DT songs you MUST try to write you own music, instead of creating a cover band (and dressing in that way, it's seriously ridiculous...it's DT, not Kiss!) and stuff like that.
Nothing personal with you, but i have a band (2 actually, and we're not making cover at all) and it's so hard to find good gigs and clubs, because of all these fuckin' cover band and all the people who support them!
I really appreciate much more someone that "sucks" in playing his own music than someone who's playing in a coverband, expecially if musicians are able to play something as difficult as DT (or Malmsteen and that kind of stuff)..is such a waste o talent! IMO
See, what happens with forums is that people comment on others activities without actually knowing anything about them. Just so that you have an understanding of what you're talking about, I've been a working musician for the past 13 years, have played in many bands, and have written a lot of material. I put a lot of time and effort into "making it." I've played "big" gigs, tiny hole-in-the-wall gigs, co-wrote albums, supported the local scene. You know, all that "paying your dues" stuff. I got to the point where I wasn't having fun doing it anymore. At 31 years old I'm more focused on my career working in the pro audio industry, and while I still document my inspiration through writing music for myself, I wanted to do something that was "fun" for me again. This project came together effortlessly for us, and is based off of our love for DT music. This tribute band is my break from my own music to find the fun in playing again, and it's working. :tup
All in all, I'm glad we've stirred up a little interest, and for those who don't feel the need to support us we completely accept that you feel that way. We'll be out playing either way and only time will tell if our version of a DT tribute will have any success this time around! Now, it's back to the woodshed for me... :corn
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I see Systematic Chaos is playing a show on 4/25 in Tarzana.
I may be there...
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This thread is in desperate need of a live video.
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-IF- I go, I will make an attempt with my phone. No guarantees though
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kuBat72gRM NICE!!! :metal
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Legit!
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Maybe these guys should tour the South. That way we'd get some version of DT down here. ;)
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Nice rendition of the song.
I don't want to be the nagger kind of guy, but DT tribute bands are judged by their rendition of The Dance of Eternity and Learning to Live, not These Walls. ;) We need a video of a "juicier" song.
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Anybody going to the show in Tarzana tonight?
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Nice rendition of the song.
I don't want to be the nagger kind of guy, but DT tribute bands are judged by their rendition of The Dance of Eternity and Learning to Live, not These Walls. ;) We need a video of a "juicier" song.
(https://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/117/021/enhanced-buzz-28895-1301694293-0.jpg)
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:soon:
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Love the Petruci wig! Hilarious! :lol
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Love the Petruci wig! Hilarious! :lol
Glad you love it! I hate the damn thing, lol. The things we do for the fans... ;)
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:soon:
:lol
I dunno, weird though. You guys have had three gigs, and only one video appeared so far. Back in the day of Glass Prison (my tribute band ~3 years ago), we uploaded every gig in completion that we had video of. For better or for worse.
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:soon:
:lol
I dunno, weird though. You guys have had three gigs, and only one video appeared so far. Back in the day of Glass Prison (my tribute band ~3 years ago), we uploaded every gig in completion that we had video of. For better or for worse.
Great for you guys, everyone does things their own way! We have not had a live show taped yet. Apparently an audience member was nice enough to capture a song for us, but we're more interested in getting in front of people and playing and are in no way are we obligated to provide a complete performance of every gig for YouTube viewers as you felt so inclined to do. I guess for now you'll just have to come see us and have a listen for yourself! Cheers!
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Looks good. The singer looks like a thin version of Jorn Lande :lol
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> Evans Drumheads
> Zildjian Cymbals
> 2 Bass drums
> Articulate singing
> Guitarist can sing
> Wizard beard looks like pubes
0/10
Needs moar Steve Baird (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNhgYqFnH0o) (I think he did the lighting back then).
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> Evans Drumheads
> Zildjian Cymbals
> 2 Bass drums
> Articulate singing
> Guitarist can sing
> Wizard beard looks like pubes
0/10
Needs moar Steve Baird (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNhgYqFnH0o) (I think he did the lighting back then).
Hey, thanks for checking out the video and the creative feedback!!
BTW, just so everybody is on the same page, I spoke with EVERY member of DT after their LA show at the Orpheum and they all love what we're doing, so anybody worried about what DT will think can sleep calmly at night. We even got a special message from JL himself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvu2yfpGujc
Cheers!
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We even got a special message from JL himself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvu2yfpGujc
Cheers!
:lol Nice. Keep up the good work, guys.
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AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH I love him :heart
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> Evans Drumheads
> Zildjian Cymbals
> 2 Bass drums
> Articulate singing
> Guitarist can sing
> Wizard beard looks like pubes
0/10
Needs moar Steve Baird (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNhgYqFnH0o) (I think he did the lighting back then).
Hey, thanks for checking out the video and the creative feedback!!
Well now I feel bad. I was just being a dick.
MM uses Zildjian cymbals and drumheads don't really matter. The singing criticisms were jokes about DT and the beard is fine.
You should get an overly enthusiastic lighting guy though.
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Crikey! I didn't realise it was a recreation at the start. They're got the tone and performances down to a tee.
The only thing that really gives it away is the snare (which doesn't quite have the punch sometimes) and the LaBrie (but I actually prefer this guy's less operatic tone).
Major 'spect for the lengths they've gone to. Love the Rudess fake beard. At least I hope it's fake.
They need to come over to the UK, I'd pay good money to see a decent DT tribute.
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I'm seeing them tonight. I'll report back when I get home.
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We're playing in Orange County, CA this Saturday night. If you're curious about us, come hang and have a drink and let us shred for you! :metal
https://www.facebook.com/events/759003674159980/
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To be honest.. it is actually very much worth going. I was at the show at Palidinos last time (I was the dude in the vest with the blonde dude and the big guy). It's fucking Dream Theater's music. Why wouldn't people wanna go?
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To be honest.. it is actually very much worth going. I was at the show at Palidinos last time (I was the dude in the vest with the blonde dude and the big guy). It's fucking Dream Theater's music. Why wouldn't people wanna go?
This exactly. I mean of course other than the part about being actually at the gig because apparently 17 year olds just aren't cool enough for these old people clubs.. :P grrr
But anyway, the point being, I would go see the shittiest DT tribute band, let alone one that appears to actually be incredibly good.
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For being so adamant about everyone wearing wigs, why in the world did you not get the guy playing the part of Jordan Rudess a wig?
Also, don't give me some crap about Jordan Rudess not having any hair.
Get him a wig, damn it.
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The 1999 Rudess hair? haha
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(https://www.terriblehands.com/dctp/postage/jordan-rudess.jpg)(https://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwiki.org/05/1/1/7/0962813627169549.jpg)
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Dye it the right color, cut/shape it the right way, and add make-up to get Krusty the Clown! :biggrin:
Greetings...
Nef
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Are these guys still around? It's been very quiet for a very long time.
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According to their Facebook page, yes they are. They have a show on Saturday.
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They play the occasional show in SoCal... Just too far away from me to justify seeing them. I ran into them at the DT show in LA. Pretty sure Deb did as well.