4 great tribute bands in Dallas-Fort Worth

by Jessica Harp

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Plus one cover band, just for fun.

Tribute bands are required to do much more than simply play their band’s favorite songs. They throw themselves into the project, embodying and emulating the band in every aspect. If they’ve succeeded, it should be hard to tell the difference between the real and the imitation.

Here are four tribute bands (and one cover band!) from Dallas-Fort Worth who are the real deal. Almost.

Back in Black

This AC/DC cover band turns it up all the way to 11 with their stage show that has the approval of Sony Music, AC/DC’s current home label. Back in Black has been chosen over other AC/DC tribute bands to record classics such as “A Long Way to the Top” and “TNT” for movies like Garage Days and Napoleon Dynamite. Lead singer Darren Caperna has the vocal stylings of Bon Scott and Brian Johnson down to a tee, and guitarist Mike Mroz does a perfect Angus Young duck walk – school boy outfit included. Back in Black has played with other bands from the same era such as Loverboy, Cheap Trick, Night Ranger, Ted Nugent, and Bad.

The band reports they will be on a TV show called World's Greatest Tribute Bands on Mark Cuban's AXS TV. You can also find Back in Black at 100.3 Jack FM’s Throwback 2013 show on May 11 at Gexa Energy Pavilion.

Hard Night’s Day

Many people never got the opportunity to see The Beatles. You may feel as though you have after seeing Hard Night’s Day, the only Beatles tribute band that is personally endorsed by the Fab Four’s first manager, Allan Williams. Hard Night’s Day mostly sticks to the early Beatles' dress code of matching suits, and they can play more than 200 songs from the band’s catalog. The band members even play some of the same instruments that members of the Beatles played. The bassist plays left-handed just like Paul McCartney.

Rhymin’ n Stealin’

Three emcees and one DJ comprise this Beastie Boys cover band who claim they are the first and original Beastie Boys tribute band. While that’s tough to prove, it is true that they were at least some of the first Beastie Boys tribute artists – forming back in 2009, a few years prior to the untimely death of Beastie Boys lead singer Adam Yauch. A crowd favorite at the House of Blues, these guys lay down the beats and rhymes to get crowds moving on the dance floor. If Beastie Boys fought for their right to party, Rhymin’ n Stealin’ does too.

The GOREHOUNDS

Although punk band The Cramps are not a household name, Dallas tribute band The GOREHOUNDS have made it their mission to keep the band’s memory alive with their must-see stage show. The Cramps were a psychobilly band from the ‘70s that made waves off and on until 2009, when lead singer Lux Interior died. The GOREHOUNDS take on The Cramps' persona by wearing a ton of leather while guitarist JT Dayton cross dresses as The Cramp’s guitarist Poison Ivy. The band often incorporates local burlesque dancers into the act, making for a racy, rockin’ night.

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Cover band: Metal Shop

Metal Shop is the only cover band on this list. They’re not dedicated to a particular band, but instead are more than dedicated to the genre of '80s hair metal. Combining the excessiveness of the decade with the over-glamorized and absurdly comical attire, Metal Shop is an audio/visual reminder of the things that made hair metal so terribly good. Although there are many iterations of Metal Shop around the country, Dallas has its own group. They serve up an evening of guilty pleasures that’ll have you convinced that Spandex is back in style.

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