On Saturday, August 4th, Harper’s Bar & Grille was host to a pair of homages. During the afternoon, tribute was first paid outside, in the parking lot, to vintage American steel during a classic car show, while Tom Dodd & Southbound Blues played on the patio. Additional tribute was forthcoming inside Harper’s later, when All Access Magazine’s Summer Concert Series continued. The stage rocked all night long to the sounds of six star-gazing tribute bands. Ladysmith, Burnin’ Sky, Lights Out, Bonfire, ThundHerStruck, and Diary of Ozz all played before a packed house, providing fresh takes on old standards from a handful of classic rock artists, including two salutes to AC/DC!
Burnin’ Sky lit up the stage first, blazing with the songs and spirit of Bad Company. Chris Post handles the front-man position of Paul Rodgers, the legendary “Voice” of Bad Co. over the course of several best-selling albums. With Rob Gainey on guitar, Thomas LeBlanc on bass, and Bobby Koch on drums, Burnin’ Sky does a sweet job of bringing the big hits alive, including “Shooting Star,” “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad,” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” These are timeless classic tracks that audiences never tire of hearing, and since Chris and his partners put such prime energy into every performance, it would be no wonder if their fans said that they “Can’t Get Enough” … of the music.
Ladysmith is a five-gal project from Hollywood, dedicated to putting a female spin on the ballsy blues-rock music of Aerosmith. The band consists of the “Non-Toxic Twins” – Eve Tyler and Flo Perry (Leslie Carol and Robin Beacham) – on vocals and lead guitar,with Brat Whitford (Jennifer Paro), Zoey Kramer (Max), and Tung Hamilton (Amy Tung) on rhythm guitar, drums, and bass. As Ladysmith kept the “Tribute to Tributes Night” rolling, the all-woman band earned lively responses for their tart renditions of Aerosmith standards such as “Sweet Emotion,” “Last Child,” and “Walk This Way.” The ladies admirably showed that they have the get-up-and-go to cut into the catalogue of the bad boys from Boston, with much more than merely a “lick and a promise,” and fans at Harper’s agreed that Ladysmith did just F-I-N-E, fine.
As the show continued, Lights Out came to the helm, in a polished tribute to the music of UFO. The band features substantial singer Rob Stanard in front, backed by energetic Ernie Manrique on bass, the versatile Thomas LeBlanc on drums, and Steve Thornton on lead guitar, with Mark Muniz handling rhythm guitar and Yamaha keyboards. Rob’s voice was clear and powerful through familiar gems such as “Doctor Doctor,” “Mother Mary,” and the band’s signature song, “Lights Out,” in which Mark did agile double duty between guitar 
and keys. Following a crisp execution of “Shoot Shoot,” Ernie wielded his bass like a rifle at the ready, in a sense “firing the audience up” during a fitting finale, “Let It Roll.”
And then onto the stage rolled Bonfire, a tight tribute to early AC/DC. Singer Sean, in the role of the late Bon Scott, looked fit and trim, wearing skin-tight jeans, tattoos, and a denim vest that was tossed away after the first song. Guitarist Steve, portraying diminutive yet dauntless Angus Young, bobbed and pranced in his schoolboy suit through a vigorous set that illuminated the legacy of the Bon-era albums. “Live Wire,” “Shot Down in Flames,” “Problem Child” – all were served with a sly, wry panache that echoed the old days when the Aussie lads were first playing the States. The fellow filling the role of Malcolm Young smiled steadily throughout, supported by solid backup from bass and drums. Finally, Bonfire made their way down their own “Highway to Hell,” rocking hard all the way.
Next up on Harper’s “highway” of tributes, as a sweet complement to Bonfire’s spice, was ThundHerStruck, the gorgeous all-girl tribute to AC/DC. Front-woman Dyna looked dynamite as always, in fine-fitting trousers and a Jaegermeister top, as the gals kicked right into “Sin City.” Lead guitarist Tina picked with both precision and spunk, through a set that covered cuts from both the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson periods, including “Girl’s Got Rhythm,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” and “Shoot to Thrill.” Drummer Stephanie was full of fire and power for song after song, laying pulsing beats behind bassist Andrea and rhythm guitarist Carin. And then came a special surprise, when an actual former AC/DC drummer, rock-’n’-roll veteran Chris Slade, stepped behind the kit to play on “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “Hell’s Bells.” In response to being so excellently “ThundHerStruck,” the capacity crowd applauded fervently, fans saluting those who rocked them.
Closing out the evening was Diary of Ozz, a female-fronted tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. The set began with a theatrical touch, as a collared “priest” (Ryan Millay) swung a church’s censer around, laden with fragrant incense, perhaps to clear the stage of devilish vibes from the preceding bands. The group kicked into gear with “Over the Mountain,” and kept the altitude up with “Flying High Again.” Clad in a fishnet top over a snug red tube, potent vocalist Debbie Obarski wriggled and writhed in time with the music, getting especially busy when a spooky robed-and-hooded monk (or perhaps goblin!) named Pazuzu (Ryan again) ambled and hunched around the stage and back into the audience. Guitarist Chris Brightwell played all the tasty riffs and licks found in songs such as “Ultimate Sin” and “I Don’t Know,” backed by drummer Bobby Koch, with Thomas LeBlanc taking another turn on the bass. The night concluded in an appropriately crazy fashion, when, after one false start, Diary of Ozz blasted on board the “Crazy Train,” riding Harper’s stalwart throng right up to closing time.
Some of the acts featured during the “Tribute to Tributes Night” are on the roster of Premiere Tributes, a recently-formed company headed by ThundHerStruck drummer Stephanie Leigh. Based in Westlake Village, the fledgling firm seeks to field a growing flock of in-demand tribute bands all over the Southland. All Access Magazine gives a tip of the top-hat to Rob and Chrissie Harper, and all the fine bands who appeared at Harper’s Bar & Grille for “A Tribute to Tributes Night,” another installment in the Summer Concert Series. Kudos also go to John Green of GreenStock Productions and Claudie duPreez of Dreamcatcher Marketing for all their help and support. The Summer Concert Series continues through September 15th, when the series concludes with “Metal Madness Night.” For more information, go to MySpace.com/allaccessrocks, or call (818) 833-8852.
