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Instead of a single artist BETAMAXX pays tribute to an entire decade, in this case, the '80s. On a sunny Friday afternoon in summer, three of the members explain.
"Our competitors call us an '80s tribute band," says guitarist Eric Valenzuela.
"We're not trying to duplicate any particular band," bassist Andy McRory says, "or even a genre like big hair metal."
So what does BETAMAXX , one of the nominees for Best Tribute Band at this year's SDMA awards actually have on their set lists?
"We're like a Top 40 cover band from 1989." That's Kirk Howe, the band's singer. "We have an '80s look with an updated feel. The whole premise of the band is to do 80's danceable music and not just the top 20 hits," he says, "but the deep cuts. Familiar stuff that people will say they haven't heard in a long time."
"Or, anthem-style tunes," Valenzuela says. "Those are songs that are typically not danceable, but they strike a chord with a listener."
An example of an un-danceable anthem? "Don't Stop Believin' by Journey."
McRory: "It's about the opening chords," he says, "the ones that really get a reaction."
Howe: "Our audiences are people in their 50s, tourists, all the way down to guys in their 20s on leave from the Navy. They'll hear the first three notes of "Sweet Child of Mine" and the dance floor will fill up. It's like throwing a switch."
Valenzuela: "It's interesting to see the 20-somethings on the dance floors that know the words to every single song we play, says Valenzuela, even though they were not popular in their day."
It turns out that four of the band members, Valenzuela, Howe, McRory, and keyboardist Hans Becker all went to the same Serra Mesa church, St. Columba Parish. "We've known each other for 20 years," says McRory. But BETAMAXX the band actually started three years ago at a 40th birthday party jam. "We all knew '80s songs," says Howe, "and it went pretty well. We decided to start a tribute band."
Like the Disco Pimps? "No," says Valenzuela. "Their thing is '70s."
Other BETAMAXX members include vocalist Breanne Arrigo-Reilly, Tim Breech on drums, and guitarist Wayne Duncan. The band books Jimmy Loves in the Gaslamp, various local area casino gigs, Humphrey's Backstage, and corporate events and private parties. The seven-person lineup demands a higher asking price but, Valenzuela thinks, the additional membership gives the band a distinct advantage.
"It allows us to replicate a lot of songs without using backing tracks like a lot of '80s bands do. We've never used them." The Disco Pimps, he says, do.
"What you're hearing in BETAMAXX," says Howe, "is being played on the stage by someone." Certain sounds, he admits, can be difficult to recreate. "Like Depeche Mode songs. They're all keyboards." But he says the extra effort is worth it. "We're giving it to them live, like it used to be."
Instead of a single artist BETAMAXX pays tribute to an entire decade, in this case, the '80s. On a sunny Friday afternoon in summer, three of the members explain.
"Our competitors call us an '80s tribute band," says guitarist Eric Valenzuela.
"We're not trying to duplicate any particular band," bassist Andy McRory says, "or even a genre like big hair metal."
So what does BETAMAXX , one of the nominees for Best Tribute Band at this year's SDMA awards actually have on their set lists?
"We're like a Top 40 cover band from 1989." That's Kirk Howe, the band's singer. "We have an '80s look with an updated feel. The whole premise of the band is to do 80's danceable music and not just the top 20 hits," he says, "but the deep cuts. Familiar stuff that people will say they haven't heard in a long time."
"Or, anthem-style tunes," Valenzuela says. "Those are songs that are typically not danceable, but they strike a chord with a listener."
An example of an un-danceable anthem? "Don't Stop Believin' by Journey."
McRory: "It's about the opening chords," he says, "the ones that really get a reaction."
Howe: "Our audiences are people in their 50s, tourists, all the way down to guys in their 20s on leave from the Navy. They'll hear the first three notes of "Sweet Child of Mine" and the dance floor will fill up. It's like throwing a switch."
Valenzuela: "It's interesting to see the 20-somethings on the dance floors that know the words to every single song we play, says Valenzuela, even though they were not popular in their day."
It turns out that four of the band members, Valenzuela, Howe, McRory, and keyboardist Hans Becker all went to the same Serra Mesa church, St. Columba Parish. "We've known each other for 20 years," says McRory. But BETAMAXX the band actually started three years ago at a 40th birthday party jam. "We all knew '80s songs," says Howe, "and it went pretty well. We decided to start a tribute band."
Like the Disco Pimps? "No," says Valenzuela. "Their thing is '70s."
Other BETAMAXX members include vocalist Breanne Arrigo-Reilly, Tim Breech on drums, and guitarist Wayne Duncan. The band books Jimmy Loves in the Gaslamp, various local area casino gigs, Humphrey's Backstage, and corporate events and private parties. The seven-person lineup demands a higher asking price but, Valenzuela thinks, the additional membership gives the band a distinct advantage.
"It allows us to replicate a lot of songs without using backing tracks like a lot of '80s bands do. We've never used them." The Disco Pimps, he says, do.
"What you're hearing in BETAMAXX," says Howe, "is being played on the stage by someone." Certain sounds, he admits, can be difficult to recreate. "Like Depeche Mode songs. They're all keyboards." But he says the extra effort is worth it. "We're giving it to them live, like it used to be."