We have lost some great singers and musicians this year. Although stars like Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and Paul Simon are still performing in their golden years, many others have retired or moved on to Rock ‘n Roll Heaven.
Thankfully, YouTube is keeping the music alive. Cover bands are attracting millions of viewers and concert-goers.
In 2008, Glenn Carvin helped form the Atlanta Showstoppers. The band plays weddings, private events, and corporate parties throughout the southeast. A few years ago, the bandÐÔÊӽ紫ý demo reel landed on YouTube and got some positive reviews.
CarvinÐÔÊӽ紫ý band featured a brass section, and he noticed that their versions of hits by Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire were crowd favorites. He combined the titles of the EWF dance anthem “September†and ChicagoÐÔÊӽ紫ý iconic “Saturday in the Park†to create an alternate name for many of the same musicians: September in the Park (SITP).
That bandÐÔÊӽ紫ý first live appearance at a Charlotte nightclub was captured on video, and their performance of the EWF ballad “After the Love Has Gone†racked up 1.3 million views on YouTube. A medley of that groupÐÔÊӽ紫ý hits followed, garnering 3.5 million more viewers.
The Atlanta band began cranking out a new “oldie†from various artists on a weekly basis. The videos go out each Friday to some 35,000 subscribers, many of whom share with others. ThatÐÔÊӽ紫ý how their recent rendition of Lou Rawls’ 1976 hit “You’ll Never Find†reached a million people.
SITPÐÔÊӽ紫ý video popularity has allowed them to stage full-fledged concerts. They’re appearing at the Gas South Theater in Duluth, GA (about 30 miles northeast of Atlanta) on September 12th. Carvin says their goal is to “re-create the best music ever recorded, do it justice, and make people happy.†At this writing, they have 68 videos on YouTube and my favorites are ChicagoÐÔÊӽ紫ý “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is†and Marvin GayeÐÔÊӽ紫ý “WhatÐÔÊӽ紫ý Going On.â€
Carvin credits an Australian cover band as an inspiration. The Hindley Street Country Club (HSCC) tours worldwide, playing from its repertoire of more than 400 YouTube videos released each week for the past 7 years. They played the Duluth, GA theater last February, offering encouragement and advice to Carvin and his bandmates.
HSCC went relatively unnoticed until 2020, when they recorded the 1981 Bill Withers hit, “Just the Two of Us.†Withers died in March 2020, around the same time the COVID-19 pandemic forced most Americans to stay home and seek entertainment on streaming channels and YouTube. The HSCC version of that song, with Andy Seymour at the microphone, went viral overnight and now stands at 34 million views and climbing. I also recommend these HSCC videos: the Chicago song “If You Leave Me Now,†Al GreenÐÔÊӽ紫ý “LetÐÔÊӽ紫ý Stay Together,†Dan HartmanÐÔÊӽ紫ý “I Can Dream About You,†and BostonÐÔÊӽ紫ý “More than a Feeling.â€
In 2022, HSCC co-founder Darren Mullan and other key members of the group (including Andy Seymour) left to start their own band, “SingIt Live (SIL)â€. Each week they meet up in MullanÐÔÊӽ紫ý basement studio to crank out a classic from the top 40 era, which is released on YouTube on Friday nights. At 259,000 subscribers, their videos are often viewed by millions. ItÐÔÊӽ紫ý hard for me to choose favorites, but I will single out two Seymour songs, “The Time of My Life†from Dirty Dancing and “Suspicious Minds†by Elvis Presley, plus Bob SegerÐÔÊӽ紫ý “Night Moves†and CherÐÔÊӽ紫ý “If I Could Turn Back Time.â€
My most recent discovery is a group of 3 teen siblings from Arizona named Daylon, Daura and Devon, who call themselves Life in 3D. Their voices are pure, the harmonies are amazing, and their version of Paul AnkaÐÔÊӽ紫ý “Put Your Head on My Shoulder†won me over. There are about 75 others from which to choose, and they’re all brilliant.
I also enjoy Low Darts (high school kids in Connecticut), Fossils and Foxes (an Atlanta-based father and daughter, plus friends), and the Neighborhood Picnic Band (a bunch of guys in Illinois who rock out in an outdoor park setting). Next time you need a music energy boost, head over to YouTube and check out these bands. Warning: May be habit-forming!
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