Photo: Tijs van Leur

This may be a touchy subject but I feel it is one that needs to be addressed. While cover/tribute bands have always been something that existed in the Capital Region music scene, it seems that the balance of cover band shows versus original band shows are starting to equal out. 

While it is great that people go out to see music in any form, it is much easier for a person to go see a concert that is within their own comfort zone. It is also easy to make a blanket statement that cover/tribute acts are negatively affecting the Capital Region Music Scene and there are many ways to look at this potential issue. What it really boils down to is money. 

From the bar/venue’s perspective, it is about making sure they are selling alcohol/food to keep the lights on. It is much easier to take a low risk by bringing in a promoter or hiring a band that is going to play covers all night versus taking a chance on a local or regionally touring act with no guarantee of how many people are going to show up. 

From the artist’s perspective, it seems like they want to play their own material. It is more satisfying to get their own music out there into the world than playing “Brown Eyed Girl” for the ten thousandth time. 

The only way for a song to become a hit or “THE” song is by playing it. This opportunity is taken away a lot of times for career musicians because they themselves need to make money to live. At the end of the day, it is and always has been the artists that end up suffering the most. 

Why are they not making money aside from their own personal issues that hold them back? Because people are not going out to local shows or are choosing the other option, cover nights. Who doesn’t want to go out and sing every word to “Freebird”, “Espresso” or “Rock and Roll All Nite”? Who doesn’t want to groove all night to a Grateful Dead cover band or dance the night away at an “Emo Night?” There is no denying that it is a blast to sing along but those songs became what they were because artists had the opportunity to play them originally in front of fans. 

If you are a career musician, you have to make money somehow. Whether it is giving lessons, playing in wedding bands or just cover bands in general. This could lead to a dissatisfaction in wanting to play, dedicating all their time to playing for money and not being able to put that necessary time to crafting original material. 

At this point it is more than just cover nights being an issue. It also sucks to see bands that I know personally who have incredible original songs play only a handful of them a night with the majority of their set filled with cover songs just to win over a crowd.

If there are a couple of original shows happening in one night in a selected city along with a couple of cover acts, the percentage of going out to see one of the original shows has already gone down. 

I do want to make clear that I am not grouping in happy hour acoustic sets with full on cover performances. I also have only been involved in the Capital Region music scene since 2016 and have only seen some of the ebbs and flows. But in the post-covid era, there has definitely been an increase of cover nights specifically.

On a positive note there are so many incredible venues to go and see original live music. Just some of the many include No Fun, Lark Hall, Putnam Place, Ophelia’s on Broadway, Hangar on the Hudson. There are other venues out there supporting original live music and I apologize for leaving them off the list. 

How can this issue be resolved? Start switching it up as a fan of live music. I am not saying to stop going to cover nights but when there are plenty of other great options for live music, get informed on what is going on. 

The Capital Region is FILLED to the brim talent across all genres and the only way to get these artists to the next level is by supporting them! Yes of course, buy the merch, spread the love online. But go out and actually see them, pay the cost of the ticket which is not much if you are looking to have an inexpensive night out. How can you help the venues and promoters out there bringing in original live music? Buy pre-sale tickets. 

That is my two cents on the matter. It is okay to disagree with all of this because I am not a venue owner, I do not play in a band. But I am lucky enough to call a lot of these musicians in the Capital Region my friends and only want to see them succeed. The power is in your hands.