Day 1 was pretty epic, here’s what day 2 had in store for us….
Beeson Brothers as STEVIE RAY VAUGHN
Stevie Ray Vaughn kicked off the night playing to a slightly smaller crowd. They played the songs were finesse, and the guitarist in particular was really jamming them out. Though they didn’t get too much dancing, the smaller audience couldn’t keep their eyes off the band. A solid start to Day 2 of The Great Cover Up.
Coco Butter Kids as SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
Suicidal Tendencies went a completely different direction with some crossover metal. There were a few noticeable timing mistakes, but other than that it was a solid set. The guitarist was using a rather interesting cigar box guitar. They played some of their most famous singles, most notably “Institutionalized.”
Scathe as VAN HALEN
Right after that we got a taste of some classic hard rock! As people began to pack the venue, Van Halen took the stage with front man Sammy Hagar to a cheering crowd. About 15 seconds into the first song, David Lee Roth hopped up on stage and kicked Hagar off, claiming “WE ALL KNOW IT’S NOT REALLY VAN HALEN WITHOUT DAVID LEE ROTH!” They went out to play some great crowd pleasers with plenty of on stage theatrics. Roth was really getting into it, jumping around and throwing high kicks in whenever he could. They played a solid set including “You Really Got Me,” “Ain’t Talking Bout Love,” “Running with the Devil,” “Beautiful Girls,” and then closed it out with “Panama.” They rocked the whole house.
Kayla Brown as HOLE
There certainly wasn’t a shortage of rocking chicks this year. Courtney Love took the stage next, and man did Hole put on a show. They rode the energy from Van Halen and continued to rock hard. Love’s vocals were absolutely amazing; she killed every song and made people feel the vibe perfectly. She played plenty of hits, including “Doll Parts,” “Miss World,” and “Violet.” The crowd definitely felt this act, and even the other bands were up in their private section shouting along the whole time.
Mike Ingram as EUROPE
When the room went dark and the band got in place, I don’t think anyone could have predicted what song we were about to hear. As soon as the synths kicked in though, everyone was ready for “The Final Countdown.” Europe rocked the song out incredibly hard, and their guitarist shredded the solo like a boss. Afterwards the lead singer let us know they were here to play ALL of their hits, and did a solo performance of “Carrie.” The whole band came back up on stage, and to everyone’s surprise, Europe played “The Final Countdown” again! He really wasn’t joking about playing only their hits apparently. Despite hearing the same song twice, the crowd was still just as pumped and rocked out even harder than the first time.
Club Service as NOTORIOUS B.I.G.
The night was closed out with another awesome genre change. As they setup turntables on stage, the entire crowd was wondering what was about to happen. At last the Notorious B.I.G. took the stage. They kicked it off with “Going Back to Cali” and almost the entire crowd was pumped up. “Big Poppa” was a huge hit with the crowd, and everyone was throwing their hands up in the air. They tossed fake money into the air and let it rain down on the crowd throughout “Mo Money, Mo Problems” with Kelly Price there to sing the refrain. They closed it out with Hynotize, one of Biggie’s biggest hits. The execution was great for the entire set, using a live guitarist and drummer along with their DJ. A great way to close a great night
Be sure to check out days 3 and 4 this Tuesday and Thursday! More great covers to come from The Great Cover Up here in Champaign-Urbana!
