RALEIGH - If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Saturday's annual Monsters of Mock festival at the Lincoln Theatre was a symphony of sycophancy to the most memorable rock groups of the '70s, '80s and early '90s.
The show featured eight cover bands performing for more than 10 hours on one stage, honoring groups like Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin and Poison.
There was even the rare "tribute hybrid" in Beatallica, which bills itself as "Metallica's version of the Beatles." Yes, their music is just as weird as it sounds.
Above all, the festival was a testament to the unifying power of rock music. Performers crossed races, nationalities and even genders to pay homage to their musical heroes. For instance, the day began with the Ramonas, an all-girl tribute to macho punk rock founding, um, fathers the Ramones. The band seemed indifferent to the fact that their audience was comprised of people just filtering in. They played a raucous set featuring "Pinhead" and "Teenage Lobotomy," culminating in an expected but enjoyable "Blitzkrieg Bop."
"It's more about the feeling and the passion than it is how well you do it," said lead singer Edie Jeffreys, who first saw the Ramones play in North Carolina in 1979.
The day afforded rock fans the opportunity to remember their much-loved performers as well as a chance to see how their favorite music is being covered today.
"Joey Ramone will always be missed," said showgoer Patty McGaffagan. "but [The Ramonas] do a great job."
Vagabonds, a Thin Lizzy tribute band, elicited similar praise from supporters of the Irish hard rock foursome.
"They sound a lot better than the real Thin Lizzy out there doing it today," said fan Johnny Wooten.
Despite these endorsements, the obvious fan favorite was Tuesday's Gone, a Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band from Raleigh. For 45 minutes, the legendary Southern rock group was brought back to life, thanks in large part to the awe-inspiring guitars of John Pereksta and Noble O'Rourke, all capped off by lead singer Ryan King's fervent vocals. The group was clearly in their element.
"Lynryd Skynyrd did the hard part for us," King said. "We just get to pick up where they left off."
What became most clear is that these bands were playing for their own ears as much as for those of their audience. All appeared genuinely happy to be on stage, even though they were often performing for supporters of other cover bands. No one joins a cover band for the glory. Instead, these musicians are pursuing the simple joy of honoring the groups that made them love music in the first place.
When asked whether being in a tribute band had made him appreciate Lynyrd Skynyrd more, King answered honestly: "It hasn't, because I don't think I could have been a bigger Lynyrd Skynyrd fan."
Similarly, Night Prowler lead singer Ryan Littleton summed up the most enjoyable aspect of covering AC/DC in all of three words: "Being Bon Scott."
Both King and Littleton recounted how each group began as original projects before eventually becoming tributes. Now satisfied with their current gigs, neither envisioned themselves straying from the music they worship anytime soon.
"I'm going to always do this as long as I can," Littleton said.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.