I joined my first tribute band "Smokin'" back in August 2006. Schedules were tight, but several months later, we all finally got it together in order to make our debut at Paladino's in Tarzana, CA.

I had forsaken the tribute band thing for many years due to the "dress-up" factor and my general aversion to the musical-theater vibe. Some of my favorite bands from the 80's (Def Leppard, Journey, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, etc.) were as much about the fashion as they were about the music. Then I heard about the Smokin' gig, and the idea of a Boston tribute immediately appealed to me: great music and zero image requirements.

Boston was a pre-MTV smash hit, therefore they never really had an image (or an image problem!) They were just a band. And what a great band they were! Loads of great hits, great guitar work and especially interesting to me, fantastic vocals! Much of my inspiration for toiling on my own albums came from the mental image of Tom Scholz creating his own debut masterpiece, largely without outside influence in his basement.

Mimicing the late, great Brad Delp's voice is a total vocal workout! I just hope I do his vast body of work justice and that the Boston fans appreciate the work that goes into pulling off a tribute like this one. I liken it to being in a symphony orchestra, only you're jumping around, screaming at the top of your lungs and you don't have any sheet music to refer to (not that I read anyway!)

To catch the next Smokin' gig, please see the band website for the schedule.