TRIBUTE BANDS
NOSTALGIA IS TRENDING
~ by Brian Blair
Some ticket buyers attend concerts these days initially with ample skepticism. Then, at some point during the show, fans often close their eyes when nostalgia hits just the right note.
And suddenly, concertgoers are knee-deep into yesterday with the Beatles, finding satisfaction with the Rolling Stones, or reveling in their song with Elton John.
Or so it certainly seems that way in the moment. Such is the visceral emotion of tribute bands, wherein imitation is the sincerest form of flattery— and a growing trend nationwide and beyond in throwback entertainment.
“ Yes, some of the popularity is nostalgia,” said Carolyn McCutcheon, executive director of Nashville’ s Brown County Playhouse, which books about 20 percent of its calendar with tribute acts that nearly sell out the venue’ s 375 seats.“ Some of it is that the bands or the artists are no longer together or even [ alive ] here. Or maybe they are no longer touring, or maybe it’ s because tickets to see their actual show are just too expensive for some.”
McCutcheon mentioned that the expense element makes the Playhouse a solid value for those seeking to reminisce, since tickets for most such concerts range from $ 20 to $ 25— a far cry from the triple-digit box office price of many a classic touring act such as the Eagles.
Online sites credit Carl“ Cheesie” Nelson with being the first to capitalize on the concept with an Evis Presley impersonation in 1954. Many of today’ s acts are just as current, mimicking
Best of Times— Styx tribute band appearing at the Playhouse Nov. 8.( courtesy photo)
Rain— Beatles tribute band appearing at the Music Center Dec. 10.( courtesy photo)
major artists ranging from Taylor Swift to Bruno Mars— and sometimes facing a bit of criticism that they are stifling fresh originality in the industry. In Brown County, including at the Brown County Music Center, the more classic pop, rock, and country tribute performers are most in tune with concertgoers.
Killer Queen, highlighting the music of the late Freddie Mercury and his group from the 1970s and 1980s, has been one of the hottest such shows in the past three years, once attracting an estimated 1,300 people( the average for the top tier acts) in the music center’ s
48 Our Brown County • Nov./ Dec. 2025