Josh Schlesinger
Arts and Entertainment Editor
The 80′s were rad. They represented a period of time that was unlike anything before or anything after it: leg warmers, unnecessarily bright colors, and a profound excess in drugs, member’s only jackets, and some amazing music. I confess, I am totally obsessed with this controversial decade. For this reason alone, it is completely understandable why I make the statement that The Awesome is one of the best bands in Portland. Playing nothing but 80′s covers, The Awesome ignites unbelievable enthusiasm in its audiences that I have never seen before.
For those who are reading this and thinking, “Isn’t this the guy who bashed tribute band, Badfish, and all other tribute bands on planet earth?” There is one thing to bear in mind. The Awesome is a cover band, not a “tribute” band. Cover bands play to drunken audiences who only want to get annihilated with their friends and sing “Total Eclipse of the Heart”-what I am in to. Tribute bands think that they are carrying on some sort of legacy by ripping off the music of their predecessors-what I am not in to.
Mike Taylor (lead vocals), Nate Soule (guitar), Peter Dugas (keyboards), Katherine Albee, and Jennywren Sanders (back-up vocals), make up The Awesome. Always dressed appropriately to the genre of music that they are playing, The Awesome covers every 80s name from Cyndi Lauper, Toto, and The Talking Heads to Corey Heart, Bonnie Tyler, and Level 42. Generally playing no less than a three hour set, The Awesome has never let me down, and always leaves me in a drunk, sweaty, horse throated, stupor. The Awesome plays all songs to perfection, and is not at all shy about throwing in an impromptu solo or jam session. At their show, two Saturdays ago at The Big Easy, I found The Awesome lying on the floor of the stage in what looked like a post orgy jam session.
The popularity of The Awesome is on the rise, and they generally seem to find their shows sold-out. Touring the Northern New England scene from Manchester, New Hampshire to Portland to Orono, this five piece band continues to blow the roof off of every venue with smooth sounds form the 80′s that we all miss. For those of us who were born in the 80′s, The Awesome presents a sense of nostalgia. These past two statements might seem like a bit of an exaggeration, but with lines of fans going around the corners of all the places they play, and with many patrons waiting hours on end just to get in, it would appear that Portland has an ever growing population of people longing for the big-haired days of the 80′s.
When I first saw The Awesome (about this time last year), I had been waiting to write this article. Now that I am finally doing it, I am at a loss for words. I have seen some big named concerts in my life from Aerosmith, Kiss, Snoop Dogg and Velvet Revolver. However, the stage presence that The Awesome comes with, and the way the fans react to their music is unlike anything I have ever seen. I have never gone to see a show of theirs and not walked out afterwards without making at least two new friends. I guess there is nothing that brings people of all ages together like getting drunk and singing your heart out to “99 Red Balloons.”
The Awesome will be burning down the house once again at The Big Easy on Market Street in the Old Port on Halloween. My advice to you is to get there around 10 p.m., or your chances at getting in will be slim to none.