bite the dust--local cover bands I love
Local cover bands

My favorite pastime is going to concerts and shows. The difference between a concert and a show according to me is the venue. Concerts are in large venues with tickets for the act. Shows are at local clubs, and tend to have no tickets...just stamps on the back of your hand. I love both equally, and feel lucky to live in an area that doesn't have any shortage of good music around. This page is dedicated to local San Francisco Bay Area tribute bands I am watching and listening to.

I will be updating this page regularly and if you have a local bay area band please email me at beccajs@gmail.com. While I know there are amazing cover bands all over the country I want to keep it simple by narrowing it down to the SF Bay Area in California.




The Jean Genies I first discovered this awesome David Bowie tribute band at Bowie Ball 2 at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco. The Jean Genies go all out and they've nailed the Ziggy era songs you want to hear. Not only that, Geoff Ball aka David Bowie totally gets into the role as Ziggy Stardust and always has impressive and accurate costumes--believe me--I would know. I'm fairly certain every member of the Jean Genies is a total Bowie nerd; so this band is for real! Photo by Becca Jones-Starr





Punk Floyd I'd consider myself a pretty tough critic, but this band impressed me immediately. Punk Floyd have cleverly reworked Pink Floyd songs into kick ass 2 minute punk songs. In the style of the Ramones they plow right from one song to the next. They may deliver some serious punk rock but they also keep it real with the psychedelic Pink Floyd style sound effects. Punk Floyd is a ton of fun and lots of real rock and roll energy. They have perfectly blended a band I love with a type of music I love. Any serious punker can appreciate these guys. Photo by Bryan Turner




Malice Cooper It is great to see a performer get totally immersed in their role, and when you go to see Malice Cooper that's exactly what you get. Geoff Ball of the Jean Genies (and a few other of the members) are also a part of this Alice Cooper tribute band. They had everything every Minion could hope for: the guillotine, the blood, and the bloody lady performers to help him carry out his dirty deeds. The show ended with Malice getting his head chopped off! Photo by Matt Granz






The Trouble With Monkeys! This group of people form a fun Monkees tribute band here in the Bay Area. They do all the songs you wanna hear, including "rarer" ones like "Gonna buy me a dog." They also invite audience members on stage to sing a few of the songs! Photo by Alex Stover








The Killer Queens The Killer Queens are an all female Queen tribute band. The lead singer "Frederica Mercury" wears accurate Freddie inspired outfits like the black and white checkered leotard. They were all wearing snazzy outfits and looked like they just stepped out of the salon. The guitarist "Brianna May" has a guitar *just* like Brian's Red Special. Photo from The Killer Queens website








The Hormones This all girl Ramones tribute band brings the energy, not to mention the pinheads and cretins. These ladies form a fierce cover band and nail all the tracks you wanna hear and sing to. They don't forget to wap the audience with a foam baseball bat and have a dancing Pinhead with a "Gabba Gabba Hey" sign. Photo from The Hormones website










The Rave Ups A talented Yard Bird tribute band that have played for some of the Yard Birds themselves. These guys know their shit and have a devoted fanbase for a reason. They play shows often and travel all over doing them. Photo from The Rave Ups website










Space Boss A T-Rex tribute band fronted by a spunky chick with a strong voice. One of the best things about tribute bands is their enthusiasm for the music; which this band definitely has. Photo from the Space Boss FB page












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