Cover Band Crazy
Hello Newman recently successfully justified their continued existence in an article by the Portland Phoenix entitled "Cover Band Crazy":
Another reason to perform in and attend cover shows? They're simply a lot of fun. It's the reason why the '90s cover band, Hello Newman, has exploded in popularity within the last five years: going from playing once a week at Bull Feeneys, to twice a week, with the occasional surprise show. You can tell from the cover image I featured on the front page of this paper (shot by Matthew Robbins, by the way), that the people going to a Hello Newman show, have a raucously good time. While some bands in town try to avoid the label of a "cover band," these guys proudly wear the title on their sweaty sleeves. They can get the crowd packed into the second floor space of the Irish pub, stompin' and screamin' to old hits from Blink 182, Greenday, the Foo Fighters and Weezer. Ahhh, classics.
"There's no shame in playing other people's music," said Hello Newman member Carl Brunsdon. "There are great tunes out there enjoyed by lots of different people for lots of different reasons. Why wouldn't we play them? No one goes to a classical concert and says, 'Oh, all they played were old symphonies -- why don't they play some original music? I hate Mozart cover orchestras -- no originality.'"
"All we really want to do is make music that makes people happy. ..." said Hello Newman member Jim Roberts, "...and make some money, too."
Click the link below for the full article: