Kashmir will pay tribute to Led Zeppelin aboard concert cruise ship this summer
ROCKS OFF CONCERT CRUISES
Kashmir: Thursday, May 20, East 23rd St. & FDR Dr., $20-$25, 8:00 departure
The Machine: Saturday, June 19, West 41st St. & the Hudson River, $30-$40, 8:00 departure
www.rocksoff.com/concert-cruises
Cover band. The words conjure an image of musicians sufficiently talented for a paying gig but lacking the creativity, confidence, and commitment to write and perform their own material. Cover bands play bar mitzvahs and the senior prom; they don’t sell out the Garden. But even the most cynical among us must remember the Beatles began as a hardworking group enthusiastically belting out the songs of other artists. (Ironically, the ultimate Beatles cover band generated serious respect at the Winter Garden Theatre for the long-running, award-winning BEATLEMANIA.) We say it’s time to tip our hats and lend our ears to cover bands, particularly when they display the audacity to aim for a full-fledged tribute, focusing on singularly matching the sound and spirit of a beloved group. In pursuing this formidable sonic challenge, tribute bands have big guitar cases to fill, and if they’re your cup of tea, the Rocks Off Concert Cruises is the place to be this summer. Although the music series includes such performers as the Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Mr. Scruff, the Black Lips, and Jesse Malin, it also features tributes to Sublime (May 20, July 24), Bruce Springsteen (June 19), Talking Heads (August 19), and Tool (September 24) in addition to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. On May 20, Kashmir will get the led out aboard the Jewel with what they call the Ultimate Led Zeppelin show, while on June 19 the Machine will welcome fans to the psychedelic sounds of Pink Floyd aboard the Temptress. In the clean, salty air out on the water, enjoying some of the greatest rock songs of all time against the backdrop of the marvelous Gotham skyline, we’re hoping for Kashmir’s version of “The Ocean” and the Machine’s take on “Breathe.” But then again, with rock giants Zep and Floyd, any cover will due.