Calling all So. Cal's!

[Bono B. Jones]

My U2 tribute band "The Joshua Tree" will be performing our first "unofficial" gig and would like you to be there to give us your feedback. We are going for 100% accuracy and authenticity in re-creating songs and moments from the Boston and Slane Castle shows. This will, unfortunatlely, only be a 45 minute scaled down version of our set that we plan to launch next month. It would still be nice to see some fellow Interferencers there and for you to tell us what you liked and what you think may need some work.


Here's the info and address for anyone who's interested:

The Joshua Tree-U2 Tribute

Thursday March 25th @
North Orange Christian Church
1001 E. Lincoln Ave. Orange, CA 92865
Show starts at exactly 7:30 in the main sanctuary

Go to: www.nocc.org/about/directions.htm
for detailed freeway directions and a map.

Also, everyone, please don't worry that it is in a church. No one is going to bother you, try to get you to join, or hound you to give your soul to Jesus. All of us in the band happen to be Christians, but none of us attend this church. It is a church that a friend of the band attends. We are just there to perform and get some feedback from y'all.

Please, feel free to hang out after and introduce yourself to us and let us know what you thought was good and what needs work. The best way for us to get it 100% accurate is to have die hard U2 fans give us their input. We plan on playing some big venue places this year and we want to make sure we are dialed in before heading out to them.

Thanks.

Jason.

 

[Mr. BAW]

No promises but we'll give it a try!

 

[Bono B. Jones]

Thanks, if not this one then next "official" one hopefully. I promise you won't be dissapointed!

 

[martha]

No promises but we'll give it a try!

What he said. It's the night before a field trip.

 

[martha]

Does this mean I should actually watch the Boston show?

 

[Bono B. Jones]

Does this mean I should actually watch the Boston show?

Nah, not really necessary as long as your a U2 fan. If you are familiar with the Elevation tour either by having gone to a show or by having seen one of the DVD's, that's a plus. We've played to some people already who were expecting to see us dressed up in the Joshua Tree tour garb because of our name. They were U2 fans that were into the older stuff and weren't really even familiar with the ATYCLB album or the Elevation tour so they didn't understand why I was wearing a black leather jacket and blue shades. They gave us some good feedback nonetheless because we do play a lot of the 80's U2 stuff.

It'd be cool to meet you Martha. Remember I was the guy who did the 40 day fast back in Oct/Nov. We chatted about it in the "The Goal Is Soul" forum.

Hope you can make it.

 

[martha]

I can't make it Thursday night; I have a field trip on Friday. 42 fourth graders, two moms, and another teacher, and I'm in charge of them all.

 

[cell]

Here's the info and address for anyone who's interested:

The Joshua Tree-U2 Tribute

Thursday March 25th @
North Orange Christian Church
1001 E. Lincoln Ave. Orange, CA 92865
Show starts at exactly 7:30 in the main sanctuary

Go to: www.nocc.org/about/directions.htm
for detailed freeway directions and a map.

i'll be there.

i work right off of anaheim and lincoln. im sort of a ditz when it comes to maps and directions. can you tell me if i drive towards disneyland or the other way?

 

[Bono B. Jones]

Re: Re: Calling all So. Cal's!

i'll be there.

i work right off of anaheim and lincoln. im sort of a ditz when it comes to maps and directions. can you tell me if i drive towards disneyland or the other way?

I'm fairly sure you will need to head East on Lincoln if you are already kinda near Disneyland. I'm not that familiar with this area. We practice at another church not far from this one Right off the 91 and Harbor/Lemon. I come from Thousand Oaks, so I'm not that educated about the area. I know how to get to practice though! If you haven't visited that website with the directions, you should. Or better yet, go to Yahoo maps and enter in the address that you are at and the address of the church 1001 E. Lincoln and it will tell you axactly how to get there. Hope to see you there!

Jason.

 

[cell]

We are going for 100% accuracy and authenticity in re-creating songs and moments from the Boston and Slane Castle shows.

you weren't kidding

you guys were awesome

my only complaint was not enough u2 fans.

please let us all know when you guys play again. i'll definitely come out.

 

[Bono B. Jones]

Re: Re: Calling all So. Cal's!

you weren't kidding

you guys were awesome

my only complaint was not enough u2 fans.

please let us all know when you guys play again. i'll definitely come out.

Hey, thanks Icelle! I know, it was a tough crowd. Well, we got broken in the hard way and that's o.k., they were a young crowd. There were a couple of them that had never even heard of U2 before if you can believe it. After we opened with Elevation, I looked out into the crowd and saw a lot of them looking like this and a couple like this I don't think they understood the concept of what a "tribute" band is or if they had even heard U2 before.

Why didn't you introduce yourself? I would have liked to have met you. Hopefully next time then.

Thanks again for coming, and please, e-mail me with your thoughts on what you specifically liked about the show and what you think needs some work. We really want to fine tune our performance and it would really help us out to hear your thoughts.

My e-mail address is: bonobjones@aol.com

Thanks again for coming Icelle.

God bless,

Jason.

 

[cell]

Re: Re: Re: Calling all So. Cal's!

Hey, thanks Icelle! I know, it was a tough crowd. Well, we got broken in the hard way and that's o.k., they were a young crowd. There were a couple of them that had never even heard of U2 before if you can believe it. After we opened with Elevation, I looked out into the crowd and saw a lot of them looking like this and a couple like this I don't think they understood the concept of what a "tribute" band is or if they had even heard U2 before.

Why didn't you introduce yourself? I would have liked to have met you. Hopefully next time then.

yeah, i did notice the crowd was younger. for a minute i felt old lol

sorry i didnt introduce myself, im a bit shy especially when im by myself. i tried to get someone to go with me but it didnt happen. maybe next time

 

[Bono B. Jones]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Calling all So. Cal's!

yeah, i did notice the crowd was younger. for a minute i felt old lol

sorry i didnt introduce myself, im a bit shy especially when im by myself. i tried to get someone to go with me but it didnt happen. maybe next time

You and me both! It just doesn't seem that long ago that I was 18, but now I feel old around the younger generation. I'm starting to use the "back in my day" line already. Yikes!!

Well, I'll let you know when and where we are playing next and hopefully we can meet then.

I just subscribed to become a premium member here at Interference, so I'll post some pictures of the show on this thread once I am able to.

Don't be shy, please e-mail me with some feedback and constructive crtiticism if you can.

Thanks,

Jason.

 

[oktobergirl]

damn! I totally just saw this . Please post again...when you have another set, I would totally love to check your band out!

 

[Bono B. Jones]

damn! I totally just saw this . Please post again...when you have another set, I would totally love to check your band out!

I definitely will, and as soon as my premium membership goes through, I'll post some pictures on this thread.

Jason.

 

[Bono B. Jones]

As promised, here's some pictures of me as Bono and my tribute band The Joshua Tree.

Hope y'all can be at the next one!

Thanks again to Icelle for coming.

Jason.

 

[cell]

awesome!!!

 

[california_mike]

so this is definitely being picky...but you guys have gone to some lengths to get the look down (clothes, guitars, etc)....why the hell is edge on that side of the stage?!!?

good luck though...and have fun,
mike

 

[martha]

.why the hell is edge on that side of the stage?!!?

I wondered about that too.

 

[Bono B. Jones]

so this is definitely being picky...but you guys have gone to some lengths to get the look down (clothes, guitars, etc)....why the hell is edge on that side of the stage?!!?

good luck though...and have fun,
mike

Good question Mike, I like your attention to detail. Well, to answer your question (in detail), we had to set up that way unfortunately due to the fact that our drummer could not be set up center stage behind me. He had to be set up on the right side of the stage (left from crowd's view). The sound guy said it was because of acoustical problems that arose in the room we were playing when drums were previously set up center stage. That being the case, our Adam had to be next to our Larry so they could work off each other, thus forcing Edge to my stage left.

We weren't happy about it, but what can you do. Sometimes you just gotta set up and play however you can.

Thanks for noticing our attention to detail in the look, clothes, and gear. We, in fact, have gone to great lengths to reproduce their look as close as possible. Our sound is just as close, maybe even closer. You should come check us out sometime!

Our website is up, but not fully launched yet.

www.U2JT.com

It will have shows posted on it, so please check it out occasionally. I'll also post upcoming gigs on this forum so be on the lookout.

God Bless,

Jason.

 

[cell]

hi jason, even tho you guys had the look down to the last detail, i didnt really care about that, to me it was all about the music. i definitely felt it. again, i just want to say you guys were great.

 

[Bono B. Jones]

hi jason, even tho you guys had the look down to the last detail, i didnt really care about that, to me it was all about the music. i definitely felt it. again, i just want to say you guys were great.

Thanks Icelle, and I really appreciated your feedback you gave me on e-mail from seeing the show. I forwarded it to all my band mates. It helps us fine tune things so we can put on a quality show worthy of U2, their music, and most importantly-their fans.

I've seen and researched many tribute bands, mostly U2 and some other's over the past year before embarking on this journey that is The Joshua Tree. Many I have seen don't go all the way with it and haven't paid attention to every detail possible, no matter how small. If you are not detail oriented and somewhat critical of yourself, it can be a fine line to walk from being a really great tribute band that looks and sounds like U2, to looking like four guys dressed up like U2 who are trying to play their music and act like them but not really doing a good job of it. It's like some of these U2 tributes I've seen where the guitar player is playing a Marshall amp instead of a Vox and the Bono puts on some cheesy blue tinted shades and a J.C. Penney menswear leather jacket and they go out and call themselves a U2 tribute. To me, if you're not going to do it right and as authentic as possible, then call yourselve's a cover band and don't try to precisely emulate the sound, look, and the stage antics. Just play the songs as best you can and even add your own style and flavor to them, but don't call yourself a tribute. There is a difference (mostly to the musicians) between the two.

Then there are some that are so close it's scary! Those were the tributes I said we have to be as good as or better than if possible.

Granted, we all can't get it 100%. I realize that we're not U2, we haven't been together for 27+ years, we lack the musical wisdom and talent they have gained from all their years of touring and recording, and we're not millionaire's with money to freely spend on the gear they have. But, for us, we get it as close as we possibly can with the talent God's given us and as much of our hard earned $ as our wives will let us spend on gear and wardrobe.

My outlook from day one with this tribute band project has been, we either go ALL the way, or we shouldn't do it at all. This band is a hobby for all of us, but we take it (not ourselves) very seriously. Being U2 fans, we just want to put on a show that even we ourselves would enjoy if we saw it and one that U2 fans will appreciate and have some fun at.

O.K. That being said I'm stepping off my soap box now. (some may think my high horse). I don't mean to come off to anyone like I'm some expert, because I'm not. I guess I just feel some of us don't get it at all, and the rest get it but on different levels.

Well Icelle, hopefully you will be able to see us again playing in a club setting next time. It would be especially nice to be able to play a place with proper stage setup, lights, and a soundman that knows what he's doing. We weren't too happy with the sound guy that night, but we did our best with what we were given.

God bless, hope I didn't offend anyone with my perspective. If I did, that was not my intention and I sincerely apologize.

Jason.

 

[california_mike]

hi jason, even tho you guys had the look down to the last detail, i didnt really care about that, to me it was all about the music. i definitely felt it. again, i just want to say you guys were great.

no, i was mainly just kidding.....its always about the music. we play at a couple of places where its amazing we can all fit on the 'stage'...much less lineup in the correct place.

jason - probably can't make it to too many shows though....i live up in oakland...and the zoostation (zoostation-online.com) keeps me pretty busy.....

but good luck...and i'd love to hear some soundclips soon.

mike

 

[Bono B. Jones]

no, i was mainly just kidding.....its always about the music. we play at a couple of places where its amazing we can all fit on the 'stage'...much less lineup in the correct place.

jason - probably can't make it to too many shows though....i live up in oakland...and the zoostation (zoostation-online.com) keeps me pretty busy.....

but good luck...and i'd love to hear some soundclips soon.

mike

Cool Mike, so you're in Zoostation huh? I've checked you guys out extensively on the web as well as the other U2 trib's in CA. Gotta know what the other guys in the area are doing! Hopefully, we'll meet at either one of your shows or one of ours someday. I would like to get up to S.F. to check you guys out sometime. I bet it's a fun crowd up there! The band and I are going to check out a local L.A. U2 tribute called Electrical Storm tonight.

As far as stage setup and sound, I'm sure you feel the same way I do. It sucks to be at the mercy of the clubs and the club's soundguy! Gotta just go out there and do it however you can. I've played places in L.A. where I had about a 2'X2' square to stand in and try to be animated. I even fell back into the drums at one gig when I lost my balance, it was hilarious!

Anyway, keep rockin the U2 tunes. Someday our paths will cross I'm sure.

Jason.

 

[Miracle Days]

Very impressive, BBJ. I'll have to check you guys out sometime. I'm a former musician myself, so I'm particularly interested in how close you can get musically.

 

[TheEdge U2JT]

O.K. That being said I'm stepping off my soap box now. (some may think my high horse).

Jason. [/B][/QUOTE]

As the guitar player for JT, I need keep an eye on BB and his 1am rants about tribute bands!

Actually, I totally agree (good thing since we play together). We want it to be as dead on as we can get it.

I also TOTALLY agree with the different comments about the importance of the sound. I check out several "Edge" guitars sites that discuss his tone, guitars and equipment. There are a lot of guys out there that have most of Edge's gear...and the tone of the guitar is impressive. The problem is playing they are not playing the right notes and playing in Edge's style.
There are other guys making do with a mix match of gear and have the feel down and it sounds awesome. Better to sound great and look like a bunch to tools than have the look down and sound like crap. But it would be nice to have both...

I hope when people hear us, they FEEL what we are doing....it is more than a Vox amp, #7 shirt or BB amazing recreation of Bono's Elevation jacket. Seeing U2 is an experience that you cannot describe in words. I hope people can feel a little bit of the something special when they see us. That what we are striving for....

That being said...it's all U2 and it's all good...cover band, tribute band, the real band...in any form it is great music and I'll take it any way I can get it.

So what your fav. U2 song?
Late,
Chas
U2JT

 

[Bono B. Jones]

Very impressive, BBJ. I'll have to check you guys out sometime. I'm a former musician myself, so I'm particularly interested in how close you can get musically.

Thanks Miracle Days, I hope you can make it out to a show and let us know what ya' think.

 

[Bono B. Jones]

I was able to go check out another local U2 tribute band called Electical Storm on Thursday night at the Hard Rock Cafe on Universal Citywalk. All in all, they were pretty decent. I'd recommend anyone in L.A. to go give them try (after they've seen us of course) he he. Unfortunately they went on fairly late so I couldn't stay long. I also saw another local original band that I have heard of before that played before them called the Piper Downs. They were good and very entertaining. They kind of reminded me of Green Day meets Jimmy Eats World.

Having a son now, I don't get to get out and see local music too much anymore, so it was a treat.

Anyone else seen either one of these bands before?

Jason.

 

[cell]

i wish i would have known about that!

 

[Bono B. Jones]

i wish i would have known about that!

Well, if anyone's interested, here's where Electrical Storm will be playing in the next few weeks:

The Bicycle Casino 2004-04-17 Bell Gardens

Normandie Casino 2004-04-23

BB King's Blues Club at Universal City Walk 2004-05-14 Los Angeles


You can also go to www.tributecity.com and look under band listings and then choose U2. It lists numerous U2 tributes around the globe. Electrical storm is about 3/4 the way down the list. Click on their name and go to gig listings to get detailed info on their gigs. We will be listed here soon as well.

I also recommend seeing the Piper Downs. Visit their website at www.piperdowns.com for show listings and band info.

Jason.