"A lot of people, for whatever reasons, aren't able to see Aerosmith," Chris Vandahl says. Some fans are limited by hefty ticket prices like the $120 day pass to see the rock legends at the Buffalo Chip. Sometimes, it is simply a matter of tour scheduling.
Tribute bands, such as Vandahl's group, Aeromyth, provide a "cool alternative," he says, to the real thing.
"It's all about suspension of disbelief and some people get surprised," Vandahl says. "Some people come in with a 'go ahead and impress me' attitude and leave smiling."
Aeromyth is not the only tribute band hitting Sturgis this year. Big Gun, an AC/DC tribute band played the Full Throttle. Rally regulars Appetite for Deception, a Guns N'Roses tribute, will be playing at the Loud American through Saturday. Paradise City, another GnR tribute, played at the Broken Spoke Saloon Wednesday along with Bon Jovi tribute Dead or Alive and Silver Bullet, an homage to Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet band. The Broken Spoke Campground will also host Aultimate Ozzy on Friday night.
Other tribute bands one might see across the country include the cover/tribute hybrid Steel Panther, Atomic Punks (early Van Halen), KISS Army (Kiss), Queen Nation (Queen), and U2 impersonators 2U. Aeromyth was part of a New Year's Eve celebration featuring many of these bands in Las Vegas.
"When you're a kid, it's a lot of fun to pretend to be someone else," Vandahl says. "It's all make believe. But you have to stay grounded in reality. I was born who I am. I'm my own person."
The person Vandahl is, as opposed to the persona of Steven Tyler he recreates, is a career musician, bred in the Los Angeles music scene. Having played with a number of bands, including L.A. Guns, Vandahl semi-retired to Michigan, before returning to California to front Aeromyth.
"I was in the middle of nowhere," Vandahl says of his time prior to Aeromyth. "I didn't know if this was something I wanted to do. There was a lot of raw talent in the room and I said, 'If we are going to do this, we need to take it as far as we can.' That was two and half years ago. We were called Pump then but once we got it right, we changed the name to Aeromyth."
Getting it right is important to Vandahl, as is being more than just a cover band.
"I can't buy it if it's not the whole package," he says. "There are a lot of cover bands calling themselves tribute bands. They might have a closer look but not the musical talent or they might play well but look nothing like the band. Like I said, it has to be the whole package."
The whole package includes learning the moves.
"I've seen Aerosmith before," Vandahl says. "As a musician, I'm always paying attention, but it's also about just being in awe. If I saw them now, I might be aware of more of the details and nuances, but I'd still be there enjoying what they do."
Another part of putting the package together includes choosing which songs to play. When the group you are paying tribute to have been around for more than 30 years, narrowing down a list can be more difficult.
"I love the classics," Vandahl says. "Choosing a favorite from so many songs isn't that easy. Maybe 'Lord of the Thighs,' but it changes every night."
Not every song makes it into the show, either.
"We tried 'The Other Side,' but it wasn't a good fit."
Sometimes it is simply a matter of the time the group has to play.
"There's always that one song someone wanted to hear but we couldn't fit into the set. Aerosmith has three generations of fans and 30 years of music to choose from. We shoot for a middle ground."
Vandahl expects an "Aerosmith-esque" crowd for their performance at the Monkey Rock, but is open to surprises.
"It can get pretty raunchy," he says. "Girls coming up to us, clothes flying. I try to keep my expectations low."
When it comes to playing on the same night as Aerosmith, Vandahl remains optimistic.
"It's all in the spirit of Sturgis," he says. "There's plenty of room. The event is large and not everyone can go to Aerosmith. We're just here to pay tribute to the greatest, dirtiest, American rock 'n' roll band of all time."
