Nanaimo-based Tom Petty tribute artist Dave Danylchuk is debuting his new band Perfectly Petty at a hometown concert before taking his show on the road.
The band – frontman Danylchuk, guitarist Jordan Burgess, bassist Paul Fournier, drummer Scotty McCargar and keyboardist Craig Dong – plays the Queen’s on Jan 25, with subsequent dates set for Victoria and Vancouver and plans to tour the mainland later this year.
Danylchuk’s group is made up of musicians based on the mainland, which was a goal of his as it makes touring the province more practical.
He said the band came together through a family connection.
“The guitar player that’s in this band is a cousin of my wife’s and he’s a top-call session guy in Vancouver who performs with a lot of players,” Danylchuk said. “So when he found out I was looking for a band on the mainland he called a bunch of his people.”
Even though the band has only been playing together for a few months, Danylchuk said he feels comfortable with them. He said the other members are familiar with each other and the material.
“Every band that I’ve done I’ve gone in knowing them from zero to getting it happening,” he said. “The great thing about it is when you work with really professional musicians who have a respect for the artist and the music that we’re planning to do, they bring a lot to the table already because they’re bringing that respect for the music … and they’re doing their homework and they’re ready to go.”
Perfectly Petty is presenting a program called Jamming With Giants, which Danylchuk said has a wider repertoire than a conventional Petty tribute.
“It’s a Tom Petty show kind of loosely following the arc of his career, basically, and performing mostly hits but also tapping into some of the material he often performed live that included material by artists that he was inspired by when he was a kid that he ultimately ended up working with when he was a rock star,” Danylchuk said.
These include songs by group like the Byrds, Beatles and Traveling Wilburys. Danylchuk said incorporating those songs into the show contribute to the tribute’s authenticity.
“The fact that he was able to turn that into friendships with all these people that he admired when he was growing up is something I find pretty special and I think he did, too,” Danylchuk said of Petty. “He always in his concerts would homage his inspirations. He always played the songs that really inspired him to play.”
Danylchuk said he’s always been told he resembles Petty, but in the competitive world of tribute artists, maintaining the look and presentation is only part of it.
“We have to be honest and true,” Danylchuk said.
WHAT’S ON … Perfectly Petty performs at the Queen’s on Jan. 25. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8. Tickets are $25 at the door or $20 in advance from the venue or online at http://eventbrite.ca or http://perfectlypetty.com.
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