The Ledbetters Interviewed for 34th Street Magazine
Full Article Here: More Than Just a Look–Alike | 34th Street Magazine (34st.com)
“WHY GO see them? They’ll make you feel ALIVE!”
Tribute bands exist in their own lane, but still align somewhat with the stereotypical schtick of impersonators. Just as Ben Franklin has his groupies of history teachers and Lin–Manuel Miranda fans, a cult audience can fuel the longevity of tribute bands. James Burke, the lead guitarist of The Ledbetters, a Pearl Jam tribute act, understands his target market. Along with lead singer Jamie Stem, Steven Piperno on guitar, Rocco De Lise on bass guitar, and drummer John Stover, the band promises an authentic Pearl Jam concert experience.
The band formed in 2019, but they had all been interested in music for much longer, since high school. As it goes, their rock dreams stayed trapped in their parent’s garages, and Burke joined the corporate world. “Music became something on the back burner,” he says.
The Ledbetters didn’t set out to become a Pearl Jam tribute band. Burke joined the group to cover half of Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten, but ended up playing the rest when another band that was supposed to cover the other half dropped out. “It was just really well received. They had to turn people away at first where we were playing,” Burke says. Since then, they’ve grown in popularity and started working ticketed events out of state, although for most of the members, the band is still a side gig—mainly an outlet for creativity beyond their corporate lives.
While creative passions can seem at odds with financial stability and a substantive career, Burke believes it actually makes him a better employee. By day, the band members work their nine–to–fives and come home to the kids. By night, The Ledbetters are still dads and businessmen, who also rock twice a month across Pennsylvania.
Photo courtesy of The Ledbetters | Credit: Phil Lebowitz of The Photo Blur
Burke, and many of the other band members, have been in cover bands before. But there’s an important distinction between cover bands and tribute bands. “They're kind of, I don't want to say a dime a dozen, but there's a ton of cover bands out there,” Burke says. Tribute bands, however, have the opportunity to authentically recreate the sound of bands, which come with an already passionate fan base.
It takes a lot of research and creativity on their part, like figuring out which guitars, pedals, and amps truly get the sound of Pearl Jam. “A song like ‘Just Breathe,’ for instance, has violins on it,” Burke explains, “So how do we replicate that without violinists in the band? It takes time and dedication, and I think that's what separates a tribute band from a cover band.”
Don’t expect to lay eyes on Eddie Vedder or Mike McCready though—The Ledbetters distinguish themselves from tribute bands that do the “costume thing.” “There are certain artists where you kind of have to [dress up], like Elton John. Prince would probably be another. Fortunately for us, Pearl Jam is just a bunch of dudes,” Burke says, referring to them as “crusty old white guys.”
When a band like Pearl Jam is past their prime, their tour circuit tends to be limited to costly repeated farewell blowouts. Thus, those that grew up with these ‘90s bands—too old to relive their grunge glory days in the pit, but just old enough to be conservative with their money—are a direct market for bands like The Ledbetters. Many fans look much like the band members themselves, but new generations are learning to love Pearl Jam as their parents did.
From small venues to an 800–person festival in Camden, The Ledbetters appreciate every opportunity to perform, especially because many of them never thought they would play again, let alone in front of a crowd. “Most of us started raising kids and focusing on our jobs, and music became something on the back burner,” Burke says, urging the pre–professionals of the world: “Don't put your music on the shelf for life. There is a way to do both.”
Photo courtesy of The Ledbetters | Credit: Phil Lebowitz of The Photo Blur
In terms of the future of the band, The Ledbetters are taking a page out of Pearl Jam’s lyric book. “There's a Pearl Jam quote that says, ‘I'll ride the wave where it takes me.’ I think of the band in that aspect. None of us thought it would be where it is now. And I think we're all very fortunate,” Burke says. It’s taken some time to garner this mentality. That lyric also changed how they interact with their audience. “There's sort of a disdain for tribute bands. Some people hold their nose up to it and think it's cheesy. At our age, listen to what you like, have fun, [or] don't. Some people are gonna hate just to hate.”