In 1999, Washington native Randy Linder began developing a tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival.
On Sunday at 2 p.m., he’s bringing his show to the historic Raymond Theatre for a special Sunday Afternoon Live concert.
Linder explained his reluctance to do tributes, and the reason he changed his mind, in an interview conducted by Gary James of ClassicRock.com.
“For the longest time … when I thought of the word ‘tribute,’ I just thought of Elvis Presley tributes,” Linder told James. Then, “the tribute industry started getting some teeth. It started being something that people did. I had a couple of musician friends in particular urging me to do a Creedence tribute. For the longest time I just kind of shunned the idea.”
He said the invitation to play backup guitar for a friend’s tribute to Hank Williams triggered his change of heart.
“He did a show at the State Fair, and I remember thinking after that gig: That was really fun, and it was a concert, and I’ve never even gotten a gig at this State Fair,” Linder said. “I came to the realization it wasn’t because he was another bar band; he was a show. It was a tribute show to a big star.”
At the time, Linder’s day job was in construction. “I was a carpenter, and (the next day) I was on my way to a job in eastern Washington and I remember driving down the road and coming to that realization. I decided right then and there I was going to do a tribute to Creedence like I’d been urged to before. On the way to the job I was going to, I stopped at two different places and bought five or six Creedence CDs. While I was on that job, I was making up my song list.”
He goes all out playing John Fogerty, the band’s lead singer, lead guitarist and primary songwriter. But, unlike some other tribute musicians, he doesn’t try to replicate everything about the band.
“One thing I’ve never done … is try to find the side players to look like the side players. I’ve never considered that to be something that I want to burden myself with. I come on as the frontman, and I have my players dress in black so that I’m the only one in costume,” Linder told James.
“I’m not really putting this act together to please the hardcore Creedence fans,” he added. “I’m putting it together for the average Joe.”
Linder takes his tribute all over the country these days, and he has bands in cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix to back him up. But he loves performing in his home state.
“My favorite thing to do is to bring my guys from (Tumwater),” Linder told James. “That’s my favorite thing to do.”
Tickets for Sunday’s show are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Advance tickets are available by phone at 360-875-5157; by email at salspecialconcert2@gmail.com; or online using PayPal at www.sundayafternoonlive.org.
