HOW TO GO
Who: Signs of Life
Where: Gilly’s, 132 S. Jefferson St., Dayton
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20
Cost: $16 advance, $18 day of show
More info: (937) 228-8414 or www.gillysjazz.com
Artist info: www.signsoffloyd.com
“If you’re fronting a Pink Floyd tribute band either, A, there is something terribly wrong with you or, B, you’re a fan beyond being just a fan,” Jonathan Stankorb said. “It’s deeply embedded in your DNA.”
As leader of Cincinnati-based Pink Floyd tribute band Signs of Life, Stankorb knows a thing or two about musical obsession. It’s a trait that served him well during his time in projects such as Aja, a tribute to Steely Dan, and Beatles tribute Savoy Truffle. And his super-fan status is paying major dividends for his latest group, which has been performing regionally since 2009.
Stankorb took a few minutes recently to answer some questions about Signs of Life, which brings its multi-media rock show to Gilly’s in Dayton on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Q What sets your band apart from other Pink Floyd tributes?
A “If you go see any two Pink Floyd tribute bands they are so wildly different in the way they’re presenting it or whatever era they’re representing. Some present it like American rock ’n’ rollers and others try to have a British mystique and reverence but we’re doing something a bit different than everybody else with the lights and visuals.”
Q What’s next for Signs of Life?
A “The Gilly’s show is kind of our kickoff for what we’re calling a fall and winter tour. We’re doing 12 cities between October and March of next year. There’s a guy that used to represent a nationally touring Pink Floyd group and he’s kind of taking a look at us so it’s really going well.”
Q What can folks expect from the winter tour?
A “We’re going to touch on every album. The show spans every era from the post-Roger Waters stuff to the golden era between 1971 and 1979.”
Q What’s 2013 looking for Signs of Life?
A “We’ve been very blessed. I’m not thinking too much about it. I’m just watching the video tapes and listening back to the audio recordings. It’s a daily game of inches it seems to try to perfect your show.”
Q Is there anything you’d like to add?
A “Gilly’s represents the smallest venue we do but we’re very passionate about playing in Dayton. If you’re a band from Cincinnati and you don’t really work hard to do a great show in Dayton you’re really missing something. Dayton has a great music scene and we’d like to be one of those groups that can come to town once a year and put on a great show.”
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