By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Fans of the superb guitar playing of the late Eddie Van Halen quickly snapped up all the tickets to a live tribute show on Saturday.
But there are still two more ways to watch the show: through a livestream, and a video to be sold after the performance.
The concert is a joint project of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp and Smokestack Productions, which have staged other tribute shows in honor of Pink Floyd and Queen.
The show is 7 p.m. Saturday. Like the other shows, this concert features local and out-of-town artists performing live at the Sitka Performing Arts Center. It will have tunes from the David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar eras, and run about an hour in length.
Trevor Wiest plays during a rehearsal for the Sitka Fine Arts Camp tribute concert to Eddie Van Halen, Thursday at the Performing Arts Center. Although the live concert set for Saturday is sold-out there are two other options for viewing the show: through live-streaming or video download. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Due to COVID-19 precautions, the Performing Arts Center will be at 25 percent capacity and masks on non-performers will be required. All on-stage and behind the scenes workers have had negative COVID-19 tests.
Performers include Trevor Wiest (Minnesota) in the guitar playing role of Eddie Van Halen; Sam Faustine (California) lead vocals; Joe Montagna (Sitka) guitar and vocals; Jen Reid (Sitka) on vocals; Robert Fleitz (New York), piano; Ed Littlefield (Seattle) and Drew Sherman (Sitka) bass.
The show is the brainchild of SFAC Director Roger Schmidt who thought it would be fitting to pay tribute to Van Halen, widely recognized as the greatest rock guitarist of all time. A rock-and-roll fan in his youth, Schmidt did enjoy the mastery of such guitar solos as Van Halen’s “Eruption” - and wished he could hear an entire album of just that.
Schmidt was also eager to see something at the PAC.
“It’s the first live show in a year,” Schmidt said. “I’ve been wanting to bring back something that’s celebratory and a chance for people coming together for a show - Van Halen fits that.”
Schmidt approached Montagna about the idea. Montagna said Van Halen is the reason he plays guitar, but as to playing full show convincingly in the style of Van Halen?
“Nobody can play like Eddie Van Halen. I told Roger he was crazy,” said Montagna, whose Facebook profile is “Edward Van Halen 1955-2020. “That’s Olympic-style guitar playing.”
While the project was briefly at an impasse, Sherman sent Montagna a link of a Minnesota-based guitarist Trevor Wiest to check out.
“He is the 6-foot-4 version of Eddie Van Halen,” Montagna said. “He’s the reason this show can be called an Eddie Van Halen tribute show. ... Trevor does all the songs justice with his playing.”
The other members of the band have been involved with previous SFAC/Smokestack Productions of Pink Floyd and Queen, and the ideas are similar, with some band members in Van Halen classic attire. Faustine, a professional singer-actor from San Francisco, will perform lead vocals, complete with shaggy hair, tight pants and classic “front-man antics” of David Lee Roth.
Wiest points his interest in Van Halen back to when he was 6 and heard such songs as “You Really Got Me” on the radio traveling to and from school.
“At that point ... I had no idea how he was getting the sound,” Wiest said.
Wiest is a full-time musician who also teaches music. He said Van Halen has been a big stylistic influence on him as he developed his skills in other musical styles. He enjoys not only the technical skills and dexterity of Van Halen, but the energy of the band as well.
Reid, who is married to Montagna, has attended two Van Halen shows with him, and has become a fan as well.
“My experience with Van Halen has always been with Joe,” Reid said. “He loves him so much, and has been playing it in the house as long as I’ve known him. ... I appreciate the music because of Joe.”
Other live shows with similar precautions at the PAC are the Robert Fleitz Piano concert March 30; and “A Night on Broadway” April 3, featuring professional actors and singers performing showtunes.
Livestream tickets for the Van Halen show are available at fineartscamp.org for $20.
