The Beastie Boys were a groundbreaking punk-rock-rap group from the 1980s and ‘90s.
And while you can’t see them live anymore, a tribute act is going to help you relive the magic and energy the Beastie Boys brought to the stage.
Imposters in Effect will perform at 8 p.m. Aug. 3 at The Piazza in Aurora.
Drummer Dustin Robert is a touring and session drummer — he just got off the road with Corey Taylor (formerly of Slipknot) and he also plays with the Detroit band Walls of Jericho. He likes performing with tribute acts. When his friend called him and asked him to play a Beastie Boys tribute show, he was immediately in.
“We did the show and it was crazy, people were losing their minds,” he said. “I was like, we should take this a little bit farther. That was seven years ago. We’ve been slowly but surely developing it.”
The Beastie Boys formed in 1981 in New York City. The group was composed of Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam “MCA” Yauch (vocals, bass), and Michael “Mike D” Diamond (vocals, drums, programming). Yauch died of cancer in 2012 and the group has not continued without him.
But their iconic songs like “Fight for Your Right,” “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” “Intergalactic,” “Brass Monkey” and “Sabotage” live on as interpreted by Imposters in Effect.
“We were all of the age when ‘Licensed to Ill’ came out, how it changed everything,” he said. “They obviously started off as a punk rock band before ‘License to Ill’ came out. They kind of went back to their punk roots after ‘Paul’s Boutique.’ We love the natural progression and our band really tells the story of the Beastie Boys.
“We talk about the punk stuff and play some of the punk songs and incorporate stuff that was inspired by the Beastie Boys or because of the Beastie Boys, these songs wouldn’t even have existed. We pay tribute to that as well. It’s a whole little history of the Beastie Boys and everything they encompass.”
They make sure to tell the history of the band, especially before they launch into the punk rock material, he said.
“We definitely say, ‘Hey, the Beastie Boys started off as a punk rock band. This song’s called ‘Tough Guy,’” he said. “It’s definitely a history lesson of the Beastie Boys in a lot of ways.”
The shows are a “giant Beastie Boys party,” he said.
“There are several outfit changes for the three MCs,” he said. “There is the ‘live’ segment where we play a lot of the live songs. There’s the hip-hop medley segment. Obviously, at the end we play all the hits. It’s definitely a good time,”
All the guys in the group have been longtime musicians who came together with love and respect for the Beastie Boys, he said.
The crowds love the show, he said.
“People lose their minds,” he said. “You can hear the crowd singing along to pretty much every song. We do some weird B-side stuff too and people flip out that we play the weird songs people don’t expect like ‘Egg Man.’ The crowd reaction is always very good.”
It’s a fun, family-friendly show, he said.
“People bring their kids and they have a blast. We’re a fun time,” he said. “Let’s have fun, let’s have a good time.”
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.
Imposters in Effect
When: 8 p.m. Aug. 3
Where: The Piazza, 85 Executive Drive, Aurora
Tickets: $25
Information: 630-978-2088; piazzaaurora.com