Who's Bad is Bad

When Larken Egleston invited me to Elevate's "End of Summer Social," featuring a Michael Jackson tribute band, I was skeptical. He hyped the group. I'm a huge Michael Jackson fan, but I figured Who's Bad? (www.whosbadmusic.com/home.shtml) was going to be cheesy like Elvis impersonators. They weren't.

Not nearly enough people got to see that for themselves. On Thursday night, promoters Mike Kitchen and Thomas Washington, Sony records rep Tone Capone and I joined about 50 other people who showed up at Amos' Southend.

Those of us who were there had a great time. Men and women danced and sang along as the six-piece band, with Brandon Lee as Michael Jackson, cranked out "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough," "Human Nature," “Rock With You" and more. Lee wore high-water black pants, white tube socks, black loafers and a white T-shirt. He wasted no time doing signature Jackson steps -- the Moonwalk, the spins, the crotch-grab and the toe-stand. He also sounded like Jackson.

The band was bad, too. It had a horn section. A horn section! The group jammed and had fun on stage, doing dances as well. During one song the saxophone and the trumpet player joined Lee in the center to do a choreographed Jackson 5-style dance. (Remember the one where they stand in a line facing the side of the stage and they put their hands on each other shoulders and that camel-like motion with their neck?) During another, the trumpet player and Lee did the Kid 'N Play kick-hop one-leg dance.

If the group comes back again, you've got to see them. Next time, I hope the promoters do it up big with a Michael Jackson lookalike contest, a costume contest and a dance contest.

Amos' brings a lot of tribute bands, and I'll admit I rarely see any of them. What are some of your favorite tribute bands that have performed here? Post your replies below.