P!nk Meets Perry

(Los Angeles, CA  November 2016)

Raise Your Glass (RYG) announced that it is adding a whole new dimension to their tribute arsenal. With the success of their P!nk tribute act RYG has turned their talents to recreating the experience of another pop icon; Katy Perry. That’s right, in a head to head match that will probably never happen in real liFe, the reigning queen of I Don’t Give a F*&# power female vocals shares the stage with the queen of the sugar-coated self-absorbed teeny-dreamers.

Katrina redoes the Katy Perry “Candyland” photo

“We started RYG because we saw the shift that is going on in the tribute landscape and we wanted to provide that alternative to the growing audience that wasn’t being served by another Led Zeppelin or Iron Maiden band,” said guitarist Scott Ramsay who co-founded the group along with lead vocalist Katrina Danford. “P!nk was the obvious choice when Katrina and I first started thinking about a group.”

“The response from those that have seen the band has been great and of course there is a desire for more acts like what we are offering,” continued Ramsay, “What came onto our radar when we thought about expanding was Katy Perry. She is a complete 180 from P!nk musically and stylistically but she has all the same strengths that lend itself to being a great tribute show to produce. Amazing popularity, a large demographic of listeners and a catalogue of hits that just doesn’t stop. And like P!nk, Katy Perry is known for putting on a live stage show, that people want to see.”

“We have this amazing lineup of musicians, singers and dancers so with Katrina leading the charge, it was a no brainer to add this to our offering. I think the hardest part has just been for Katrina to remember which persona she is inhabiting. The blue wig helps though.”

RYG has announced it has already put together an hour of material and is now working on the stage show for their Katy Perry Tribute which they call Prizmatic. They plan on debuting the act before the end of the year. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

Raise Your Glass – Pink Tribute Band: Demo Recording Announcement

Raise Your Glass Behind the Studio Door

Raise Your Glass Releases Their First Studio Recording

Raise Your Glass (RYG), the ultimate Pink tribute experience, recently completed a five-song demo showcasing their take on some P!nk classics. Included in the release are RYG versions of “Don’t Let Me Get Me” and “Get The Party Started” from the Mizzundastood album, “So What” from Funhouse,  “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” from the Truth About Love record, and of course, “Raise Your Glass” from P!nk’s Greatest Hits…So Far CD.

Raise Your Glass – Pink Tribute Band: Producer/Engineer "F"

“E” Producer/Engineer for RYG

The album was recorded at For The Record Studios in Orange County. The studio was the in-house studio for Doctor Dream records whom some may recall was a leader in the Orange County surf-punk and alternative music surge in the 80’s. Everyone from No Doubt to The Cadillac Tramps to Joyride and Zebrahead tracked their early recordings there. In addition, For The Record has been the home for countless groups and artists from all walks of the musical spectrum. The common denominator behind them all is producer and engineer Eric Garten, who is simply known as “E”.

RYG choose For The Record and “E” not only because of the long relationships some of the members have had with the studio, but mostly because “E” knew how to get RYG’s vision of translating the excitement of their live recreation of their Pink Tribute show to a studio track without it becoming sterile or so over-produced it would not be representative of what RYG fans have come to expect, let alone the agents and booking managers RYG is now courting in order to start playing the larger venues that are its goal.

To make this happen,”E” had the band set-up in a close circle and play all the tracks live as a band. For those not familiar with how most songs are recorded nowadays, this is extremely rare. Generally each instrument is completely isolated from the rest and is usually recorded independently of the others. You record some drums, add some bass, add some guitar and so on. In addition as everything is recorded digitally nowadays, bands will record to a “click” track, which is a constant tick-tick in their ears to keep them all at the same time so it is easy to go in and edit and correct mistakes or play with the time in post-production. To record a group live with no click means that the group has to be extremely tight, know the material and not make any mistakes through the entire recording as everyone’s sound is bleeding over into the mics of all the other instruments. The plus side is that if done right and the group is spot-on, you can capture the live feel of a band that usually will be lost using the normal recording method. Once again the members of RYG proved themselves up to the challenge. After doing a couple of run-throughs, they nailed the tracks on the first take. Ok so Blow Me took a couple of passes, but it aint a walk-in-the-park to play.

The only overdubs you hear on the track are the vocals. But staying true to the premise, the vocals were recroded live in capturing as much of the song in a single pass as possible. Even the harmonies were recorded with Stella, Kathrin, Tony and at points the entire band, doing all their parts together. In mixing no EQ or compression or other enhancement was done to the instruments. Everything was a straight up mix with just some delay and reverb added to give it a more open live feel.

The result? Well, the members of RYG are pretty proud of the result but you be the judge. Go over to http://rygrocks.com/media-room/ and take a listen yourself. Be sure and leave a comment or share the music with your friends and others if you like what you hear. The recording finishes up one more piece in the package for RYG as it preps to launch itself into the frey. We hope you all come along for the ride.

Raise Your Glass – Pink Tribute Band: Demo Session

 

Raise Your Glass – Pink Tribute Band: Social Media Post Banner

Raise Your Glass Gets Social

Raise Your Glass, LA’s premiere P!nk Tribute show, continues to expand it’s ability to let our fans connect with each other and share RYG with their circles of friends and family. If you are reading this, you probably already know about our Facebook page, but now you can also connect with us on Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Instagram, Stumbleupon and Pinterest.

If you like RYG, help us spread the news by following/subscribing to our social media contact points. We want to grow our family of VIP Members to be Global as well as Local.

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Raise Your Glass - Pink Tribute Band: Website Launch Announcement

Raise Your Glass Launches New Website

Raise Your Glass (RYG) is proud to announce the launch of its all new website at RYGRocks.com. The site is a one-stop shop for everything you want to know or find out about Los Angeles’ Number 1 Pink Tribute Band. Photos? We got em! Audio, We got em! Concert dates and Tickets? Yeah, we got em! Trivia, Bios, Booking Information…yeah it’s all there. Everything that makes RYG the amazing group it is. Everything that is except the most important ingredient. YOU!!!

So get on over to the site and check it out. If you like what you see, please tell your friends and share it with others. If you don’t like it, feel free to go here.

While you are on the site, PLEASE sign up for our VIP Clubhouse. We will be opening up this section of the website as soon as we hit critical mass. So come and help us build our community of friends and fans.

Raise Your Glass – Pink Tribute Band: Sneek Peek Concert Announcement

RYG Announces “Sneak Peek” Concert

Raise Your Glass (RYG) announced today that they will be doing a low-key “Sneek Peek” concert for close friends, family and some industry people at Paladino’s Night Club in Tarzana, CA on Friday September 11th at 10:30pm.

This will be the band’s first public show since the band was formed. Expectations are high and butterflies abound as the group puts the finishing touches on its first show. Katrina Danford, lead vocalist for RYG has stated that the group will be doing a fast-paced 45-minute set covering a wide variety of P!nk’s most popular radio singles.

“We wanted to focus on just delivering a really high quality music experience for the audience this first time out,” said Katrina, “So no trapezes or bungee chords this time but we have done some really cool re-arrangements of some of P!nks tunes including a mashup of “Raise Your Glass” with “If God is a DJ” and “Trouble.” We also have taken a few of P!nks live versions of songs like “Get The Party Started” and “Funhouse” and given them our own special twist. I think the audience is gonna like what we have been able to do so far.”

Guitarist and co-founder Scott Ramsay agrees. “We have been working the material pretty hard since we decided to do the show. Our keyboardist Tony has put together a really cool show curve that has these really unique moments that will make you feel like you are at a full on P!nk concert. The band is getting super tight and Katrina and the girls are starting to really find their vocal blend. It is going to be an exciting first show.”

If anyone is interested in getting an invite to the show, email RYG at info@rygrocks.com and ask about tickets or getting on the VIP list.

Download the invitation postcard

Raise Your Glass – Pink Tribute Band: Group Shot

Raise Your Glass Finalizes Lineup

Raise Your Glass (RYG) announced today the final lineup for the group. In addition to co-founders Scott Ramsay on guitar and Katrina Danford on lead vocals, RYG has welcomed the following talented musicians to the group:

Stella Petrosyan (Lead Support Vocalist and Choreographer)
Stella who hails from the Ukraine is an excellent vocalist and lead singer in her own right. In RYG Stella is bringing her background in theatre and dance to make RYG not only a great act to listen to but one that is hard to take your eyes off of.

Kathrin Jakob (Lead Support Vocalist and Voice Arranger)
Kathrin is a recent transplant to the U.S. having moved to LA from her home in Wallersdorf, Germany in 2014. She studied voice at the Music Academy in Regensburg and is a graduate of the Los Angeles Collage of Music. In addition to RYG, Kathrin has her own group that performs covers as well as several of her original songs including a minor hit in the U.S. and Germany titled “He Taught Me To Yodel” which showcases Kathrin’s amazing talent at this lost-art. RYG is still trying to figure out a way to incorporate some yodeling into a P!nk tune. When they do, it’s going to be amazing.

Danny Knapp (Bassist and Background Vocals)
If drums are the foundation for any rock/pop group, then bass is the mortar that holds all the instruments together. Furthering this analogy, Danny is a mason extraordinaire. His solid rhythm and impeccable timing brings the beat of RYG to life. A player since he was 16, Danny has an incredible history of music under his hands. From artists like Scottie Johnson (Gin Blossoms) to Katie Garfield, Danny has played with the best and his contribution to RYG is a major part of the foundation upon which this house is built.

Jon Poli (Drums and Percussion)
Every day the time we set our clocks by has to be adjusted because we lose a beat or two due to Earth’s uneven orbit around the sun. But if we kept time according JP Standard, Jon Poli Standard that is, we’d never have to worry about that again. Jon’s reputation for keeping perfect time is highly regarded amongst LA studio and touring musicians alike. Even more admired though is his impeccable feel and taste for putting a groove right where it needs to be and adding that flair to make a turnaround stand out as well as his sense of when to just lay out and let a song breathe. Jon has played and recorded with a long list of groups both nationally and internationally and it is that well-honed artistry that makes RYG a cut above the rest.

Tony TerBorg (Keyboards and Background Vocals)
Tony has been playing keys for over 30 years with artists ranging from folk legend Steve Gillette to Grammy award winner Jackie DeShannon. He has backed and recorded with artists such as Jaimoe Johanson (drummer for the Allman Brothers), Scott Page (saxophonist for Supertramp and Pink Floyd), and Greg Leisz (guitarist for the Eagles, Sheryl Crow and many others). Known for his ability to bring his “heart” to every note he plays, Tony’s reputation for being able to add the perfect color to bring to life an artist’s vision has earned him a highly respected spot amongst his peers. In RYG, Tony also works to help shape the band’s live show productions to bring the feel of a P!nk concert to the more immediate intimacy of a showroom and club venue.

With the lineup set, the group is in pre-production and has plans to do a local preview show within the next couple of months.

raise-your-glass-pink-tribute-band-pink-elephant

Raise Your Glass – The P!nk Elephant in the Room

“Just what we need. Another tribute band.” This is a sentiment you often hear in the “Live” music scene in LA and other major metro-hubs. And it’s true. Everywhere you turn there seems to be another homage to Led Zeppelin, a group of mop-tops in pin stripes trying to recreate the Beatles or some really talented but aging guys getting together to bring back the progressive rock glory days of Yes and Pink Floyd.

Truly, there seems to be a dearth of tribute bands out there. But when you scratch the surface, and look under the hood, good tribute bands are playing more gigs, better venues with larger audiences and a fatter paycheck then their cover band, and original music counterparts. Why is this? It just makes economic sense. Most club owners, event promoters and entertainment buyers for large corporate and private event gigs, all say the same thing. “Our clients want a sure thing. They want to know that the entertainment they are booking is going to have a positive impact on the goal expectations they have for the investment they are putting into their event.” In other words, it doesn’t matter if the goal of a entertainment buyer is to put on a wow factor show, help create a specific ambience or just to sell drinks and get buts on the dance floor; tribute bands take a lot of the guesswork out of the success equation.

Tribute Acts automatically come with a built in ‘cha-ching’ factor,” stated one club owner, “We can book acts that play the music our regulars like. We know the atmosphere the band will create. We know that promoting them has a lot more pulling power in the area for those that may not know my club but may love the original band. Finally, if the band is any good we know that the will have a buzz already going in the area and will draw their fans and friends that might not otherwise know about us. It’s a win-win.”

Notice the word “GOOD” has been used a couple of times in this article. Promoters and buyers all agree that being a good tribute band is the key. “We see a ton of really bad tribute bands everyday trying to get on our roster, and frankly most of them end up in the circular file.” grieved one talent agency rep. “For every good act we consider, there at least five to ten bad acts.”

So what makes a good act? Everyone seems to agree on this point; believability and a pro-attitude. A booking agent at a well-known West Coast agency put it this way, “A good tribute act is able to make a connection to a viewer that rings true on almost every sense level. When I close my eyes the band SOUNDS like the original. When I plug my ears, the band LOOKS like the original and when I put it all together the band FEELS like the original, not just during the music, but between the songs as well, a point many of the bands seems to forget about these days. As a result, the band triggers my memories and my sense recollections of the group, even if it’s a band I didn’t grow up with, and I feel like I am at one of their shows.”

As to the attitude portion, the agents went on to say, “Having a professional attitude is just something that goes across the board with every act we deal with. If we can’t deal with them on a professional level, I don’t care how good they are, we know there will be problems down the road.” So what is a pro attitude? Here is a list of the top five things promotors, agents and club owners agree on:

  • The band has their business act together.
  • The band knows the importance of communication.
  • The band is aggressively doing their own marketing
  • The band is self-contained and prepared.
  • The band knows how to read and respect the audience.

Volumes can be written on those five topics alone judging from the horror stories we heard, but we will save those for another time.

So what does this have to do with Raise Your Glass (RYG)? At the beginning, we opened with a quote, “Why another tribute band?” and frankly it’s a question we get asked a lot so we thought we’d share why. Outside of everything that was stated in the first few paragraphs, when RYG co-founders Scott Ramsay and Katrina Danford sat down to think about putting “another” tribute band together, a lot of options were open. What do most tribute bands do? It’s a simple formula:

  • Find a band that had a fairly good string of hits or marked a significant era in music or pop-culture.
  • Calculate the number of living fans that are still out there wanting to hear that music again.
  • Determine the feasibility factor of finding enough musicians who can not only play the parts but LOOK the part.
  • Solve for the ratio of time it takes to really create a top-shelf production show versus the time you and your buddies have to squeeze in between day jobs and a real life.
  • Once you can take it out of the lab, verify the results through real world repetition of the experiment. In other words, it may sound great in the garage, but how does it play in Dayton?

So the very first thing that Scott and Katrina did was to take the formula and throw it out the window. “We knew we were going to do a tribute project.” said Scott, “We knew we wanted it to be great and fun for us and for the audience. We also knew that we wanted to do something to set us apart from the rest of the scene.” After running the usual list of subjects from The Pretenders, to Pat Benetar to the Motels and even some off the wall ideas like a female fronted Dio or a rocked up Patsy Cline tribute, both Scott and Katrina hit on P!nk, or Pink for those who hate seeing artists spell their names using symbols. “It just made perfect sense.” Katrina explained, “First and foremost we both love Alicia Moore’s (P!nks real name) music. Second, it’s a stretch but I do bear a slight resemblance to P!nk. But beyond all that we felt we had a concept that was perfectly tailored for the growing demand of artists and talent buyers for a highly-bookable production show.

“We weren’t doing an artist whose primetime had come and gone, we were doing an artist who is still at the height of her popularity and still going strong. Then we have an artist whose music crosses many generations of fans. From pre-teens to Baby Boomers and cross all socio-economic borders, P!nk’s music resonates with fans. Then we add in the whole party vibe that a P!nk concert is all about. The show, the spectacle, the audience getting off their feet and having a good time, it’ just is perfect for any venue from the local night spot to a Vegas Showroom to a major corporate event. Finally we add in the cost of going to see top-tier artists like P!nk nowadays. Tickets can range from $100 to $500 or more to see some of the big acts these days. RYG offers a truly viable alternative. For the price of a nose-bleed seat concert ticket, you can come see us front and center, have a couple of drinks, even take a date out to dinner and still have change left over for lunch the next day.”

Makes sense to us. So will it work in the real world? Time will tell. One thing is for sure, if Raise Your Glass hit its mark, it will be one P!nk Elephant” everyone will be talking about.