The first time I met David and his bandmates was last year at the first ever Point Defiance Music Festival where 2112: A Tribute to RUSH was playing on the Weekly Volcano stage. With all of us together, beers were downed inside their white van and memories were had as we all relished the sounds of Canada’s legendary rock band — Triumph (just kidding, RUSH).



I had recently run into David inside Guitar Center where he works to pay the bills in his musical genius off-time. I took this as my opportunity to possibly ruin yet another friendship, yet hoped he would be able to hang on and survive my interrogation.

 

STEPH DEROSA: So, a RUSH tribute band, huh? How the hell did that happen? Stereotypically cover and tribute bands are pretty cheesy. But not you guys. Explain.


DAVID JAEDYN CONLEY: I thought it was cheesy at first as well, trust me. I thought, “Why the hell would anyone want to be in a Jethro Tull tribute band?”



DEROSA: Jethro Tull? That is a good question, actually.



CONLEY: Well, back in 2005 my neighbor and I would jam together and he seemed to know ever single RUSH song out there, and I was pretty good myself. He joked one day that we should start a tribute band. I laughed at first, but next thing we knew we had people answering our ads on Craigslist and it was all over and done.



DEROSA: It certainly has worked out well for you guys.



CONLEY: Yes, we play a lot of summer festivals, but we’ve been growing in the off season as well. We’re playing Inni’s in Lakewood this Friday if you’re interested.



DEROSA: Are you inviting me?



CONLEY: Crap. I guess I just did.



DEROSA: Excellent. Do you guys have a problem with people charging the stage? I mean, it is RUSH and all.



CONLEY: Clever. No, we judge on a case-by-case basis if people are welcome on stage. Sometimes we do RUSH-a-roke and let people come up and sing with us. That’s always fun.



DEROSA: Ooh! Ooh! I wanna do that!



CONLEY: Yeah, I don’t know about that. We’ll see.



DEROSA: But. You. Said.



CONLEY: I said “case by case,” and you’re a case that I’m not quite sure we’re covered for on our insurance.



DEROSA: So much for my “Limelight.”