CUTRONE

They may not be icons, but you have five proven players in the Vinyl Legends, who do Classic Rock tomorrow night at the Blarney’s Gate.

Leader, multi-instrumentalist and background vocalist Tony Cutrone is known from his other covers act, Radio Play. Guitarist Steve Major, bassist Zo Lapadula, and drummer Glenn Nash are all members of the killer Led Zeppelin tribute Ozone Baby, while lead singer Jay Esz fronts a Journey cover act.

“I’m the only member of Radio Play in this band,” Cutrone explains. “The rest are old friends of mine. It’s sort of a fun project. Normally, we’re a Foreigner tribute (called Jukebox).”

So what’s their repertoire as the Vinyl Legends?

“Well, Foreigner, definitely,” he laughs. “And Led Zeppelin. We’ve got three-fourth of Ozone Baby.”

From there they do some Aerosmith, Beatles, Stones, etc.

“It’s pretty rockin’. We keep it upbeat,” he continues.

“It’s a skilled band. We try to keep the audience in mind, but we try to challenge ourselves, too.”

They stretch their chops out on ‘70s and ‘80s rock standards like Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’, Guns ‘N Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine, and Boston’s More Than A Feeling.

A Toronto native, Cutrone has been doing this since age 14. He also writes songs for publishing (the song Grounded was “pretty big” for his former group, Sonic); and he’s working on a soundtrack for the new movie Behind The Wire Fence. While his guitar hero growing up with Eddie Van Halen, he sees the U2 tandem of Bono and The Edge as the gold standard for songwriting.

“I think they’re going to like the musicianship, and the song selection,” he says, looking ahead to Friday’s gig. “We play the legendary classic rock songs you grew up with - and true to what they were, because we have a five-piece and there are no (backing) tracks.”

The show goes at 9:30 p.m. at the Blarney’s Gate Restaurant & Irish Pub, 1151 Dundas St. W. (at Erindale Station Rd.). - Mississauga News