EDMONTON -- In a land of Shania Twins, Hells Belles and Nearly Neils, a Tom Waits tribute band is a welcome breath of fresh air. Well, whisky stale and smoky air under a sky the colour of Pepto-Bismol where the sun cracked hard like a pool cue, but welcome all the same.
The members of Edmonton's Rain Dogs may find out soon enough why no one has done this before. The band makes its debut at Seedy's tonight. It's an odd addition to the strange world of clone-rock, whose denizens devote their careers to assuming the identities of others, accepting applause not meant for them, providing fantasy for fans whose idols are no longer with us - or are unwilling to travel all the way to Edmonton, Alberta. Kiss and AC/DC tributes do great business around these parts. Will Tom Waits be too esoteric to pay musical homage to on a regular basis? Hard to know.
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