Alan James used to play guitar for Roy Orbison and one day in 1988, he got a call from the singer.
“Roy said he wanted me to hear his new band,” James said Tuesday, after playing two sold out shows at Savannah Center with Mike Brilhante singing an Orbison tribute. The Nowhere Band also performed a Beatles tribute in what was billed as “Beatles and Roy Orbison, 1963.”
The setlist included dead-on covers of Orbison’s hits from “Only the Lonely” to “Pretty Woman.” The Nowhere Band shined on such early Beatles’ tracks as “She Loves You,” and “Paperback Writer.”
For Alan James, the Orbison tribute was personal. He played in Orbison’s band for over a decade and still remembers driving to a Southern California home to see Orbison’s new band.
James spotted Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne on the front porch. Once inside, they were joined by George Harrison and Tom Petty.
James didn’t know it then, but he was about to witness the formative stages of the super group known as The Traveling Wilburys.
“They were amazing,” James said. “I got to watch them jam and rehearse for about an hour. It was a thrill to be in the same room with those guys. You never forget that kind of moment or that kind of music.”
The same might be said of Tuesday’s music.
Brilhante donned a coal-black wig and sideburns and wore Orbison’s trademark sunglasses. He also gave a respectable account of Orbison’s voice. No one could match Orbison.
“Roy’s voice was a God-given gift and it inspired me,” Brilhante said. “I saw Roy sing in 1987, and I felt he and his music became a part of me.”
He opened the show with an Orbison standard, “Only the Lonely” and sang with the wounded heartache that Orbison often displayed.
Another poignant moment came with “In Dreams,” a melancholy Orbison song about loss and memories.
“Roy had a lot of tragedy in his life and I’ve had tragedy in my life,” Brilhante said. “We both lost family members we loved in accidents..
“When you through that kind of tragedy, the music means more, especially the way Roy sings. ‘In Dreams’ is one of those songs that always gets to me. When I sing that song, I never felt closer to anyone, as I do to Roy Orbison.”
Orbison could also rock.
James played some nasty guitar licks on Orbison’s Rockabilly debut single from 1956, “Ooby Dooby.” Another rocker was “Uptown,” and Brilhante and company turned bluesy on “Candy Man.”
A highlight came when Brilhante sang “Crying,” and, like Orbison, made it closer to opera than a pop song. The set ended with a stomping, hard-rocking “Pretty Woman.”
Villager Bob Durham was impressed.
“This show brought back a lot of memories,” he said. “Roy Orbison had great range and put a lot of feeling in his songs. I think they did the same thing tonight.”
So did Alan James.
“Roy was big star and a rock and roll legend,” he said. “But the great thing about Roy is that when you were around him, he was a regular guy – and a nice guy. I still love playing his music.”
The Nowhere Band features Steve Lavalley as Paul; Chuck Noonan, John; Donavon Christenson, George and Dave Raddford as Ringo. Karkey Karkalits joins them on stage to play keyboards.
“It’s always great to be back in The Villages,” Noonan said. “We’ve played here many times and it feels good to bring Beatles’ music back to The Villages.”
The set focused on early Beatle hits, as the band was dressed in black suits and had those famed mop-top hairstyles.
The group opened with “Please Please Me,” and followed it up with “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
Noonan dominated those vocals, doing his best Lennon. But Lavalley came alive as Paul on such high-energy numbers as “Paperback Writer” and “Lady Madonna.”
The musicianship was tight and polished, with vocals reminiscent of the Beatles’ sound.
