Bringing in the atmosphere of roof shattering rock and roll synonymous with any Rolling Stones performance, the “Start Me Up!” tribute band will be performing “A Tribute to The Rolling Stones” at the Whispering Oaks Winery on Oct. 27.
The Start Me Up! band, named after one of the biggest Rolling Stones songs, also imitates Rolling Stones band mates Mick Jagger and Ron Wood — with authentic recreations of costumes and props like what the Stones used.
“Authenticity and energy. We work hard to be the most authentic recreation of a live Rolling Stones performance possible, from the correct moves to the hair, costumes, makeup even the same type of guitars and amplifiers as the Stones,” said Ron Hersey, who plays Wood
“We also engage with the audience as much as possible to make them feel like they are a part of the show.”
Hersey is two of the original band members and plays the guitar, slide guitar, harmonica and does background vocals. Marc Lichtenfeld, the other original member, plays Mick Jagger and is the lead singer for the band.
The band’s performance was originally scheduled for Sept. 26, but Hurricane Helene’s impact on the area pushed it back to October. Then Hurricane Milton rolled through central Florida weeks later and left The Whispering Oaks Winery without power for several days.
The loss of power resulted in many shows being canceled and some of the winery’s stock impacted.
“We’ve had a loss in revenue from having to cancel shows because of the storms. We have what will be able to fill 70,000 bottles of wine in storage, which we are trying to make sure we don’t lose from the repeated loss of power,” said Darryl Siemer, the owner of The Winery, while encouraging people to support Florida by buying Florida products.
“Our wine, the labels we put on them, even the fruit we use to make the wine, is all from Florida. Supporting business and products with the ‘Fresh From Florida’ label is like giving disaster relief for us business,” he said, adding that the winery has food, beer, soda and freewater.
Still, Siemer is grateful there wasn’t any major damage done at the venue.
“We should be back in business as usual…as long as there aren’t any other storms,” Siemer said. “I made a deal with my promoter that they can bring any band, I don’t care what genre they are in they just have to be A-plus. Eighty to 90 percent of our audience is people from The Villages. If they are going to continue traveling 15 to 20 minutes from The Villages, it’s got to be a good show.”
Siemer said “Start Me Up!” is no different than the other talented bands that have performed at the winery and is in the elite class of tribute bands.
Though the rescheduling was disappointing to the band, fans, ticket holders and the winery owners, the band has kept momentum for the concert’s new show date.
“We’re thankful that we have the ability to play and help everyone have a good time and relax in what has been a stressful period,” Lichtenfeld said. “We are raring to go and always love playing a new venue. We’ve heard the audiences at and near the Villages are incredible. We can’t wait.”
Hersey echoed his bandmate.
“I am very excited about finally playing at Whispering Oaks, it looks like the perfect venue for us, and I am looking forward to performing for the residents of Central Florida and The Villages who have recently been through so much. Anytime we can give people a chance to escape and immerse in the music — it’s rewarding,” Hersey said.
Several members of Start Me Up! have played together for seven years, working to perfect their performance and get it close to the true thing.
“Tommy, our Keith Richards, plays the same guitars as the real Keith. I wear the same stage clothes as Mick. Each band member has worked very hard to replicate the performance of the real-life person they represent,” Lichtenfeld said. “We are always working on adding new aspects to the show or our individual performances.”
While each member has their favorite songs to perform, their objective is always to get the audience moving.
“Each member of the band has their own favorites. I love the dramatic songs that have rich and dramatic stories like Paint it Black, Sympathy for the Devil, and Midnight Rambler. But nearly all the songs create a strong reaction from the crowd and anytime you see the audience moved it is exciting,” Lichtenfeld said.
Hersey likes “Midnight Rambler,” too.
“They are all great songs, so it’s hard to nail it down to just one or two. But since we are constantly adding additional tunes to our set list, I personally get excited about performing the new ones,” Hersey said. “That would be Midnight Rambler and She’s a Rainbow.”
The band’s lead singer said a lot of show attendees have complimented the group, saying it’s among the best tribute bands they’ve seen.
“My two favorites were the daughter of Chuck Leavell (the Stones’ keyboard player) saw us and said we were great. That meant a lot to us,” Lichtenfeld said. “We also have a mom and her autistic son who comes to our shows and the daughter plays a drum pad right in front of us. The mom told us how much her daughter enjoys the show and how much fun they have together when we play. That was extremely meaningful, and it emphasizes the power of music.”
To purchase tickets or find out more information about the shows, visit winesofflorida.com
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
