By Chris Spiewak
The daunting task for bands in the Shore area is finding enough work because there are so many good groups vying for the limited quantity of gigs available. Because of the number of good cover bands in the area, some groups have made the decision to focus their time and talents on just one band to emulate. “Tribute” bands are becoming more popular these days, but the level of accuracy needed to reproduce one original band’s material is heightened. Hard work and accuracy are no problem for Navesink resident John Garofalo and the men of Almost U2, one of the preeminent tribute bands in our area.
Growing up in Parsippany, Garofalo learned to sing from his mom, a professional vocalist. Gloria sang at The Metropolitan Opera and for RCA Records back in the day, and instilled the love of music in her son at a young age. He performed with a few local bands in high school, then it was off to college, the business world and a family. His music was put on hiatus.
From left, Scott Softy, John Spero, John Garofalo and Doug Tiedemann of tribute band Almost U2.
Educated at Harvard Business School, Garofalo has had much success in the business world. From his days as an energy company COO to his current role as owner of several small businesses, he has never been afraid to take on any task or mission. He speaks proudly of his company achievement index, where he optimizes performance for his clients’ businesses. He is an experienced motivational speaker and coaches company executives to realize the maximum potential from themselves and their employees.
In 2012, after many years of the 9-to-5 routine and frequent traveling for work, Garofalo decided that he wanted to slow down a bit and take some time for himself. Too long on the back burner, he ventured back into the music scene. Searching Craigslist for available musicians, he first met drummer John Spero. The two bonded right away and a nucleus was formed.
The current lineup was not solidified until 2015 with Scott Softy joining on lead guitar and Doug Tiedemann arriving for bass duties. The original band, dubbed Misfit Johnny, was, and still is to this day, a high energy rock cover band. Cover bands are plentiful at the Shore, so the band decided to also dedicate themselves to the music of the world-famous Irish rock band U2. This would not be an easy undertaking but the men wanted to set themselves apart. They had high expectations. When queried about their longevity, John, Scott, John and Doug will all mention the “family” approach that they take to their music. It is not easy to keep a group of the same four musicians together for five years; it is akin to being married to three other people. There are no egos or drama with this band. All band business is discussed with everyone’s input considered and in a fair and business-like manner. As with any successful team, good chemistry breeds achievement and it shows in the final product. The music of U2 is fairly difficult to reproduce, but Almost U2 do an excellent job of it. The soaring vocals of Bono are quite the challenge for Garofalo, but he handles the task expertly. There is an amazing similarity in tonal quality between himself and Bono and this lends to the authenticity of their sound. Lead guitarist and backing vocalist Softy also has a complicated part to play, as much of the U2 sound emanates from the guitar work of The Edge. Softy handles the intricate rhythms and guitar effects like a true professional and delivers a genuine recreation of the original sound. Drummer Spero holds down the rhythm section with perfect tempo and bassist Tiedemann works seamlessly beside him, bringing the thunderous low end and adding backing vocals.
Garofalo mentions that they focus on the live stage show of U2, where U2 will frequently play songs slightly different from the studio version. Their performances are carefully researched, crafted and even choreographed; an abundance of planning and attention to detail goes into every Almost U2 show.
All in all, this group does an excellent job of bringing the real U2 experience to audiences across the entire Northeast. Please visit their Facebook page, AlmostU2.com and their YouTube channel for videos of live performances. Being a good band is not enough for Almost U2; they are elevating their talent and performances to the next level, allowing us all to relive the glory days of rock ‘n’ roll.
The article originally appeared in the July 23 – 29, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
