The Bee Gees are Back …

James Garcia ’17 has always enjoyed performing live. Throughout college, he maintained his passion for performing by forming several cover bands with his pals. He saw the potential in tribute bands after graduating and joining a wedding band. These days, he leads You Should Be Dancing, a vibrant Bee Gees tribute band that regularly sells out venues across the state, as president and founder.

Growing up, I participated in choir and musicals, but I didn’t always feel comfortable singing. However, during my final year at UCSB, I decided to form an 80s glam cover band with some friends from the jazz band. I stepped forward because no one else wanted to sing. That gave me more self-assurance, and we had a great time. I put together a couple of bands after college and played the bar circuit for the next six years. In an attempt to make the effort more worthwhile, I later joined a wedding band.

We received an invitation to play for Super Diamond, a Neil Diamond tribute band. My biggest show to date was that one, and it made me consider doing tributes to other bands. The number of tributes to Journey, Guns and Roses, and other bands appeared to be excessive. However, I discovered after some investigation that California did not have a single Bee Gees tribute band.