Jessie’s Girl Tribute With Drummer Michael Maenza—From Hair Metal to Pop, New Wave & Everything Between

How do you build a tribute show when you're not recreating ONE legendary artist… …but an ENTIRE DECADE? On this episode of Tribute Band Sessions, Mike sits down with drummer Michael Maenza of Jessie’s Girl and the Back to the Eighties Show for a look behind one of the most ambitious concepts in the tribute world. Think about the challenge. The ’80s didn't have one sound. You had massive arena rock, hair metal, new wave, synth-pop, dance music, punk influences, power ballads and some of the biggest pop stars in music history—all competing for space on the radio and MTV. Jessie’s Girl has to bring ALL of it together in one live show. Michael takes us behind the drums and inside the world of a production designed to make audiences feel like they've stepped straight back into the decade of big hair, bigger hooks and MTV at its absolute peak. And this isn't simply a cover band playing an ’80s playlist. Jessie’s Girl has built a full Back to the Eighties experience around veteran New York musicians, multiple vocalists, costumes, personalities and the songs that defined a generation. Along the way, members of the production have even shared the stage with ACTUAL ’80s stars—artists including Bret Michaels, MC Hammer, Colin Hay of Men at Work, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Taylor Dayne, Mike Score of A Flock of Seagulls, Tone Loc, Rob Base and more. We get into what it's like for a drummer to constantly shift styles, sounds and grooves while keeping an enormous live production moving. We also dive into the business behind a successful multi-artist tribute show, the incredible staying power of ’80s music, why audiences still want to experience this decade live and what separates a true theatrical tribute production from somebody simply playing nostalgic songs at a bar. And there's another fascinating question: What happens when the ORIGINAL artists actually join the tribute? For Jessie’s Girl, that isn't hypothetical. It's happened. Whether you lived through the ’80s, discovered the music decades later or just want to understand what goes into creating a successful large-scale tribute production, this episode pulls back the curtain on a completely different side of the tribute business. One drummer. Countless artists. Hundreds of iconic songs. And one mission: Take the audience BACK TO THE ’80s. The official Jessie’s Girl materials describe a multi-vocalist production backed by veteran NYC musicians, including Maenza, and document appearances with numerous original ’80s performers. Links to Michael Maenza https://michaelmaenza.wixsite.com/drums https://www.jessiesgirlnyc.com/ Find Tribute Band Sessions Here ; https://www.youtube.com/@TributeBandSessions Website⁠⁠tributebandsessions.com⁠⁠ Spotify⁠⁠open.spotify.com/show/6uWts5wBIgoZmB3wmL3tsq⁠⁠ Apple Music⁠⁠podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tribute-band-sessions/id1843760366⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠facebook.com/tributebandsessions⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠instagram.com/tributebandsessions⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠tiktok.com/@tributebandsessions⁠⁠ X⁠⁠x.com/TributeBandsPod #TributeBandSessions #JessiesGirl #80sMusic #TributeBands #BackToThe80s 00:00 Introduction — Michael Maenza of Jessie’s Girl 01:42 Growing Up With Music and Becoming a Drummer 05:18 Early Bands and Breaking Into the New York Music Scene 09:06 Becoming a Full-Time Professional Musician 12:47 How Jessie’s Girl First Came Together 16:32 Choosing the Ultimate 1980s Tribute Experience 20:08 Building a Show Around an Entire Decade 23:51 Recreating the Sound, Energy and Style of the ’80s 27:26 Finding the Right Singers and Musicians 31:10 Why Band Chemistry Matters 34:42 Creating the Perfect ’80s Setlist 38:15 Balancing Huge Hits With Unexpected Songs 41:37 Performing With Original ’80s Music Stars 45:18 Working With Tiffany, Taylor Dayne and Other Icons 48:46 Playing Major Venues and High-Profile Events 52:05 The Business Behind a Successful Tribute Band 55:16 Marketing the Show and Selling Tickets 57:42 Advice for New Tribute Bands 59:12 What’s Next for Michael Maenza and Jessie’s Girl #TributeBandSessions #JessiesGirl #80sMusic #TributeBands #BackToThe80s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices