Flowerheads are danceable and psychedelic

There is no shortage of tribute bands imitating the Beatles, Rolling Stones or KISS, but the Large Flowerheads have chosen to honor an entire decade: the 1960s.
They look like the 60s with their Paisley shirts and Nehru jackets and they sound enough like the bands of that era to be the real thing. The Large Flowerheads will headline an outdoor show on Olde New Jersey Avenue in North Wildwood starting at noon April 26 as part of the Sensational Sixties Weekend.
The band’s drummer, Maureen “Moe” Jerant said the Flowerheads began playing in the early 90s when they combined grunge with 60’s tunes. The band split up for 13 years and then reformed and went straight 60’s hits.
All four of the band’s members can sing lead vocals. Jerant calls bass player/organist Dano D’Amelio “the king of 60’s music.” He has a collection of vintage guitars and plays a Farfisa organ that has the right sound for many 60’s songs.
Rhythm guitarist Greg Geist owns a Rickenbacher, associated with the “jangly” guitar sound of the 60’s.
Lead guitarist Billy Trexler plays an electric sitar on some songs. Jerant said D’Amelio likes to create 60’s hits note for note while Trexler follows original solos from records but does his own guitar solo in the middle and then returns to the original solo.
“We’ve got 10 years to pull from,” said Jerant, noting they get the most requests for songs from 1965 to 1967. Their set list includes “Not Your Steppin’ Stone,” “96 Tears,” “Time Won’t Let Me,” “Wooly Bully,” “Hanky Panky” and “Hang On Sloopy.”
Jerant has been told she does a pretty good Grace Slick while singing Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit.”
The members of the Large Flowerheads, which are based in Bethlehem, Pa., are about 10 years younger than the musicians they emulate.
“There is an amazing passion in each of us to play and we all could play other music and play it well, but I think what really comes through for this band is our passion for just playing,” said Jerant