[bright music] [group chattering] [object clinks] - [Companion 1] Are you guys feeling good?

[subdued music] [drum sticks clang] [companion laughing] - I was definitely very nervous at first.

[subdued music] I always loved singing.

- [Companion 1] Nick, can you do little more of that?

[drum rolls] Perfect.

- But stage fright is something that I've always struggled with.

[subdued music] [electric guitar humming] [companion faintly speaking] [drum rolls] - [Companion 1] Oh.

[subdued music] - [Chelley] Friends would try to get me up on stage [group chattering] [subdued music] - [Chelley] and I would say no.

This was something that I didn't do in front of anyone.

[subdued music] [cymbals clang] but it just always looked so fun and I would think to myself like, it would be so nice to have the guts to do that.

[subdued music] [drum rolls] [energetic music] - There's this thing called a Cover Up.

[energetic music] It's hard to describe what it is.

[energetic music] - It's like the best karaoke but more.

[energetic music] - [Greg] Nobody knows what's going to happen.

- It might be Fall Out Boy and you might be like, who is Fall Out Boy?

[energetic music] - It was probably the most exhilarating thing I've ever done.

[energetic music] - [Greg] You just have to experience it.

[energetic music] - The Great Cover Up.

[drum rolls] [attendees cheering] [soft upbeat music] - [Chelley] From the time I was little, I knew I wanted to perform.

[soft upbeat music] There was something inside of me that just wanted to come out.

[soft upbeat music] - [Paul] Yeah, I guess you could say that like a lot of creative types, I was a little bit odd amongst my classmates.

[soft upbeat music] In seventh grade, I started getting into music.

[soft upbeat music] - [Chelley] I would dress up in, put on plays in my living room, but singing was something that always felt much more personal to me.

[upbeat music] - I would go through my sister's Steely Dan records, Allman Brothers, Jimi Hendrix was huge, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and that basically led to playing guitar.

[upbeat music] - I was fine singing groups of people, things like singing at church because you can just sort of hide in the mix.

But solo was another story.

[soft upbeat music] But then, like I kind of got tired of being scared and so I wanted to work past it.

[soft upbeat music] - Gradually, I'm finding my way with people that are like-minded and people that I looked up to and one of the people that I was immediately excited to get to know was somebody named Cheetie Kumar.

[soft upbeat music] - I kind of always had that magnetic attachment to music.

♪ Once I had a love and it was a gas ♪ - I loved Blondie and The Contenders, The Runaways, and Lita Ford, and Joan Jett, and like you know, girls that played guitar.

Those were my heroes.

♪ But that's what I've gone through ♪ - Paul and I met and we just were friends for a while and then we got together.

[upbeat music] He was like, "Let's start a band."

[energetic music] So, I started playing guitar and I really learned on the road, you know, the terror of performing teaches you real fast.

[energetic music] - One of the things we loved doing on tour was playing in warehouses and feeling like your parents were out of town and you were just in this great basement and you were having a rock show there.

We wanted to have a place that felt like that but the cops weren't gonna come bust it.

[energetic music] Let's just make a place where we're not gonna get in trouble for having live music.

[upbeat music] - Paul talked about it constantly, finally like they got this spot and opened this real ragtag operation.

We didn't even have drains behind the bar, so that was like, oh okay, I guess we're doing this now.

[laughs] [upbeat music] Kings was started by Paul, Ben, and Steve.

They were month to month for a long time and it was really hard to make it there.

[upbeat music] - Immediately, we were trying to think of other things to do.

Around that time is when The Great Cover Up was born.

♪ You think you're gonna take her away ♪ ♪ With your money and your cocaine ♪ [upbeat music] - We had the idea of doing a benefit for victims of Hurricane Floyd, which had really decimated Eastern North Carolina.

[energetic music] There was this guy named Jason Wright from Champaign, Illinois who was like, "You know this thing that we used to do is like this benefit that everybody would dress up like a different band and be that band for like a very short set.

♪ Lie to me ♪ - And nobody would know who they're gonna be."

[attendees cheering] We were just like, that sounds awesome.

♪ Nazareth ♪ ♪ Was feeling 'bout half past dead ♪ ♪ Shout at the devil ♪ [energetic music] - Let's put that on the calendar.

So, we put it on the calendar for early December of 1999.

[energetic music] ♪ So let's get a party going ♪ ♪ Let's get a party going ♪ ♪ Now it's time to party and we'll party hard ♪ ♪ Party hard ♪ - [Paul] And whatever money came in went to a local charity.

♪ You think it's funny that you're taking all my money ♪ ♪ But I don't ♪ - The whole idea was that it's a coverup and it's a secret.

[attendees cheering] That element of surprise was a big part of it.

[rock music] - It was an immediate hit.

Everybody had a great time.

And so, that just sort of built on itself.

- This is song is for people who know what rock and roll is about!

[attendees cheering] [energetic music] - My daughter has not told me what her act is tonight.

It's a complete secret.

[attendees chattering] - It's like that perfect combination of being surprised and being like nostalgic at the same time.

- Everybody's so cool.

They would never admit in a million years that they're secretly a Jimmy Buffet fan or something.

♪ Well, I feel so broke up ♪ ♪ I wanna go home ♪ [attendees cheer and clap] - I mean, you name it and it's probably been done at The Great Cover Up.

[upbeat music] But the fun part about that is, there's still a lot of bands that haven't been done.

[upbeat music] - I can't tell you a particular band I've just longed to see because when you get out there, every band is your favorite band.

[upbeat music] [attendees cheering] - My personal favorite, oh man, a couple weekends ago, we saw the Backstreet Boys.

That was incredible.

♪ I may run and hide ♪ - Hey, it's tough to top that.

♪ Well, it's my heart ♪ [soft upbeat music] - [Paul] Whether it's Alabama Shakes, ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ - Foo Fighters, [upbeat music] Fleetwood Mac is that runs the gamut.

[country music] [upbeat music] ♪ Giving up, I close my eyes ♪ [upbeat music] - [Chelley] The first time I did the Cover Up, I was so nervous, I don't remember anything being on stage.

♪ Wait, they don't love you ♪ - It was my first time being on stage like that and I just got the performance bug, like the adrenaline rush I had after performing, I just was like buzzing.

[energetic music] It was so fun, couldn't wait to do it again.

♪ I'm here, to remind you ♪ ♪ Of the mess you left when you went away ♪ ♪ It's not fair ♪ [group chattering] - This year, we have 60 bands doing it.

I missed what you said right before you, yeah.

It's taxing, you know?

But at the same time, we want to give everybody that wants to do it a chance and we basically have never returned anybody away.

Now, having said that, we definitely regretted a few people that we let play.

[laughs] [upbeat music] This is one of my favorites of all time is Cheetie Kumar assembling a band to do The Pretenders [upbeat music] and they just crushed it, 'cause Cheetie always drills the band like hard.

[upbeat music] ♪ Strike a pose.

♪ - [Paul] I think this is the only Madonna.

♪ Come on, vogue ♪ ♪ Vogue ♪ - [Paul] Janna was always very dramatic in her performances.

♪ Hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ Come on ♪ [energetic music] - Our band, Birds of Avalon, are all big Duran Duran fans.

[energetic music] When we decided, okay, let's do it.

I was like, well, Duran Duran only has one guitar player so we're Duran Duran proper with guest guitarist, Jane Wiedlin, played by me.

I'm an ugly Jane Wiedlin, [upbeat music] but I do love wearing a miniskirt.

[upbeat music] There's definitely people this year that are doing it that have never done it before.

And I usually just send an email like when I know it's somebody that's new, I'm just like, are you familiar with how this works and are you familiar with the fact that it's really encouraged to dress up?

And please do not play longer than 18 to 20 minutes.

And all that sort of stuff.

[energetic music] As the first night approaches, it's just a lot to organize and keep track of.

[energetic music] I don't know where the curtain is.

I think it's in one of these containers.

[energetic music] - Today, I am trying to prepare.

It's scrunch time.

[energetic music] ♪ Now it's easy ♪ - [Paul] Every year I dread like thinking that it got thrown away.

♪ You think it's sleazy ♪ - My biggest fear for a Cover Up is forgetting my lyrics.

Still a lot of work to be done there.

[energetic music] - To add mystery to this whole Cover Up thing, the band needed to be hidden as they were getting ready.

So, I went to Walmart and got three bedsheets, laid 'em on the floor at the old Kings, and got some spray paint and wrote Great Cover Up, and then a little dude with sunglasses, [energetic music] 'cause it had that sort of like Maxwell smart kind of like detective thing, can we find out who's... How are we gonna find out?

Cover up is just a fun phrase.

♪ You think it's sleazy ♪ - No, it's not.

See?

No, I'm actually getting nervous, 'cause I thought that was gonna be it.

[energetic music] ♪ The hardest button to button ♪ [dramatic music] - It's definitely a lot of work to get it right.

[gentle music] You almost have to have this like tunnel vision.

[gentle music] You know, this obsession.

[upbeat music] - Pretty much anything worth doing ain't gonna be easy.

This is crazy.

I got a lot of good stuff in here.

- [Chelley] You're fighting against those voices of self-doubt.

[upbeat music] - I ask myself, why am I doing this again?

[upbeat music] It would be a lot easier not to.

- Imposter syndrome is real.

- Ah, here we go.

This is the Cover Up check.

[cymbals clang] [upbeat music] The original Kings was torn down in 2007, [upbeat music] so 2010, we moved over to Martin Street.

It's been awesome.

We've had so many great events, great bands.

♪ Easy lover ♪ ♪ She'll get a hold on you, believe it ♪ - Oh yes.

Oh yeah.

Oh, thank God.

[laughs] There it is.

[upbeat music] Okay.

[metal clinks] [upbeat music] - The Cover Up starts on Friday.

Tonight will be our first practice.

[energetic music] [machine beeping] [energetic music] Hopefully I'll feel good leaving that, 'cause I'm not sure we'll have another one.

[group chattering] [energetic music] - Hello.

- Hey!

- Deliberately obnoxious.

- Let's try it.

- You got it.

[cymbals clang] [upbeat music] - [Chelley] It's always the most fun getting together for the first time and seeing how close we are.

♪ Surrender all your dreams to me tonight ♪ - Basics of, you're like, this is gonna suck.

Just remember it's not that bad.

Nothing is ever that bad.

- No.

- You have to overcome all these hurdles within yourself, [upbeat music] and then on top of that or there's the complications of wrangling a bunch of other people.

- It's going into a verse, yeah.

- I wasn't sure about that.

- Is anybody playing that, like up strum?

- I feel like that would be helpful.

[group chattering] ♪ We're running with the shadows of my mind ♪ ♪ So, baby, take my hand ♪ ♪ We'll be all right ♪ - To get the experience of playing with all these incredible people in the community and just to feel taken under people's wings, helped me get over that imposter syndrome I mentioned.

But the day of the show every single year, I'm like, why do I do this again?

Because I'm just like a nervous wreck.

[energetic music] - Dude.

- You nailed it, dude.

[group laughing] - Yeah.

- Woo.

It [faintly speaks] - [Band Member] Some water.

[band member laughing] - Now, we are just waiting for my backup singers and we're gonna go over some little vocal practice.

- Hi.

- Hi.

- [Backup Singer] Good.

How are you?

- And we're sitting around the table listening to the songs.

Pick out the different vocal arrangements.

Who's gonna do what part?

- It's like a... ♪ Hee, hee, hee ♪ ♪ Heartache to heartache ♪ ♪ We stand ♪ - What do you guys think about individual versus sharing a mic?

- There's nine people on stage.

- If we're singing the same part most of the time, we could share one.

- Yeah.

♪ I could do, yeah ♪ - Mm-hmm.

- It's like, broken on the beat.

- Mm-hmm.

♪ Feels to me ♪ - Oh my gosh, I love this.

- Amazing.

- [Chelley] Then, of course, I've gotta get the costumes down.

- Wow.

- I really like to make my own.

[upbeat music] Tons of wigs.

[upbeat music] No surprise there.

Oh, this is a fun one.

This one was for Cyndi Lauper.

And I had just already had this like long pink wig and cut it and used like turmeric to dye part of it, and added like some weird feather things.

And this was from The Go-Go's.

It's just so fun to have such big hair.

This jumpsuit was for Yeah Yeah Yeahs and I made this amazing cape with hands all over it.

I'm always trying to do some fun craft project for the Cover Up.

[upbeat music] I can't tell you who I'm doing this year.

You might already know though.

[upbeat music] If you know anything about '80s pop.

♪ You're a heartbreaker ♪ ♪ Dream maker, love taker ♪ ♪ Don't you mess around with me ♪ ♪ You're a heartbreaker ♪ ♪ Dream maker, love taker ♪ ♪ Don't you mess around, no, no, no ♪ Everyone I play with is so good.

[upbeat music] It's just amazing to show up in a room and watch everyone just crush it.

♪ Drownin' me in your promises ♪ ♪ Better left ♪ [guitar strums] All right, let's go again from the top.

♪ Time has come today ♪ ♪ And so all the good people ♪ - Running to pick up.

I just started doing this.

[laughs] Oh wait, I gotta erase that.

♪ All the clever people ♪ - Okay.

♪ Wanna tell you ♪ - This is [censored] crazy.

[laughs] ♪ Dance, it's true ♪ - All right.

Professionally done.

No, the curtains have definitely not been washed.

♪ Me ♪ - So, that's 5, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 'cause we skipped a few years 'cause Kings was closed for a minute.

I guess I figured that if there's something alive on them, it'll be dead by the time the next Cover Up comes down.

[laughs] [upbeat music] We're gonna go see what we can find to hang it on.

The second greatest invention of mankind will probably come in handy, the zip tie.

[upbeat music] [Paul laughing] It's supposed to be longer.

[upbeat music] All right, well, let's go pick up some amplifiers.

[upbeat music] The day of the first Cover Up night, we are running around to get things all organized.

So, this is Harry's Guitar Shop.

I need to get the back line together so the drums and amps are all there.

So, I've known Mike for 30 years.

- That's a great amp.

- Okay, cool.

And if something happens to it, we will reimburse Mike.

- Of course.

- I got this hatchback.

I think I can fit everything in.

Of course I plan on having most of this stuff done before the first night, but I don't.

Boom.

- I think this was an extra, but yeah, I think we're good.

- Okay.

- Call me if you need anything.

If you run into any problems or anything.

- Texting Yvonne.

[subdued music] You lost two bands tonight.

[subdued music] So, it's really three bands less than the original plan.

Mm.

[subdued music] [Paul sighs] It's a lot of moving parts.

[subdued music] Well, why don't they just... [indistinct] Band can just play last.

Sometimes I might act like I'm not nervous, but I probably am.

We had 10 bands on this night and now we're done with seven 'cause of two sickness.

[instrument twangs] [drum rolls] Clearly a natural.

[drum rolls] [upbeat music] - The last minute nerves definitely happen.

[upbeat music] Stage fright is still something I deal with to this day.

[upbeat music] Like, will I be able to pull this off?

[upbeat music] - I mean, you hope it's gonna work out because it always does.

[Paul laughing] [upbeat music] Is that trepidatious enough?

[laughs] I'll just be myself.

- Just be yourself.

That's what the people want.

[upbeat music] [engine humming] - Making our entrance.

- Yes.

Is it time?

- [Companion 2] There's not a big line.

- That's literally what we said.

[companion faintly speaking] - There's been a line like every year for the past decade.

Kind of freaking me out.

- [Companion 3] Well, it was raining today.

- It was.

I'm sure everything's gonna be fine.

[bright music] - I mean, this is a cultural institution.

All right, you're talking over two decades of contributions to our city through music, beverage, art, dancing.

But can I continue?

No, in all seriousness, you don't need to hear it from me.

You've got the whole community right here behind us ready to celebrate in like two minutes.

[upbeat music] - Part of the Cover Up is the surprise element and seeing folks who would never go see a cover band or would just, if, you know, secretly not want to admit it.

- I really liked that the acts are secret and that you don't know until they're introduced and that just adds some excitement.

- [Paul] How's everybody doing?

[attendees cheering] [upbeat music] - Nobody knows what's going to happen.

The big curtain, which now has all the notches on it and all those things.

[upbeat music] - A lot of it is that element of surprise, looking through that kind of gnarly curtain.

- The ratty curtain, like it's not really covering anything up, but by that time, everybody's already in.

They bought into the whole idea.

- Trying to figure out like from the instruments and the costumes and the glimpses, you can see like who's it gonna be.

- [Paul] Ladies and gentlemen, the pride of Gainesville, Florida, Thomas Earl Petty and the Heartbreaker.

[energetic music] [attendees cheering] - So, for the bands that are playing at the Cover Up, getting the music right is one thing, but the icing on the cake is when they actually look the part too and they've actually put the effort into getting the period clothing and getting the makeup right, wigs if necessary, and really getting in character.

[upbeat music] ♪ Ooh ♪ [upbeat music] - It's part of the gig, right?

[upbeat music] It's not just getting up and like banging out these songs that you know or you figured out.

[upbeat music] It's really trying to take on that persona as well.

[energetic music] - Back in the old days, there would be some people that would just get up and play.

It became apparent that if you dressed up, it was just more fun.

[laughs] Who doesn't wanna get dressed up [laughs] and play makeup?

[energetic music] ♪ Let's go, girls ♪ [energetic music] ♪ Come on ♪ [upbeat music] - The backstage at The Great Cover Up is just total chaos.

♪ I'm going out tonight ♪ ♪ I'm feeling all right ♪ ♪ Gonna let it all hang out ♪ - [Chelley] Doing last minute costume adjustments, making sure all of our wigs are on.

♪ Yeah, I wanna scream and shout ♪ - [Chelley] Everyone's been working towards this night for a while and it's just full of encouragement.

[upbeat music] But yeah, we're all back there.

Just last minute cramming.

[gentle music] [crowd chattering] - [Chelley] And if you've selected a Cover Up act that has a lot of lyrics, that's the thing that most vocalists are worried about messing up.

[gentle music] [crowd chattering] - [Paul] All right, you guys ready?

[attendees cheering] [Paul faintly speaking] - By the time we take the stage, it's really all a blur to me.

[dramatic music] All that work that you've done, it's really time to sink or swim.

[dramatic music] - So, ladies and gentleman, tonight, we have a [indistinct] [group chattering] [tensed music] - Better known as Pat Benatar!

[attendees cheering] [dramatic music] ♪ Many times I've tried to tell you ♪ ♪ Many times I've cried alone ♪ - [Chelley] The Cover Up has turned into just such a large event that we're lucky to have in the city, especially with all the proceeds going to charity.

[attendees cheering] - It's good for the community because arts are good for the community and this kind of art needs a place like this.

- [Chelley] Having everyone come together, so many talented people under one roof is something that's really special.

[group chattering] - I guess it's just that communal thing.

It's the same reason we used to hang out in record stores for hours on end because you share this love for this transcendental thing, right?

♪ To the doubts that complicate your mind ♪ ♪ We belong to the light ♪ ♪ We belong to the thunder ♪ ♪ We belong to the sound of the words ♪ ♪ We've both fallen under ♪ [upbeat music] - It's nice to feel like you belong to the community and like you're part of something bigger than yourself.

♪ We belong, we belong ♪ ♪ We belong together ♪ [attendees cheer and clap] I spent a lot of time in my life being scared of doing this thing that is now like my favorite part of life.

[laughs] [dramatic music] It's led me to trying to get over fears in other areas of my life as well.

[dramatic music] [group chattering] - [Paul] I hope that as long as there's a Kings, that there's a Great Cover Up.

[group chattering] - But the more important thing to me is that there can be a Great Cover Up anywhere.

[gentle music] We need joys in our life and music does that.

It hits all the senses and I see no reason why we couldn't do The Great Cover Up in another city and let them in on a little window of how much fun we've had doing this for the past 25 years.

[energetic music] ♪ Your love is like a tidal wave ♪ ♪ Spinning over my head ♪ ♪ Drownin' me in your promises ♪ ♪ Better left unsaid ♪ ♪ You're the right kind of sinner ♪ ♪ To release my inner fantasy ♪ ♪ The invincible winner ♪ ♪ And you know that you were born to be ♪ ♪ You're a heartbreaker ♪ ♪ Dream maker, love taker ♪ ♪ Don't you mess around with me ♪ ♪ You're a heartbreaker ♪ ♪ Dream maker, love taker ♪ ♪ Don't you mess around, no, no, no ♪ [energetic music] [energetic music continues] [attendees cheer and clap] ♪ We got the beat ♪ ♪ we got the beat ♪ ♪ Yeah, we got the beat ♪ [energetic music] [attendees cheering] ♪ We got the beat ♪ [energetic music] [attendees cheering] ♪ We got the beat ♪ ♪ Everybody get on your feet ♪ ♪ Get on your feet ♪ ♪ We know you can dance to the beat ♪ ♪ We got the beat ♪ ♪ And I can easily understand ♪ ♪ How you could easily take my man ♪ ♪ But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene ♪ ♪ Girls just wanna have fun ♪ [upbeat music]