Tributes to two giants of country music head to Eastern Mass. this weekend

Lifelong music fan Rodney Brunelle had been in a variety of bands over the years, and when the country-rock group he was fronting had run its course, he decided to look back.

“Growing up, my father had always played the Johnny Cash records, and we’d sing them together,” said Brunelle, a longtime Attleboro resident. “I knew I could sing those songs, and for some reason I’ve always been told I sound like him, so I decided to lean towards a tribute to Johnny.”

Thus was born Counterfeit Cash, the tribute Brunelle has led since 2017 that will headline an outdoor show at the East Bridgewater Commercial Club at 4 p.m. Saturday (1 Nielsen Ave., $20 through Eventbrite.com or at the door, 508-378-2032).

In fact, this weekend also marks a special benchmark for Counterfeit Cash: One of its key members is branching out on Friday night. Counterfeit Cash guitarist Mike Quaglia will debut his Handsome Young Hank show, a tribute to Hank Williams Sr., at The Alley Theatre in Middleboro (135 Center St., 6-9 p.m., $30, Eventbrite.com, 508-946-1071).

“Mike had joined us and within about two practices, I knew he could sing,” said Brunelle of Quaglia, a Bridgewater resident. “I asked him if there was anything he’d like to sing that we could add to the show and give me a break for a song or two. Mike suggested Hank Williams tunes, and it was a no-brainer.

"He is really, really good at singing them, and he has the look of a young Hank. Of course, Hank was only 29 when he died, so you can say the only Hank is the young Hank. But Mike has gotten into the outfits and everything, dresses the part and has studied how he wants to present it, so I urged him to try doing a show of his own.”

The music scene is busy with tribute acts, of course, and Brunelle’s version includes dressing and playing just like the original Johnny Cash in a trio of himself on guitar and vocals, Quaglia on guitar and a standup bassist.

Pembroke’s Matt York, for example, does a celebration of Cash's music as well as a Highwaymen appreciation show, but as a singer/songwriter with a handful of smart albums of his own songs, York doesn’t try to mimic Cash, and simply performs the songs in his own voice, along with offering biographical stories and historical perspective.

Brunelle, on the other hand, aims to thoroughly impersonate Cash as he brings the audience through the various eras of the Man in Black’s lengthy career.

“Oh, yes, I impersonate Johnny Cash, channel him completely,” said Brunelle. “It feels good and it feels right. The people have seemed to like it, and I have been honestly stunned at how much demand there is for it. We’ve been able to play all over New England, all six of the states and into New York state too.

"Actually, we played a show in upstate New York, at a venue that had reached out to us, and after the show I had to ask the promoters how they found out about us. They told me they had been inquiring about Cash tributes, and we got a recommendation from Tommy Cash, Johnny’s brother. He had told them I sounded as much like his brother as anyone he’d ever heard, and I was floored when they told me that. But it has been very successful with a wide range of venues.”

Brunelle is always expanding the repertoire of Cash music, which of course ranges through country, roots rock, gospel, bluegrass and the latter-period, atmospheric rock of the records produced by Rick Rubin.

“It is really interesting, all the genres Johnny Cash was involved in over the years,” said Brunelle. “I like to deliver a little talk in between songs and try to include a bit of it all in the show. We mainly focus on the classic, early-years Johnny Cash, but it is also fun to look at all the different genres he did work in through the years. Those Rick Rubin records were very popular, as Johnny had a resurgence with a new type of audience, so I try to do that period justice too.”

Brunelle had been a designer for Hasbro Toys for many years, and he now works in technical support for another company. He’s also the proud father of triplet daughters, now 18, who are all in college. But on Saturday, Brunelle will be the guy dressed all in black, with Western boots.

“It’s a Johnny Cash show,” he chuckled. “You can’t just come out in flip-flops!”

And while Brunelle is hoping his guitarist, Quaglia, does well in Middleboro the night before, he emphasizes that it's purely Quaglia’s show.

“That one is Mike’s very first show as the headliner, as Hank Williams Sr.,” Brunelle said. “Mike and his bass player will be doing a show of all Hank songs, and there won’t be any Cash music there. However, I might be way up in the back row, cheering him on.”

Lori McKenna and Brandy Clark at The Wilbur in Boston

Stoughton’s renowned Grammy-winning songwriter Lori McKenna will conclude her 20-date national tour Sunday night with a show at The Wilbur in Boston. Like most of this tour, it is a co-headlining date with country singer Brandy Clark, who has frequently been a McKenna writing partner.

McKenna is touring in support of her new album, “1988,” released in July on CN Records/Thirty Tigers and produced by Nashville’s premier studio wizard, Dave Cobb. The album is a look back at the people and places in McKenna’s 35-year career.

One of the recently released videos from the new record is “The Town in Your Heart,” a nostalgic look at friends and family who make you what you are, co-written with Jessie Jo Dillon and Dustin Christensen.

Hot dates on the South Shore and beyond

THURSDAY: Singer/songwriter Mark Erelli at The Spire Center. Former Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre at The Narrows Center. Dizgo jams at Soundcheck Studios. The dark but indelible folk of Amigo the Devil at Brighton Music Hall. Comic Eugene Mirman at Crystal Ballroom. The Red Clay Strays get down at The Sinclair.

FRIDAY: The blues of Bees Deluxe at The C-Note. The Violent Femmes at MGM Music Hall. New Orleans trumpeter Shamarr Allen sure to light up The Spire Center. Americana princess Amy Helm at The Narrows Center. Pop songsmith Eric Nam at Roadrunner. Session Americana celebrates its 20th year at The Crystal Ballroom. Sweet Wednesdays harmonize at South Shore Folk Music Club. The Kitchen Dwellers jam at The Sinclair. Sun Squabi’s funk heats up Soundcheck Studios. Alt-rocker Barns Courtney at The Paradise Rock Club. The Orrin Evans Trio for piano jazz fans at The RegattaBar. The Adam Ezra Group gets down at The Met Café. Bluesman Willie J. Laws at The Fallout Shelter. The Cyrus Chestnut Trio at Scullers Jazz Club. San Jose rapper Terror Reid at Brighton Music Hall. Maui the Writer offers comic takes on romance and life at City Winery.

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SATURDAY: The Pousette-Dart Band's always top-notch folk rock at The Spire Center. Booty Vortex shakes up Soundcheck Studios. Assisted Living grooves at The C-Note. The Concert (an ABBA tribute) takes over Boston’s Orpheum Theatre. Prog-metal band Tesseract at The Paradise Rock Club. Lynn singer Amanda Mena, who’s been seen on "American Idol" and "America’s Got Talent," is at City Winery. The Walkmen rock Roadrunner. Pop songsmith Peter McPoland, who is 22 years old, at Royale. Pianist Adam Birnbaum at Scullers. The Mumblers rock The Next Page Café. It’s Brazilian Night at the RegattaBar, with Receita de Samba and Ian Coury. Honeysuckle’s sweet folk melodies at Club Passim. The hard rock of Chevelle and Three Days of Grace at MGM Music Hall.

SUNDAY AND BEYOND: Sunday has Thundercat getting down at MGM Music Hall; electronic star French 79 takes over The Paradise Rock Club; City Winery offers the female surf-rock quartet The Surfragettes; and the dark pop of Chappell Roan is at The House of Blues. Monday, look for the hard rock of Chromeo at Roadrunner or the classic blues-rock of North Mississippi All Stars at The Sinclair. Oct. 19, Christian pop star Lauren Daigle is at Agganis Arena; songwriter Lisa Bastoni appears at The Spire Center; and for a road trip, Cary Hall in Lexington has the superb pairing of Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt. The Jayhawks are at City Winery Oct. 19-20 but sold out already. Oct. 20, Vineyard funksters Entrain warm up The Narrows Center. Oct. 21, Lucinda Williams is at The Orpheum; indie-folk singer Gregory Alan Isakov takes over Roadrunner, with The Milk Carton Kids opening.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Sr. tributes shows in Mass. this weekend