Locals or legends? A long-running tradition at Kings invites area musicians to show up on stage in disguise, for a good cause.
by David Menconi | photography by Rodney Boles

Anticipation is high in the dimly lit room. The fans in the audience have waited in line, paid their covers, ordered their drinks. But they don’t know who will appear on stage. Years past have featured detailed recreations of everyone from Shania Twain to Run-DMC to the Grateful Dead, but the lineup isn’t announced in advance. Only a trusted few know who or what they’ll see before the curtains part.

This is the fun of The Great Cover Up, an annual series of shows at Kings. A sort of Halloween for the music scene, it’s a chance for local performers to pay tribute to their influences and idols, dressing up and mimicking them. It’s become one of the Triangle’s longest-running annual events, a quirky fundraiser for those in the know.

The event dates back to the fall of 1999, after Hurricane Floyd ravaged Eastern North Carolina with devastating floods. Kings had just opened in downtown Raleigh, and the owners were pondering how to pitch in. They wanted to do something more offbeat than a simple fundraising benefit. An out-of-town friend had a suggestion.

“A guy from Champaign, Illinois, told us about an event up there where bands dressed up and played covers,” says Kings co-founder Paul Siler. “So we ran with the idea and did a weekend, four or five bands a night, and raised a nice amount to donate. It was so much fun we decided to do it again the next year.”

More than a quarter of a century later, The Great Cover Up still raises money for causes (including Hurricane Helene flood relief last year; KidzNotes, SPCA and InterAct in years past) and has expanded into multiple weekends, with scores of bands participating. (The 2026 edition will take place Jan. 23 & 24, 30 & 31 and Feb. 13 & 14). The musicians aren’t paid, but they still line up to play. 

Cover Up subjects have included Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Blondie, The Rolling Stones, INXS and more. Sometimes the participants are actual full bands like The Backsliders or Siler’s Birds of Avalon. But as often as not, they’re ad hoc ensembles brought together for the occasion.

Some of the most memorable Cover Up star turns from years past have been women in gender-switching roles, like Caroline Mamoulides as Journey’s Steve Perry. Before her death from cancer in 2024, Reese McHenry was a Cover Up legend, covering Led Zeppelin, the Black Crowes and AC/DC.

Doing a cover subject justice usually involves dressing up. (Though in 2017, members of the cover band 1999 Problems played as the Red Hot Chili Peppers in a state of undress, with strategically placed instruments and socks keeping it PG-13.) Musicians often go all-out with elaborate costumes and wigs to evoke the likes of Meat Loaf or Dolly Parton. Chelley Godwin, who portrayed legendary country icon Parton last year, found a suitably elegant sequined dress at the vintage clothing store TrunkShow.

“Got a wig to go with it, and it was perfect,” says Godwin. “Dolly was a big one, very important to get just right. For others, I’ve made the outfit myself, like cutting off a tank top for No Doubt. I love a craft moment. Anytime I have an opportunity to make a costume, it’s great.”

As outlined in a 2025 PBS documentary about the Cover Up phenomenon, Godwin is a longtime regular. She’s covered a dozen different acts going back to 2012, when she overcame stage fright to make her debut as Karen O of New York punk band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. She has since covered The Go-Go’s, The Cranberries, Pat Benatar, Cyndi Lauper and Alanis Morissette. Godwin’s parents, who are always in the audience for her Cover Up performances, especially liked those last two.

“Me doing Cyndi Lauper struck a chord with my mom because she says I would sing along to ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’ as a 2-year-old,” she says. “She also remembers me screaming along to Alanis’ ‘Jagged Little Pill’ as a teenager in my bedroom. When I did Alanis, I was taken aback at the crowd response because everyone was singing along.”

Along with serving as host and MC, Siler has played the event countless times himself as everyone from Devo to The Who. Keeping things moving can be very hands-on work. One time when a band didn’t show up, Siler and two friends jumped onstage for a 10-minute power-trio version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days.”

“Just turning lemons into lemonade,” says Siler. “Cover Up is something I look forward to and dread at the same time, because of all the logistics. I try to schedule a balance between accessible and hipster. It’s such a cool tradition. It can really evoke the feeling of seeing Led Zeppelin or AC/DC in a small room.”

Keyboardist Greg Rice has played in even more Cover Ups than Godwin — “17 that I can remember,” he says — covering everyone from The White Stripes to Electric Light Orchestra. He says it’s always a blast, even just hanging out watching everyone else.

“The best part is the clubhouse feeling of belonging that you get,” says Rice, who has played in The Cartridge Family, Backsliders and Terry Anderson’s OAK Team. “It’s like a high school or family reunion. We all pooh-pooh cover bands, but everybody in the crowd winds up singing along. Get right down to it and everybody’s a Jimmy Buffett fan, whether they’ll admit it or not.”

This article originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of WALTER magazine.