02/22/25
Happy Basset Barrel House, Topeka, KS
Piece of Eddie, Kansas City’s Iron Maiden tribute band, brought their A game and debut show to the Happy Basset Barrel House in Topeka, KS. While the venue was huge, and the service was excellent, my biggest peeve of the night was having the audience sit so far back from the stage. That’s right, there was a humongous dance floor that separated the crowd from the band.
The KC-born band was formed in 2023 by Jim “Moose” Solito, who placed a Craigslist ad looking for bandmates who shared the love and enthusiasm for metal Gods Iron Maiden. Soon, Moose found bandmates, guitarist Michael Penze and bassist Ed Tonsing. In the summer of 2024, the band welcomed a well-known power couple in the music scene, guitarist Jeff Knittel and vocalist Shelly Knittel.
Tonight’s sets were about an hour each, with a short intermission, and covered 22 songs from the Iron Maiden library, so there was something for everyone. A mix of old and new. During intermission fans that paid attention noticed the acoustic version of Infinite Dreams playing. I would have to say my favorites of the night were “Flight of Icarus,” “Wasted Time,” “Children of the Damned,” “Fear of the Dark,” “Trooper,” and “Number of the Beast.”
Love’em or hate’em, tribute bands are here to stay and this is one tribute band I want to stay. I stand by these words: Piece of Eddie has spent countless hours learning the music, and it shows. They are a super tight-playing band and certainly did not butcher the Iron Maiden legacy. You know the sound, the catchy riffs, the beats of the drums, and the storyline. Shelly also had a handful of prop changes and Eddie was in constant rotation in the background.
If you are an Iron Maiden fan, I highly recommend this show. The band has two upcoming shows: March 22nd at The Farm in Liberty, MO and April 19th at Café Acoustic in Saint Joseph, MO.
