Tucked into Prescott’s lively local music scene is a two-piece act proving that you don’t need a full lineup to fill a room with sound. Fall Guys — guitarist and vocalist John Cherene alongside bandmate Tim D’Andrea — have spent the past year and a half delivering high-energy rock hits from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, faithfully recreating the records audiences grew up loving, from Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Doors to Pink Floyd and Chicago. With a lean setup, an ever-growing 100-plus song list, and a knack for turning casual listeners into front-of-stage fans, the duo has carved out a niche all their own. We sat down with Tim and John to talk about the band’s origins, that memorable name and what keeps them coming back to the stage.
Prescott NOW: How long have you been playing together as a band?
Tim: Around April 2023 I auditioned for Flashback, where I met John and drummer Jeff Weatherford. John and I spun out Fall Guys in January 2024 because we saw significant need in Prescott for more cost-effective bands with a smaller footprint.
Prescott NOW: What’s the story behind the band’s name?
Tim: When I was in San Diego, I found myself on stage with a blues band that had no name. The emcee asked us the name of the band. Our guitarist was a great player named Mark Fahl. So he chimed in and called us the Fahl (read “Fall”) Guys. We later were renamed, but I always tucked that name away for a rainy day. By the way, we don’t fall … much.
Prescott NOW: How do you connect with the audience during a show?
Tim: John is an excellent singer and player. People naturally migrate to the stage and engage with us during his amazing solos.
During breaks, I like to walk around and meet folks in the audience. What is remarkable is how often they say this is exactly the kind of music they enjoyed growing up, and the music they like to get out and listen to. We are also working on being ready for requests and bringing impromptu singers up from the audience.
Prescott NOW: How would you describe your sound?
John: We try to sound like the original record because people like that.
Tim: I agree with John because you can see them come up and marvel at John’s authentic replication of the guitar solos.
We lean toward high energy rock hits from primarily the ‘70s, but with lots of ‘60s and ‘80s too. Examples are Lynyrd Skynyrd, Doors, Elvis and some more unique groups like Pink Floyd, Chicago and Righteous Brothers. We are mixing live guitar, bass and vocals with recorded drum tracks. We try to keep it pure and not overly produced. However, you will hear strings and horns in songs from Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, Chicago, etc.
As a two-piece band, we think we are unique in that we have a slightly embellished pure sound that sounds like a full band. Yet we refrain from overproducing and sounding like karaoke.
Prescott NOW: What advice would you give to your younger self?
John: Work for the government.
Tim: I think that your bandmates’ personalities and aspirations are equally as important as the talent level. You should always interview bandmates before you audition to make sure you’re on the same page in terms of aspirations and personalities. And, also try to notice any of those nasty bad habits in advance!
Prescott NOW: What motivates your band to perform?
Tim: We get great responses from our audience because we play the songs that they love. We get many requests that we actually write down and strive to add to our 100-plus song list.
John: I think because the people like the same music that we do, and I love playing that kind of music to people who love it.
Prescott NOW: What brought you to Prescott?
John: A friend of mine who I used to play with in L.A. moved up here. I came up to look and just loved it, so I made the move.
Tim: Years ago when I lived in San Diego, we had great friends in the Prescott area. We visited often and of course loved Whiskey Row. If you make a list of medium-sized U.S. cities that have decent climate and are west of the continental divide, Prescott would be on that list.
