If you saw country paragon Johnny Cash perform live, good for you!

If you didn't, bummer. The Man in Black died in 2003, after five decades of building one of the most staggeringly awesome careers in modern American music.

So in 2011, Cash fans must seek out the next best thing. Now, I haven't seen every Cash tribute act on the planet, but it's hard to imagine one that more closely resembles the man himself — both in sound and appearance — than San Diego's Cash'd Out.

Fronted by Cash doppelganger Douglas Benson and his rich, reverberant voice, Cash'd Out is a walking, talking shrine to The Man in Black's early Columbia and Sun Records years. Teamed up with a trio of authentically throwback sidemen on guitar, drums and upright bass, Benson and his band bear a striking resemblance to Cash and his famous backing combo, the Tennessee Three.

According to their website, Cash'd Out counts more than 100 Cash songs among their repertoire, including “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “A Boy Named Sue” and, of course, “Ring of Fire,” all done in that iconic shuffling, slap-bass style. Visit www.cashdout.com to get a sense for just how good these guys are.