Originally Posted by Marc Barnette
Kind of a "last member standing" You should see the Tempations. They kind of become the grandsons of the sons of the Tempations, three times removed.

Hey, rock and roll is a pretty hard life. So a lot of these guys die out. But here is an interesting factoid from the touring groups this year. I was reading where a lot of record labels are complaining they can't get current rock or country acts on the big stadiums and arena tours because of the "Old Dinosaurs of rock" acts that are drawing all the big crowds. Aerosmith, Stix, Kansas, Kiss, Springsteen, Dylan, etc. are all out there, breaking box office records.

I was just in Fla, where Willie Nelson, John Cougar Mellencamp, and Bob Dylan, were playing in front of 15,000 people in a big outdoor amphitheater. My friends who went, said Willie was good, Mellancamp was GREAT and Dylan was the weirdest they had ever seen him, even weirder than they had ever seen him and they were Dylan fans. Most people left four songs into his set. Of course with Dylan that was probably forty minutes.

The next night Chesney was there and did great. Then the night after that, Counting Crowes cancelled due to lack of sales.

So it is a weird trip out there.

MAB
That doesn't surprise me Marc that the "nostalgia" bands will always do well, even though most of them are missing key members. Skynyrd, [everyone except Rossington,] Journey--Steve Perry, Styx--Dennis Deyoung,Foreigner--Lou Grahmn--Bad Company --Paul Rodgers,ect. I think your average "Classic Rock" era tank-top-wearing mulletted "Joe six-pack" is completely oblivious to these kind of things unfortunately. It's all in "Brand name recognition". Last year my bud Sonny Moorman who shares the same manager {Willie Perkins} as the Allman Brothers got me 5th row from the stage when they {The Allmans} were in Cincinnati. I'm a life-long Allman Bros fan, but have soured on them somewhat since they fired Dickey Betts. {Although I KNOW Dickey contributed COMPLETELY to his firing.} But there I was in the fifth row, and the couple next to me remarked that the "young blond guy" {Derek Trucks} didn't "look like Dickey" to them, which I explained to them that Dickey had not been in the band for the past TEN YEARS, and they were TOTALLY SHOCKED!! These are the same kind of people that don't realize that KISS have been dressing up two other guys as Ace Frehley and Peter Criss {Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer}the past 10 years, or even know that Roger Waters ever left Pink Floyd,{or even know the name of Roger Waters!} I know people who STILL think that Ian Anderson's NAME is "Jethro Tull"! Bottom line, it's all about "name recognition" because time and time again the "masses" prove that they are TRULY asses! As far as the Dylan/ Willie/ Mellencamp show went, that comes as no surprise either. I have seen Dylan MANY times, and he marches to his own drummer, and couldn't care less what the audience thinks. His past few tours he apparently fancies himself as Billy Joel and plays piano almost exclusively, and rearranges his songs beyond recognition.

I saw Willie a couple of years ago with John Fogerty {who kicked ASS and took names!}and Willie pretty much sing-talked his songs, and I was COMPLETELY shocked at how sloppy his long-time band was.{A little too much ganja perhaps?} Mellencamp on the other hand is the CONSUMATE "give the people what they paid for" showman, and I'm sure he was brilliant. BTW, JPF'S own Jenn Cristy was a Mellencamp back-up singer for a few years...Check out her solo turn on "Peaceful World" on the "Concert For New York" CD/DVD!

Last edited by Bob Cushing; 08/11/09 07:04 AM.
bc