I spoke with a few friends over the weekend, and realized that I may be using some incorrect terminology. I've been saying "cover band," but the way I understand it, when a band covers only one band's songs, they're more properly classified as a "tribute band." So that's what I'm looking for, a festival-style concert involving tribute bands.
I'm on the case.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Cover Bands
I was thinking the other night about LeRoi Moore, and how the Dave Matthews Band, in its original, most correct state, is done. The same is true for thousands of bands who've lost a member: Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers Band, Metallica, The Doors, Alice In Chains, and many more. Granted, Metallica's most popular days came after the loss of Cliff Burton, and the Allman Brothers Band still tours today, but to people who've followed the band since they became popular (like myself with regards to the Dave Matthews Band), the band is gone, and this is a new band with similar members.
Anyways, it got me to thinking about all of the bands who've broken up or lost members and who I'll likely never see in concert, and how that's a shame. Then I thought about the Michael McDonald concert I went to a few weeks ago (laugh if you like, but it was a good show), and how many of his most exciting songs were actually cover songs: Living For The City (Stevie Wonder), Into The Mystic (Van Morrison), Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen), Walk On By (Dionne Warwick), and several Motown songs. This is along the same lines as many jazz artists, who often play almost exclusively songs written by someone else. Jazz fans appreciate this; they get to hear familiar songs with a personal touch by the artists. But if you were to go to a rock show and the band played mostly cover songs, you'd be dissatisfied.
Or at least you think you would be. But say you went to a concert of a newer band, Wolfmother we'll say. They've got one album with 12 songs. Presumably they'll play more than 12 songs, so you're either going to hear songs you don't know, or covers. While I'm open to some new songs, it's always nice to hear familiarity. So if they played 8 of the songs from the album, plus assorted songs by their stated influences (Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, The White Stripes), I don't think anybody would go home unhappy (unless of course they sucked, but we'll assume they play the songs reasonably well).
A couple of particularly interesting bands to cover (and two that support the point I'm about to make) are Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. Those are two bands who've broken up for good and lost former members to death (George Harrison and John Lennon from The Beatles, John Bonham from Led Zeppelin), and even if they hadn't, the living members are getting awfully old, and we can foresee a time when they're all dead and gone, or at least incapable of playing shows.
So should the band's music die with the band? Of course not. We own CDs, we bought songs on iTunes, some of us own records and cassettes, we know how to play the songs on guitar or bass or drums, we sing the songs. We know the songs won't die as long as we like them. But there's something different and special about hearing a song played by professional musicians, people who know the song inside and out. But if Led Zeppelin is gone, how will we ever be able to enjoy their music in a concert again?
Cover bands. Cover bands are the answer. I know what you're saying, "Cover bands are lame, they just play other people's music." Think about that, though. Most music today is derivative of some music played in the past. Some of it is more than derivative; some songs are simply rearrangements, identical songs with changed lyrics, or out and out cover songs. And we're generally okay with that. So why would we not give any credit to a cover band? They've got the chops to play the music, and we like the music (or at least we did when the original band played it). I understand that there's a concern for a quality drop-off with cover bands, but if it's a really good cover band full of folks who can really play the shit out of their instrument, what do I care?
I'm stating for the record, here and now, that I'd love to see a Doors cover band open for a Led Zeppelin cover band in a legitimate concert theater. I'd be willing to pay good money to see a 3-hour show by a Pink Floyd cover band. Hell, I did pay good money to see the Allman Brothers Band, and they've only got half of the original members. And historically, when I go to concerts where I don't know the band's music that well, cover songs are sometimes the highlight of the show. As humans, we appreciate familiarity.
Thus, my new dream is for a festival-style concert featuring only premium cover bands. You can pay them cheaply, and after a few stops, people will start to catch on. I'm gonna do it. I'm sooo gonna do it.
Okay, probably not, but I hope someone else does.
Anyways, it got me to thinking about all of the bands who've broken up or lost members and who I'll likely never see in concert, and how that's a shame. Then I thought about the Michael McDonald concert I went to a few weeks ago (laugh if you like, but it was a good show), and how many of his most exciting songs were actually cover songs: Living For The City (Stevie Wonder), Into The Mystic (Van Morrison), Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen), Walk On By (Dionne Warwick), and several Motown songs. This is along the same lines as many jazz artists, who often play almost exclusively songs written by someone else. Jazz fans appreciate this; they get to hear familiar songs with a personal touch by the artists. But if you were to go to a rock show and the band played mostly cover songs, you'd be dissatisfied.
Or at least you think you would be. But say you went to a concert of a newer band, Wolfmother we'll say. They've got one album with 12 songs. Presumably they'll play more than 12 songs, so you're either going to hear songs you don't know, or covers. While I'm open to some new songs, it's always nice to hear familiarity. So if they played 8 of the songs from the album, plus assorted songs by their stated influences (Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, The White Stripes), I don't think anybody would go home unhappy (unless of course they sucked, but we'll assume they play the songs reasonably well).
A couple of particularly interesting bands to cover (and two that support the point I'm about to make) are Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. Those are two bands who've broken up for good and lost former members to death (George Harrison and John Lennon from The Beatles, John Bonham from Led Zeppelin), and even if they hadn't, the living members are getting awfully old, and we can foresee a time when they're all dead and gone, or at least incapable of playing shows.
So should the band's music die with the band? Of course not. We own CDs, we bought songs on iTunes, some of us own records and cassettes, we know how to play the songs on guitar or bass or drums, we sing the songs. We know the songs won't die as long as we like them. But there's something different and special about hearing a song played by professional musicians, people who know the song inside and out. But if Led Zeppelin is gone, how will we ever be able to enjoy their music in a concert again?
Cover bands. Cover bands are the answer. I know what you're saying, "Cover bands are lame, they just play other people's music." Think about that, though. Most music today is derivative of some music played in the past. Some of it is more than derivative; some songs are simply rearrangements, identical songs with changed lyrics, or out and out cover songs. And we're generally okay with that. So why would we not give any credit to a cover band? They've got the chops to play the music, and we like the music (or at least we did when the original band played it). I understand that there's a concern for a quality drop-off with cover bands, but if it's a really good cover band full of folks who can really play the shit out of their instrument, what do I care?
I'm stating for the record, here and now, that I'd love to see a Doors cover band open for a Led Zeppelin cover band in a legitimate concert theater. I'd be willing to pay good money to see a 3-hour show by a Pink Floyd cover band. Hell, I did pay good money to see the Allman Brothers Band, and they've only got half of the original members. And historically, when I go to concerts where I don't know the band's music that well, cover songs are sometimes the highlight of the show. As humans, we appreciate familiarity.
Thus, my new dream is for a festival-style concert featuring only premium cover bands. You can pay them cheaply, and after a few stops, people will start to catch on. I'm gonna do it. I'm sooo gonna do it.
Okay, probably not, but I hope someone else does.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
LeRoi Moore, 1961-2008
Dave Matthews Band saxophonist LeRoi Moore died Tuesday from complications resulting from an ATV accident on June 30th. He was no small part of the reason that the band enjoyed such success. Moore's strong jazz saxophone offered a thick complement to the more mainstream members of the band.
They've been my favorite band since high school, and it speaks to the strength of the band that I haven't wavered on that. I regret not getting out to see the band over the past few years. While I'm sure whoever they get to replace Moore will be an accomplished musician, LeRoi brought a special flavor to the music. There was a sense of maturity about his play as well as that of drummer Carter Beauford, when compared to the playful nature of Dave Matthews (guitar/vocals), Stefan Lessard (bass), and Boyd Tinsley (violin).
I can't really explain why Moore was different from other saxophonists, or why I think he was better. It's a subjective argument, and one that you couldn't in good conscience agree with without hearing the music. Luckily, the Internet offers about fifty billion ways to listen to music. I was able to quickly find what is, for me, the most memorable LeRoi Moore tune. It's a cover of All Along the Watchtower, off of the band's Recently CD.Moore 5:30 .
Enjoy it.
R.I.P. LeRoi.
They've been my favorite band since high school, and it speaks to the strength of the band that I haven't wavered on that. I regret not getting out to see the band over the past few years. While I'm sure whoever they get to replace Moore will be an accomplished musician, LeRoi brought a special flavor to the music. There was a sense of maturity about his play as well as that of drummer Carter Beauford, when compared to the playful nature of Dave Matthews (guitar/vocals), Stefan Lessard (bass), and Boyd Tinsley (violin).
I can't really explain why Moore was different from other saxophonists, or why I think he was better. It's a subjective argument, and one that you couldn't in good conscience agree with without hearing the music. Luckily, the Internet offers about fifty billion ways to listen to music. I was able to quickly find what is, for me, the most memorable LeRoi Moore tune. It's a cover of All Along the Watchtower, off of the band's Recently CD.
Enjoy it.
R.I.P. LeRoi.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
iCraveit Coupon
iCraveit.com has a $5 off coupon. Enter code MIDNIGHTBOX when you're placing your order and you'll get $5 off your purchase. Expires August 30, 2008.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Video Game Hall of Fame: Grand Theft Auto 3
Listen, you guys might have thought you liked the first two GTA games, and they were alright, but the jump from GTA 2 to GTA 3 was like the jump from 10 Yard Fight to Madden 2001. On top of that, GTA 3 wasn't just an extremely fun game (which is definitely was), but it was also an important game.
First off, it gave the adventure genre something outside of the standard medieval style, a la Zelda or Diablo. By doing this, it set the stage for similar games like Mafia, Scarface, and Saints Row (which by the way is a phenomenal game, and a likely future HOF inductee), not to mention the 3 sequels, all of which have been highly-rated and well-received games (and again, candidates for future induction).
But while the style of game was creative, the content of the game was revolutionary. Never in such a mainstream game had mature themes been so front-and-center. From robbery to murder to prostitution, the game had plenty for the censorship boards to scream about. The game was widely condemned by supposed "moral leaders," including several religious groups, school administrators, and politicians.
For all the hullabaloo, though, the first amendment prevailed. The game received an "M" rating, restricting its sale to people 17 years or older, or children with their parents' presence and permission. It went on to become one of the highest-selling games of all time, selling over 15 million copies. More importantly, it paved the way for explicitly criminal activity to be featured in video games, which is really what we all wanted anyways, right?
The game itself is huge, with good enough variety in the missions, and a lot of freedom to explore, as well as rewards for doing so. It's got limitations, such as an inability to actually use taxi services or swim, but they really just gave the game designers something to fix in future versions. All in all, the game was more than most of us could have asked for, and it put Rock Star Games on the map for good. Hell, they can just keep making GTAs and never run out of business...not unlike the Madden franchise.
First off, it gave the adventure genre something outside of the standard medieval style, a la Zelda or Diablo. By doing this, it set the stage for similar games like Mafia, Scarface, and Saints Row (which by the way is a phenomenal game, and a likely future HOF inductee), not to mention the 3 sequels, all of which have been highly-rated and well-received games (and again, candidates for future induction).
But while the style of game was creative, the content of the game was revolutionary. Never in such a mainstream game had mature themes been so front-and-center. From robbery to murder to prostitution, the game had plenty for the censorship boards to scream about. The game was widely condemned by supposed "moral leaders," including several religious groups, school administrators, and politicians.
For all the hullabaloo, though, the first amendment prevailed. The game received an "M" rating, restricting its sale to people 17 years or older, or children with their parents' presence and permission. It went on to become one of the highest-selling games of all time, selling over 15 million copies. More importantly, it paved the way for explicitly criminal activity to be featured in video games, which is really what we all wanted anyways, right?
The game itself is huge, with good enough variety in the missions, and a lot of freedom to explore, as well as rewards for doing so. It's got limitations, such as an inability to actually use taxi services or swim, but they really just gave the game designers something to fix in future versions. All in all, the game was more than most of us could have asked for, and it put Rock Star Games on the map for good. Hell, they can just keep making GTAs and never run out of business...not unlike the Madden franchise.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Xbox 360 + Madden '09 = $50 Amazon Gift Card
While I'm sure the title of the post gives you enough information to figure things out, let me spell it out for you. Amazon will give you a free $50 gift card
if you purchase an Xbox 360 system and a copy of either Madden '09 or Madden '09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition. It's not a bad deal if you're thinking about getting into the 360 game and are a Madden fan. Or hell, you can get the deal, sell Madden on eBay or Amazon, and use the money plus the gift card to buy some other games.
"Yeah and that's what happens when you talk about a disciplined defense. They stay at home and wait for the runner to come to them."
if you purchase an Xbox 360 system and a copy of either Madden '09 or Madden '09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition. It's not a bad deal if you're thinking about getting into the 360 game and are a Madden fan. Or hell, you can get the deal, sell Madden on eBay or Amazon, and use the money plus the gift card to buy some other games."Yeah and that's what happens when you talk about a disciplined defense. They stay at home and wait for the runner to come to them."
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Music Hall of Fame: Keys To The Heart (Brian Auger's Oblivion Express)
"What the hell album is that?" That's probably your initial reaction, as well as your second, third, and fourth reactions to this induction. That's okay, most people haven't heard of the musicians or the album. The best description I can give for it is smooth jazz; it's generally light-hearted and agreeable, but still creative enough to be a worthwhile listen for the discerning ear.
I could go into a whole spiel about this album, but it's all already out there on the Internet, in the review I wrote for epinions a while back. So read that, and you'll understand all you need to know about this album.
One note: In my review, I declared the album to be a four star album. I stand by that rating, but I should point out that my opinion on ratings is less of a straight percent-based rating, and more of a bell curve. That is, 80-90% of albums will be 2, 3, or 4 stars. Only the sensationally good albums are 5 stars, and only the sensationally bad albums are 1 star. So, many albums that I might cite as being 4 star albums are still, in my opinion, hall of fame worthy. Just wanted to clarify that before opening things up to comments.
I could go into a whole spiel about this album, but it's all already out there on the Internet, in the review I wrote for epinions a while back. So read that, and you'll understand all you need to know about this album.
One note: In my review, I declared the album to be a four star album. I stand by that rating, but I should point out that my opinion on ratings is less of a straight percent-based rating, and more of a bell curve. That is, 80-90% of albums will be 2, 3, or 4 stars. Only the sensationally good albums are 5 stars, and only the sensationally bad albums are 1 star. So, many albums that I might cite as being 4 star albums are still, in my opinion, hall of fame worthy. Just wanted to clarify that before opening things up to comments.
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