And my award for the "OH HELL NO" show of 2008 goes to:
The "Rock Under Cover Tour 08" with the "Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular" tonight [July 19] at Ford Pavilion in - you guessed it - Ford Park in Beaumont, Texas.
Seriously, WTF?
While Pink Floyd laser light shows are about as pointless as say, tribute bands, the show does include some actual live music from ... tribute bands.
No Quarter is a Led Zeppelin tribute band and Destroyer is - you guessed it again - a KISS tribute band. [Look, I like KISS, but honestly, Love Gun would have been be a much cooler name, don't you think?]
And tickets are $25 - half a tank of gas for a Ford Focus! Insane.
I'm so sick and fucking tired of all these lame-ass Ford Park shows that I could really just spit. I mean, the place could host local music festivals and bring in cool Texas music artists like Jesse Dayton [he's the guy who provided the music for Banjo & Sullivan in Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects - AND he's from SETX] - but no, instead we get fucking Pink Floyd laser light shows. It's insulting.
If you like rock-n-roll, boycott this show. Instead, go to the Art Studio tonight and check out six local rock bands. All the cool people will be there - and they'll have hot dogs.
The "Rock Under Cover Tour 08" with the "Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular" tonight [July 19] at Ford Pavilion in - you guessed it - Ford Park in Beaumont, Texas.
Seriously, WTF?
While Pink Floyd laser light shows are about as pointless as say, tribute bands, the show does include some actual live music from ... tribute bands.
No Quarter is a Led Zeppelin tribute band and Destroyer is - you guessed it again - a KISS tribute band. [Look, I like KISS, but honestly, Love Gun would have been be a much cooler name, don't you think?]
And tickets are $25 - half a tank of gas for a Ford Focus! Insane.
I'm so sick and fucking tired of all these lame-ass Ford Park shows that I could really just spit. I mean, the place could host local music festivals and bring in cool Texas music artists like Jesse Dayton [he's the guy who provided the music for Banjo & Sullivan in Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects - AND he's from SETX] - but no, instead we get fucking Pink Floyd laser light shows. It's insulting.
If you like rock-n-roll, boycott this show. Instead, go to the Art Studio tonight and check out six local rock bands. All the cool people will be there - and they'll have hot dogs.
Comments
Widen your horizons a little and you might find that cheesy things like this are actually a blast. Hint: have a few beers.
Sure, I'd like to see better shows at Ford Park, too. (I'm a punk rock fan myself.) However, asking for a boycott only proves to the promoters how narrow minded this area can be.
We should all be attending every damn music even that comes our way. EVERYBODY. EVERYTHING. Whether it's your cup of tea or not. Support for music is never a bad thing.
Dear Joel,
I don't quite understand what you mean by "your own greed." Believe me I don't make any money off of any band that has ever played in this area or any venue that exists or has ever existed in this (or any other) area. I have, however, given them lots of my hard earned money in my over thirty years of being drinking age.
I'm not asking you to do anything to appease me. It just surprises me that alleged music lovers would be so close minded.
I'm a middle aged white woman and I went to that Nelly/Lil Wayne concert you're talking about. I didn't expect to like it, but you know what? It was great.
I also don't buy your generalization that people come here to work and not have fun. There are people having fun everywhere I look.
I did overstate my point about everyone supporting everything. I do, however, feel it's important for music lovers to open your ears to other types of music than what you're into right now.
If you don't, you'll find yourself twenty years from now listening to your generation's version of "classic rock" like so many of the people of my generation who won't listen to anything else. That's just sad.
Once again, I apologize to Brent for leaving such a long ass comment.
Regarding "most advertising," it doesn't seem to me that any of the live music venues around here do enough advertising. I find out about most of the local shows through MySpace bulletins (and now, your blog).
I read the newspaper and watch the local news daily, but if I hadn't received a pre-sale e-mail from Ford Park, I wouldn't have even known about the laser show. Granted, I have an XM radio and rarely listen to local radio, but still.
I truly feel that's the main reason there's such low attendance at so many shows. People who are well beyond college and high school don't have that "What's going on this weekend?" kind of network.
I do understand that local bands and venues lack the money for even minimal advertising. I wonder how much it would cost us to run a cable access television station? All local music, all the time. Hmmmmmmmmm.......
They might as well be raping puppies on live television during the Saturday morning cartoons timeslot.
-r
Meh, no thanks about seeing the real Kiss. They're old hacks. I want to see what they were like in their prime. Y'know back when they wrote hits like "Beth".
I actually didn't go to the show. I spent the whole day in a vegetative state.
Five Dollars to see original music performed by bands from your area.(not to mention the free hot dogs!)
Or 25 dollars to praise some losers from out of town playing other peoples music on a big stage.
Support local music.
Support the people that are actually creating something.
Fuck cover bands.
that being said, the show at the Studio went very well. Thanks to everybody that came, and thanks to Brent for the mention.
Also, I know several guys who play in both bands that play their original music and in cover bands/tribute bands. They enjoy the hell out of both.
Of course, original is always better and I do love a good weiner.
Having said that, I like at least one non-local cover band, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes.
And I don't have any problem at all with local bands doing a few covers. My band KFG has done five, so far, if memory serves: "C Is For Cookie," "Leavin' On A Jet Plane," "Skankin' In The Army," "Rodeo Song" and most recently "Boris The Spider."
As for tribute bands, it just depends on the band in question [and who they're covering]. I have a good friend in Houston who is lead singer of a female Judas Priest tribute band called Judith Priest. They rock. But you won't find me at a Pink Floyd or Led Zepp tribute show. Ever.
the all female Judas Priest tribute band sounds pretty great. And a few interesting covers in a set is totally cool with me.
I know a few people that play in cover bands and they do a good job and i'm glad they enjoy themselves.
My words were much too strong when i said "fuck cover bands".
What i meant was that I choose originality over copying any day, i choose local over out of town any day, i choose five dollars over twenty five dollars any day, and i choose hot dogs over no hot dogs any day.