Paul McCartney at Amoeba Music-I Was There!

There are memories in one’s life so potent and intoxicating they will be endearing to them even as they grow old and their memory begins to fade. Wednesday June 27, 2007 will be one of these memories for me, as it was full of jubilation, tears and staggering intensity. This trek involved four airports, four-thousand miles, a first-rate tour of Los Angeles, one cab ride, a kick-ass wife, a little bit of luck and three magnificent friends whom I am privileged to have in my life. These were all pieces of a much larger puzzle that enabled me to witness a once in a lifetime event; Paul McCartney at the Amoeba Record store in Los Angeles, California. I was insane for even making this trip and there was a moment Wednesday morning, where I did not think there was any chance of me making it to LA, but lady luck shined down on me and the next thing I knew I was driving through Orange County en route to Amoeba Records.
I have seen Paul McCartney in concert four times, but have never been able to express the power, magic and mystery of this experience. I spoke with a co-worker a decade back about what it was like for her seeing him at Soldier Field in Chicago in 1990. She became intense and told me that she couldn’t believe she was watching a performer who “changed the world”. I’ll never forget that conversation because it perfectly sums up the impact Paul McCartney and the Beatles had on the world.

The buzz inside Amoeba was electric. To my great amazement Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Barbara Orbison and Joe Walsh emerged from the back room to watch the impending show. A surreal evening was about to be made even more extraordinary; can you imagine a Beatle watching another Beatle? I was there to see it happen. The coolest aspect about Ringo being there is he made his way through the crowd, about half way back on the floor, to be with the fans. With Ringo firmly in place with a prime vantage point, Paul McCartney and his band quickly emerged from behind a curtain to the glee of the crowd and kicked-off their ninety-minute set with the enlivening “Drive My Car”, from 1965’s Rubber Soul (the UK version). The song sounded immediate, fresh and was surreal to see the happy cheery genuineness on McCartney’s face as he sung, “Beep beep-m beep beep yeah!”
The concert found a fine balance between the nostalgic hits of yesterday and the invigorating new songs from the tremendous Memory Almost Full, the most captivating Paul McCartney album since the evocative Flaming Pie. I know what you’re thinking, would I say this if I had not been at Amoeba? The answer is “yes”. I have been listening to this album for weeks and despite what certain cynics say, it is full of euphoric melodies and some of the most reflective lyrics of his career. The golden harmonies of “Only Mama Knows” and “Dance Tonight” provided the audience with authentic enthusiasm not so much because they were new songs but because of their wistful delivery. In the case of the latter, McCartney had a merry look on his face as he performed his mandolin, which he strummed, sawed and plucked pristinely. Anyone who feels McCartney’s best days are behind him are sorely mistaken, “Dance Tonight” is a refreshing pop single that is a perfect song for a summer drive and will make you stomp your feat in sync with the back beat. The best Beatles songs exude joy and “Dance Tonight” is no different. “That Was Me” was captivating distinctively because of the magnetism of the backing band. On the album version, the understated bass grooves lead the melody, but in concert, the band is fluid and free and justified their paychecks by taking an already “good” song and elevating it to “great” status with an organic performance. This current backing band, which has largely supported McCartney since 2002, is the best post-Beatles band Sir Paul has ever assembled. The band members blast off from the stage anytime they are with McCartney. He elevates their talents and they take his songs to new heights. “Nod Your Head” is the one song that truly revealed itself to me in concert. It struck me as a potential new metal anthem with the audience slowly nodding their heads back and forth, just like a head banger. Someone get Ronnie James Dio’s phone number and play it for him, this is a metal anthem waiting in the wings. Each of these recent songs attest to the endearing determined optimism Paul McCartney brings to us. From the Beatles first album, Please Please Me, to his most recent, Memory Almost Full, he enlightens us with songs of love, hope and redemption.

The rest of the show consisted of a pair of solo songs and a large dose of Beatles classics including “I’ll Follow The Sun”, an alluring melodic gem and one of the most simplistic songs ever committed to tape. In under two-minutes, a powerful wave of emotions gripped me more than any food, drug or liquor ever could, as I marveled at the greatness of such simplicity. Ditto “Calico Skies”, a sublime track from 1997’s nostalgic Flaming Pie, one of his best post-Beatles releases. Even though my wife was over 2,000 miles away in Chicago, the song made me feel as if she was there holding my hand. There has always been underlying resilience in all of McCartney’s work. We live in a very pessimistic world and it is essential for us to find endearing people to share our life with. The power of music, demonstrated so gleefully by McCartney, is to give us lasting memories throughout each chapter of our lives. When was the last time you heard a song that overwhelmed your emotional senses? At Amoeba Music, I was inundated with songs that are so forthright and sincere I had to pinch myself to make sure I was not dreaming.
The acoustic set, performed solely by McCartney, was far more compelling and riveting than I could have imagined. During “Blackbird”, the audience was transfixed and stood in such awe that you could hear a pin drop. “Here Today”, written after the death of John Lennon, found Paul giving an emotionally wrecking performance. Without the intensity of a live performance, I never would have known this song existed. It is a prime example of how even a Beatle can continue to have music that was initially overlooked be brought back to life through the power of a live performance. I saw McCartney perform this song in 2002, but tonight was a completely different experience, as I could see the emotional reactions on his face and a slight creak in his voice made me realize that he too finds solace in music. There is a lot of darkness in the world, but music consoles all of us and helps us deal with life obstacles.

The jet screaming “Back in the USSR” found the band rejoining him on stage full of raging enthusiasm which carried over into the performance. If all of this wasn’t enough, “The Long & Winding Road” and “I’ve Got a Feeling” were redefined as the band performed these numbers as if they were the world’s greatest garage band. Just like on Let It Be…Naked, the four backing performers gave a true and raw intensity to the performance that was beyond invigorating. A live concert allows you to FEEL the music like it is a primal force. The final seven songs of the evening were all Beatles classics jolting the audience into an orgasmic state of mind. The only cover in this set was the wonderfully nostalgic b-side “Matchbox”, originally made famous by Carl Perkins in 1957, and sung coincidentally by Ringo Starr. We were so captivated that nothing could have taken our eyes off the stage. Find me any movies or book from the last thirty-years that is as powerful as a handful of Beatles tunes. You won’t, these songs don’t just live in the here and now, but will continue to inspire future generations of music lovers.

The opening chords of “Get Back” yielded a hurricane like reaction from the crowd. Every one of the six-hundred people could be seen lip-synching “Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner”. The sight of this was nothing short of pure bliss. Throughout the performance, McCartney was wildly charismatic; he joked with the audience, heckled the hecklers and flat out made us all giddy. It reminded me of the Beatles first American press conference where the world fell in love with them because of their charming magnetism. That same allure was on display for everyone at Amoeba to enjoy. The entire evening’s performance brought the audience elation through a physical and emotional release that we look for in modern music but all too often do not find. When the chorus of “Hey Jude” was sung, some people were singing for the pain they felt from their parents divorce, others for the lost of a loved one, others let go of the vulnerability they hold within and others sung at the top of their lungs for no other reason than it feels damn good. Hearing this music is powerful but seeing and experiencing it this close is cathartic. It is a rare scene to see grown men embracing each other as tears roll down their faces. This is something that occurs only at funerals and Paul McCartney concerts because the music is the key that unlocks our emotional pathways.
There is an aura surrounding McCartney that cannot be touched by any other entertainer in the world. When you see him in concert, we sit in awe because this is someone who truly changed the world for the better. While watching him deliver his best at Amoeba, I became a sentimental fool on the hill. He would have turned a cynic into a believer. The Beatles were at the forefront of the 60’s revolution and while politicians have come and gone…the Beatles still live within each of us and will continue to do so for decades and hopefully centuries. Seeing Paul McCartney in concert is a reminder that the world is full of beauty; it’s the equivalent of standing in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, looking at the stones at Stonehenge and seeing a child take their first steps in their journey of life. We all encounter hurt but songs like “Hey Jude” have the power to enlighten us and trounce torment.

The encores of “Let It Be”, “Lady Madonna” and the rousing finale of “I Saw Her Standing There” were nothing short of magnificent. We danced, sang and smiled as if we were flash-frozen in time. We danced through the night, we held each other tight and we fell in love with rock n’ roll all over again. He smiled and charmed us the same way he and three mates changed each of our lives and our world forever. McCartney brought the in-store concert at Amoeba full circle with an avalanche of emotion as we screamed and cheered, just as we did forty-five years ago for the Beatles. From the current single “Dance Tonight” to the finale of “I Saw Her Standing There” (the first track on the Beatles debut album from 1962 Please Please Me), Paul McCartney proved to us that he and his music is classic, timeless, immediate and will always be…forever young.

SETLIST
Drive My Car
Only Mama Knows
Dance Tonight
C Moon
The Long and Winding Road
I'll Follow The Sun
Calico Skies
That Was Me
Blackbird
Here Today
Back In The USSR
Nod Your Head
House Of Wax
I've Got A Feeling
Matchbox - (Carl Perkins cover)
Get Back
Hey Jude
Let It Be
Lady Madonna
I Saw Her Standing There

All pictures courtesy of the AP Newswire and taken by Chris Pizzello.
Paul McCartney website
Amoeba Record Store Website
"Dance Tonight" video on Youtube
Footage of Amoeba show from Youtube
All official Paul McCartney Youtube videos

Catching Up

My apologies for the lack of posts for the last few days, but something extraordinary has happened and I will post on it shortly. I haven't slept in 33 hours so I need to grab some zzz's before I can compose myself.
xT

Why Wilco Hasn’t Sold Out

In the last few weeks, music writers, bloggers and fans of Wilco have mostly been aghast over the fact that Wilco chose to license four of their songs to Volkswagen for use in commercials. Jeff Tweedy and his band have always prided themselves on being the epitome of cool, collected and non-commercial. Chuck Klosterman said it best when he blessed them with the name “The American Radiohead”. Now, I’d like to point out that I do indeed enjoy Wilco’s music but am not an obsessive fan by any means. However, living in Chicago gives me a unique perspective of the band as the music writers here speak of them in the same breath as sports writers spoke of Michael Jordan during his heyday.

Licensing songs for commercials has always been a taboo topic and one I haven’t ever had a fierce opinion on because I know that the music business, and this world, is constantly evolving and altering. Just yesterday I walked over to Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago to browse through the Virgin Record Store on my lunch break, only to find that everything in the store was 25% off because they are going out of business. The music industry is in a descent that hasn’t been seen since the collapse of Enron. The industry is barely surviving and these artists and bands need to do what they have to do to endure.

But wait a minute, don’t Wilco have untold millions in the bank? I don’t know, but I doubt it. No Wilco album has even gone gold (500,000 copies sold) and they continue to play modest size venues even though they could potentially play larger arenas if they wanted. People find Wilco endearing because of their honesty, truthfulness and the sincerity with which they have handled their careers. They’ve never charged an obscene amount for concert tickets, offered free downloads and always treat their fans with utmost respect. One of the deals Wilco has with their fan base is; “Download all you want, but please buy the product when it hits stores so we can continue to do what we do”. Now, this may be easier said than done. It’s no secret their newest album, Sky Blue Sky was leaked back in March even though the album didn’t hit store shelves until May. It’s a melancholy gem that intensifies with every listen and unlike certain Chicago rock critics-I didn’t have to listen to the album thirteen times to discover this. Despite having the mp3’s, I wanted to support the band. I am a golden oldie who prefers buying a store bought cd because let’s face it, the sound of a CD can’t compare with compressed mp3’s. One problem; I went to four Best Buy’s and couldn’t find the album. No joke. Did I mention I live in Chicago…Wilco’s hometown? I found the album at Virgin, Borders and other retailers, but it was $18.99 and that’s too much for me. With music stores decreasing daily, how can these bands survive when people like me want to buy the album but can’t find it at a decent price? They try and broaden their horizons and possibly expand their audience. It should also be noted that Wilco is not leasing their songs to McDonald's. I am sure they put a lot of thought into whether or not to do this and I feel they didn’t sell out. If anything, licensing these songs may very well allow Wilco to continue to make music and keep their ticket prices fair.

I for one am happy to hear Wilco have licensed their songs for commercials as it will hopefully finally bring an end to bashing artists who license their music for commercial means. If Wilco can do, can’t anyone? Let’s face it, the landscape has changed dramatically in less than a decade and we all need to subsist. To those of you who cry sellout, let me ask you this; do you have health insurance? Where does your paycheck come from? Unless you are an independent store owner chances are we have all sold out in some form or fashion in our life. Hell, the term “sold out” is lousy…I rather look at it as surviving and evolving. We all want to live comfortable stress free lives if possible and once we all have children we want what is best for them. Wilco has thrived artistically because when their audience listens to their music and pays to see them in concert, they relate to them. These are people with bills, mortgages and children just like the rest of us. Don’t rag on them, embrace them. Here is a group of individuals looking for a little more exposure and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the things that drive me insane about the music industry is the elitist mentality. I can’t imagine anyone on this Earth who writes a song and doesn’t want audience gratification from it. I’ve never met anyone who told me they wanted to play bars for forty-years and be happy that their audience is around fifty people a night. We all want love and acceptance in life and the guys in Wilco are no different.

The lack of success and a break through album forever grated at the Ramones. Here was a band who wanted to be the biggest band in the world and by the time their Phil Spector produced End of the Century failed, they came to terms with it and hit the road and performed 200+ shows a year. But the thing about the Ramones is that I don’t think they ever got over the fact that they never achieved a platinum album. God knows they should have, but they didn’t and in the end, three of the four original members never saw the age of sixty. They died with broken hearts and in truth, couldn’t really stand each other at the end of their careers. There is a part of me that the Ramones would have made even greater music and possibly lived longer is they had experienced even a small amount of success (through albums that went gold consistently, etc). I don’t want to see this happen to Wilco because they’re a damn fine and vital band who I hope to continues to make music for decades to come.

As The Sopranos faded into the sunset, David Chase stunned the world with the final song used on the show, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”. The choice came from out of left field and was an enigma to many music fans because Chase has prided himself on having extraordinary taste in music. It's not that Journey’s music isn’t good, but it’s a little hard to have indie credibility when you have sold 70-million albums. The irony is that while explaining my interpretation of this final scene the following day with friends, not all of whom are music lovers, I was able to give my theory of the ending without having to explain what the song was about because everyone I spoke to knew the song. While I realize that Wilco would probably never want to ever venture into the same realm as Journey (and I do realize that this is first article in history to even mention these two bands in the same sentence) I do feel that Wilco is striving to stay alive and hopefully bring a few more people along for the ride with them. As long as the music is good, there is nothing wrong with that. I wish them the best.

The Return of Indiana Jones

I don’t care what Entertainment Weekly says in their most recent issue, Raiders of the Lost Ark is easily the greatest action film ever made. Everything about it is pitch-perfect in its delivery. I have been following rumors for over a decade about another film and about a year ago, I gave up all hope. I figured it would never happen. Low and behold, earlier this year Lucasfilm made the announcement there will indeed be a fourth Indiana Jones film. And yesterday, the official website posted the first picture of Harrison Ford in Indy gear in 14-years. I’m hoping they don’t sell themselves short on this one and deliver a knock out when it hits theaters next May.

Ryan Adams Live In Chicago 6/19/07

If anyone has ever seen a Ryan Adams show, they most likely have a legendary story. Adam's live performances over the years have been polarizing. If you rank concerts on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being bad and a10 being great)...you would find most people rank Ryan's shows at the two extremes. I've seen him three times over the years and each time I felt like it was
watching Jesus Christ nail himself to the cross. It was a disheartening experience every time. I swore to never seen him live again so as to not ruin the joyous experience his studio albums give me.

I apparently talk the talk but don't walk the walk because I found myself in the extraordinary spot of the Biograph Theater in Chicago last night ready to witness Ryan and the Cardinals. This theater seats approximately 400 and Ryan and his band came out at 8:15 and strummed and swayed ever so gently for the next 95-minutes. It wasn't epic, it wasn't rocking...it wasn't even rolling...but one thing I can say from the performance (and I hope I don't sound dramatic) is that Ryan Adams is reborn.

The focus that was put into the 20-song performance was nothing short of extraordinary. Everything I was hoping Ryan could be, he was tonight. It was a very sublime and subdued experience with Ryan and the Cardinals staying seated on stools for the entire evening. Not only that, but only two songs were performed from his first four albums and the overall majority came from "29" and "Easy Tiger". What I realized is that many of his softer (and what I initially deemed throwaway tracks) found their spark in the dark. The songs actually reached out to me and I felt like I was watching a master painter work his magic in front of me. The material of "Easy Tiger" sounded magnificent and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the songs off of "29".

Ryan worse sunglasses for the entire performance but his focus was staggering. In the past I felt as if he had a horrendous case of ADD but tonight he was clear, concise and on the few occasions he spoke to the crowd, he was funny.

"How Do You Keep Love Alive?", "Halloween Head", "Let It Ride", "Two" and "Down In A Hole" (Alice in Chains) were definite highlights. I'll get a detailed review done within the next week.

xT

MÖTLEY CRÜE Sues Tommy Lee Manager Carl Stubner

I feel alone... I feel like I could die

-"Ashamed"

There have been some attention-grabbing news articles over the last few days about a lawsuit by Motley Crue against Tommy Lee’s personal manager. The link for the full story can be found here. Now what I found even more fascinating was that Carl Stubner chose to comment which can be found here.

So what’s my two cents on the situation? I hope Motley wins. I hate to say it but I have some close acquaintances who have dealt with Mr. Stubner and no one has ever had a good thing to say about him. A friend was working for a local radio station event that featured Tommy Lee and his manager would literally push fans away from trying to come near Tommy. He also said that the second the promotion was over, Tommy and his manager were out the door and refused to give any other autographs. Another well known up and coming musician once told me that you can always tell the difference between East Coast and West Coast musicians. The two examples he used were Jon Bon Jovi and Tommy Lee. He said he was once at an event with Tommy and no matter who approached him, he refused to give any autographs. However, he mentioned that Jon Bon Jovi was there as well and must have signed at least 15 items for fans and did it with a smile on his face.

I believe that Tommy Lee is a complicated and widely misunderstood character and I do think the press has been unfair to him…at times. Even worse, people immediately dismiss his talent which is a shame because he’s actually an exceptionally gifted musician and one of the preeminent drummers living today. Whether you like the music he creates or not isn’t the point, what is important is that he is a man of many talents but due to the public image Carl Stubner has made for him, virtually everyone I know see’s Tommy as a clown and nothing more.

When Tommy left Motley Crue in 1999, he released s successful side project; Methods of Mayhem. The album actually went Gold and in some circles it was seen that Tommy made the right decision in leaving Motley behind him. The problem is that the side project’s success was most likely a fluke as it was released at the peak of the metal/rap movement. Ah, the good old days when Fred Durst’s band could move over 500,000 units in one week, I don’t miss them. The success of Methods of Mayhem was the equivalent of bands like the BulletBoys and Candlebox having Gold records during the metal and grunge movements of the late 80’s and early 90’s. Neither of these acts defined the genre and most likely rode the wave of success their respective genre was having.

Aside from this fluke album, Tommy has been involved with nothing but failures for the last decade. He’s had two truly shining moments during this decade. The first was the release of Motley’s autobiography The Dirt in 2001 (a book that made the publishers money). The next wave of success didn’t occur until 2005 when Motley embarked on a triumphant reunion tour. It’s funny to see Tommy do anything and everything he can to escape Motley Crue, but that is the only place he tends to have artistic victories.

His 2004 autobiography, Tommyland was mortifying. At what point did Tommy feel that having a portion of the book narrated by a body part would be a good idea? Inside sources tell me the publisher did not recoup their advance despite it briefly showing up on the New York Times bestseller list. He followed this book with the wildly disastrous Tommy Lee Goes To College which coincided with another fruitless solo album Tommyland: The Ride. The show was a bomb as was the solo album. Despite one failure after another the producers of Rock Star decided to cajole Tommy into the second season of the show with a fake band that was never meant to exist in the first place. Despite little talent involved with the contestants, Supernova went ahead and recorded a debut album that is un-listenable. That is quite a feat considering Butch Walker was producing it. It’s not so much that the songs and music was dreadful, but the entire project lacked focus and most importantly passion. So why in the world Tommy keep this manager around? Your guess is as good as mine.

Tommy:

Let me give you some advice; dump Carl. If Carl was a sales officer in Corporate America he would have been fired five years ago. He isn’t helping your career in any form or fashion. Aside from bullying Motley Crue management into giving you a higher percentage of ticket sales, he has ruined your reputation as a musician. You want to distance yourself from your amateur video past and did you think having your penis as a side narrator helped? You think goofing off on a reality show will improve your image? Do you want to know why your criminally underrated album Never A Dull Moment from 2002 was a failure? It’s because people can not get past your celebrity image. They view you as a tool. In their eyes, you will always be a celebrity first and a musician second. When I attempt to defend Never A Dull Moment I’m surrounded by giggles and gasps because they see you as someone who makes a fool out of himself time and time again. It’s time to grow up and show the world you are truly “misunderstood”. Only then will you be released from the shackles that Mr. Stubner has put on you. Maybe then people will see you as a musician and not the guy who was once married to Heather Locklear and Pamela Anderson. Until you make some serious changes, no one will ever take you seriously.

I'm getting close...
To the other side
Just close the door
I'll leave the past behind me
Can you see my pride?
It's only one step away from
Freedom... freedom...
-“Ashamed” (2002)

Elton John Cancels Shows To To Prices

A rather interesting article can be found here.

Elton John, a famous singer and composer cancelled his performance in Moscow. According to the singer’s official web site, Elton John cancelled the previously scheduled European tour after a dispute with promoters.

European dates for his flamboyant Red Piano Tour were scrapped because the tour’s promoter was “unable to guarantee to put on the shows,” the singer’s management said in a statement yesterday.

The decision to cancel six dates in five cities during June, July and September comes after Elton was earlier forced to postpone the Spanish show planned as part of the tour.
Elton John’s Moscow concert was expected to take place in Gorky Park on July 3.
He announced earlier this month that “unforeseen technical difficulties” transporting the Red Piano Tour from its Las Vegas home to Europe had led to the gig in Seville being moved back.
The extravagant show, which is based at Vegas’ Caesars Palace, incorporates a five-piece band, huge video screens and giant inflatable props.
Announcing the cancellation of the European concerts in Venice, Berlin, Moscow, Paris and Seville, Elton’s management did however indicate that the singer might play in the cities soon, ageconcern.org.uk reports.

“We do of course appreciate that Elton’s fans will be disappointed at this news and we are already looking into the possibility of returning to the affected cities in the very near future,” his representatives said.

However Elton John’s Russian fans will be able to see his show in St. Petersburg on July 6. Planet Plus company which arranges Elton John’s concert in St. Petersburg told reporters that they had not received any information about the cancellation of the concert. The concert in St.Petersburg is not included in the Red Piano Tour: it is a part of show called “Elton and
Band”.

My theories on this is that this will be the first in a long line of upcoming cancellations for many artists. At some point, these promoters will start to lose money because the average person will not be able to afford concert tickets. If anything, you will begin to see acts perform in smaller and smaller venues.

I for one hope these acts come to their senses sooner than later and institute a fair ticket price.

xT

Bon Jovi-‘Lost Highway’ Album Review

In my rearview mirror
My life is getting clearer
The sunset sighs and slowly disappears

Bon Jovi’s tenth studio album, Lost Highway opens with the buoyant and anthemic title track- a barn burner with a narrative drive that would even make Stephen King smirk. The performance is liberating and the lyrics are full of open-road romanticism. Its derivativeness is so charming that it may be the most perfect song I have heard this year; it’s everything a Bon Jovi song should be. I only wish the remainder of the album was as timeless, immediate, and classic as these opening four-minutes.

Lost Highway is a meticulously well calculated and crafted album made for the masses. Therein lays my predicament. When Jon Bon Jovi sings clichéd lyrics that could be ludicrous, we don’t laugh, instead we believe each and every word. When he tells me he’s “Livin’ On A Prayer” I somehow look past the multi-millionaire façade because he can sell it better than anyone. However, I don’t feel as if he sells it as well on Lost Highway. There isn’t a single song here that I wish had stayed in the vaults for all eternity (unlike “Save The World”, “Right Side of Wrong” and “Bells of Freedom”), but the album lacks variety. Many of the themes incessantly replicate themselves. Considering everything the band has been through over the last two-years, I was hopeful for a more philosophical record that was thorny, intricate and in the end unleashed a divine inner light like many of their best songs (“These Days”, “Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night”, “Next 100 Years”). While there are instances of progression on Lost Highway, it’s lacking the emotional depth I was hoping for.

These trinkets once were treasure
Life changes like the weather

The entire second half of Lost Highway lacks ambition (I will always view records in Side A and Side B terms). It is beautifully constructed for country radio (thanks to top-notch producers Dann Huff and John Shanks); my issue is the songs reiterate the same themes of struggle and lost adoration over and over again. The issue at hand is that most of these songs aren’t quite as good as Keith Urban at his best (and I don’t consider myself a fan). “Everybody’s Broken” is essentially “Welcome To Wherever You Are-Part 2”, but not as good as the latter which is surprising considering it was co-written by Billy Falcon. “Seat Next To You” is syrupy but instantly forgettable while “Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore” is trite humdrum made expressly for country radio (although LeAnn Rimes vocals shine here). “The Last Night” and “One Step Closer” are virtuous songs that would stand out on a box set or as b-sides, but due to the sequencing on Lost Highway they are lost without proper context. By the time the jukebox finale “I Love This Town” appears, I was disenchanted. The previous five songs were so tranquil I actually became detached from the listening experience. It also does not help that side one ends with the wonderfully harmonious “Any Other Day” which better sums up all of the themes on side two, in four-minutes. The second half could have used a little more aggression ( the b-side “Put The Boy Back In Cowboy” would have fit well here) and moodiness (another b-side “Lonely” would have bestowed a nice dissimilarity to the luster on the latter half of the album).

Instead of excavating their inner demons Bon Jovi settled for writing about one-dimensional themes giving the listener an album that can be digested (for the most part) on one listen. There is nothing wrong with making music for mass consumption, but here it feels forced. Songs like “Summertime” (a song I do enjoy) and “We Got It Going On” has the classic colossal riffs and backbeats that made Bon Jovi a household name but what are they trying to say to me? That arena football is good and I should get a season ticket package? While both songs are entertaining, they are fundamentally void of ambition and inspiration. Songs like “It’s My Life”, “Always” and “You Give Love A Bad Name” work because they weren’t trying to copy anyone or anything. They flowed effortlessly from within and therein lay the difference between the melodic songs on Lost Highway and their paramount past.

You grow up, grow old or hit the road ’round here
So I drive, watching white lines passing by
With my plastic dashboard Jesus, waiting there to greet us

With all of that being said, there are some quintessential Bon Jovi songs on Lost Highway. “Whole Lot of Leavin’” may be the most forthright and sincere track on the album. There is no doubt this one is indisputably candid and you can sense it in the music. One lyric paints a picture of one lover stopping another and asking “Do we got it anymore?” There’s a brief silence here before the band busts loose with hell bent wrath providing the song with a roaring finale that will have you hitting the repeat button instantly. This song epitomizes Bon Jovi at their best; forthright, sincere and unrepentant in their delivery.

You wanna steal a piece of time
You can sing the melody to me
And I can write a couple of lines
-“(You Want To) Make A Memory”

The album’s most mystifying and challenging track, “(You Want To) Make A Memory” is a departure for Bon Jovi, yet it sounds refreshingly earnest. It’s almost as if Bon Jovi and Sambora wrote this for each other. Forget two old lovers, these lyrics hit home and I almost fee as if the band was letting me into their inner sanctum on this languid, gorgeous and sedate song. They sound like an entirely different band…and this is what excites me about this song. It can be interpreted in many different ways. They are heading down the road less traveled here and I really wish the rest of the album would have been this ambitious.

Lost Highway finds Bon Jovi at a crossroads in their career where they are arguably more commercially relevant than ever, but my question is what are they sacrificing to try and remain at the top of the heap? Are they writing for themselves or for a potential mass audience who may or may not buy their record? Only Jon, Richie, Dave and Tico truly know. While I do realize this is a well crafted album, it just doesn’t solve as many of life’s mysteries as I had hoped.

Oh patron saint of lonely souls
To tell this boy which way to go

Album Grade: B-

*All lyrics from the song “Lost Highway” except where noted

Bon Jovi Official Site
Wikipedia Lost Highway entry

Jesse Malin review up on antiMusic

The good folks at the antiMusic Network have now posted my review of Jesse Malin's recent performance in Chicago, it can be found here. If you love keeping up with music news, antiMusic should be bookmarked. It's updated daily and is the place where MTV goes to get their music news.

Another blog that is essential reading is my friend Heather's "I Am Fuel, You Are Friends". You can find an excellent assortment of Jesse Malin articles right here. Heather has some of the most passionate writing out there on the blogosphere and I can't praise her enough. Check her blog out!
xT

The Truth About Overpriced Tickets

I have to tell you, I think I received the most hits to this blog since December when my Guns N’ Roses review ran here. The response to the Bon Jovi ticket article was deafening. I received dozens of emails, both good and bad, in regards to my opinions. I’m open to the good and bad because I feel it’s good to always have an open forum to both points of view whether it’s regarding art, life or politics.

Ironically, two excellent articles appeared since Tuesday in regards to ticket prices. The first one is from US Today and can be found here. The other is in regards to Kelly Clarkson’s cancelled tour due to poor ticket sales, which can be found here.

Both are good reads but I think that overall most people are missing the picture here. There is always going to be a class of people who will pay an inflated price for anything. There are people who fly first class anywhere they go, they will also over pay for property, cars, vacations and dozens of other things. You should never begin a business model based on the extremes. You should judge a business model by what the norm is. Yes, there are websites selling tickets for artists anywhere from double to ten times the face value of the ticket. Guess what, the number of people who actually pay that much for the ticket is not as high as you would imagine. Most times these brokers either lose money on these tickets or often wind up using the tickets themselves. I myself have used ticket brokers close to ten times in the last two-years, however, it should be noted that never once did I pay over face value. This is their game. Let’s use Justin Timberlake as an example. The face value on his tickets was $95 and with service fee’s it came to $112 per ticket. There were brokers and individuals charging five times that and yes, some people were desperate enough to buy the tickets at that price. However, if you go to many of these broker websites the days before a performance, don’t you find it odd that they still have so many tickets left? They make a lot of money from people who pay far over face and often can’t unload over half of their inventory and many times wind up selling these tickets below face the day of the show. So when an artist hears about someone paying $1,000 for a ticket, it was probably one very foolish fan that had expendable income or didn’t know any better. This is not the norm. In fact, I know of a slew of friends who buy tickets from brokers and often get them for face value or below because they have such a hard time selling large quantities of tickets at inflated prices (The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Police all come to mind as acts brokers have often sold tickets the day of far below face). Go on eBay and search Police tickets and you will see that 80% of the auctions have not had even one bid.

Almost every act on the road today has tickets overpriced. Let’s take Bon Jovi as an example. Last tour their cheapest ticket was $45 in most markets. After the service fees these tickets wound up being $60 each and this is before parking and travel expenses. A band like Bon Jovi should have a $25-$35 ticket option. How can they do this while still making a hefty profit? Simple…dump the larger than life screens that line the back of the stage and sell behind the stage. U2 does this and it was where I saw the majority of their shows on the last tour. Opening up the back of the stage would mean anywhere between 2,000 and 4,000 more people see your concert, which can not be a bad thing in anyone's book. That is more people who may buy merchandise, more people who may buy your album and most importantly, more people who may be hypnotized by the live performance and will want to see you over and over again. This ladies and gentleman is where most top tier acts fail. Seeing a band in concert is a thousand times more powerful than catching them on Letterman as you drift to sleep or on the Today show as you rush the kids out the door to school. Sure, when you are on TV you have a potential audience of millions, but it’s rare to have even 5% of that audience’s undivided attention. Whereas when you’re at a concert you went to at the last minute because of a good bargain on tickets, you are completely focused on the show at hand with minimal distractions. Bands that don’t make it affordable to younger generations will have a hard time in ten or fifteen years because these will be the people with expendable income as they reach their late 20’s and early 30’s.
The future of the concert industry lies with the younger generation spending money and so far, most of them can’t afford these shows because of the extremely high ticket price. A perfect example is Bruce Springsteen’s 2006 tour in support of the ‘Seeger Sessions’ album. There was only one ticket price for every show; $90. My ticket in Chicago after service fee’s was $110 (once again, not a typo). How many people are really going to be willing to spend $100+ on an evening with Bruce Springsteen in an outdoor shed performing music that is not his own? Not many as I found out. Both the Milwaukee and Chicago shows had fewer than 10,000 people at each performance and in the case of Chicago not only was the lawn empty but the back of the pavilion was empty as well.

Bruce should have done one of two things. First off, he should have made lawn tickets dirt cheap (between $10 and $25) so that anyone who wanted to enjoy the music could. Secondly, he really should have price tiered the tickets so that the back of the amphitheater was more affordable ($45-$65). This would have at least interested of those who didn’t have a desire to go. The most frustrating aspect of Springsteen’s 2006 tour was that I saw a truly inspired man backed by a bigger than life band performing songs that say so much about not just the country’s history from yesterday, but where we are today and hopefully headed tomorrow. What about the future leaders of this country in high school and college? They were shut out from seeing what could have potentially been a life altering event. They may have been inspired by the desolation in Pete Seeger’s songs and may have decided to do something about it by going into politics. But none of this probably happened because Bruce wanted to get paid mega millions even though the material he was performing wouldn’t appeal to the masses at $110 a ticket. If he demanded the big payout he at least should have respected his core audience and performed in theaters where fans would have had the desire to see an artist of Springsteen’s caliber up close.

People can not buy merchandise, tell their friends about the experience and are unlikely to seek out the artists catalog or newest album if they aren’t at the concert to hear it. As far as I am concerned an empty seat is a potential loss of thousands of dollars at every concert. When thinking about fans who get shut out by overpriced tickets, I can only think of an metaphorical phrase; If a tree falls and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? The same goes for a concert, if no one comes to see it because it’s too expensive, did it ever really happen?

Jesse Malin: Guitar Redemptions and Connections

My favorite rock albums are where the artists cut themselves open for the listener to hear, feel and see who they truly are. We’ve all been lost and discontented at some point in our lives and it’s during these times that we long to find someone who can understand how we feel inside. During these trying times, I’ve always found records to be my saving grace. Jesse Malin’s first two albums, The Fine Art of Self Destruction and The Heat were full of romantic sincerity that ached with vulnerability largely disguised as rock anthems. These are near perfect rock manifestos for lost urban lovers which are among the best albums released in the last decade. When Malin released his third solo album Glitter In The Gutter earlier this year I found myself disenchanted with the final product. It’s a tour de force rock album that takes no prisoners that is chock full of enthralling melodies while retaining its rag tag indie spirit. Why then did I find the album underwhelming? I have no idea. I probably had the bar set so high in my head that Glitter never stood a chance. Upon my initial listens, I couldn’t get my head around the songs finding them not up to par with his previous two albums. However, after Jesse’s searing performance at the Double Door in Chicago, I can finally wrap my head around the full album.

As my music taste has widened, I have become accustomed to songwriters who pride themselves on being sincere, honest and emotional. I’m also a sucker for a gargantuan melody with enough spirit to rock a stadium. Here lies my dilemma. When I discovered Malin a few years back, he was a singer/songwriter I deeply admired whom I felt painted these beautiful pictures I somehow could see myself in. On Glitter In The Gutter he leaves the broken hearted troubadour behind for a guy who won’t wallow in his misery but is going to relinquish it by throwing a bunch of quarters in a jukebox and dancing on top of a bar. To fully appreciate the aggression of these songs, one needs to live them inside the bars and clubs Malin is performing in. He hit the stage perfectly poised before drenching himself for a 90-minute soak fest kicking off with “Riding On The Subway” backed by a Mean Streets backdrop and a rather excellent four-piece band. The show showcased beatific pseudo-angst anthems that the crowd ate up. “Prisoners of Paradise”, “Black Haired Girl” and “Little Star” all were riveting as Malin performed with rebellious passion. I never caught Jesse with his previous band, D Generation, so this was the first time I had ever seen him play an electric guitar up close. It made the show more riveting as each song appeared to be delivered with smoldering speed and the amps turned up to 11. “Black Haired Girl” was the treasure I rediscovered on this evening and after hearing it live I wonder why I didn’t immediately fall in love with it upon my first listen. It’ll for sure be one of my summer anthems every year going forward.

The revelation of the evening was how most of the material off Glitter just steamrolled over me; “In The Modern World” was jolting while “NY Nights” was more reserved but similarly magnetic. When I first heard Glitter earlier this year I knew it rocked, but was disappointed the songs didn’t hold together like a larger-than-life painting where everything felt intertwined. Witnessing these songs performed in a thunderclap fashion made me realize that Glitter may not be as perfect as A Fine Art of Self Destruction or as indomitable as The Heat because it’s a collection of one-off paintings that are blazingly audacious. Glitter In The Gutter may appear to be an ironic and nostalgic, but what I overlooked until the show at the Double Door was that these songs indeed rock...and they rock hard.

Besides the hyperactive new anthems, the evening was filled with an ecstasy of emotion, particularly on two songs from his debut solo disc- “Downliner” and “Solitaire”. These are songs of inner disillusionment that you seek out when you’re lost and not sure where to go. Why is it when we are bleeding, we find solace in other people’s pain? It’s because we’re human and we tend to relate to those who feel our same feelings, who have been in our shoes and know what it feels like to be alone, lost and confused. Malin is one of these songwriters you could follow him for an entire career because you believe in his earnestness. His introduction to “Solitaire” was uproarious as he talked about a friend who gave up on love and somehow managed to tie it to a story about Lemmy from Motorhead, specifically their song “Stay Clean”. Midway through “Solitaire”, Malin leaped from the stage into the crowd and asked for a camp like sit down. His personality is so engaging it’s hard to not want to love him even if he does this at every show. Intimacy at club shows like this have the ability to not just bring the music closer to you, but your heart as well. This is what people will remember and take with them years from now. Moments like these are priceless and the extra effort can go a long way as hundreds of acts will roll through your city this summer and it will take something extraordinary for them to etch themselves in your brains. Luckily for Jesse, he has the charisma to leave an indelible impression.

One of the best things about seeing Jesse live is his stories. They were shorter this time around, but they always prove to be witty and charming. I’ve never walked away from a Malin show without hearing a good story. He shared a story about seeing Yoko Ono on a street when he was hit with a great melody. He called home to sing it to his machine; he used her name for placement until he could poetically fix it (trust me...you had to be there to fully appreciate this story).

The main set came to a close with the most perfect song in his cannon, “Wendy”. Every time I hear this song an immense amount of joy and jubilation come over me giving me a truly euphoric feeling. This is what the greatest songs in the world do for you; they literally transform unrepressed emotions and make you feel something profound that can’t be articulated. The opening song of the encore was a surprising and sublime performance of “Connection”, a Rolling Stones cover from their excellent Between The Buttons album and the first Stones track to feature Keith Richards on vocals. It was short, sweet and surprising and featured the beautiful and talented Holly Ramos partnering with Jesse on vocals. It was a nice surprise that elevated the encore performances.

Glitter In The Gutter is filled with an optimism that completely shines through via the live performance. Jesse Malin is out on the road saving souls and elevating their hearts and minds with a little thing called rock n’ roll. In a summer filled with lots of acts and festivals for you to attend, Jesse Malin is not to be missed for the swagger and sweat he will bring to your summer nights. I doubt you’ll see a more sincere, honest, emotional and rocking act this summer. In the meantime, I’ll be reacquainting myself with a new friend who is no longer misunderstood; Glitter In The Gutter.

Jesse Malin Webpage
Jesse Malin on Myspace
Jesse Malin CD's to buy on Amazon.com
Heather's Blog on the excellend B-side "Sister Christian Where Are You Now?"

Upcoming Tour Dates
Jun 18 2007
8:00P
Cafe Du Nord
San Francisco
Jun 20 2007
12:00A
THE TONIGHT SHOW w/ Jay Leno - NBC TV
Los Angeles, California
Jun 20 2007
8:00P
The Troubadour
Los Angeles
Jun 21 2007
12:00A
THE LATE LATE SHOW w/ Craig Ferguson - CBS TV
Los Angeles, California
Jun 22 2007
8:00P
The Casbah
San Diego
Jun 23 2007
8:00P
The Sets
Phoenix
Jun 25 2007
8:00P
Launchpad
Albuquerque
Jun 26 2007
8:00P
Jakes
Lubbock
Jun 27 2007
8:00P
The Cambridge Room at the HOB
Dallas
Jun 28 2007
8:00P
Stubbs
Austin
Jun 29 2007
8:00P
Meridian Red Room
Houston
Jun 30 2007
8:00P
The Parish at the HOB
New Orleans
Jul 2 2007
8:00P
Social
Orlando
Jul 3 2007
8:00P
Studio A
Miami
Jul 5 2007
8:00P
The Orpheum Theater
Tampa
Jul 6 2007
8:00P
The Melting Pot
Athens, GA
Jul 7 2007
8:00P
The Exit Inn
Nashville
Jul 8 2007
8:00P
99x Performance
Atlanta
Jul 10 2007
8:00P
20th Century
Cincinnati
Jul 11 2007
8:00P
The Shank Hall
Milwaukee
Jul 12 2007
8:00P
The Fine Line
Minneapolis
Jul 14 2007
8:00P
Headliner's
Toledo, OH
Jul 15 2007
8:00P
The Cambridge Room at the HOB
Cleveland
Jul 18 2007
8:00P
T.T. The Bears
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Jul 21 2007
8:00P
Jammin' Java
Jul 22 2007
8:00P
WXPN Songwriter Festival
Philadelphia
Aug 2 2007
6:00P
WTMD Outdoor Concert Series West Mount Vernon Park
Baltmore

Why Metallica Still Matters

Metallica posted the following on their web page yesterday.

METALLICA UPDATE 6/15/2007
Metallica returned to HQ this week after a short break to begin rehearsing for their "Sick Of The Studio" Tour. Yesterday, the winners from the METALLICA: THE VIDEOS 1989-2004 DVD radio and online contests were treated to the HQ VIP treatment with a delicious BBQ, a few autographs, and an intimate performance from the band in the jam room. I think it is safe to say everyone had a great time.

Now to say this is uber cool is an understatement. Can you imagine that? A band that has sold north of 90 million records having fans come into their rehearsal space and watch them jam? In a week where I saw a certain band charge their fans $375 for concert tickets and $3,000 to hang with the crew before a show, this is a breath of fresh air. There is a reason why Metallica will always matter and it's because they have ALWAYS put their fans first. In a day and age where they should be charging an arm and a leg for concert tickets, they're not. In 2004 when I saw them, the ticket prices were $75 and $55 for every seat in the house. This ensured that anyone who wanted to see them live could afford to do so.

As of late I've been a tad frustrated with Metallica taking five-years between records (far too long of a time in my opinion), but when I see stuff like this, it completely wins me over. The only other band who is as fan focused and at Metallica's level is Pearl Jam. If other bands were as conscious of their fans like these two acts, more would have strong fan bases who would allow them to put out albums like St. Anger and Yield. The bands that put their fans first will be the ones who last for decades without having to sell out.

'Once' - A Once In A Lifetime Movie

Last night I caught one of the most unpretentious, yet entirely novel films I’ve seen in years. I truly love summer blockbusters, but at the end of every summer it’s the undersized intriguing films that plant themselves in my head. The first summer film to do that this year is Once. The story is based around an atypical love story of two strangers who meet on the street in Ireland where one of them is a street performing musician. What unfolds over the next 90-minutes is a captivating film that fuses its narrative structure around the songs written by the lead characters. While this may sound mind-numbing, let me ensure you, it is anything but. In fact, while watching it I was rooting for them to not just succeed with music but in their relationships as well.

Great art is often culled from some of life’s most painful experiences. Look at Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks, it’s easily one of the bloodiest (no pun intended) break-up albums ever made. The songs that pour forth from Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová are equally powerful as Dylan’s legendary album. The characters back stories are brought to light through these songs, instead of a slew of flash back sequences. We slowly discover these characters through the power of song. During a performance in the film, one of the actors (I wouldn’t dare say who), has to stop because the pain they experience for a lost love is so intense, they can’t go on. The two leads have not just a shared past of love lost but a profound visceral power between them from the moment they meet. Once they begin creating music, it becomes nothing short of magical. You will literally feel the goose bumps up and down your arms and back.

The film can be a metaphor for the creative process of music, life and relationships. If you ask a dozen different people what they took from the film, they would probably give you a dozen different answers. It’s rare for a film to leave viewers with such a wide eyed buoyant view that satiates their cinematic desires for closure.

While elements of these lead characters are initially jaded, the film as a whole preempts cynicism by making us fall for these characters, their lives and their music. There is a determination and optimism I haven’t seen in quite sometime. It’s difficult to be positive and not come off as naive at the same time, but director Jim Carney captures the inner emotions of these characters that immediately give them credibility to the viewer. Once is one of the those rare films, that you can’t just see once…but will have to see multiple times because you don’t want to let go of these characters. It begins in the middle, takes us back to the beginning and gives us hope for the future. Name me the last four-minute pop song that did the same?

Once Wikipedia Entry
Once Official Website
Once IMDB Entry

More contradictions from Bon Jovi

Last summer right before Bon Jovi performed at Soldier Field, Jon Bon Jovi gave an interview that completely contradicts his recent ego money grab from fans.

Check out this paragraph:

"We are very aware of ticket prices when we set up a tour," Bon Jovi says. "We don't do a cheap ticket, but we do a very fair ticket price. Forget about the cost of a concert ticket, I'm very aware of the cost of living. I can't dispute what the Stones or Madonna wanna charge, but I know that to take a date to a concert, park the car, get a T-shirt, buy a couple of beers -- that's more than a week's pay for a lot of folks. We charge less and know that 50,000 seats will be sold for Soldier Field. That's just good business."

Let's see here Jon, your tickets are actually more than Madonna's. The worse thing about it is that it appears many tickets sold today. At some point, those fans will feel the sting of a former friend stabbing them in the back. I have reprinted the entire interview from last summer below. It's good reading.
xT



Rock's golden boy: Jon Bon Jovi still rollin' out the hits
Chicago Sun-Times, Jul 21, 2006 by Miriam Di Nunzio
Jon Bon Jovi sounds a wee bit frustrated on a recent Tuesday morning, phoning from New York. Not about the interview, but about philanthropic red tape. He needs to gently vent.

It's well-known that the singer has a big heart when it comes to helping those less fortunate. (On behalf of his band, he recently presented Oprah Winfrey with a check for $1 million for her Angel Network.) But Jon is most closely associated with Habitat for Humanity, having channeled the profits from his arena football team (Philadelphia Soul) to the organization to build homes and playgrounds. One corporate meeting later, he finds it's not always a smooth process, hence the reason for his frustration.

"I got involved with Habitat because I wanted to find that 'Father Flanagan' who needs that orphanage and then just go out and build it," he says emphatically.

"I just got a real good lesson in red tape. I've paid for six houses to be built in Philly and they're not done and it's already been almost a year. If it was up to me, they'd be done. I paid for the houses; I want them up so these families who are waiting for them can move in. Now I find out there are three organizations involved in just getting these six houses built. I don't understand that at all. There can't be 1,700 chapters of Habitat for Humanity. There should just be one."

Has he actually worked on a Habitat house?

"I'm a crummy nailer," he says with a chuckle, his frustration vanishing. "I'm better at hammering the heads of Habitat as to why it's taking so damn long."

There are few sure things in the pantheon of rock 'n' roll. Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, the Who easily come to mind. Alive (or dead), they'll forever be a draw at the box office or your local music emporium.

Purists may scoff, but it's hard to discount one of the best touring bands in the business -- those formidable pop-metal New Jersey boys known as Bon Jovi.

For more than two decades, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres have continuously delivered the goods when it comes to arena rock. Their latest album, "Have a Nice Day," reached the No. 2 spot on the Billboard charts. Their tours routinely come in among the highest-grossing of the year. The "Have a Nice Day Tour," which rolls into Soldier Field tonight to a sold-out crowd of 55,000, will gross more than $100 million by the time it ends later this month --with ticket prices ($45-$125 in Chicago) that are well below what most of the current big arena tours are commanding for seats.

"We are very aware of ticket prices when we set up a tour," Bon Jovi says. "We don't do a cheap ticket, but we do a very fair ticket price. Forget about the cost of a concert ticket, I'm very aware of the cost of living. I can't dispute what the Stones or Madonna wanna charge, but I know that to take a date to a concert, park the car, get a T-shirt, buy a couple of beers -- that's more than a week's pay for a lot of folks. We charge less and know that 50,000 seats will be sold for Soldier Field. That's just good business."

It's all part of a winning formula that has kept the boys doing "good business" for 22 years. And that formula is feeding a new generation of fans.

"We were very surprised to find that the majority of their concert tickets on this tour are being bought up by 16- to 28-year- olds," said Randy Phillips, president and CEO of AEG Live, the company promoting the worldwide tour. "The proof is even more evident in the merchandising revenue. We've calculated that people are spending an average of $15 per head at the merchandise table, which is like a home run in this business. Believe me, there aren't a lot of 40-year-olds buying Bon Jovi T-shirts or tank tops."
- - -
Much of Bon Jovi's appeal is Jon Bon Jovi himself -- he of the sexy voice and explosive smile. The singer seduced a generation of women with "Bed of Roses" and told the world to kiss his a-- with "It's My Life." How irresistible.

Then there's Sambora, the tattoo-festooned bad boy himself, who - - well, we all know about his very public goings-on ("Richie's doing as good as he can with the tough year he's had," Bon Jovi says). And don't discount the tremendous appeal of keyboardist David Bryan and drummer Hector "Tico" Torres, who counts a baby-clothing line, "Rock Star Baby" (along with Jon), among his successful private pursuits.

"Our band has lasted so long because we are friends first and foremost and we truly do like each other's company," Bon Jovi says. "You don't necessarily have to be friends offstage to have a successful band, but that's how it is with us. There's mutual respect and a definite hierarchy. Everyone knows where they fit in and no one's ego gets in the way. That really just comes with age, time and experience. And respect."

"It's funny, but there are certain artists that people always bet against in terms of survival or longevity in the business, and this band for a long time was one of those bands," Phillips says. "But they are just so tight-knit. No energy is spent on 'keeping the band together.' They spend their energy on writing, strategizing. It's one of the best organizations I've ever dealt with."

Bon Jovi: How Much Is Too Much?

To be lasting, you have to look at your audience and see yourself, and they have to look at you and see themselves.
-Bruce Springsteen

Last month on American Idol, Jon Bon Jovi announced that the band would be playing a ten-night stand at a new arena in Newark, NJ. I’ve seen Bon Jovi in New Jersey quite a few times and to be honest, I’ve always walked away a little disappointed so I’ve written off on traveling to see them play their home state. However, the thought of set list possibilities over ten-nights tempted me so I figured I would go out East, catch up with some good friends and possibly catch a few concerts. Then I saw the ticket prices.

For these shows, the ticket will be between $67 and $337, before Ticketmaster charges. No, that is not a typo but an actual number. I stared at the Ticketbastard page in disbelief wondering how this could be. Now, I do feel that artists have a right to make as much money as possible; however, they also have a responsibility to the fans who have afforded them to live their dreams. I don’t have an issue with paying a lot of money for tickets, but I need to point out that Bon Jovi’s top ticket price is more than the Police, Eagles, Paul McCartney, Kiss, Aerosmith, Genesis, the Who, Elton John, Billy Joel, Madonna or U2 charge. In fact, the only two acts who charge more than what Bon Jovi is asking for are the Rolling Stones and Barbara Streisand. I’m not making excuses or trying to justify either act but they were out there performing when Jon Bon Jovi was still in diapers. Did I mention these tickets are $100 more than seeing a Beatle?

I love Bon Jovi as much as anyone, specifically because their live shows triumph time and time again, but they are not in the same league as many of the aforementioned acts. I mean no disrespect to them…and even if they were, charging this much money is reprehensible. I find the Police ticket prices abusive, but the last time the Police toured together, ‘Slippery When Wet’ was still being recorded so I can semi understand why tickets are expensive (that still does not justify the price). One Bon Jovi ticket for these Newark shows costs more than TWO U2 tickets from their 2005 tour (including service charges). Once again, no disrespect to Bon Jovi, but they’re not in the same league as U2. If they treated their fans with respect and continued to push the creative envelope like they did in the 1990’s, then maybe they would. But I don’t think Bon Jovi has made music from the heart in a very long time. This is going to make my decision to abandon them that much easier. I think I have finally come to terms that they only care about the music they make as long as it turns a hefty profit. The days of deep, brooding and introspective music found on ‘Stranger In This Town’, ‘These Days’ and ‘Destination Anywhere’ are long gone never to be heard from again.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a more disappointing or discourteous ticket price in my life. I’ve seen Bon Jovi dozens of times in the last seven years with a ticket price ranging from $27 to $125. I’ve taken issue with their prices since the summer leg of the ‘Bounce’ tour where most tickets ran around $100. In my opinion, no concert should ever cost more than $100. It’s not worth it. I also tend to have a rule that any concert that costs more than $1 a minute isn’t worth it. If I were to follow this rule it would take Bon Jovi 5 and ½ hours to make these shows worthwhile.

For a bunch of guys who pride themselves on coming from blue-collar background and claim to be “in touch” with the common man, how can they justify these prices? Do they care about their fans or the almighty dollar more? My vote is for the almighty dollar. Jon Bon Jovi constantly talks about how important the fans are in numerous interviews, but all he’s doing here is slapping them in the face…multiple times. By instituting prices like this, you will ensure two outcomes;

A) Your die-hard fans who love you so deeply will see fewer shows and in many instances will go into debt by attending one or two shows.

B) You will begin to attract people to your concerts who don’t care one iota about music but only care about being seen to be seen.

Just two-months ago when I caught Christina Aguilera (an AEG sponsored tour) I saw something alarming. The first twenty-rows on the floor stood motionless for the entire performance. More importantly, I don’t think I saw a single person under the age of 40 in these seats. Why was this? The first twenty-rows were auctioned off to the highest bidder and as a result, people went for every reason imaginable except for the love of the music. This was profoundly disconcerting and in truth, it was distracting and detracted from the show. It was odd to see the stage up front sitting there motionless. I’ve seen more movement in a movie theater than I saw at this concert. Can you imagine being a performer busting your ass on stage only to have everyone stare at you like a deer in headlights?

Last year Billy Joel broke the record at Madison Square Garden for most tour appearances (Twelve shows beating out Springsteen’s record of 10). You want to know how? All tickets were priced between $45 and $90. Billy’s quote in Billboard magazine was something along the lines of how it was important for him that both the guy who owns the factory and the average Joe working in the factory could experience his concerts. These prices in Newark mean that only the owner of the factory will be able to attend these shows. Look at a band like Pearl Jam, the highest ticket price on last year’s tour was $65 (the exceptions being the Bogarta and co-headlining shows with Tom Petty which still were below $100). They fight for their fans and as a result, their fan base is more loyal than any others out there. It also works from a creative perspective as Pearl Jam have been able to take chances artistically because they treat their fan base with the utmost respect never taking advantage of them. When I went to get my tickets for their two shows in Chicago last year, 90% of the ticket windows were reserved for fan club members. They very easily could auction off tickets to the highest bidder, but embracing their family (aka their fans) is what was most important to them. There was even a point during the first night when there was a sing-a-long that sent shivers down my spine. It was a deep album cut “Present Tense” that was possibly the live highlight of all shows I saw in 2006. If Pearl Jam sold tickets to the highest bidder and the richest people, a moment like this never would have been possible.

As a fan, all I can do is voice my opinion with my wallet. Not only will I choose to not attend any further Bon Jovi concerts but even if I wanted to, I won’t be able to afford them. I’ve never seen a group of individuals so out of touch with reality. Once you begin severing ties with the core group of fans, most of whom kept the band afloat in the 1990’s, the beginning of the end is near. Pretty soon these fans will move onto other acts who treat their fans with respect (like Pearl Jam and Tom Petty) while the band will be left with nothing but a bunch of fair weathered soccer mom’s who may or may not buy the latest Bon Jovi album. In truth, whether they buy it or not will probably depend on how good Jon Bon Jovi’s ass looks on The View.

Jon Bon Jovi needs to understand that his core group of fans is not millionaires with expendable income. A wise man once told me, “To understand a fan, you have to be one”. What would Jon Bon Jovi have done if Southside Johnny, J Giles Band and Bruce Springsteen had charged a week’s salary to see one of their shows? Would Jon have been inspired to make music and change lives? What if he couldn’t afford to be inspired and became a full time shoe salesman? The band could play all the stadiums they want if only they kept their ticket prices low. By keeping a fair and cheap ticket price, you will win over m ore die-hard fans than any performance on the Today Show or The View could ever hope to.

In 2004, I caught five Prince concerts that overwhelmingly inspired me. I saw a total of five shows because the tickets were cheap ($75) and the worse seats I had for the entire tour were 7th row, and I got those off Ticketmaster! He respected his fans and as a result, I could afford to witness multiple sweltering performances that turned me from a casual fan into a die hard. I wound up going back and buying the entire Prince catalog because of the multiple shows I saw. I didn’t want to just listen to the hits, but wanted it all! If tickets had been over $100 I probably would have only seen one show and would still only own a handful of albums. More importantly, I’ll be sure to see Prince again on his next tour. With the prices Bon Jovi is charging for these shows, this level of devotion will be hard to find.

These offensive ticket prices are the final straw for me with Bon Jovi. I feel as if the band is giving me the middle finger and laughing all the way to the bank at my expense. Thanks but no thanks; I have a mortgage to pay. All I know is that for close to fifteen years I felt that as I matured and began to understand this world, Bon Jovi and their music grew and matured along with me. Each album was better than the previous one and showed artistic development. Their output from 1987 to 2001 changed the way I looked at life and I felt that I could relate to these five guys from New Jersey. Now when I look up at them, I don’t see myself in Jon Bon Jovi. All I see is someone sadly willing to do anything for the almighty dollar. God I hope I am wrong, but it's hard to feel otherwise without any kind of statement from the band about the prices.

Stranger In This Town

I started writing this article last Thursday night (no joke) as I found an excellent review of Richie Sambora's introspective and enlightening underrated solo disc, Stranger In This Town on a rather excellent blog; Rock of Ages.

I awoke Friday morning to the news that Sambora had entered a rehab clinic. It's kind of eerie how ironic this news was. Regardless, all I want to say about it is that I wish Richie the best, he's an extraordinary talent who is doing the brave thing and getting himself help. I hope to see him in tip-top shape again in the near future.

Check out the Rock of Ages review of Stranger here. This was one of those albums that transformed my life and to this day, it's one of my top-five albums of all time. I'd take this to any desert island with me as it taught me how to appreciate life and all of its intricacies. It's a soul bearing record and it's better than anything Eric Clapton has put out in the last quarter century. Until I get around to writing about this album, check out the Rock of Ages review.