Main Stage

American Pie and Stuff

Posted by 2000 Man

Feb 032009

I’m too young to have remembered Buddy Holly or Richie Valens, but I grew up with their music all around me. Maybe this would really be a better Mother’s Day post, because Mom’s the one who really got me interested in Rock n’ Roll (the Rock Nerd Obsession was not the desired effect, I’m sure), and Buddy Holly was mom’s favorite. She loved all the big stars of the ’50s, but she said Buddy was the one.

In eighth grade I took a History of Rock class. It was 1976, and it was a full year and counted as a real music class, even good for high school. I think that was a pretty progressive class back then, and I don’t think they offered it much more than that one time. We got to bring in records, and I loved the early part of the class because I had records I could borrow from my mom to bring in. Digging Chuck Berry was weird enough, but Buddy Holly was pretty unknown in our Jr. High; so while I was excited the only person in the room as excited as me was my teacher. We often just had conversations between the two of us with 25 other kids slack jawed or sleeping around us. He’s the one that explained how Buddy’s arrangements and studio knowledge was way ahead of the game to me. He used to say, “Man, if that plane hadn’t crashed I think you’d hear more Latino rhythms in rock ‘n roll from Richie Valens, and Buddy Holly would have done a studio masterpiece like Sgt. Pepper years before The Beatles.” He had some other theories I tend to agree with too, but I was just excited to see that Buddy was more to the world than just some old guy my mom liked.

All-Star Jam: The Day The Music Died Edition

Posted by Gerry Todd

Feb 032009

On this great and very special day in rock history, I’d just like to take a step back from the daily hubbub, and the bickering, the cynical asides and take my All-Star Jam opportunity to tell you all that I love you.

Street Fleet: How do you plan to celebrate The Day the Music Died?

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 032009

Our Rock Town Hall Street Fleet was out yesterday, asking people how they planned to celebrate The Day the Music Died. Following is just a sampling of what folks around the country had to say.
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Rock Town Hall Bemoans Exploitive Black Rock History Month

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 022009

Et tu, Boss?

The timing of The Boss wheeling out an 80-piece, robed African American choir during the performance of his new single, “Working on a Dream,” as part of his enthusiastic and otherwise inspiring Super Bowl Halftime Show performance was regrettable. For some time I’ve been thinking about using the month of February, Black History Month in the real world, to open a discussion on issues of race in rock ‘n roll. It was never my intention to pull The Boss into this discussion. As I think about the music world’s frequently missed opportunities that have resulted from both real-world barriers to musical integration and artificially divisive marketing genres, like Rock and Soul and Rhythm and Blues and so forth, not once did I consider Bruce Springsteen to have contributed to this problem. If fact, I’d say that as much as any white rocker over the last 35 years, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have sincerely done as much as anyone at keeping the footbridges across our racial divides intact. So don’t take what I’m about to say too personally, Bruce.
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Last Man Standing: “Billy Powell on the piano”

Posted by cdm

Feb 022009

RIP, indeed. Billy Powell was Great.

On One From the Road, Ronnie gives up a “Billy Powell on the piano” at the beginning of the piano solo on (I think) “Call Me the Breeze.” And I’m pretty sure that he introduced Billy’s solos on more than one occasion. (I don’t recall him introducing anyone else, I wonder if that was cause for inter-band tensions.)

What I’m looking for is other shout-outs that have been captured on an official release.

Please confine the shout-out to those which take place during the song, not in between. So, Mick’s introduction of the band in between songs on Love You Live does not count.

I’ll open with what I consider to be the gold standard: “Bob Mayo… Bob Mayo on the keyboards,” from Frampton Comes Alive.

January’s Comment of the Month Displays Rock Town Hall’s Deadly Serious Side

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 022009

As in past months there were some fine competitors for January’s Comment of the Month, but we’re going with Townsman Dr. John for this deadly serious piece of rock commentary, from a thread on moments when we’ve reached the end of the road in buying albums by a favorite artist. Along the way, we got into a side conversation on the recently reissued deluxe edition of The Bee Gees‘ Odessa album, until recently a completely forgettable dollar-bin album that not even a red velvet cover could convince rock nerds to take a chance on buying. But that’s the beauty of rock nerd culture, isn’t it? And among the many beauties I come across on Rock Town Hall are passionate and creative defenses of albums that I wouldn’t think anyone could take so seriously. Here’s the Good Doctor’s winning comment:

Odessa’s dramatic storylines and forays into Americana remind me of a record released a year later, John Cale’s Vintage Violence.

I like Odessa a lot, especially because it has some great deep cuts, such as “Black Diamond.” This is an album for people who appreciate the band’s stylistic quirks, rather than their ability to mimic other bands to create pop hits.

Rest assured that the fun I poke is with love and empathy. We’ve all been there. We’ve all defended our own version of Odessa by tying it into an equally overlooked album. We’ve all used part of our defense of an album to take a poke at another rock nerd’s biases. Well played! I’ve got to say that my soft spot for Vintage Violence is just the sort of thing that I hope will help me when I finally get around to revisiting Odessa. And I sense that poke about people who appreciate the band’s “ability to mimic other bands to create pop hits” was directed at me, among others. I’ll show that Dr. John! you can correctly imagine me thinking when I first read this.

Sometimes people outside the Halls of Rock ask me, “What’s the point of talking about music as obsessively as you guys talk about music?” Next time I’m asked that question I may just point to this post and how it may help me open my mind next time I listen to an album I’d long ago dismissed. This, my friends, is the value of the Examined Rock Nerd Life.

Prop Bets on The Boss’ Super Bowl XLIII Set

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 312009

Two-tight end alignment indicates Run

Prop bets on The Boss’ Super Bowl XLIII halftime performance are now open. Thanks to Townsman Chickenfrank for kicking these off. I’m starting out by bringing his suggested bets to The Main Stage and throwing in a few of my own. Feel free to do likewise. Now, let’s get it on!

Over/under:

Number of bandanas on stage: 1 1/2.
Maximum number of singers crowded around one mic at any time (ie, Rock ‘n Roll Iwo Jima alignment): 3.
Number of different songs he touches on in his 12 minutes: 6.
Number of hats on stage: 3.
Total count of everyone in the band: 10.
Football related: how many times will we see Warner’s wife in the stands? 3.

Other:

In what football alignment (eg, 4-3, 3-4, Power I…) will the band take the stage?
Will any member of the E Street Band wear a football jersey on stage?
Will The Boss holster his guitar at any point?
What will be the most significant clothing/Look move (eg, Bono flashing the American flag in the lining of his leather jacket, Janet Jackson flashing her boob)?
Will The Boss tell a between-song story of any length?
Will The Boss introduce a special guest performer?

Remember, any gambling that goes on tomorrow is for amusement purposes only.

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