Summer Concerts

There are few constants in this crazy world of ours. Some things will never change. Summer sunsets will forever be beautiful, the sky will always be above, and summers in America will always ring money in the pockets of anyone with an idea. Corporate America realized some time ago that teenagers spend nearly double the amount of money in the summer season than any other time of the year. The music industry has picked up on this fact and has flooded the summer arenas with concerts and festivals. But now, as the summer is over, we look back and see which tours were purely hype and which were for real.

The first tour which we can easily throw into the recycle bin is the Spice Girls tour, a perfect example of hype over quality. We all know that the show in Madison Square Garden sold out in minutes and for the next few months people were in a frenzy to get tickets. But when the girls finally rolled into town, the sold-out show was played before a crowd of ten year-old girls and their parents. But no one has ever claimed that the Spice Girls were anything more than hype, so they are excused. Other "hype over hip" concerts included the Smashing Pumpkins concert at Radio City Music Hall, and The Other Ones as headliners of this years Furthur Festival.

The Pumpkins, who are known as great live performers, put on one of their worst shows ever in our area. The songs they played were almost entirely from their new album "Adore" which isn't bad, but the way they played the songs sounded, well, bad. Even when they played the popular songs, they also sounded bad. There is no other way to describe them, just bad.

The Others Ones, who are most of the surviving members of the Grateful Dead plus a few extras, should have been the best concert of the summer to the legions of Deadheads throughout the country. Unfortunately, it too was disappointing. Bruce Hornsby came in to handle the keyboards and some of the singing, but their sound was missing something. The concert was entertaining in a lot of respects, but overall, the songs were lacking a special someone who can never be replaced.

Just as these concerts failed to realize their projected hypes, there were some big concerts which totally surpassed their goals. The best of these tours was by the Dave Matthews Band. Dave, who is still touring and subsequently conquering America, has put together one of the most original and talented bands in decades. He started out with a small college following, and now has sold-out an entire summer-long large arena tour. His shows, which mix violin and saxophone with some hard rock and roll, provide enough energy to power a small city and that is what makes the Dave Matthews Band so incredible. They blew everyone away at Giants Stadium, even the sound and lighting guys. Other performers who lived up to their hype were Tori Amos, Metallica, Page and Plant, and Ani Difranco.

The last couple times Tori came to our area, her shows were lousy, but this summer she played an unbelievable one at Madison Square Garden. Touring with a backing band for the first time ever, she played with the energy and strength that has so far only existed on her albums. Metallica rode into town and did nothing different than they have been doing for the past decade or so, playing hard and fast. They do it better than anyone else. Old 'Zeppelin fans loved it when Page and Plant started touring again. They loved it even more when much of their shows consisted of the classic tunes. These two know how to rock, they've been doing it their entire careers. Much of the hype Ani Difranco has gathered over the past year almost vanished by the time she came to play here, but some one forgot to tell her. She plays with the fight of a lion and the voice of dagger, a dangerous yet delicious combination.

There were concerts this summer which had no hype about them at all but won the hearts of everyone who attended their shows. The best example of this is a little Vermont band which has been doing this for years. Phish has a following that people call "Dead-like" because of the way their fans follow them around the country. Phish is one of the best live bands in the country right now. They mix jazz and blues with an improvisational attitude that turns the concert into one big dance party. If only anyone would notice this band their shows would be sold-out months in advance, but surprisingly, almost none of their shows this summer were. Other bands that unexpectedly played well, were Rusted Root at the Furthur Festival, Barenaked Ladies at the Horde Festival, John Fogerty and Peter, Paul, and Mary.

Rusted Root opened up for The Other Ones at the Furthur Festival and played better than the headliners. They played with soul and heart and anything else they had with them. Even four years after their only radio play, Rusted Root plays like they belong in the mainstream of American music. Speaking of jumping into the American mainstream, due to their amazing sets and their new album, America has fallen in love with the boys of Barenaked Ladies. John Fogerty has been winning over audiences since he started Creedence Clearwater Revival, and now as a solo artist years later he still knows what it takes to win a crowd. He mixed up his set with material from his new album and some classic CCR; the perfect combination for a perfect concert. Legendary folk musicians Peter, Paul, and Mary have been many things to present day rock-and-roll; parents, role models, and icons. Yet they have never had such a place in the present until this summer tour which has seen a new generation of fans love them.

So there you go, what really occurred this summer while you were hanging out at the beach or wearing a tie inside some midtown office building. Oh, and by the way, if you were looking for something on the Backstreet Boys or Celine Dion, keep on looking brother, you ain't gonna find it here.

edited by fishman