Posted on 05/21/2004 8:02:27 PM PDT by ServesURight
The memories are from another time and place, but are shared in a mood of sobering reflection.
Those songs you blasted out of your speakers during high school, the movies you went to see with your past girlfriends — whatever your bag was, the key word is "was."
The nostalgia music circuit is a gold mine, and the large lobbying force of hair metal fans of the 1980s have convinced classic rock stations to include the gems of Poison, Warrant and Def Leppard in their rotation. A lot of bands are starting to ride the coattails of our demand for musical memories by getting back together, touring and/or recording a new album.
Warrant follows that vein to a T, minus one important element: the band's original lead singer, Jani Lane.
Dude. C'mon.
The hair metal giants, known for charismatically knocking out hits like "Heaven," "Cherry Pie" and "Down Boys," roll into town Thursday for a show at the Hardware Bar in York.
VH1 had field days on the combustion of hair metal bands, and Warrant went down swinging like the rest of the genre's big hitters: Winger, Slaughter, Dokken, Mr. Big, Motley Crüe, Ratt. After Nirvana single-handedly wiped out the demand for glamorous solos, spandex and lighter-waving ballads, Warrant had a falling out among its members.
"It's expected if you look at the history of rock 'n' roll. You're not supposed to stay with the same lineup forever, man," said Erik Kramer, Warrant's founder and main axesmith. "Things change, people grow up and have other interests."
It's just not the hair metal bands taking the high road of the nostalgia circuit. All original members of post-punk icons The Pixies are back together, despite lead singer Frank Black's when-hell-freezes-over speech 10 years ago.
Members of The Cure are back on tour again after claiming 2000's "Bloodflowers" would be their farewell album. And Van Halen, no wait, Van Hagar reunited for what should be a very short time.
These bands are all over the place — just check out the club listings for Harrisburg and Baltimore.
Unnoticed ghost
The lack of nostalgia made it difficult for members of York County rock outfit Kasper, who needed three months to rehearse for their 24th anniversary show held three weeks ago. Around the time Warrant, The Pixies and The Cure were hitting the ceiling to their successes, Kasper chugged from gig to gig about five to six times a week in the Pennsylvania-Virginia area.
Kasper drifted apart as well, but an argument was never raised as time, space and responsibilities wedged between its members.
"First someone gets married and that changes everything," said Jeff Klinedinst, Kasper's guitarist. "You don't feel like much of a parent if you're not going to be home."
Kasper never enjoyed the spoils of champagne and limousines, but none of the members were replaced. Even though it's unlikely they'll join each other on stage for at least a year, their lasting friendship and stable lives are the rewards of musical mediocrity.
"I almost think it's been better, in terms of not screwing your life up, to not have that kind of success," he said.
Free fall, costly climb
A funny irony of the comeback bands is they are reclaiming a portion of the fame and fortune that probably broke them apart to begin with. Kramer didn't sugarcoat Warrant's history by saying everything was all cherry pie and ice cream, but said he never let tensions get in the way of his global outlook of popular music.
"We had our share of coming and going. We've had our share of different guitarists and drummers, but we've been rolling with the punches," he said. "The music business is a roller coaster ride. You gotta continue to have fun doing it, and don't look for a reason to be upset," he said.
The roller coaster analogy is clichéd and untrue for these nostalgia bands; it's more like a bungy-jump. These bands went from airplay, tours and parties to an inner fallout within a fraction of the time it took to become popular.
After dropping as low as there is to go, to the point where they almost snapped (artistically, financially or physically), they rebounded to where they are now. But the laws of rock 'n' roll gravity won't allow them to climb back to the heights they originally fell from.
And the rules of nostalgia say the second time around won't be as fun as the first.
The Doors
The Beatles
Led Zeppelin
The Who
Noone of these will be resurrected unless the rapture occurs first.
And as a special bonus, you'll get one more CD -- with your favorite eighties hair metal classics, including ... Poison ... Warrent ... Def Leppard ...
Or the Allman Brothers.
I just want the Eagles to come back to Dallas. Fairwell I was a very nice show!
The Doors did reunite for VH1-with different singers on a special and then I believe I heard they were doing some dates with a singer they selected, but drummer Densmore wasn't able to take part of the tour due to some disease. But they reunited recently. Don't know if it's still going on. Krieger looked really frail and very skinny and I was wondering if he was alright.
This guy writes real good ;-)
He nails the nostalgia attraction.
I've noticed that most people cling desperately to the pop music of their high school years. In time, they come to believe that all other music is inferior. Big mistake.
As a musician, I realized long ago that each new sound is about as good as the old sounds, only musical stubborness conceals this truth.
As each new genre breaks, hang loose and enjoy it. Born in the late fifties, I've been fortunate to hear the debut of many styles, each one beautiful in it's own way, and challenging me to accept it. A Loose Chronology:
Motown. Surf Music. The Beatles. The Doors. Funk. Zeppelin. Southern Rock. R&B. Metal. Blues Revival. Hairband Rock. Prog Rock. Jazz Rock. Bluegrass Revival. Disco. New Wave. Alt Rock. Rap. Hiphop. Smooth Jazz. BigBand Revival. Improv Rock.......
The trick is to resist simmering in nostalgia. New music is life-fulfilling and it keeps the mind open.
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