Elton John at Harley like engine oil in water

Milwaukee JSOnline ^ | 9/3/03 | Jim Stingl

[nowings]

By now I'm assuming that Harley-Davidson has figured out whom to fire for putting Elton John in front of 150,000 of its best customers as the 100th anniversary party's grand finale.

So I called the company to check.

"No, of course not," said Harley spokeswoman Amy Alarupi. "No one is going to lose their job over this."

How about a forced transfer from the Juneau Ave. office to the Juneau, Alaska, outpost?

There's nothing wrong with Elton John that being The Rolling Stones instead wouldn't fix. Anyone who says he was a good choice for these leathery bikers is still stuck in last week's mind-set that it's unpatriotic to say anything unflattering about Harley-Davidson or its party.

Harley threw a fantastic bash. It was fun, it was peaceful, it came off with surprisingly few mishaps and serious crashes, and it showcased and enriched Milwaukee. Plus, the biker babes were primo.

But final impressions count, and Elton John belting out his pop hits for a Harley crowd Sunday night was like mixing engine oil and water. Witnesses said people were streaming out of Veterans Park with each new song.

Can you imagine a beer-fueled Harley rider trying to dance to "Don't Go Breaking My Heart?" Didn't think so.

You like to see fans holding up cigarette lighters during a concert, but not with the idea of burning down the stage.

Elton John is close to the right age to headline for Harley riders, and the right weight, too. Being gay does not make him a bad match for the crowd, although the idiot concert-goers using words like faggot to express their disappointment would probably disagree with that.

But his music is all wrong for the audience. He's a diva in pants who speaks not at all to the rugged, rebellious, road-hardened rockers who ride Harley motorcycles, and those who pretend on weekends to be those things. He's Metallica at German Fest, Carole King at Metalfest, and a tie score at the All-Star Game.

The problem, as you already know, was the tremendous citywide guessing game leading up to the concert. Harley threw us into a frenzy by saying the performers would remain a mystery until they took the stage. We spent weeks speculating about every major act - dead and alive - who might show up.

Harley is lauded for its marketing genius and for knowing its customers and how much they like the Steppenwolfs, ZZ Tops and George Thorogoods of the world.

Yet it gave them Tim McGraw, a country singer crooning sweet love songs, and Kid Rock, who nobody heard of until he hooked up with Pamela Anderson. The average Harley rider has saddle bags older than this guy.

And, finally, Elton John as the headliner. I was at a family reunion that night and we were groaning at the television when he came on, and feeling fortunate that we didn't have to fight traffic and wait hours to buy beer and hot dogs to see this mismatch in person.

Bo Black must make it look easier than it really is to put the right bands in front of the right crowd. Harley may want to snap her up if Summerfest sends her packing as expected.

I wanted to ask Elton John's New York publicist, Fran Curtis, how the star thought the show in Milwaukee had gone. She didn't call me back Tuesday.

If you're Harley and you're throwing the party of the century, you'd think someone would have raised his hand at a staff meeting and said, "Excuse me - Elton John?!"

Because you can tell everybody this is your song, but that doesn't make it true.

From the Sept. 3, 2003 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Archive

Elton John at Harley like engine oil in water (9/2/03)

[KDD]

I'll be riding up to Biloxi to see Coe at the Imperial Palace Oct. 4.

[FourPeas]

You've obviously never spent much time with bikers. Your cluelessness is showing.

[FourPeas]

B'waaahaahaahaahaahaaa.....uh, er, um, you were being serious. Sorry.

[FourPeas]

Oh good, cause I’d hate to be blastin down the road with “I’m still standing” playin in my head.

ROFL!

[dfwgator]

has EJ done a motorcycle song?

A couple of the sounds that I really like
Are the sounds of a switchblade and a motorbike
I'm a juvenile product fo the working class
Whose best friend floats in the bottom of a glass

[dfwgator]

Of course Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics. If it wasn't for Bernie, Miss Dwight would have never made it out of the piano bar at the Ramada Inn.

[Pietro]

".........before I'd drink anything with "Milwaukee" on the label"

As a child I consumed vast quantities of Old Milwaukee, it wasn't bad. Now that I have a job though I drink good stuff (RR, Straubs or Yuengling).

[Sloth]

What, they couldn't get Tom Green?

[KDD]

Roll Me Away

Took a look down a westbound road,
Right away I made my choice.
Headed out to my big two-wheeler,
I was tired of my own voice.
Took a bead on the northern plains
And just rolled that power on.

Twelve hours out of Mackinaw City,
Stopped in a bar to have a brew.
Met a girl, and we had a few drinks,
And I told her what I'd decided to do.
She looked out the window a long, long moment,
Then she looked into my eyes.
She didn't have to say a thing,
I knew what she was thinkin'.

Roll, roll me away,
Won't you roll me away tonight?
I too am lost, I feel double-crossed,
And I'm sick of what's wrong and what's right.
We never even said a word,
We just walked out and got on that bike,
And we rolled,
And we rolled clean out of sight.

We rolled across the high plains,
Deep into the mountains.
Felt so good to me
Finally feelin' free.

Somewhere along a high road,
The air began to turn cold.
She said she missed her home.
I headed on alone. Oh!

Stood alone on a mountain top,
Starin' out at the Great Divide.
I could go east, I could go west,
It was all up to me to decide.
Just then I saw a young hawk flyin',
And my soul began to rise,
And pretty soon, my heart was singin'

Roll, roll me away,
I'm gonna roll me away tonight.
Gotta keep rollin', gotta keep ridin',
Keep searchin' till I find what's right.
And as the sunset faded
I spoke to the faintest first starlight,
And I said, "Next time,
Next time we'll get it right."
Roll me away. Roll me away. Roll me away.

Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band--

[sam_paine]

Read the thread betwixt me and bikers4bush and then get over yourself.

[Sloth]

Magic Carpet Ride

I like to dream, yes
Yes, right between the sound machine
On a cloud of sound I drift in the night
Every place it goes is right
Flies far, flies near
To the stars, away from here

Well, you don't know what
We can find
Why don't you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride

Well, you don't know what
We can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free

CHORUS
Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away

Last night I found Aladdin's lamp
So I wished that I could stay
But before the thing could answer me
Well, someone came 'n took the lamp away

I looked
Around
A lousy candle's all I found

Well, you don't know what
We can find
Why don't you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride

Well, you don't know what
We can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free

[BraveMan]

marshmallow, the cyberspace badass . . .

[Lunatic Fringe]

Plus, the biker babes were primo.

[sarasota]

The Chicago Tribune reported that the average Harley owner is 43 and his/her average annual income is $70k.

[Afronaut]

Most of this people:

The coolest thing they ever did in their whole life was to buy a Harley,

The second thing was to ride to this event. Trust me 90% are hard core Elton fans.

They are just sick of seeing the same show that see every year.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I've drunk Milwaukie 1824, Milwaukie's Best, Old Milwaukie, Schaffer, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and some that I've forgotten (small wonder). I love Rolling Rock, but usually get laughed at when I mention it. Mexican beer is good...Dos Equis, Sol, Corona, Tecate. Because of my budget you'll usually find Natural Ice in the fridge ;-p

[Afronaut]

Typing lessons Failed again

[irish guard]

>>>>>>Harley does recognize that the biker demographic has changed even if you don't. <<<<<

You are wrong.....at least 1/3 of the attendees voted with their feet and left the concert....were you there to see it?....I didn't think so!

[Cobra Scott]

I went to see DAC play in Odessa TX back around 83. He played and sang for 3 hours, and came back for another 2hr encore. It was one of the best concerts I ever saw. The best was George Thorogood at around the same time in Lubbock at a sleazy little dive. He was in town for booked concert, and played this club under a diferent name; it was a $2 cover, and lasted over 6 hours.

They just don't make em like that anymore (sigh)

[shuvlhed]

no they don't.