Ahoy

Name's Peter from Toronto. Saw my first show Friday night. Won't be the last.

Huge Springsteen fan, and heard about them from the Backstreets forum. Initially didn't think much of them because the first song I heard was Meet Me By The River's Edge and felt it way too much Springsteen references to think of them as any more than a cheap ripoff. At first it sounded like a tune that would have been cut from the Killer's Sam's Town record. It really grew on me with time. Then the rest of the album crept on me on me.

The older stuff didn't soumd like Spriongsteen at all, except Navesink Banks and Red at Night which would have been among the best songs on Ghost of Tom Joad or Devils and Dust. The EP I didn't even listen to because of the titles; stupid of me I know.

Then one day I put just all three records on my ipod and pressed play as I went for a 4 hour walk. I didn't even get through all 28 songs because of the number of times I had to press repeat. Then I saw the show last Friday and it blew me away. When I told Brian after the show he almost had me Broocing I wish I went back and explained to him I didn't mean he sounded like Springsteen with the music. I meant being at that show made me feel like I think I would have felt if I had been alive to see Bruce play in 75 and 78. I'll say that to him the next time, unless they become too big first.

Hey Peter, welcome to the forums.

If they do become huge, Brian will still be around to talk to, same with Benny and the Alexs, I guarantee you that.

Vibes wrote:

Hey Peter, welcome to the forums.

If they do become huge, Brian will still be around to talk to, same with Benny and the Alexs, I guarantee you that.

I hope so, but when you start dealing with teeny bopper huge I wouldn't even want to chat with them if I have to muscle through dozens of 15 year old girls.

As long as they're playing clubs I'm not worried. But once arenas come into the picture I'll be pleasantly surprised if I can still get in touch with them after the shows.

hey man, what's going on?

you don't need to worry about 15 year old girls getting into them. they're not the Jonas Brothers, they're a working class band from Jersey. i really do hope they stay committed and down to earth like they say they will, 'cause they will be getting huge in the next few years

Jukebox Romeo wrote:

hey man, what's going on?

you don't need to worry about 15 year old girls getting into them. they're not the Jonas Brothers, they're a working class band from Jersey. i really do hope they stay committed and down to earth like they say they will, 'cause they will be getting huge in the next few years

They aren't very different from Springsteen in 74 to 83. He was easy to get a hold of by his fans in that period. By 84-85 it was impossible. Fame like that is hard to come by for anyone. On one hand I'd love to see them succeed, on the other that may be too big. The Jonas brothers they are not but they're image is enough to make them as big as Pearl Jam was in '92/'93, and I'd rather not be fighting Brenda from 90210 for a handshake.


And thanks for the greetings both of you.

No one really plays arenas now that isn't either a classic rock artist/artist from the 70's/Coldplay or a conglomerate-raised artist.

They'll be playing clubs like Rise Against is still doing. Their music doesn't have the appeal to millions that Coldplay and classic rock do. I have a feeling we'll be able to talk to them for a good long time, not to say that i don't wish them mountains of success

Vibes wrote:

Their music doesn't have the appeal to millions that Coldplay and classic rock do.

I disagree... TGA and James Taylor are the only bands that everyone in my family owns, I have yet to meet anyone that doesn't like TGA once they really sit down and listen to them.

I understand why people don't like my other favorite bands (Rancid, Against Me!, The Cobra Skulls etc) but I think everyone can get into TGA

also, Shallow, welcome to the forum!

Vibes wrote:

No one really plays arenas now that isn't either a classic rock artist/artist from the 70's/Coldplay or a conglomerate-raised artist.

They'll be playing clubs like Rise Against is still doing. Their music doesn't have the appeal to millions that Coldplay and classic rock do. I have a feeling we'll be able to talk to them for a good long time, not to say that i don't wish them mountains of success

It may not happen with this album but I know that in November I couldn't make a Kings of Leon show that would have set me back about 30 bucks in a Toronto club. They're coming back in April to a 18,000 seat Arena where the Maple Leafs play hockey and it'll cost me 50 bucks if I go (not really a fan of the new album. The last one I liked though). This all happened in 6 months. KOL imo aren't GLA but they aren't Coldplay either.

If someone told me in 07 when I was listening to Because of the Times that in '09 I'd have to pay 50 bucks to see these guys in the ACC I'd have laughed. Now I don't even like telling people I was a fan. Sex on Fire.

idk though, i have a theory about why the "best" (obviously, this is an opinion) music isn't on the radio: most people don't want to have to think when listening to music. it's not like reading, where you spend weeks on one story. people want to turn on the radio and spend 3 minutes listening to something that is catchy, pleasing to the ears, and that makes them feel good. they listen to music to escape thinking about real life, and just hear something happy or thoughtless. it's how they relax and take their mind off reality

for people like me, and likely most people on this board, hearing raw emotion and feeling in songs, along with the straight-up energy that is present, makes them feel good. so does screaming the songs at the top of your lungs, or shoving people around at a show. we don't mind listening to someone plainly bear their inner-most feelings, often because we share those feelings, and it's nice to know that someone else out there feels exactly like you do. it's nice to know that you're not alone. also, these artists often hit the nail on the head in describing their feelings better than we ever could, and it comes out in their voice and their music. you can hear the manic energy of someone about to lose it, the absolute disgust and anger in someone's voice, even when there is little to no music behind them to support it (see "I Have My Books" by The Riot Before), or just the ecstasy of finally doing something right and getting your life back on track. you don't hear that kind of stuff on the radio

it's for this reason that it takes a very special artist to break through this wall and into the mainstream (Nirvana, Ramones/Clash/Sex Pistols, early rock 'n roll, etc.). it has to come at the right time, too. punk came about because of how sick everyone was of the superficial triviality of disco and pop/rock, rock started because of how weak popular music was at the time, and Nirvana came about because of how sick everyone was of hair metal. i feel that now is as good a time as ever, looking at what's on the radio (shit), and i feel that TGA could be that band to break through, but it's not gonna be easy. it's not necessarily what they want either (Kurt Cobain definitely didn't want to be famous). best of luck to them though. i don't care if they're huge, i just care that they keep making music as good as they are right now. nothing else matters, really