2008.09.29
Question of the week: What acts do you want to see around here?
From my pal katsmeow80@twitter.com:
> I think the next QOTW should be about what acts we WANT to see in Roanoke. Or what kind of venue we need here in town.
Good idea, Kat. So, folks, let's hear from you ...
Hank Williams III
Social Distortion
Wayne "The Train" Hancock
Comment by Ray Crawford — September 29, 2008 @ 2:41 pm
Hank Williams III - a MUST see for country music lovers and punks, alike...Wayne "the Train" Hancock - the King of juke joint swing...JB Beverley and the Wayward Drifters - REAL country music at it's finest...Split Lip Rayfield - combine bluegrass with metal and that's what these guys are all about...Beards and Bats - METAL, METAL, METAL... just PLEASE give us some variety. We have enough blues bands and beach music around here. Not everyone is into those types of music. And what Roanoke DESPERATELY needs in order to showcase some of these folks, is a venue that is not afraid to have some of these underground artists. The Jefferson Center is too "nice" and the Civic Center is too big. How about a new bar in the area big enough to hold about 300 people? I hate having to drive to Richmond, Charlottesville or Raleigh for a show!
Comment by Carrie — September 29, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
Lucinda Williams
Joni Mitchell
Richard Thompson
Elvis Costello
Van Morrison
Aimee Mann
Cat Power
Ornette Coleman
Sonny Rollins
Buddy Guy
Beck
Burt Bacharach
Hold Steady
Bruce Springsteen
Ry Cooder
The Kinks
Paul McCartney
Ringo Starr
Prince
Willie Nelson
Radiohead
Green Day
Imelda May
John Fogerty
Bob Dylan
Rolling Stones
Tom Petty
Brian Wilson
Sly & The Family Stone
Comment by David — September 29, 2008 @ 3:22 pm
Tone Loc!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Stevie D — September 29, 2008 @ 3:24 pm
I would like to see more of jam bands in Roanoke. I am stoked about The Derek Trucks Band coming to the Jefferson Center. BB King was awesome so I would also like to see some heavy weights make their way to Roanoke, like Clapton, Petty, etc. Overall though I think the Roanoke music scene ,both local and national, is alive and well!
Comment by Shea Francisco — September 29, 2008 @ 4:00 pm
I guess since I suggested the topic, I should also suggest some bands I'd like to see. I would love to see Amos Lee or Ben Taylor come to the Jefferson Center. I think (would like to think?) that Corrine Bailey Rae and Sara Barielles would both do well here, too.
Comment by Kat — September 29, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
METALLICA! Their 92 concert here was the best show I've ever attended and I've seen a lot of great bands.
I'd like to see Roanoke have a place like the old Ziggy's in Winston-Salem that catered to ALL genres and attracted national bands as well.
Comment by Brian — September 29, 2008 @ 5:57 pm
Umphreys McGee. The Talking Heads (I actually heard they were planning a tour).
The '92 Metallica show was nice!
Comment by Mitch — September 29, 2008 @ 9:57 pm
Patti Smith
Lou Reed
Tom Waits
Leonard Cohen
Neil Young
Paul Simon
Fiona Apple
Emerson String Quartet
Hilary Hahn
Angela Hewitt
Steve Reich
Terry Riley
Philip Glass
Alfred Brendel
Ivan Moravec
Graham Parker
Nick Lowe
Hubert Sumlin
Ralph Stanley
Steely Dan
Comment by David — September 30, 2008 @ 10:59 am
Weezer
ZZ Top
The Shins
Van Halen
The Cure
Mark Knopfler
Grisman
Steely Dan
Nashville Bluegrass Band
Comment by Chris — September 30, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
I believe Hank III played here a few years ago, at the former Iriquois.
As for Jeff Center being "too nice," I think that's something that people say, but one of the best shows I ever saw was the Ramones at the Bijou, in Knoxville, Tenn. That place was *really* nice.
Richard Thompson and Buddy Guy have been here in the past couple of years, both at Jeff Center.
Amos Lee was at FloydFest, though I heard mixed reviews about his performance.
Hubert Sumlin was at 202 Market recently. Great show.
And this might happen -- Graham Parker, and soon. Keep an eye out on this blog for details when they happen.
Thanks again, Kat, and thanks for all the responses! It's a great big old list!
Comment by Tad — October 1, 2008 @ 3:54 pm
Ahhh... the Bijou in Knoxville, what a great place! I was just there this past new year's for a RAQ show. It's nice, but no more so than the Jeff. As far as bands I'd love to see here, how about:
Sunset Rubdown
Wolf Parade
The Shins
Drive By Truckers
The White Stripes
The Flaming Lips
The Joggers
Bjork
Ween
Wilco
The Hold Steady
Ryan Adams
Man Man
Battles
Animal Collective
Sufjan Stevens
Spoon
TV On The Radio
Of Montreal
Low
Les Savy Fav
Girl Talk
Zappa Plays Zappa
Art Brut
Shall I keep going? None of these bands will ever play Roanoke because we don't have a cool, mid-sized club. Sure, I'd love an amphitheater, but I'd rather have a dirty, smelly rock club that holds about 1200 people. But hey, I've perfected the art of the road trip. I don't even have to print driving directions anymore to places like the Black Cat in D.C., or Toad's in Richmond, or The Norva in Norfolk, or the Cat's Cradle in Raleigh, or the 930 Club in D.C., or the Visulite in Charlotte. Priceline.com and I are like this (crosses fingers).
Comment by Quinn — October 2, 2008 @ 12:50 am
Graham Parker also played at 202 Market in 2007. I hope he does come back. Please do let us know.
Hubert Sumlin also played at the Jefferson Center in 2007 with the Bob Margolin Blues All-Star Band (or something like that).
Yes, I saw Richard Thompson at the Jefferson Center. I want him to come back.
Comment by David — October 2, 2008 @ 9:03 am
How about this one? Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk! I saw this band at FloydFest, and it KILLED!
Yeah, Quinn, you're right. The Bijou and Jeff Center probably are about the same. I would think Flaming Lips would *love* to play in a room like that. Ryan Adams seems like a great fit there, too.
As always, the question is, if they play here, will Roanoke come. I'd think it would have to be a weekend show, and it's harder to route bigger acts in here on a weekend night.
Comment by Tad — October 2, 2008 @ 11:20 am
In addition to the aforementioned Graham Parker, Richard Thompson, Hank Williams III, B. B. King, Buddy Guy and Hubert Sumlin(x3), others named who HAVE played here in recent years include Bob Dylan (x2), Willie Nelson, Sonny Rollins, Ralph Stanley, Judy Collins, and Doc Watson. Maybe you've heard of them. Also many greats not yet mentioned, like Ray Bryant, McCoy Tyner and Pinetop Perkins. And that's just in the immediate Rke. Valley, much less in Blacksburg, Floyd, Ferrum, or other nearby spots.
Granted, many of the responses are just "wish lists", without regard to the actual likelihood of ever happening; after all, Sly and the Family Stone have played NOWHERE except three songs at the R&R HOF in thirty-five or so years, and Steely Dan nearly as long. Although Clapton has been living some of the past ten years in wife Melia's hometown of Columbus, Oh., for his performances he is not unique in being well known for preferring places much larger than the 'Noke. Others, like Terry Riley and Phillip Glass, have never done road tours in any real sense.
I guess I'm saying that we can feel pretty good about the shows we've been getting, given the upheavals the music business has been seeing. And while I'm willing to see if Man Man or Wolf Parade create a musical legacy that endures for more than a few years of coolness, those who bemoan the lack of "cutting edge cool" new bands appearing here ignore the realities of Rke.'s audience demographics. But close enough are places that have such bands. Lack of venue is not the biggest barrier, especially proven when a place like Ziggy's in Winston-Salem had to close. But by supporting emerging bands as they play small venues in the valley, you'll wind up seeing some who become famous in the future. One could have seen Phish, Dave Mathews and Blues Traveller at a small bar in Salem years ago. In the early 70's, it was Alice Cooper, Humble Pie, and Captain Beefheart right at one's front door, and it will happen again.
Also, some of the local talent in this area has repeatedly proven world class. Get out and decide for yourself which ones will be next.
Comment by Pete — October 2, 2008 @ 1:11 pm
Steely Dan toured in 2007, and I think they might have done some shows in 2008.
Sly & the Family Stone were supposed to have played some dates earlier this year but canceled. Officially, I think they are still supposed to do some shows.
But yes, I don't really expect Sly to come to Roanoke even if they do play anywhere.
I know it is not realistic to expect many of the acts on my two lists to come to Roanoke. But I have been surprised at a few acts that have appeared here. Elton John actually did the Roanoke Civic Center. I think it was around 1999.
I did not know that Sonny Rollins came to the area. I'm sorry I missed it.
Comment by David — October 2, 2008 @ 8:52 pm
Yeah, Sonny Rollins played a show open to the public at Olin Hall (Rke. College) several years ago. It was kind of typical of this area in that such an important musician could appear without a big crowd while people still bemoaned being unable to see the latest trendy "alternative" rock band, who might be as likely to leave a lasting imprint as, say, The Spin Doctors or Blind Melon (try getting a 20 year old really excited about them today), or some arena dinosaurs or corporate country act.
I either didn't hear or forgot that Steely Dan did some shows last year, but I know Walter Becker had once said he didn't ever see much reason to leave Hawaii, although Willie Nelson has a home there and he still tours incessantly.
One thing I would note is the aging of the core audience for beach music, which IMO was always overserved in the Rke. Valley anyway. While beach music's promoters managed to create a regional niche out of modern R&B components, it was always defined by extra-musical components (dance steps, venues, fashion) as much as by musical ones. The 90's vogue for swing dancing pre-empted some of beach music's raison d'etre for younger folks, and so while it will stand for a long time, I would expect some further decline in the market power of beach music. Let's hope that those who schedule civic musical events will also understand this.
However, I can't join Carrie in lumping genuine blues in with synthetic beach music. Like everywhere else, we do suffer with far too many boring white rock stranglers calling themselves bluesmen, while the rich diversity of real blues performance continues to be underappreciated. To that end, we need return visits from such performers as pianist Erwin Helfer, singer Katherine Davis, jazz/blues great Ray Bryant, Piedmont duo Cephas & Wiggins, and also others who've never done shows here. Oh, and as many Hubert Sumlin gigs as possible!
Comment by Pete — October 3, 2008 @ 1:06 pm