Franklin D. Roosefella: i just want to get taken to bands I haven't heard before by people who like them. if I know 'em, the shows gonna be too big and I won't be able to sit.

as someone who would fight tooth & nail to put attack & release / brothers era black keys very very high in the rock contribution pantheon in the last 25 years I think I can fairly suggest maybe it’s just that their recent output has been a huge overproduced bummer I have no interest in seeing live

I interviewed booking agents, tour managers, and other experts about the Black Keys debacle and why some high-profile arena tours are struggling to sell tickets right now. New piece for Stereogum:

The Curious Case Of The Underselling Arena Tourswww.stereogum.com It's not just the Black Keys. Why are so many big tours selling poorly?

I also like el Camino, but this latest is just so bland and bad and if I recall they were one of the groups that got very defensive about people who suggested "selling out" should maybe still be a thing after their music over-saturated the market

hell I could even get cautiously on board with turn blue, it was fine enough. I don’t expect nonstop plateau albums. but shit the downward slide is so hard to not hear when you have the whole picture in mind over ten years

Turn Blue really grew on me over time even if it was a step down, but they've just been kind of mediocre since.

"Rock Bands from my college years that haven't lost the juice" uh maybe QotSA? Vampire Weekend's recent had a solid start even if it never went anywhere.

the thing is that most of these bands are still pretty good, they’re just not, like, arena good anymore (and a lot of them never really were)

a black keys ballroom show would probably be fucking lit, but i’m not going to see them at moda

I entirely realize this sounds misanthropic af but I do not want to go see a band I love play music I don’t love around people I do not fit in around who love the current version of the band

i mean, i’m right there with you, i fucking hate arena shows

There very few artists that I would want to see in a place that holds more than 5000 and even that is stretch. I like my venues small and dingy. With plumbing only a little better than CBGB in 1976. I am a romantic that way.

watched a band last summer at a NYC parks dept concession stand on rockaway beach and it was honestly the best show i've even been to. probably 150 people, maybe 1/2 knew the band, the rest (like me) were just there with friends who did or were just passing by. maybe $10? Great vibe.

One of the best things about Summerfest in Milwaukee is all the little stages where bands you haven’t heard of yet are playing to whatever crowd gathers in front of them. You get to hear so much that is new and different.

i just want to get taken to bands I haven't heard before by people who like them. if I know 'em, the shows gonna be too big and I won't be able to sit.

also, outdoors > indoors

I have to ask my buddy what that band was called. they were in their 50's and great.

been together for 25-30 years.

i am exactly the opposite here, rock music should be heard in dark clubs with frightening toilets as god intended

we don't get a ton of summer over here. so for those 3-4 decent or possibly sweaty as fuck months. outdoors and at night is great

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