Jannus Landing: Too good for tribute shows
July 19th, 2007 by Wade Tatangelo in NewsSome of my most cherished concert memories are from Jannus Landing. Billed as “Florida’s oldest and largest outdoor concert venue,” it is, in my opinion, the jewel of downtown St. Pete. Yeah, The State Theatre has its charms as well, but nothing compares to standing in the courtyard under a canopy of stars, getting down to acts ranging from Snoop Dogg to Lucinda Williams.
Understandably, Jannus must often book crap like Kottonmouth Kings (Aug. 18) to pay the rent, but they always redeem themselves with a gem like Perry Farrell (Sept. 14).
However, I see a disturbing trend: the scheduling of tribute bands, which should be loathed like Michael Bolton by any self-respecting music fan. Guys getting on stage and aping their heroes for a paycheck is pitiful. It’s a clown act that doesn’t belong in one of Florida’s most venerable venues.
I understand Jannus has a history of booking The Dave Matthews Tribute Band (Aug. 11) and The Grateful Dead homagers Dark Star Orchestra. I always cringed at the former but at least the latter carries on the Garcia legacy with honor. But what prompted this blog post is the press release that landed in my mailbox today announcing that on Sept. 8 the Jannus stage will be occupied by the AC/DC Tribute Show - Highway to Hell. A jackass act that deserves no more than a Thursday night gig in a shitty biker bar.
There plenty of other local places to see, if you absolutely must, tribute shows. Club Bourbon Street in New Port Richey hosts UV the U2 Tribute band Aug. 10. The Doors knock-off Peace Frog plays the Largo Cultural Center Aug. 25.
I’m a fan of AC/DC. I lean more toward the Bon Scott era but also appreciate the contributions of Brian Johnson, who has been lead vocalist for the band ever since Back in Black. It doesn’t hurt that I got to hang Johnson a couple times when I lived in Sarasota. He proved to be an affable, down-to-earth guy with a serious love for and knowledge of classic blues and R&B. He’s also a regular at SRQ charity events.
So here’s my proposal:
If there’s such a demand for AC/DC while the band is on hiatus (reportedly working at a snail’s pace on a new record), how about getting Johnson to surround himself with his highly talented pals (and fellow Sarasotans) from Big Machine? Make sure all the proceeds go to a reputable charity and if his schedule permits, I’d be willing to bet that Johnson would be game. After all, he did a similar gig to raise funds several weeks back at Ruth Eckerd Hall.
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July 23rd, 2007 at 5:45 pm
I’d almost agree with the generality “..tribute bands, which should be loathed like Michael Bolton by any self-respecting music fan”, but Bogus Pomp doesn’t fit in that box.
July 23rd, 2007 at 8:08 pm
As a member of The Dave Matthews Tribute Band, I read your story and appreciate your views on tribute acts. We’ve come across plenty of folks who don’t like to indulge in tribute bands, and I respect their thoughts and views.
However, what I never did understand is why even discuss them? Is your mission to deter people away from enjoying tribute bands? Or are you trying to just get people who agree with your points to say, “yea, you’re right”? I just never understood - why complain about it?
I don’t like karaoke. I hate being anywhere around karaoke bars/contests/etc, but I don’t go rambling on about it and raining on the parade of the people who enjoy it. It is some peoples thing.
For every 1500 people like you who don’t like the idea of a tribute band in general, there are 1500 who will pay the $15 to spend a night at Jannus under the stars, sipping a drink and listening to a group of fans play, both the band and the fans’, favorite music. Why submit a “proposal” to rain on the parade of those 1500 people who will have a really enjoyable night?
If its more great original music that you are seeking at Jannus, there are plenty of open dates on their calender, and if it made sense to them, they would have it there. I would hope however you wouldn’t expect the guys running the place to lose their butts on different acts though, just because its good music; in your opinion.
July 24th, 2007 at 12:24 am
drkptt: Great call on Bogus Pomp (Frank Zappa). Another exception is Uncle John’s Band (Grateful Dead). The former expertly recreates some of the finest, most complex compositions of the last 50 years while the latter boasts musicians with the chops to honorably carry on the improvisational tradition of the mother of all jam bands (unless you want to give that title to the Allmans, but we’ll save the argument for another blog entry).