Rock and roll in the modern age is, in some ways, a forgotten art. Instead of focusing on making music, rock musicians have become, by necessity, businessmen, promoters, entertainers, and fortune tellers, desperately trying to predict "the next big thing" in hopes of riding the front of the wave of cultural significance and/or possible economic prosperity. Whatever happened to setting up your gear and rockin' out?
Apparently an event like that still actually happens, but plays out in obscurity in odd places. This was certainly the case earlier this month at the Dakota Dunes Casino, just 15 minutes south of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where Los Lonely Boys, that blues rockin' trio of brothers from Texas, brought their show. Don't ask me why they were playing to a "crowd" of less than 300 people at $35 a pop - I'm sure they headline for major dollars in most markets worldwide. They played well - just bass, drums and guitar on a white lit stage - from blues to rock and roll and most places in between. I don't really know their catalogue, but the music was definitely both familiar and exciting, sort of ZZ Top (the original Texas trio, if you will) meets Santana (the original Hispanic rock guitar virtuoso). Great job, guys!
There was very little for anyone to dislike about the band or its performance, and I would certainly recommend their show or music to anyone that likes good, solid playing along the lines of ZZ Top or Stevie Ray Vaughn. But the question that’s been nagging me for over a week now is this: where was the audience? Even the local blues scene regulars weren’t there. Perhaps the simple explanation is that maybe the show was poorly promoted. Perhaps, the fact of the matter is, sadly, that we’ve reached the point that no one much cares about a little ol’ rock ‘n’ roll band from Texas (or anywhere else), no matter who’s laying claim to the name.
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
Nice review Skeet. So wheres my damn Rockpile CD?
-Glen
2 - JC Mosquito
Hiya, Glen. It's been busy as spit around here (I'll email you that sob story sometimes), but I did fire that off a couple weeks back. I find that nowadays even a simple letter I send Stateside takes 3 weeks. I don't know if the holdup is with Canada Post or the US Mail Service, bbut I guess you can't be too careful with mail in the modern world.
3 - Glen Boyd
Hmmm...did you by chance not label the CD or the envelope? Because I did get a completely blank CD in the mail a few days ago and couldn't figure what it was? Was that you? Hmmm....
-Glen
4 - JC Mosquito
Errrrr.... unmarked - sounds like me, but there should've been postal info and whatnot on the outside.
Blank CD, you say..... well, put whatever you want on it and it'll sound good, I suppose. I'll try again when my brain is functioning again a little better.
5 - Glen Boyd
No prob Skeet. It's the thought that counts, right?
-Glen
6 - Debra
Los Lonely Boys are awesome and they have a new cd coming out July 1. Make sure you get your copy. FORGIVEN can be ordered here.