Legacy Band Tour – Rock & Roll Never Forgets

About a year and half ago my husband and I caught a special on Showtime on the History of the Eagles.  I had no idea they sang with the likes of Jackson Brown and Linda Ronstadt back in the day. The show was captivating and walked you through the evolution of the band. The documentary resonated with us and ignited a passion we both shared for music and concerts. That night at 1 AM an idea was spawned.  We should do a legacy band tour. We grabbed a pad and pen and started writing down the legacy bands we wanted to see in concert. 

Our first challenge was our age difference, I am considerably younger than my husband so my legacy bands were not his legacy bands. Lucky for him, I like all concerts and growing up with older siblings who were 12+ years my senior had exposed me to a great deal of iconic sixties music. My first concert was The Police in Toronto, I don’t remember the year, but I do remember how much fun I had that night. Over the years, I have seen a great many artist perform live. There is nothing more exciting than when your favorite tune comes alive on stage in front of your eyes as your heart beats to the sound of the thumping drums to make an auditorium come alive.

As we began listing our musical influencers, the Eagles naturally topped the list.   The list went something like this; Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, The Police/Sting, AC/DC, Journey, Aerosmith, John Fogerty, Phil Collins, Chicago, Doobie Brothers, Styx, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, U2, The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, Charlie Daniels Band, VanHalen, Bob Seger and so on.

Over the last year we have been diligently looking for opportunities to put a check mark next to the bands we deemed legacy worthy on our list. Needless to say, we had to get busy. Since our legacy band project began, we have seen five awesome shows including;   Fleetwood Mac, John Fogerty, Bob Seger, Tom Petty and most recently, the Eagles. They were all great with 35+ years of tunes in their song books to choose from. These bands have history, ignite memories and there is no one better at getting you to your feet than Joel Walsh or Lindsey Buckingham on a guitar riff. 

As the song goes, Rock and Roll Never Forgets, it is part of the history and fabric of America. These bands drop you into a place and time with lyrics and rich musical talent and bring back many great memories. The 60’s & 70’s were fertile for conditions to germinate the perfect mix of lyrics, message and music. As the Eagles closed out their show with two encores and Hotel California came on, I couldn’t stop thinking about tomorrow and wondering what band is the next generation’s iconic band? What modern artist of this era has staying power to last four decades like a Bob Seger or a Fleetwood Mac? Will Madonna or Lady Gaga be prancing around in a pointy cupped leotard singing Like a Virgin or Born This Way twenty years from now? Will they fill a stadium to the brim? Dave Matthews comes to mind as a band with staying power but I would love to hear what you think. Our list is long so we will continue to Rock On! 

Jodi Cross is a marketing consultant, speaker and freelance writer and may be reached at jcross@crossnm.com or www.www.crossnm.com.