Are bands happy to be back on the road again? It would seem so!
Even though COVID isn't completely in the rear view (an Eric Johnson show I was supposed to attend last week was postponed until September) , band have resumed normal touring operations, and they seem to be very glad for it. With the advent of streaming, minimizing the need for a recording contract (and by extension getting advances to make a record), the only way for bands to make money is to perform live, and sell merchandise. So far this year, bands and crowds are happy to be spending time in close proximity together again. Bands are even giving people in the audience gifts!
The examples I've experienced so far:
Collective Soul - Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale - February 17th, 2023
Collective Soul performed for a packed house last month, and after a monologue sharing that his (and rhythm guitarist Dean Roland's) grandmother passed away leaving them a few hundred dollars inheritance, he proceeded to pass out several dozen boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts to the rapturous audience.
Tommy James and the Shondells - Strawberry Festival, Plant City - March 9th, 2023
In the middle of the final song before the encore (Mony, Mony, natch), Tommy James came down into the crowd and signed autographs for at least ten minutes while the band vamped into a medley of other hits. I can't say I've ever seen an artist sign autographs during a performance before.
Greta Van Fleet - Amalie Arena, Tampa - March 10th, 2023
The original date for the Tampa show was postponed last September when singer Josh Kiszka ruptured his eardrum, so all were happy to sing loud and proud earlier this month. During an extended drum solo by Danny Wagner, Josh passed out yellow roses to audience members in the front row. Because of the short duration of the rescheduled tour dates, Josh was in tremendous voice, and it is a wonder he didn't blow out his eardrum again. I hope that Greta Van Fleet made a live recording of this tour, because in my opinion they are at the height of their power, and who knows how long Josh will be able to hit those high notes with the same authority.
The Cure/Robert Smith - Amalie Arena, Tampa - June 29th 2023
This show hasn't even happened yet, but Robert Smith, appalled by the exorbitant fees being charged by Ticketmaster for The Cure's highly anticipated tour of the US, pressured the company to issue partial refunds to fans who participated in the Verified Fan resells. Smith even worked to ensure that tickets couldn't be resold other than to other Verified Fans, to reduce the amount of scalping. That's perhaps the greatest gift concert goers have received so far!
So here's hoping that the joyousness currently being experienced at rock shows continues unabated for the rest of the year. If you haven't booked a ticket for a show in your area, do it soon. Live music was nearly a COVID casually, and the greatest gift we could give our favorite artists is the gift of our presence at one of their shows.