Rock artists, stop running from your '80s hits!

I'm reprinting this photo of Heart, because right now fully half the visitors to my blog find me via a Google image search for this picture. (Go figure?) As this blog is still in its infancy and I'm desperate for visitors, I'm not above doing whatever it takes...

I saw the VH1 Rock Honors concert tonight, and while I was really disappointed that Heart didn't play their awesome '80s hits, man, did they rock! "Crazy on You" was powerful. The Wilson sisters still have it. Now I'm sorry I didn't go see them last year, during my one-night trip to Seattle, when I had nothing to do and decided I might as well see a show. Heart was playing, but tickets were in the $50 range, so instead I headed to Chop Suey for some little known national rock band whose name I can't remember.

So Heart rocks! Unlike Genesis. That band chose to use its ten minutes on an early '80s song I wasn't familiar with, and - get this - "No Son of Mine." A mediocre, minor hit from the early '90s. Of all the songs they could have played... No Son of Mine?! That would be like Madonna playing "Bedtime Story," or Michael Jackson doing "In the Closet." It made no sense, and made Genesis look even older and more out of place than they already seemed.

Let's take out a loan and go see Genesis!

Tickets go on sale this weekend for some of the shows on the Genesis 2007 Turn It On Again Tour. For the Pittsburgh show, the cheap seats (E & F level) are $57, while most of the remaining seats go for $202, before surcharges.

No, really.

Genesis actually believe that people would be willing to pay more than $200 to see them live. Who do they think they are, the Eagles? Maybe Fleetwood Mac or the Police could get away with that kind of thing, but we're talking about fucking Genesis!

I see large-scale cancellations and/or massive ticket giveaways for many of these shows. At least for the Pittsburgh show - people in this city aren't even willing to pay $5 for parking, let alone a week's pay to see a long-forgotten, semi-important pop-rock act from 20 years ago.

I don't mean to diss the Genesis - much of their catalogue is great, and they're a rare rock band with a visible sense of humor. "Invisible Touch" is a terrific pop song, and the video for "Illegal Alien" is awesome - it's so politically incorrect they could never get away with it today. But someone needs to explain to their promoters the concept of supply and demand, as it relates to ticket pricing.

On a brighter note, Genesis is playing this year's VH1 Rock Honors show... along with Heart! Yes, the Wilson sisters, one of the most underrated bands of the '80s, owners of four of the most classic tracks of that decade - "Alone," "Never," "These Dreams," and "What About Love." Now there's an old band I really want to see.