Some Say They Are Saving Rock ‘n Roll: Concert Review
I wasn’t planning to write a review of this concert, but now I feel compelled to. It’s not going to be a standard review where I just go through the setlist in order and make comments on each song. I’ll comment on a few, but I want to focus on something bigger: Affirmation.
I went to the August 14 Band-Maid concert in Sacramento. It was the third time I’ve seen them; I went with a friend who is just getting acquainted with them. The place was packed, literally to the exit doors. I’m pretty sure the venue violated some fire codes.
On each Band-Maid tour (this is now their fifth North American tour), the shows have sold out faster, and the audiences are getting bigger and more diverse. It’s not just old metalheads anymore. We met people in line who flew in from Canada, Mexico, and all over the U.S. to attend this concert. We saw families with their kids, which is pretty unusual for a band that goes this hard.
No, it’s not Taylor Swift-scale mania, and the tickets don’t go for $2000. But the people who show up include many pro-level musicians, most of whom would decline a free ticket to see Swift. One consistent thing you hear from them is that they feel as though Band-Maid are saving Rock and Roll. For these fans, especially the musicians, it is an affirmation of the music they love; music which all too…
