Photo: Kambouris/WireImage
If the first night of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concerts were about looking back and celebrating legacies, night number two was about looking forward. From the performances — which focused heavily on punk, post-punk and metal — to the conversations that took place backstage, Friday night at Madison Square Garden was a testament to rock’s continued relevance, and the struggles it faces weathering a decade in which tastes have gone niche, genre-hopping is de rigueur and grand, unifying bands are few and far between.
See the Rock Hall bash’s second epic night of big-name collaborations in photos.
Artist after artist spoke about their fondness for the era in which they were nurtured, and how that era seems to have given way to a newer, stranger time. “Its fun to do a revue, like an old school rock & roll show,” said Steven Van Zandt, describing his set with the E Street Band the night before. “We’re just a good band, a working class band. We’re a dance band.” When asked who he thought had been overlooked for inclusion in the Hall of Fame, he quipped, “How much time you got?” before making impassioned pitches for both Darlene Love and the Hollies. He came across not only as a rock and roll performer, but as one of its most ardent, enthusiastic fans.
But his tone noticeably shifted when talking about the future of rock music. In discussing his own Little Steven’s Underground Garage radio show he said, “We’ve been trying to rebuild the whole infrastructure of rock and roll… We [the rock legends] need to be replaced, and it’s not happening. There’s no infrastructure to support these [young] bands. When our generation goes, there’s nothing there to support them. So we’re doing everyt...
Article Source: Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily