File For August

Separate Ways

Mama once said, “Boy, don’t grow up to be the lead singer of a washed-up arena rock act, they’ll chew you up and spit you out.” Steve Augeri found this out the hard way. On July 7th, in the midst of Journey‘s tour with Def Leppard, Augeri was forced to leave the band when it was discovered a chronic throat infection would force him to shut down, according to a press release from Journey’s public relations team. Voice-for-hire Jeff Scott Soto, who began his career singing in Yngwie Malmsteen’s band, pounced on the opportunity to belt “Wheel In The Sky” nightly, saving the band’s cross-country trek.

No word on why original singer Steve Perry wasn’t asked to reclaim his throne (our guess is he has a regular gig performing “Don’t Stop Believin” during the 7th inning stretch at White Sox single A affiliate Kannapolis Intimidators’ games), but if you need a fix for the glory days, Columbia/Legacy are your sugardaddies. The labels released expanded editions of Journey’s four classics, Infinity, Evolution, Escape, and Departure, and their first greatest hits package, 1988’s Greatest Hits. Lighters in the air!

One Nation

After years of trying, the country’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation — the spun-off concert production arm of Clear Channel — finally succeeded in buying the House Of Blues. $350 million got Live Nation the national chain, including the Chicago location, which is one of HOB’s best performers.

Live Nation now owns the First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre (formerly the Tweeter Center) in Tinley Park and the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin, in addition to controlling the booking at Charter One Pavilion on Northerly Island.

Competition for Live Nation was already scant, and now Jam Productions (which owns Park West and the Vic) appears to be the only entity capable of stepping into the ring. What’s this mean for concert goers? Depends. One could reason Live Nation’s entrance into midsize clubs and ampitheatres as a corporation will standardize industry practices. The jury’s out, however on what Live Nation’s conservative approach means to the cutting-edge hip-hop and metal niches HOB filled, along with the possibility of further ticket price increases due to decreased competition. According to the Chicago Sun Times, after leveling off in 2004, the cost of tickets has again been on the rise since last summer. Much of the blame lies with promoters promising bands huge guarantees — to outbid each other — which they recoup by pumping admission to mid-level shows through the roof and superstar shows like Madonna through the stratosphere.

Either way, the Chicago live music market is suddenly that much smaller.

— Trevor Fisher

Digging Fire

While everyone else was stuck on the Stevenson trying to get to Soldier Field for Bon Jovi, we spent Friday, July 21st at Flameshovel Records‘ fifth anniversary party. Hosted by the good folks at Stopsmiling magazine and abetted by the even finer 312 beer of Goose Island’s, we never actually ran into label heads James Kenler or Jesse Woghin, but we were greeted by pummeling tones from The Narrator and Joan Of Arc offshoot Make Believe. Seeing how IE‘s fifth anniversary was a mere 27-and-a-half years earlier, we felt especially nostalgic for the times we would look into each other’s eyes and say “I love you,” meaning every word. Enjoy your time together, guys. Of Course, the new album from Make Believe, will be released October 10th.

— Steve Forstneger

Category: Columns, File, Monthly