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  1. #1
    Musicaholic Forums Moderator ForeverAutumn's Avatar
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    Aging Rockers Shouldn't Wear Leather Pants

    Alternate title: Yes, we have red bandanas.


    Why do aging rockers think that they can pull-off looking good in leather pants? You know the kind of guys that I mean…the guys who could wear spandex and look good in the 80’s. Now, in their late 40’s and early 50’s, these same guys have adopted a fashion trend of leather pants with flowing, silky man-blouses untucked and hanging loose around their hips covering their stout paunches. This was the fashion of Loverboy, last night.

    When I heard that Loverboy were coming to town I thought that it would be a fun concert to see. They were playing at a casino about an hour's drive from here and I was offered complementary tickets, so I thought, sure what the hell. I was just starting high school when Loverboy hit the scene and their music always triggers lots of great memories of that time in my life.

    Well, last night I learned that sometimes you just can’t go back. The band is still the original line-up with the exception of Bassist Scott Smith, who was killed in a boating accident in 2000. Smith was replaced by Spider (Kim) Sinnaeve. Spider played with Paul Dean and Matt Frenette in Streetheart in the late 70’s. Paul and Matt left Streetheart to form Loverboy, so Spider seems like a natural replacement. However, although they are the same guys, it wasn’t the same band, if you know what I mean.

    The music was decent enough. The songs were the same. But Mike Reno’s vocals have suffered over the years. Not that he was bad (although, admittedly, he was never the best singer in the world), but his voice has changed. It’s higher. So much so, that I had to confirm with my husband that it was actually him. Maybe the extra weight that he’s put on over the years has compressed his vocal chords. I don’t know. But at least he was still able to hit the high notes that I didn’t think he would be able to hit.

    I’ve seen more than a few 80’s bands now, 20 years later. Most of them were still enjoyable and could still rock. But, not only were the leather pants and man-blouse on Mike Reno just wrong. But for one song, he came out wearing the leather pants, a sleeveless t-shirt, red (trademark) bandana around his head and dark sunglasses. This outfit looked great on him in 1980. 24 years later it just looks like a mid-life crisis gone terribly wrong.

    It was Matt Frenette’s (drums) 50th birthday yesterday. The band sang Happy Birthday to him. That’s fine. The crowd liked it. But then they made the audience sing it too. Not once, but TWICE, because the first time wasn’t loud enough.

    During the encore, Reno just rambled on for what seemed like 10 minutes or so about nothing. Just talking. Leading into a song, but taking forever to get there. At that point all that I could think was that Loverboy, once one of the biggest Canadian rock bands, would now seem schmaltzy as a Las Vegas lounge act.

    The Loverboy fan club was out in full force too. A group of about 20 – 30 people storming the front of the stage. Singing, dancing, waving their Loverboy LPs in the air and throwing red bandanas on the stage! I wish that someone had told me that they were going to do that. There I was, in the midst of a mid-life crisis, and without my red bandana.


  2. #2
    Close 'n Play® user Troy's Avatar
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    LOL

    Great review.

  3. #3
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    That was a fun read F.A.

    Hilarious.

    Dave

  4. #4
    Forum Regular nobody's Avatar
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    Does this mean I have to get rid of my leather pants?

    What if I don't wear man-blouses with them?

    How do you feel about chaps?

  5. #5
    Forum Regular Audio Girl's Avatar
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    hehehe. Great review. One exception: Jon Bon Jovi -- who turned 42 on March 2 -- still looks fine in black leather pants!

    Ag
    "And the three gifts of moving on are forgiveness, hope, and the great beyond, After that perhaps peace can come, Peace will come." -- Mary Chapin Carpenter (2007)

  6. #6
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    I like that Peter Gabriel "blob" thing he wore way back

    Anyone could wear that contraption and get attention!

    Dave

  7. #7
    Musicaholic Forums Moderator ForeverAutumn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Audio Girl
    hehehe. Great review. One exception: Jon Bon Jovi -- who turned 42 on March 2 -- still looks fine in black leather pants!

    Ag
    Amen to that AG. Yes, Jon is definately one of the exceptions. He still makes my heart go SCHWING! Oh...wait...that might not be my heart.

  8. #8
    Forum Regular BarryL's Avatar
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    I'm in San Antonio this week. My first time in Texas. I'm having a great time. And, if you will forgive me....I haven't seen any rattlesnakes! Not even stuffed and mounted ones! But I have seen taxidermied armadillos holding beer bottles!

    I was hoping I could pick up some rattles for the kids.

    I did visit the Alamo and saw the Imax movie, and have spent time on the Riverwalk. And that Lone Star beer is a winner. I'm a convert. Long live Texas!!

  9. #9
    Musicaholic Forums Moderator ForeverAutumn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BarryL
    I'm in San Antonio this week. My first time in Texas. I'm having a great time. And, if you will forgive me....I haven't seen any rattlesnakes! Not even stuffed and mounted ones! But I have seen taxidermied armadillos holding beer bottles!

    I was hoping I could pick up some rattles for the kids.

    I did visit the Alamo and saw the Imax movie, and have spent time on the Riverwalk. And that Lone Star beer is a winner. I'm a convert. Long live Texas!!
    I guess it's too late for those armadillos to be calmed by music, eh?

  10. #10
    Forum Regular BarryL's Avatar
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    Attack Armadillos

    Quote Originally Posted by ForeverAutumn
    I guess it's too late for those armadillos to be calmed by music, eh?
    Unfortunately, had they attacked instead of being lulled by that calming music, they may be alive today to wreak havoc doing whatever it is that armadillos do when not drinkng beer.

    Is $160 bucks a good price for a soused 'dillo?

  11. #11
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    agreed

    Oh......Autumn.

    I saw this band 3 years ago at an outdoor festival -- your description could not be more correct.
    On the same card was the LITTLE RIVER BAND -- they were a bit of the Vegas schmaltz too but, had a better set than LoverBoy..........their hits, from origination, had a little more maturity to them.

  12. #12
    Musicaholic Forums Moderator ForeverAutumn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MasterCylinder
    Oh......Autumn.

    I saw this band 3 years ago at an outdoor festival -- your description could not be more correct.
    On the same card was the LITTLE RIVER BAND -- they were a bit of the Vegas schmaltz too but, had a better set than LoverBoy..........their hits, from origination, had a little more maturity to them.
    Hehehe. So? You couldn't have warned me?

    I saw Little River Band a couple of years ago at the same Casino (I love free tickets!). I wasn't expecting the show to be very good but was very pleasantly suprised at how much I enjoyed it. I think that the difference was that LRB didn't try to hide the fact that they were older. They talked about how long they had been around and talked about their careers and their families. They acted their ages. Whereas Loverboy (or at least the singer of Loverboy) looked like they were trying to relive their heyday instead of just going with the flow and realizing that they aren't 25 years old anymore.

    The music stood the test of time. The attitude didn't. And as a result, they just looked silly.

    P.S. Their drummer was excellent. He was the best part of the show.

  13. #13
    Stainmaster Finch Platte's Avatar
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    I've got...

    ...a pair of leather cycling shorts Maybe that's what Reno was wearing underneath and that's why his voice was so high.

    Enjoyed reading that, thanks!

    fp

  14. #14
    Suspended 3-LockBox's Avatar
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    What about unitards?

    I've seen a few older acts on TV recently and yes, someone should tell that they look ridiculous, and that includes The Stones and Aerosmith.

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