If I Had $1,000,000

So here's the thing about getting older; when you're young, say in your teens or 20's, it seems as if everything is new, fresh, and tailor-made for you. A big reason for that is the simple fact that, well, everything is tailor-made for you at those ages. You're young, you have disposable income, so you're a marketer's dream come true. When you get older and the music to which you listened just a decade or two before is now considered classic rock, it can serve as a wakeup call to some. I pretty much take it in stride. Everyone gets older. It's physically impossible to stop it, no matter how much silicone and Botox you inject into your body, so really, why work about it? I don't.
I was 21 when Nirvana's "Nevermind" ushered in the rise of grunge and the death (or so it seemed then) of hair metal in 1991. A few years later I was fortunate enough to first intern for, then work at radio station 96 Wave, which signed on in 1985 and came into its prime just in time to catch the surge of alternative rock music that issued forth with the rise in popularity of bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. During my years at 96 Wave, where I worked as a weekend deejay, I spun records (all right, so they were CDs) by bands such as Cracker, Big Head Todd and The Monsters, Blues Traveler, and Barenaked Ladies. I became fans of those bands through my exposure to them on Wave. This was back when radio still had personality, something that, with a few small exceptions, is severely lacking on the airwaves these days, but that's a subject I'll devote an entry to on its own in the future.
When I heard about the Last Summer on Earth tour, and that it was coming to the Lowcountry, I couldn't help but get nostalgic. The lineup consisted of those very four bands I listed earlier, the examples of the sort of music that shaped my youth. How could I not attend this show. On my way out to the Family Circle Stadium on Daniel Island on Saturday night, I had to admit I was curious as to just how many people would be drawn to the show for the same reasons I was. It would be a shame to arrive at the show to find just a couple hundred like-minded music fans. I needn't have worried.
Cracker was the first band to play Saturday night. A longtime favorite in Charleston, frontman David Lowery seemed very at ease as he kicked into "St. Cajetan," a lesser-known track from the band's 1992 self-titled debut. Accompanied by longtime musical partner Johnny Hickman, Lowery was only able to get to a few Cracker songs during the band's 30-minute set, but they made the brief time onstage count, performing Cracker classics like "Get Off This" and "Low," as well as the song "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out With Me" from the band's latest album, "Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey." It's a shame the band couldn't have played longer. I would have loved to have heard "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)," "Euro-Tracsh Girl," or my all-time favorite Cracker song, "Mr. Wrong."

Big Head Todd and The Monsters was up next, and the crowd at the venue was starting to fill up. I was hearing rumors that the show was a sellout and that folks walking up to buy tickets were being turned away. That later turned out to be true, which is considerable for Charleston. Shows rarely sell out in advance, so the promoters of the Last Summer on Earth Tour should be commended for providing a lineup that made that happen. As Todd Park Mohr cranked up his guitar, it was evident that the band was still coming out of its corner swinging. While I love BHTM albums such as "Sister Sweetly" and "Strataegem," but the best way to experience BHTM is in a live setting. Mohr and the rest of the band didn't disappoint, and while the band was also limited to about only 30 minutes of playing time, they still managed to delight the crowd with songs such as "Bittersweet," "It's Alright," and "Broken Hearted Savior." Mohr, who was sporting a black straw fedora, was all smiles as he led his band through their all too brief set.

Speaking of bands better seen live, Blues Traveler has always been more at ease on the stage than in the studio. While the band has released some great studio albums and enjoyed radio hits such as "Hook" and "Runaround," I always tell fans of those albums, "Just wait until you see them live." BT's frontman, John Popper, has a singing voice that can go from a growl to a higher than you'd think register, and his command of the harmonica takes that normally simple instrument to a whole new level.  Onstage at the Family Circle Stadium Saturday night Popper was flanked by brothers Chan and Tad Kinchla on guitar and bass respectively, while drummer Brendan Hill and keyboardist Ben Wilson performed at the back of the stage. Touring in support of its new album, "Suzie Cracks the Whip," Blues Traveler opened with a cover of Sublime's "What I Got," which definitely get the ever-growing crowd on its feet. With Popper cracking jokes between songs and Chan Kinchla dancing with his usual euphoric facial expression, it was difficult not to like BT. These guys are always out to make sure the crowd has just as much fun as they are at a BT show. In addition to obligatory hits such as "Runaround" and "Hook," the band played older songs such as "But Anyway" and "NY Prophesie," as well as new songs like "Big City Girls" and "You Don't Have to Love Me." Much like Big Head Todd, Blues Traveler is a band that likes to stretch out musically when on the stage, so the 45-minute set made things seem a bit rushed, but the crowd, which now appeared to be at capacity, thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

Finally it was time for the evening's headliners. For those not familiar with the Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies, the best way I can think of to describe their show is to combine a good rock band with a good improv comedy act. The members of BNL are geeks at heart, and they strive to keep their audiences amused even when the music stops. Saturday night was no exception, as the band members walked onstage decked out in matching tennis whites in honor of the venue, which hosts the Family Circle Cup tennis tournament each spring. After opening with a volley that included "Get In Line" and "The Old Apartment," lead singer Ed Robertson guided the band into one of their trademark improvisational raps that they make up at each show. During the hilarious stream of consciousness rap Robertson riffed on tennis, the KISS song "Deuce," and several other subjects while miming forehand and backhand tennis swings between guitar riffs. Later in the show Robertson advised that the tennis outfits were quite comfortable, and that the band might have to adopt them for the remainder of the tour. "We've spent the summer dressing all rock and roll on this tour, and we've been sweating our asses off," said Robertson. "These outfits might be a better way to go." As the headliners, BNL got a bit longer time on stage, and they made the most of it, cranking out hits such as "It's All Been Done," "Brian Wilson," "Pinch Me," "One Week," and the band's well-known theme to the TV sitcom "Big Bang Theory." For the finale the band played one of its biggest its, "If I Had $1,000,000," while joined onstage by John Popper, who got into the spirit of things by wearing a white tennis visor while playing harmonica on the song. The band then launched into a medley of other artist's pop hits, including an epic version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'," before finally sending the sold-out crowd home happy.

For folks that weren't here to experience the popular "Wavefest" concerts put on by 96 Wave in the 90's, Saturday night's show had a very similar feel. I was happy to see that a sell-out crowd came out to support these bands, all of which have great reputations as live performers. With any luck, the success of the Last Summer on Earth Tour will spawn similar combo tours. Whatever the case, it was a great night to be a fan of any of the four acts that played.