The Catskill Chronicle

By Jason Dole

After Townshend and Daltrey, Who’s Next at the World’s Biggest Intermission Show?

So The Who rocked Superbowl XLIV. Plenty of people loved it, plenty more hated it. I’ve been reading the mixed feedback online. I think the following three questions sort the lovers from the haters:

(1) Are you a Who fan, even moderately?

(2) Have you seen a contemporary Who performance, even on TV, in the past 8 years?

(3) Does the stage-and-light show affect your opinion of the overall performance?

Answer “No” to more than one of these questions, and chances are, you booed the Who on Superbowl Sunday. However, if you’re familiar with The Who, if you’re aware that their original rhythm section (one of the best ever) is dead and the remaining members are old, and if you appreciate a stage that looks like a flying saucer landed on a football field, then you probably dug the performance.

Me? I’m in that latter camp. As a fan, I pretty much knew what we’d be getting, right down to the setlist. I knew Pete’s voice is way rough and Roger is missing some of his range. But the instrumental performance was on and the energy was good.

I give The Who bonus points for the amazing animated UFO stage, laser light show, and pyrotechnics. The medley was good, much better than just a CSI theme song set, but I still held out hope for “Bargain.” Additional points for Roger Daltrey’s neo-mod outfit. Same for Zak Starkey’s look and energy, and the target-symbol cymbals on his clear double-bass kit.

Pete had energy, but it seems like he was being real cautious with his windmills until the end. I think he would have been better served by a set that had a couple more guitar solos. He’s still a badass on guitar, but a powerhouse “hits” medley requires more rhythm work than intricate leads. America didn’t get to see what he can really do.

But many people saw it and wondered “Why The Who?” This only compounds an earlier question that I had – “Who’s Next?”

Recent Superbowl half time shows have been dominated by single big-name rock acts, the biggest in the business. Here are the performers Since 2005 (in the wake of the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake superhappyfuntime spectacular) – Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, The Who. And don’t forget, U2 played in ’02, as a tribute to 9/11 heroes.

Where do you go from there? Are there any rock acts left who are big enough to do the Superbowl? Those are some pretty legendary acts. Who else has enough mass appeal to do this as a solo gig? Will the Superbowl half time go back to “variety shows,” with multiple acts in disparate genres appealing to a wider audience? In this age of mass-media synergy, will the Superbowl revert back to college marching bands and the occasional “Up With People” performance?

I’ve beat the bushes, talked to fellow rock fans, and this is what we came up with, a list of prospective Superbowl half-time performers that would continue the six-year tradition of America’s biggest, weirdest, shortest rock concert.

Metallica: These guys are back on their game. After redeeming themselves musically with Death Magnetic and claiming a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Metallica has the visibility that puts them in the running. Plus, they are old enough to trigger a nostalgia factor, key for this sort of show. Age also means their heavy metal music, once menacing to mainstream ears, is more palatable to contemporary rock fans. (Metallica hasn’t softened that much, the world’s just gotten harder.)

AC/DC: Their latest album release and tour coincided with the release of a video game and a line of clothing and memorabilia at Wal-Marts from coast to coast. AC/DC has the visibility, the classic rock cachet, the cross-generational appeal, and the hits to rock the Superbowl. I vote them as the most likely to perform next year, if the event organizers do not dispense with the “one big rock band” tradition altogether.

Dave Matthews Band: Okay, DMB looses points for not having the visceral energy as my first two suggestions, but they do have a huge and fairly mainstream following. Their positive vibes please big crowds, and shows like Live Earth demonstrate their ability to hold their ground at large mass-media events. Not a likely choice, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did get it. I stopped being surprised at the DMB after seeing the wild crowds that sell out their shows every time they come around.

Spoon: How can just four guys make such an awesome rock sound? How can rock music be both so mellow and so tense? How can a band be so funky so punk-y while being so neither? Ponder this as the indie-rock mystery that is Spoon captivates an arena and a nation of football fans during halftime at Superbowl LXV in 2011.

…Well, okay. The mystery for most folks would be “Who the hell is this band?” This will never happen, but that doesn’t mean that Britt Daniel & Co. aren’t cool enough to pull it off. Hey, a fan can dream…

Pearl Jam: As folks I talk to try to think of a “big” rock band who could tackle the Superbowl, we start thinking of younger bands. Who from the Alt-rock era was big enough and are still around? They guys in Pearl Jam. Would Pearl Jam, the band that stopped making videos at the height of its career, the band that tilted at Ticketmaster’s windmills, would Pearl Jam deign to play the glitzy Superbowl? Well, anyone who saw Pearl Jam’s commercials for Target would have to guess ‘yes.’ Of course, they’re pretty well below the mainstream radar at this point, so they’re not a likely choice.

Jay Z/Beyonce: Okay, this is practical option #5 on my list, and we’re already pretty far removed from rock music. Still, who better to perform for America at the Superbowl than America’s power couple of music? And if promoters still want to reach a rock audience, then have Jay Z bring along his pals in Linkin Park for some live mash-up fun. Or, even better, get the rights to the Beatles music used on the Grey Album. Hell, get Ringo to do the drums live and just loop John Lennon saying “Oh yeah” behind Jay Z on “Encore.” Of course, at that point, we’re back to variety shows. Which, barring AC/DC, is probably the way Superbowl LXV is going to go.

Having run through the biggest acts in rock, the Superbowl only emphasizes a point that I’ve been making for years. Rock and roll is no longer the dominant musical form of America. There’s business there, sure, but it’s not the big, big business it used to be. Hip hop, R&B, and even Country have overtaken most of that market. Why should the millions of fans of those genres have to sit through geriatric mini rock concerts during the Superbowl. Look for AC/DC or Metallica to make an appearance in upcoming years. Even if they do, the era where the legends of rock dominate Superbowl half time shows is coming to an end.

* For those who missed the show, here it is as presented on YouTube.