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| Music History is Made at Rocket TV Studios Rocket TV Studios, an independently owned film company sponsored by MTV hosted a concert on Friday January 20, 2006. Bands of different styles came out to perform that night before a younger audience between the ages of 19 and 25. One would think that a younger audience would be more partial to the sounds of New Rock and Alternative Music. The 2nd act to take the stage that night was Smokin Joe Rossi; a well known legend in Blues guitar. He took to the stage dressed in black and after a formal introduction started the show off with a bang. It was as though the spirit of Jimi Hendrix was in the studio as screaming guitar licks filled the air. His guitar playing and singing were reminiscent of the Classic Rock era when Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughn had combined Blues and Rock for a marriage made in heaven. Smokin Joe performed his own original songs while at times paying tribute to Rock and Roll's fallen heros. His act consisted of high energy stage dynamics as he played the guitar behind his head and with his teeth. A group of teenagers had flocked to the front of the stage and flicked their lighters in show of support. Like a man posessed, Smokin Joe literally jumped over a row of speakers onto the floor and dazzled the young audience with more guitar tricks. His show ended with a standing ovation and an audience hungry for more. What was it about that cold winter night that made the blues steal the show from New Rock even before a young audience? We asked several teenagers across America to give us their perspective; Jenny, a 17 year old from Long Beach, CA stated "I go to concerts to hear bands like Fallout Boy or Green Day and I definately have a good time, but when I watch concert footage from The Doors or Led Zeppelin I feel that something is really missing from today's music." Carl, a 19 year old drummer from Pittsburgh had this to say;"Modern music has become so mass produced. I think the major record labels wanted it that way for their own financial benefit. It seems that it is more and more common to see teenagers wearing concert shirts of their favorite rock legends." With the internet and modern technology, the music industry is changing. Musicians no longer need corporate backing to become famous. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |