Why classic rock is so big in N.J. this summer

June 24, 2017
By Natalie Pompilio 
For NJ Advance Media
Summer is always concert season, but some may have noticed many of the musicians taking the stage this year are, well, seasoned. 
To name just a few: Don McLean will play Saturday night at Bergen PAC ; Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, four decades into their careers, recently played the Prudential Center; Herman’s Hermits and The Buckinghams turn up on a double bill in August at MAYO PAC and King Crimson will perform at the Count Basie Theatre in July.   
Classic rock shows are routinely a venue's best selling concert events, said Fred Jacobs, president and founder of Jacobs Media, a Michigan-based research and consulting firm serving media companies.  
One reason for that success is that these shows are attracting more than fans who heard the music when it was first released. Younger fans are hearing the music -- maybe played by their parents or on a TV show, a commercial or in a movie. One of this summer's assumed blockbusters, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2”  has a soundtrack filled with classics, including songs by Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac and Cheap Trick.  
"It's amazing how many millennials love classic rock. It's become a multi-generational format," Jacobs said. "You can see the wide-ranging demographic spread in the audience. It's not just people with white hair holding AARP cards. There are a lot of young people."
What's considered "classic rock?"  Depends on who is answering the question. Jacobs says the term usually refers to music released n the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Some responders also include the 1990s.
"Everyone has a version of  Mount Rushmore, the four heads on the mountain.  The Beatles, The Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin  ... Freddie Mercury, Bono,  Steven Tyler and Donald Fagan,” Jacobs said. "This music has stood the test of time."
Ed Kirchdoerffer, general manager of Mayo Performing Arts Center, agreed that classic rock concerts fill theaters. Songs from the 1950s and early 1960s by bands with a softer sound are also crowd pleasers, he said.
Among Mayo's summer line-up: The Righteous Brothers, the 50 Summers of Love tour featuring Micky Dolenz of the Monkees and the Happy Together tour anchored by members of The Turtles, The Box Tops and The Archies. 
"They're fun shows and people have a great time ... The artist appreciate the audience coming out to support them and the audience is appreciate of the artists out there working hard, not calling it in," Kirchdoerffer said. "They may have a few extra pounds and gray hair, but we all do and the audience is forgiving."
More established acts can also draw audiences by adding "last" or "final" to the word "tour." Aerosmith members have said their current European run is part of their "farewell tour." They're “Aero-vederci Baby.”  
"You never really know when it will really be the last time to see an artist or a band. That's a catalyst that causes people to go, 'Hey, I want to be part of history. It's worth it to pay $200 to see this band.' " Jacobs said.   “The Who has had a number of final tours and now they just signed on with a Las Vegas casino (for a three week run.)"
Creative pairings and approaches also pop up during the summer, like the  Hall and Oates/Tears for Fears tour. The Retro Futura Tour features '80s stand outs like Modern English, Men Without Hats and Howard Jones.  Asia’s current tour is a tribute to singer/songwriter John Wetton, who died earlier this year. 
And even after the last Rolling Stone has shimmied off the stage, fans will still want to hear their music and still attend concerts that offer it, Jacobs predicted. 
"We still love to hear music from dead guys," he said, "whether it's Jimi Hendrix or Beethoven." 
Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.