When I was a teenager the music I was exposed to was incredible, I grew up in the '70's and '80's for God sake. In my home my parents exposed me to quite the range of music from Country, Disco, Big Bands, '60's rock, '70's rock and my uncle that lived with us introduced me to bands like Rush, Black Sabbath, ELO and the rest of the arena rockers. Growing up I was a massive KISS fan, and the '80's had so much interesting music in it like Punk Rock, "hair metal," Alternative, and heavy metal that it was almost hard to keep up. Heck look at all of the female bands of the '80's, bands like the Bangles, the Go-Go's, Vixen, Heart and performers like Vanity, and Pat Benatar then tell me a boy growing up during that time might not gravitate toward those bands.
Music of that generation was rife with incredibly talented women that most, if not a vast majority of young men during that time liked those acts (if not merely in secret). It was hard not to because those performers were incredibly attractive and for the most part the bands and performers I named previously had one hell of a serious edge to their music. As the ears of the youth moved toward the sound of electric guitar and bass and its performers became sex symbols both male and females did gravitate toward acts such as those. I have to look no further forward than to The Bangles version of "Hazy Shade of Winter" on the "Less Than Zero" soundtrack to see a band that was full of incredibly attractive women but that song had an edge, it had grit and it flat out rocked.
That was the thing about the '80's version of pop, it had crossover appeal and more often than not the "hook" for the music became the music and not merely the look of the band. It seems odd to address the misogynistic views of the record companies at the time and see a positive but I think the music became that positive. Bands like The Bangles and The Go-Go's made it palatable for all "guys" to like those bands. The Go-Go's has one of the strongest punk pedigrees in music and yet they approached pop with a full-on assault that only a punk band could. The Go-Go's music was "poppy" and had that bubblegum like feel to it but it had a feel to it like few of its contemporaries.
As the '80's waned and music took on that fake "grunge" attitude and feel, bands like The Bangles and The Go-Go's seemed to fade away like the sun did the fabric of the cheap flannel every kid seemed to strap on to be "original" and "hip." Pop music in general stayed the course but the '90's and 2000's brought about acts like Britney Spears and pop went back to the novelty stage. No it really did and it hasn't left for the most part.
I can look to bands like Save Ferris, and No Doubt however to still see the possibility that such crossover is potentially successful but it really is few-and-far-between, It seems like most music today has to have started and committed to a life in "pop music" or simply not succeed beyond its start. As you read those lines I am reminded of another band during that time, inside the early '90's that really didn't fit that bill though and had some moderate success with a catchy song, gritty lyrics and a thumb to the nose of the record companies that really seemed to wiggle itself nicely into the pop genre while remaining true to their roots of alternative / punk rock, and that band is 4 Non-Blondes.
4 Non-Blondes had one of the most iconic songs of that era and they had great success with it to such an extent that it is still one of my favorites actually: "What's Up." That song has an aggressive edge to it, it cuts deep and does not reflect what pop was about to become in the slightest. Haunting lyrics, a droning beat and one hell of a hook for a chorus almost demands that after all of these years it has to still be not only relevant but important. As I reflect back I see the importance of that song because we were about to see a massive influx of hip hop and rap seriously hammer itself into the pop arena and that song seems to be reflective of that.
There is a certain sense of irony to that reference because during that era a young lady from Pennsylvania seemed to be facing that same reflection. According to the slightly matured iteration of that young lady she would "scream that song (What's Up) from the rooftop" when she was about 12 years old. With musical influences from the worlds of rock, pop, hip hop and the '60s and '70s this 12 year old was ready to set the world on fire with her own brand of music that crosses over the lines so often it has left them a mere blur on the paper they are written upon.
That is a fair depiction of the influence of Alecia Beth Moore and her impact on music today I think. Moore has taken all of those influences of genres and artists, swept them all into a giant bowl, mixed them together and poured them into the mold of the performer we call Pink.
I have to be honest, the amount of times I ever heard Pink's music was relegated to those times when I was with my wife or in and establishment that was playing some of her music, I was never really a fan of hers. That isn't a bad thing, its reflective of my own musical influences and how I shaped myself as I grew out of the '80s myself. I said it earlier, I love punk rock and thrash metal along with all of the '80s stuff with a healthy smattering of alternative but pop beyond 1994 never entered the equation. My wife had a couple of Pink CD's that she would listen to but I never became interested with the exception of the punk attitude Pink seemed to exude with great regularity, I could always get behind that.
When my wife asked if I wanted to go see Pink with her I didn't bristle at the offer, heck I have taken her to punk rock music festivals and she has sat through my favorite punk bands like The Exploited, the Descendants and the Dickies (among worse) and I thought it would be fun so I said "Sure why not?" As I drove to Tinley Park on September 9th, 2017 it was two days after our 21st wedding anniversary and it was a nice get-away but it started to kind of sink in where I was going. We had been to the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre just the year before (almost to the day) to see Black Sabbath on their final tour and I was going back but now in a different environment to see a performer I knew little else about other than her name and the name of her husband which I was mistaken about so this would be interesting I thought. I was more than accurate.
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| P!ink at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - September 9th, 2017 ©musicallead.blogspot.com - 2017 |
Arriving at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre that day we were minutes away from our hotel, we had a plan of action and we had a level of excitement starting to build if not in at least in my case because of nervous anticipation. My nerves were based on the unknown of what I might see, what I might like or even might not like but I knew that unlike every other concert I went to I would be in the minority of people that liked music that was much, much harder than Pink. Uhm, about that...
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| P!nk - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - September 9th, 2017 ©musicallead.blogspot.com - 2017 |
With that said, there was a lingering question that continued to ring through my head and it had little to do with the fans or even Pink but rather what in the name of all things music was this freaking truss standing there all by itself for and why did it need its own guard? It was a little perplexing (more on that in little bit). It actually became a talking point for many of those around us with little to no real explanation but lots of conjecture.
Tinley Park isn't far from Chicago and since it was September and getting dark the temperature began to cool to an extent but it didn't seem noticeable honestly because there was an energy flowing through the crowd that only can be described as palpable. It became apparent that those above us could see something and they began to cheer like everyone else was missing something, As the lights dimmed a single spotlight began over our shoulder about fifty feet away and then the video boards that don the sides of the stage burst on with the image of Pink walking through the crowd en route to the stage. I have to admit I was blown away by that, its just not something you see often (or at all for that matter, superstars normally don't wander through the crowd), not to mention that for a time I thought she was coming down the aisle in which our seats were next to. The crowd was insane at this point and as she reached the stage I began to understand the following of this woman.
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| P!nk - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - September 9th, 2017 ©musicallead.blogspot.com - 2017 |
In the last five years I have seen over 500 acts live and I honestly don't think I have seen a crowd as energized or a performer as energized as Pink that evening. Opening with her mega-hit "Get It Started" Pink literally took control from the onset and didn't let go. I have heard the song before but live it took on a characteristic that rock anthems do. The driving beat and video screens flashing images of Pink and her band as lyrics popped behind them was powerful and grabbed those in attendance by the throat and simply didn't let go.
Minus the encore (more on that in a bit), Pink performed nineteen songs, some of which I knew and others that I had never heard before. I was highly impressed by the depth of her performance and the music that she brought to our ears. Being a little older I was taken back to my younger days by a few of the songs that she performed that day. Look I knew her musical influences were deep but when she told the crowd that she was going to perform a Led Zeppelin song I took note. Now there is a catalog of music of Zeppelin that is beyond mindblowing so I was a little interested in hearing what it was and to my surprise she began "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You."
That is an iconic song by itself but it isn't originally their song, its a folk song written by Anne Johannsen in the late '50s and remade by the folk legend Joan Baez in 1962 THEN by Zeppelin in 1969 and a host of bodies since. That is inconsequential to the conversation however when you realize how incredible the version Pink performed was. Sincerely this song became her song in my eyes, I haven't heard a much better version of it from anyone including Baez or Zeppelin, it was truly a thing of beauty. This really was one of the best songs of her entire performance and I loved every minute of it.
When you look at the influences of Pink one name really stands out, that being the late, great Janis Joplin. Joplin was the quintessential '60s rock star, she had a voice that will haunt your soul and she died tragically far too young. Joplin had recorded only four albums in her short career but her impact was phenomenal. In fact when Joplin recorded the song "Me and Bobby McGee" in September and October of 1970 it was only days before her death, the song which was her biggest hit wasn't released until after her death. "Me and Bobby McGee" was written by country music legend Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster but Joplin made that song her own. Pink lists Joplin as one of her biggest musical influences and as she performed the song that September night in Tinley Park, Illinois it became apparent. Although the Joplin version will be one that all others are judged against, Pink put on a performance of the song that is simply exquisite. The vocal on the song seems to be in the wheelhouse of Pink and she really makes her mark upon the song and it is obvious why it is a favorite of hers and her fans.
When I mentioned 4 Non-Blondes earlier it was because of the specific styling of the band and this incredible symbiosis of that band and a performer like Pink. The most iconic hit of the band "What's Up" is simply a song that I think reflected the end of that version of pop music with a thunderous roar and it signaled in the dawn of pop as we know it today. That song and that band as I alluded to earlier, had an edge to it and Pink simply picked up the baton and kept running with it. Her version of that generationally iconic song is indicative to her skill as an artist. It was superb in every method and fashion. Vocally stunning to begin with, her vocal makes it stand out loud and proud if you will but she interjects a power and force to the song that is simply brilliant. It's obvious for that matter as her fans literally take over the chorus and will drown her out but she guides them effortlessly through every word.
During her performance Pink made a concerted effort to talk with her fans, actually TALK with her fans and involving them as she performed. There were various gifts that she received throughout the show in which she quipped that she "is spoiled" and even when someone wished her a "Happy Birthday" (her birthday was the day before) she thanked them and even said she had a great birthday but what struck me was she didn't just say it, she looked at them and said it. She seemed to lock onto a person, wave at them, smile and even say hello at times and if I were a betting man I would say that it made those fans entire night and she deserves respect for that alone! Performers always play to their crowd and engage them to an extent but Pink seemed different, she was actually connecting with her fans and it was absolutely amazing to see.
While she was talking with the fans she eluded to somethings about her family but also to a song that she said "she wished she wrote" and it was a song I had never heard before so I took note. The song was by a British performer named Bishop Briggs and the song "River." I was blown away by the song and the message from the song, Pink's soulful vocal makes the dark sound of River even more resounding. After the performance I listened to the original version of the song and it is such an incredible song and although vocally the two do share a similar sound, the combination of Pink's vocal, it being live and her extraordinary band it was brilliant.
As I stood through the set I was taken aback by how powerful the music of Pink is. It does have the poppy overtones that one would expect but it is masterfully written material and musically her band dominates. I thought to myself about the "kitsch factor" of pop music and I tried to apply it to the music of Pink and while one could argue that there is that factor at times I would challenge you to NOT find a band of any popularity in any genre that doesn't indeed have some of that. What I saw in the performance of Pink was a brilliant show of talent and grace. She has the edge that one must have to succeed at any level in music and quite frankly she could be one of the best performers out there today period. I didn't know all of the songs of Pink that I heard that day, nor did I know all of the songs she performed that day but what I saw was absolutely brilliant. As she walked off of the stage following her performance of "Raise Your Glass" (which is a crowd favorite and very infectious) I wondered what she might do for an encore, how many songs and what in the heck that truss was for, and I didn't have to wait long for answers to all of those questions.
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| P!nk - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - September 9th, 2017 ©musicallead.blogspot.com - 2017 |
She flew about the arena doing acrobatic moves, singing, hitting her marks and at all of the time at such a high level it was boggling to the mind.
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| P!nk - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - September 9th, 2017 ©musicallead.blogspot.com - 2017 |
I never knew anything about her music to be honest other than a few songs here and there but by the time I left that September evening I knew everything I needed to become a real fan. In Pink I see those bands from the '80's and '90's that took a misogynistic point of view and changed it into some incredibly powerful female performers. While Pink would have fit into that whole genre and time frame from talent to attractiveness there is an edge that would have propelled her into the category of punk rocker like Joan Jett. Much like Janis Joplin in the '60s and '70s and 4 Non-Blondes in the '90s Pink would have always been that enigma, that one performer that people look to for stature above normalcy. Pink would have been at the same level as Joplin in the '60s, dominated the '80s like Benatar and told the world to kiss her ass and do her music her way like 4 Non-Blondes did in the '90s.
When I went to see Pink I had some expectations, some "knowns" but a ton of "unknowns" and questions to boot as to what I was going to see and hear. Everything I experienced transcends those things and moved Pink into a category of one of the best shows I have ever seen live. So true are the statements of those that gush about how incredible she is live and so true are those that cannot simply categorize her as a pop star. Pink is much more than all of that, she is by far one of the best acts performing today across all genres. I assure you that the next time I am indeed able to see Pink live I will do so because she is that good as a performer.
Make sure you take the time to find a Pink show, buy a ticket and go regardless of your musical taste because you will be blown away by how incredible she is. Amazing, simply amazing!
#Pink #HollywoodCasinoAmpitheatre #TinleyPark
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