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LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL
Many bands that were the rage decades ago are even more in demand now. Some recently reunited; others have been going strong for years. All are smiling on their way to the bank. BY JAMES MAYFIELD
 “It’s so loud that Sting needs to be as far away as possible when I hit it. So he suggested that I whack the thing at the front of the show -- before he gets onstage,” says Police drummer Stewart Copeland, referencing the 30-inch instrument he strikes to open every show.
That gong, a perfect way to launch into show opener “Message in a Bottle,” also proved to symbolize the success of the trio’s first tour in 23 years. Sting, Andy Summers , and Copeland are literally going out with a bang. According to Pollstar, the industry trade publication that tracks live shows, the Police reunion was the most successful tour of 2007, bringing in ticket sales upwards of $133 million. And they’re not alone in their success. In addition to rocking millions of fans, the Police tour put an exclamation point on a continuously growing trend -- the reunion tour. On the list of the top-grossing tours of 2007, several could be considered either reunions or so-called “boomer bands.”
“Year in and year out, the concert business has been fueled by acts that date back to the 1960s and 1970s,” says Pollstar editor in chief Gary Bongiovanni. “They’re the ones that do the big tours and post the big dollars, in part because they appeal to an older audience that can support a higher ticket price. But they are also very, very popular acts with a lot of longevity.”
Besides just sheer popularity, the seemingly recent spike in reunion bands could also be due to the way bands earn a living these days. As Bongiovanni points out, “Twenty years ago, artists used to tour to support a new record. Today they tour to make money. The record releases aren’t that profitable. The truth is the artist makes a lot more money off their touring anyway because they control the pricing, the merchandise, and where they’re going to play. The artist gets the lion’s share of the ticket price.”
One example: Van Halen. Few thought the Hall of Famers would ever get back together. Despite years of friction, the tour finally kicked off last fall with Diamond David Lee Roth at the helm. The 22 years between the band’s demise and present day gave way to the fist-pumping cheers of ecstatic fans and brought in about $57 million (not far behind Justin Timberlake) for the year.
Another one of last year’s top-grossing tours was the reunited Genesis. The Turn It On Again Tour featured Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, and Tony Banks performing more than 46 shows over the year in Europe and North America and proved a giant draw, making almost $48 million.
Besides making noise on the tour scene, many of these reunited acts still turn out quality new records. Since first forming in 1972, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have disbanded and reassembled numerous times, always seeming to come back stronger than ever. For Magic, the group’s first record since 2002’s The Rising, the Jersey rockers picked up a Grammy earlier this year in the Best Rock Song category for “Radio Nowhere.”
And the Eagles have been doing anything but taking it easy lately. Last year saw the highly anticipated release of Long Road Out of Eden, the veteran rock act’s first studio album since 1979’s The Long Run. This is the group’s seventh studio record, and they won a Grammy this year for the single “How Long.” “This Grammy win is particularly sweet because of the length of time that has passed since we won our first Grammy in early 1976,” said singer/drummer Don Henley. “I was 28 years old then. I’m 60 now. I always secretly hoped that we could pull off something like this, but I had almost given up. This win feels really good -- and it’s in a whole different field [country] than we were in before. It’s been quite a ride and it apparently isn’t over just yet.”
Another reunited group’s ride that isn’t over just yet -- in fact, far from it -- is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Celebrating more than 30 years together, the group released a documentary film called Runnin’ Down a Dream and is embarking on another round of U.S. tour dates. Petty’s manager, Tony Dimitriades, knows the secret to the group’s long career, having been with the band himself since 1976: “Great songs, a great band, and a leader who refuses to compromise his integrity or to cater to the latest trends.”
Which leads us to the grand finale of reunited bands. Late last year, surviving members of the original Led Zeppelin blew the doors off London’s 02 Arena. Since that one-off show, the rumors have been floating around like the band’s namesake aircraft, and it’s not going too far to suggest that their tour could be the biggest tour -- ever. It’s just a matter of if and when.
Still Playing After All These Years
In addition to the reunion tours, another type of show now lures in fans: the long-established artist. Bands like the Rolling Stones -- incidentally 2006’s top ticket sales draw -- bring out the young and old like no other act. According to Pollstar, the Stones are the top grossing tour act of all time with an estimated $162 million in 2005 and $138 million in 2006. Footage of this tour can be seen in the newly released concert film, Shine a Light, directed by Martin Scorsese.
Proving he’s still got it, singer-songwriter Billy Joel’s last album, 12 Gardens Live, was a 32-track, double-disc set focusing on 12 sold-out performances at New York’s Madison Square Garden. In 2007, he took his show on the road to more stadiums and arenas, playing hit after hit after hit. And on July 16 and 18, he’s set to perform what’s being billed as The Last Play at Shea. Before the famous Shea Stadium in Queens closes its doors, Joel will be the final performer to play the hallowed ground.
Other well-traveled artists have continued into 2008 as a force to be reckoned with as well. Earlier this year, Bob Dylan proved he could still bring in the crowds with a mini-tour of the States, including a sold-out, three-night stand at Dallas’ House of Blues. And former Creedence Clearwater Revival front man John Forgery finished up his successful Revival tour with dates in Australia on a successful jaunt behind his solo album Revival that got a Grammy nod for Best Rock Album.
This trend shows no signs of slowing, with artists like Jimmy Buffett, John Mellencamp, Bon Jovi, Neil Young, Rush, and a host of others all heading out on the road this summer.
So to see the future of sell-out shows, just look at the past. It’s still rock-and-roll to me, you, and just about everybody else.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Here are some of the tour stops and websites for several of the hottest reunion shows and boomer bands.
THE POLICE -- Continuing the most successful tour of 2007 into 2008, this time with another icon along, Elvis Costello and the Imposters. The last stop? Wantagh, New York’s Nikon at Jones Beach Theater on August 4. www.thepolice.com
EAGLES -- Continuing their long run, Eagles headlined May’s Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio, California, then visit Atlanta and several other U.S. cities. www.eaglesband.com
VAN HALEN -- The group is strutting their stuff across the U.S. with a tour that wraps June 2 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. www.van-halen.com
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND -- Summer means Europe for The Boss and his merry music makers as they head across the pond for a string of shows before coming back home, literally, to play a three-night stand at New Jersey’s Giants Stadium July 27, 28, and 31. www.brucespringsteen.net
TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS -- Currently touring with Steve Winwood from May 30 through August 29. tompetty.com
BOB DYLAN -- No shows scheduled at time of publication, but if you’re missing any of his 31 studio albums, this might be a fine time to check them out. www.bobdylan.com
JOHN FOGERTY -- Nominated for a 2007 Grammy for his latest release, Revival, Fogerty is on the road playing in his traveling band this summer. www.johnfogerty.com
BILLY JOEL -- Playing the final shows in New York’s famed Shea Stadium on July 16 and 18, The Last Play at Shea. www.billyjoel.com
ROLLING STONES -- Currently in the studio (this would be studio album number 22) and quite possibly plotting their next mega-selling tour. www.rollingstones.com
LED ZEPPELIN -- Robert Plant is currently on the Raising Sand Tour with Alison Krauss, which runs into July. But after that ends…? www.robertplant.com
JOHN MELLENCAMP — Will have summer shows, but none scheduled as of press time. www2.mellencamp.com
IT’S GOOD TO BE A ROCK STAR
As you can see from the list of top tours in ticket sales for 2007 (according to Pollstar), aging rock bands won’t be fading away anytime soon.
 1. THE POLICE: $133.2 MILLION
2. KENNY CHESNEY: $71.1 MILLION
3. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE: $70.6 MILLION
4. CELINE DION: $65.3 MILLION
5. VAN HALEN: $56.7 MILLION
6. TIM MCGRAW AND FAITH HILL: $52.3 MILLION
7. ROD STEWART: $49 MILLION
8. GENESIS: $47.6 MILLION
9. JOSH GROBAN: $43 MILLION
10. RASCAL FLATTS: $41.5 MILLION
11. BON JOVI: $41.4 MILLION
12. DAVE MATTHEWS BAND: $41.1 MILLION
13. BILLY JOEL: $39.1 MILLION
14. ROGER WATERS: $38.3 MILLION
15. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND: $38.2 MILLION
16. HANNAH MONTANA/MILEY CYRUS: $36 MILLION
17. ELTON JOHN: $35.7 MILLION
18. JIMMY BUFFETT: $35.6 MILLION
19. BARRY MANILOW: $34.8 MILLION
20. TOBY KEITH: $34.3 MILLION
AS IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW
How many of these rock stars can you name? in case you were born yesterday, we’ll spell them out for you, from left to right, starting with the first page of the story: Mick Jagger, Timothy B. Schmit, David Lee Roth, Don Henley, Eddie Van Halen, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, John Mellencamp, Billy Joel, Stewart Copeland, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Andy Summers, and Tom Petty
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