Somethin' for America to look forward to....

I can't pretend to understand it, but the ticket sales don't lie. The Christmas tours have only increased in popularity over the years. Many theatres on the first few tours didn't sell out. On the last tour, some theatres sold out multiple nights. I think word-of-mouth has made these shows very successful. People who missed them one year grew determined not to miss the next one, and once they experienced it, they became determined to attend future Christmas shows. The US is a fickle group when it comes to supporting musicians, as they have always had an incredibly short attention span. But the Christmas Extravaganza keeps chugging along.

I've run into plenty of casual fans at shows who aren't even aware of Brian's latest album. At a 2005 Xmas show, I was in line at the merch table, and I must have overheard a dozen or more people asking about the new CD they saw on display, Rockabilly Riot, an album that had been released 5 months before! They don't visit the websites, they don't keep up with the latest releases. They don't care. They just want to see a great show. There really isn't a band out there doing what the BSO does - a rockin' big band, I mean. There are plenty of holiday performers out there, but none would appeal to me as much as the BSO.

From a marketing standpoint, touring around Christmas is shrewd, as tickets to a Christmas Extravaganza have become a popular Christmas present, or family tradition, whereas a summer tour competing with other tours, vacation dollars and high gas prices may be one people would miss, especially in this economy. Ask the missus to go to a Setzer show in the summer? Watch the disapproval creep across her brow as she crunches the numbers in her head. Tell the missus all you want for Christmas is two tickets to the Christmas Extravaganza, and boom! She gets to cross you off the Christmas shopping list and enjoy an evening out.

Of course it's a cash grab. When you have the expense of a touring big band, you have to make every dollar you can. It's his chosen profession. If I had a seasonal job as driving an ice cream truck in northern Minnesota, I would probably pick Summer as my season to work. But if I drove Cheech and Chong's ice cream truck, I could probably afford to drive it year-round. I wish the BSO had a new album out that was so popular, they could dictate when they toured. But these days, I think it has to be a decision of the dollars.

Would I like the BSO to come out with a new album that revisits the rockin' days of Guitar Slinger and Dirty Boogie? Absolutely. Would I prefer a show without the Christmas songs? Yes. But I would question whether or not people would turn out in such high numbers for a summer tour, with so many other things competing for the almighty dollar. A disappointing summer tour (attendance-wise) could force the BSO to pack it in, except for the occasional one-off show. But with or without a new album, I would still look forward to seeing the BSO whenever possible.

Good Humor Man-a-billy

Choochoohothub wrote:

Bear, René, Andi : well said. And thank you for keeping so strong feelings alive, really.

(René, why your "left" we know what and not your right ? )

I'm right handed Choo Choo, so I'm assuming I need the right one to make all my decisions

JonPascual wrote:

on the other hand I think that an artist should know where some things are over.

Who are we to dictate when something is over? The music is Brian's and Brian's alone. He gets to decide when something is over, not us. If that's what he wants to play, then that's the end of the story, period! I will support whatever Brian does because I know I will love it, yeah some more than others but geez, a Brian release is always something special, always has been, always will be. I think Brian has earned the right to go in his own direction. Anyone can always get off at the next platform if they're not enjoying the ride, but I'm riding the Mystery Train 'til the day I die.

Defiant-a-pony

pony65k wrote:

I'm riding the Mystery Train 'til the day I die.

Le Setz certainly knows how to make lifelong fans, doesn't he?

Pony, Andi...
I totally agree with you in your comments, specially with you Andi, otherwise I wouldn't be here

As for when an artist or who are we to decide when an artist should move forward or finish a stage in their careers.... well, probably nobody, but as fans, i think that seeing things from a different point of view can always help an artist to take up some decisions.

Despite I am not a big fan of the BSO (and specially all the Xmas tours) it's nice to see that he can keep 2-3 bands in order to satisfy all the fans' demands.

In any case, it's always great to have our fav artists' albums on the market!

I appreciate your enthusiasm and unwavering positivity Rene. I'm sure some of you Aussie fans can't possibly fathom the audacity of us Yanks (and Jon) in offering our opinions about one of our favorite bands. What the hell do we have to complain about? You Aussies had to wait 16+ years to see The Brian again.

Some fans feel the creative peak of the BSO was 8-10 years ago, when Brian was writing new material for the BSO, albums were charting, and Brian's focus was squarely on his one and only band, the BSO. It's a logical conclusion, shared by many. It doesn't mean they want the BSO to call it a day (only Jon suggested that), and it doesn't mean they won't be clicking on Ticketmaster seconds into the next pre-sale. For those fans who have attended most, if not all of the past 6 Christmas Extravaganzas, the BSO has such a phenomenal catalog, and when you have to accommodate 8-10 Christmas songs a set, plus the obligatory Stray Cat Strut, Jump Jive and Wail, and Rock This Town, there's a lot of great tunes that are missed.

Who knows? Maybe there will be a new album to promote. But even if there isn't, be it a Christmas tour, a Hannukah tour, or Arbor Day tour, we will be there.

Setzah Claus-a-billy

Rickabilly wrote:

I appreciate your enthusiasm and unwavering positivity Rene. I'm sure some of you Aussie fans can't possibly fathom the audacity of us Yanks (and Jon) in offering our opinions about one of our favorite bands. What the hell do we have to complain about? You Aussies had to wait 16+ years to see The Brian again.

Some fans feel the creative peak of the BSO was 8-10 years ago, when Brian was writing new material for the BSO, albums were charting, and Brian's focus was squarely on his one and only band, the BSO. It's a logical conclusion, shared by many. It doesn't mean they want the BSO to call it a day (only Jon suggested that), and it doesn't mean they won't be clicking on Ticketmaster seconds into the next pre-sale. For those fans who have attended most, if not all of the past 6 Christmas Extravaganzas, the BSO has such a phenomenal catalog, and when you have to accommodate 8-10 Christmas songs a set, plus the obligatory Stray Cat Strut, Jump Jive and Wail, and Rock This Town, there's a lot of great tunes that are missed.

Who knows? Maybe there will be a new album to promote. But even if there isn't, be it a Christmas tour, a Hannukah tour, or Arbor Day tour, we will be there.

Setzah Claus-a-billy

I'm not trying to have a shot at anybody and like I said before, I respect everyone's opinions and right to say what's on their mind. It just sometimes appears (maybe to me only?) that the negativity outweighs the positive that's all. It could also be that I'm still on a high about the Aussie tour and don't want to be dragged down. I understand the point of view about the BSO, I too would love to see a new album by the BSO with all new material. I think here in OZ we're incredibly sheltered, even with the internet. Brian's stuff here is just never mentioned at all. No radio people give it a go and to me it's incredibly frustrating. If the BSO (or anything Brian) was pushed here more maybe we'd get it off the ground. The music is brilliant, it transcends all barriers, yet when there's a release, you could hear a pin drop. I don't even think the Cat's Farewell Tour was promoted properly. Posters, yes, but very few and the week before the Adelaide show, in the local papers a little paragraph!! The promoters here are crap.

I know I'm totally envious of all you guys and gals in the States. I could think of nothing better than having Brian and all his different projects at my finger tips and see him 10 times a year. I guess I think we should all be grateful for what we get and not take it for granted.

I'm just dribbling now, so I'll leave it at that. I meant no offense and I know you didn't take it that way Rickabilly, but anyone that did, I apologize.

René-a-pony

BTW, BSO Rocks:
lol that you wrote "Juan", which would be the translation of my name into Spanish; however, my name is not English but Basque (that's why it goes with no H in it), so, unfortunatelly there's no translation and I'm still Jon, though I don't mind someone calling me Juan at some point, but Jon (at least in Spain) is something quite unique. I'm very pleased by having that name![/quote]

Sorry dude, or Juan, I mean Jon. My bad.

I think the threads been hijacked. Getting myself back on topic, I will be psyched about a Christmas concert in 2009, or any other year for that matter.

No worries folk, that's fine!
Jon "the Don Juan" ;-)

If you havent been to a BSO christmas tour and you love Xmas...your life
is not complete.
He is the freaking GODFATHER of the neo=rat packs.. He IS
THE frank Sinatra of Christmas now...

My boys think he's santa They nearly had to celebrate Kwanza this last yr without our family Xmas outing to Universal City walk and Gibson
amphitheater.
If BSO indeed is booking the Gibson, I'll to head up a HDVDL
rockabilly xmas gathering at the Sheraton there next to the theater.
BRING IT!!!

Nov. 20 @ Motor City Casino, Detroit, MI
Nov. 21 @ Genesee Theater, Waukegan (Chicago), IL
Nov. 25 @ Sovereign PAC, Reading, PA
Nov. 29 @ Keswick Theater, Glenside, PA
Nov. 30 @ Hammerstein, NYC, NY
Dec. 4 @ Foxwoods, Ledyard, CT
Dec. 7 @ Peace Center, Greenville, SC
Dec. 9 @ Ryman, Nashville, TN
Dec. 14 @ Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, NM
Dec. 15 @ Dodge Theater, Phoenix, AZ
Dec. 16 @ Spotlight 29 Casino, Coachella, CA
Dec. 18 @ Gibson Ampitheater, Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 20 @ Warfield, San Francisco, CA
Dec. 22 @ Table Mountain Casino, Friant, CA