Idolator

Judging by the amount of hits our post about new Journey frontman Arnel Pineda has received in the last year, classic bands replacing classic members remains a controversial subject among hardcore fans. The Washington Post takes a look at the 21st-century wave of reformed '70s and '80s hard rock bands who've replaced their singers to discover that (surprise!) "these bands are in the nostalgia business," not willing to give up the tour and t-shirt gravy train just because the guy holding the microphone happened to quit or kick the bucket. Now while anyone should be able to enjoy a reconstituted Foreigner at their local amusement park amphitheater if that's what gets their nostalgic rocks off, there was one quote in the Post's article that made us wonder: how many people paying $25 or $50 or $100 per ticket for big-name reunions would be just as happy catching a really boss cover band at their local sports bar for free? And will the same kind of nostalgia one day get you to pay big (or not so big) bucks to see your favorite band live, minus the voice that made it famous? More »