4cr Prowl – the Rock Band Live Tour

And here is the story.

Once upon a time, when RedOctane was fresh out of college, it made a living renting video games. It was through this job that the small company discovered its fiery passion for music, and began a career making rhythm game peripherals. During this time, it met the developer Harmonix, and the two became the best of friends. It was from this relationship that a little-known game called Guitar Hero flourished, and the world of bugging-yer-neighbours home entertainment would never be the same again.

RedOctane found great success, and caught the eye of an enterprising Activision. The two immediately hit it off, but the pairing left Harmonix stranded at the local games store by its lonesome. It wasn’t long before Harmonix found some unlikely buddies in some older guys, MTV and EA, and the trio got together to form Rock Band. It’s been less than a year, and already, Rock Band 2 has taken over shelves and living spaces all around the globe. To further promote the venture, MTV decided to throw a gig called Rock Band Live. I got the chance to see it, and here’s how it went.

After work on a Friday evening is, for me, the most joyous occasion of the week. I rushed downstairs, fueled by my second shot of coffee that day. A low rumble echoed across the sidewalk. Man, was I hungry! But how does one grab food during rush hour and still expect to make it out of the downtown core before six? Luckily, my incredibly generous friend Ken had let me guilt him into grabbing McDonald’s for me, and together, we marched swiftly down the street to meet another friend, and the car that would take us towards the International Centre where the Rock Band Live venue was held that night.

My cell phone rang.

“Hello?”
“Hey June, it’s Melissa! I see a loooong U-shaped line here! So where are you guys at?”
“… um, well! We’re still on the way!”
“… OH.”
“But we’re almost there!”
“I guess I’ll be here, then… at the back of the line. Ahh see you when you get here!”

Thanks to Melissa’s sacrifice, the rest of us skipped the rightmost part of the U, and fun times were had shivering in the cold. While it can be nice in Toronto during fall, the bipolar weather can also make it pretty chilly. A lone hot dog vendor wheeled by, taunting the wind-bitten, hungry crowd with delicious, steaming meats, but few concert-goers dared to venture out of line. Peering around, I spotted some tougher folks wearing tees and tank tops, while others like myself hopped excitedly under our jackets, trying to thaw. I wish I had their super powers. How did they make themselves immune to the charms of the dog vendor’s cart? Did the glee of knowing there was great talent inside work charms to warm their hearts? One may never know!

It didn’t take too long for us to shimmy our way along the line, and after several encounters with security, we finally made it into Arrow Hall. No, that’s not my camera being wonky — this, friends, is how the place looked when we walked inside. I kid you not. An ominous fog of war misted the concert hall as the four of us readied our game plan. Well, we made it this far! Gathering our courage, we braved the storm.

Doors opened earlier than usual so that no one would freeze, so by the time we got in, we still had a bit of time to hang about before the gig started. At the far end of the hall, set up at the sides of the stage, were two large projector screens showing clips of Rock Band 2. Some people rushed to the front to claim spots by the stage, while others went the other way to have first dibs at band merchandise. Being the dedicated reporter that I am, it made perfect sense to make a beeline to the swag stands.

It was like fording a river filled with starving piranhas, or a high-end shoe store during a sale.

There was a problem: namely, a wall of squeeing fangirls that barricaded me from the goal, and I needed to act quickly before the smalls and mediums sold out. What’s a rebel to do? I went co-op with a stocky friend, and together, we battled our way to the front. Should I get the tee? Or a hoodie, perhaps? Nooo, she’s getting the shirt I want! Minutes of agony passed, and there were multiple casualties (among them, my wallet), but in the end we prevailed! Legends will tell the tale of how June acquired sweet, sweet swag, but only you will know the truth.

About half an hour later, actual music started to play. Up first was a group called The Cab. It was the first time I heard their music, and they were alright! I feel bad for the first band on stage, since they’re often pegged as concert filler while the crowd settles and inches its way inside. Still, no one ever starts at the top, and although you’re probably not who most people are there to see, it must feel pretty damned good knowing that you’re playing alongside some of the biggest names in the industry.

I think that’s part of the appeal of Rock Band as a game, or in fact, any rhythm game that’s about pressing buttons. You don’t have to know how to play an instrument in order to feel like you’re making music. You don’t have to be the best in order to jam for an audience. For me, it’s not the satisfaction of thinking that I’m rocking out so much as it is knowing that I’ve improved my hand-eye coordination to match a pattern, but that’s something too. You can sing along if you want in Rock Band, but if you’re not the outgoing type, the game lets you choose which part you want to play.

I don’t really understand why some people say, “That _such and such_ game is a joke! Play a real _instrument of choice_!” Is it wrong to want to play rhythm games without throwing countless hours into learning how to play an actual instrument? I like adventure games, but that doesn’t mean I should go out and learn how to fence. What difference does it make if all you want is a little fun?

I think it’s great that people of different skill levels can adjust their own difficulty settings to jam along to the same song. I also absolutely love the fact that there’s downloadable content, and although you have to pay for most of it, at least there’s the option to play your favourite tunes on top of the 80+ songs that are already on the disc. It’s mysteriously fun to get some friends together, choose a song you like, and sing off-key together, sharing the love.

There was another rising star that night, and one of the few bands able to turn me into a melty puddle of girly-girl: the Plain White T’s. You might not recognize them by name, but they’ve been in the alternative rock scene for over a decade, and just recently, these guys have scored a hit on the radio with a song called “Hey There Delilah.” I like it a lot, and it was obvious by the waves of energy from the crowd, that sang along like cats in a shower, that others did too.

Just before the concert I got to chat with the guys from Plain White T’s, who were nice enough not to run away at my megaton usage of OMGWTFBBQ. If you’re into acoustic rock, check out their newer stuff. If you like pop-punk, look into their older songs. If I had a book, they’d be getting two thumbs up in it.

When the band fled the stage, a black-clad fellow took over and introduced himself as the host, giving us the low-down of the Rock Band Live tour. He announced that there was going to be a battle of the bands, with two local in-game bands shredding plastic up on stage. It had to happen. What good is a Rock Band concert without some Rock Band lovin’? Check it out! First up was a band performing “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac.

What’s stage fright? All I could think about was how hard it must be to focus on a little screen when you know there’s an entire gaming theatre right behind you. Ouch! Noble folks, we cheered for them. Once the song was over, our ‘host’ came back to work the crowd.

“Yeah Torontooo!” yelled Rock Band Guy, “Ya know, right now, you’re the NUMBAH ONE CITAY for ROCK BAND LIIIIVE!!!” Whoo! We knew the tour wasn’t happening ‘right now’ anywhere else, but cheering is fun! The second Rock Band band came up for a round of “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World.

Quite a few people were buying Rock Band tour shirts and hoodies instead of actual band merchandise, so I wonder how many of them went to the concert just because of the game. There were also had some ads for Hot Topic posted, which I found a little strange since Hot Topic doesn’t exist in Canada.

After a brief intermission, the third band took the stage, and by the thundering of cheers, this crowd needed no introduction. Chris Carrabba of the notorious Dashboard Confessional took the mic and fans erupted in song. Being at least the forth time I’ve seen them play, I knew what to expect. Within seconds, the hall was turned into a super-sized karaoke room with everyone singing along. What’s it like to get paid to chill on stage while a legion of fans sing your songs for you? When you get there, you know you’ve had it made.

The room thundered. Ken shouted from across the expanse of half-a-foot away, “He’s going to play “Hands Down!” He always does!” “What?” I heard him the second time. Sure enough, within minutes, guess what song came up? Fumbling with my camera, I tried my best to record it for you, pausing only to fumble with my batteries and sacrifice one to the merciless floor. The final video was both painful to the ears and seizure-riffic… so sorry guys, I’ll keep that horror to myself. Bah! Who needs “Hands Down,” when you can have “Epic Hand-Waving Action?”

It was game over for Dashboard Confessional, but not for the crew: they weren’t headlining tonight. As the sound died and the lights dimmed eerily, a wave of young ‘uns squished their way towards the stage. “Uh oh.” It was the calm before the storm, and we wanted to get the heck out of there FAST. Why is that, you ask? You’ll find out soon.

The back screen lit up again with the Rock Band Live logo, and the crowds stopped pushing. Two more local Rock Band bands got on stage to demonstrate their rhythm game prowess. The first guys didn’t do so well, but heck, I get twitchy when someone’s watching me game. It’s hard to fall back on instinctive button presses when you’re actually concentrating. When it comes to games like Mario Bros., I tend to have my best runs when I’m barely paying attention, hitting jump when it ‘feels’ right. If someone passes the controller to me and wants me to help them beat a level, suddenly, Mario’s diving into pits. Maybe it’s a reflex thing. If I were up on stage playing in front of hundreds of people, I’d probably have concentration issues too.

However, the second band was actually ridiculously good. Apparently they were on the leaderboards, but I can’t remember the name of their group. The song they played was so close to perfect.

When the Rock Bands finished their gigs, stage ninjas took the cover of darkness to clear the way. When the lights went up again, standing there was the headliner that night, Panic at the Disco. A shrill cry of squees encompassed the air as a horde of fangirls and their dazed significant others fought for air to press themselves against the rails and towards the stage. I came to the concert not knowing what to expect from Panic; now, I know how they got their name.

… and they were pretty good too! As a newbie to their music, I can’t do justice in describing their style. However, as performers, the band really shone by making use of the mic and moving the worn-out, end-of-the-night crowd. Nice work, guys.

But here’s the verdict, as far as my two Canadian cents will go: being completely honest, the Rock Band Live tour sits on my list as one of the tamest venues I have ever been to, and I’ve been to quite a few. I’m not saying that’s necessarily bad, but if you’re a regular concert-goer, expect it to be different. And clean. As you saw, there was a lot of smoke in the room, but I couldn’t smell any of it. I heard that security was carding and handing out wristbands, but I didn’t actually catch sight of anyone selling booze, or even anyone holding a drink. In fact, through most of the show (excluding the mass havoc that ensued when Panic at the Disco took over, and fighting your way to the stage would be like trying to break coconuts with your bare hands), we made it pretty close to the front and no one was getting shoved about, none of us were sweating, and we didn’t feel slathered by the others around us. We even spotted a sign in the locale pointing to a waiting area for parents.

Rock Band Live isn’t your typical rock concert. That probably had something to do with it being an all ages venue, or the fact that the music was more acoustic than usual. Still, that hasn’t stopped other crowds, so who knows?

What I do know is that I still had a lot of fun that night, and if you’re into the mellow rock, you might find yourself liking it as much as I did. The tour will be rounding up on November 13th, so that’s the show! Take care rebels, and rock on.