Guest Book

I just read the Billboard article and I agree with some of the points that the author makes. Dickey's gone and the band sounds different...duh. Warren and Gregg have similar vocal styles...that's a bad thing? As for Derek not plying as hard as Warren...I'm sure we all have dozens of shows to disprove that. The one item that did ring true to me was the comment about an absence of younger fans. I got into the ABB in 89 and have seen them several times a year since then. Sometimes I travel for the shows and some years I wait for them to come to Colorado. I think the main reason that the ABB has an older crowd is that they are an older band. By that I mean that most fans got turned on to the band before their music was on classic rock radio. Younger listeners are exposed to the radio hits from 20+ years ago and there has been a well documented lag in new studio (thus new radio) material. Also there is a strong connection to the musical discoveries of our youth. If you hear someting for the first time when you are experiencing something for the first time it makes a powerful impression. Luckily for me the ABB came back around at the right time and I wasn't sucked in by the grunge that many of my friends claimed as the music of their genrenation. Will the demographics at ABB shows change? Will the ABB attract younger jam band fans who flock to see Widespread Panic and String Cheese Incident? Will a new album get radio airplay and attract new fans? Personally I hope not. While I enjoy those other jam bands and see them as often as the ABB I must admit that I like being on the younger side of the crowd at a show. I'm happy to shell out a little more cash to see livinig legends in smaller venues. Now about those mullets...