1977 rockers still sell tickets

By WAYNE PARRY

Associated Press

HOLMDEL, N.J.

It’s more than a feeling: Many of the rock ’n’ roll bands that were huge in 1977 will comprise a big part of the summer concert market 40 years later.

Queen, Foreigner, Boston, Aerosmith, Kiss, Alice Cooper, Billy Joel and Rod Stewart are among those launching major tours this spring and summer, even though some of them haven’t had a big hit since Jimmy Carter (or at least Ronald Reagan) was in office.

Concert industry executives say nostalgia acts are still reliable sellers, with satellite and classic-rock radio keeping their hits alive.

“The simple answer is that good music is still good music,” said guitarist Tom Scholz, who founded Boston and found immediate stardom with tracks that remain staples of classic-rock playlists, including “More Than a Feeling,” “Peace of Mind,” “Long Time” and “Don’t Look Back.” “It’s pretty much still Boston, as long as I’m alive, as long as I can stand up and play,” Scholz said.

“I never could have imagined when I set out to create Foreigner 40 years ago, that we’d still be touring around the world and performing the music we love all these years later,” said Foreigner guitarist and founding member Mick Jones.

“I can’t express the gratitude I feel when fans share stories of how our songs have been woven into their milestones and memories over the years.”

That’s a big part of why classic-rock bands remain reliable draws on the concert circuit, said Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the concert industry publication Pollstar.

“The audience that grew up on rock ’n’ roll are still rock ’n’ roll fans,” he said. “They still want to see these acts, whether they have a new record or not. That’s a big part of the concert business.”

And fans are forgiving (or sometimes oblivious) of lineup changes.

The original singers for Boston and Queen died, Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm left in 2003, and Kiss’s original lineup last toured in 2000.

Aerosmith is the most unlikely band of survivors, given its members’ history of drug use. Yet they’re still out there with all five original members.