They Say Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Dead

Rock ‘n’ Roll may have slipped from the dizzying heights it enjoyed in the past, but saying it’s dead is a stretch. On a recent Friday in April, at Salt Lake City’s The Depot, Royal Bliss proved that point in dramatic fashion.

The band—along with ascending local artists Citizen Soldier and Sprit Machines—put on a show of epic proportions. It was a packed house, with Rock ‘n’ Roll fans spanning several generations coming together for great night of music and fellowship. Fellowship he says? I’ll explain in a bit, but first, check out our image gallery from the show.

It was a packed house, with Rock ‘n Roll fans spanning several generations coming together for great night of music….

The Depot was packed top to bottom.

Rock ‘n’ Rollers know their beloved music is not mainstream, but they really don’t care. In fact, they look on with a bit of cynical humor as the rest of the world feels the need to constantly hammer that point home.

Rock music has become like Jazz music, which hasn’t been mainstream for almost a century. Jazz fans really don’t care what you think about their music and neither do Rock fans. Being a fan of Rock music is like being a wine aficionado—some wines are okay and some of them suck, but, when you find a good wine, you savor the hell out of it.

Being a fan of Rock music is like being a wine aficionado…when you find a good wine, you savor the hell out of it.

In addition to no longer being mainstream, record companies don’t support Rock musicians like they used to, and rap has taken over the mainstream mantle. As such, the definition of success for Rock ‘n’ Rollers has had to change over time. With all of these handicaps, Rock musicians have come to understand that they can make a good living without being the hyped mega-stars we used to see in the genre.

Royal Bliss is a great example. The band tours a lot, and the clearly love what they do. Are they flying around in private jets? I don’t think they are—not regularly anyway—but it doesn’t matter.

When I talk with Neil Middleton and Taylor Richards, they clearly seem to be enjoying life. They are living the modern Rock ‘n’ Roll lifestyle. Families. Less time on the road and more time at home. Time for writing, recording albums, shooting videos and playing fantastic gigs in exotic places where they are very much appreciated.

Sounds like success to me.

The buried lede.

Every successful music city has their own Royal Bliss. Several of them likely. It’s critical to have bands that give back to the music community. Royal Bliss has a long history of promoting local up-and-comers. We discussed this in a previous post.

It’s critical to have bands that give back to the music community.

This behavior is a hallmark of all successful bands Rock ‘n’ Roll bands today. Without this, the Rock community can not sustain itself.

It’s the music city cycle of life: band is born; band grows up; band finds success; band helps other bands; fans discover new wines; music community thrives.

Now I don’t know much about Citizen Soldier, but I have watched Spirit Machines from their earliest shows a few years back. Even before the invite to join Royal Bliss on stage, Spirit Machines had established a track record of giving back. For example, Machines’ guitarist Dave Crespo has literally spent hours promoting other bands on his Internet radio show, as well as the numerous livestream events he hosted at Studio J.

This behavior is the fellowship I mentioned earlier. I’m sure some of you were wondering what the hell I was talking about. Rock musicians helping other Rock musicians is the number one reason why Rock ‘n’ Roll is not only not dead but doing quite well in Salt Lake City.

Hey hey, my, my. Rock ‘n’ Roll will never die.

If your’e looking for a live show and don’t want to draw a short straw, check out our the Bard Recommends. This curated calendar includes shows from bands  personally reviewed by our editorial staff.