Gosh, Cleveland.com really likes to give you multiple pop-up advertisements that you must cancel out before you can view a topic.
Reminds me when Elvis Presley's band did a tour back in the 80s. They had a limousine with blackout windows drive into the show palace while the announcer said Elvis was in the house. Then videos of Elvis singing specific songs played on the big screens while the band played the backing tracks in real time. When the concert finished, the limousine drove out of the show palace. Just about every show sold out.
I can't believe Palmer is doing this. With a net worth of $10 million and at 74 years of age, he clearly doesn't need the money. I found it interesting that the article made a point of mentioning that this project has the blessing of Keith Emerson and Greg Lake's estates.
Money doesn't necessarily drive everyone. Some are driven by the passion, the love of the music they play and the thrill of being on stage ; maybe Carl is one. Funny thing is, this very passion can keep one strong, vital and potent when others of the same chronological age (or younger) are crippled with disease and depression.
Rock on Carl, you guys were one of my favorite bands!
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Hence the popularity of tribute bands and those endless "last tour before retirement" tours.......some of them tour that "last time" thing multiple times. All with extraordinarily expensive tickets. The "nose-bleed seats" are almost affordable and how does one justify the cost of those front row ticket prices?
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
some of them tour that "last time" thing multiple times.
I think The Who did 5 of them. With 2 dead members.
The Eagles? Vince Gill? Seriously? Tribute band to themselves. Same with Journey.
People are obviously free to do what they choose. I'll stop short of using the word "hate" to describe my feelings, but I will say they will never see my money. Not for "used to be" "bands" like a drummer playing along with videos. Drum Karaoke?
Emmy Lou Harris is coming to a local indoor concert theater venue later this year. My wife said something about it so I decided to look at the tickets. The better seats are several hundred dollars each and if you want the best seats in what they call the orchestra section, those are over a thousand each with the front rows going for close to $2k each.
I checked a Bob Seeger concert tickets show last year. The cheapest ones were $250 with crazy town prices for the best seats. I can listen to his old vinyl at home and be totally fine.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
A year or so ago, a friend of mine paid big money to see “The Kingston Trio”. I didn't have the heart to tell her that all 3 members of the Kingston Trio were long in the grave, and what she spent her money on was an official tribute band. She told me that she had a great time at the concert, and I'm glad I didn't spoil it for her.
When I was very young, there were a lot of my parents' generation bands doing the same thing. Glenn Miller, Dorsey Brothers, and others. Ghost bands, where the band went on, after the leader was gone and most of the players were way too young to be originals. I did get to see the Count Basie Orchestra before he died in the 1980s, and the Orchestra is still playing under that name today, led by Scotty Barnhart.
In the early 1980s, I was in a house band at a show club in Miami, Florida. On Saturday nights, 'has-been' acts came and did two sets. People like The Shirelles, Blue Notes (without Harold Melvin), Little Anthony (great singer) and The Ink Spots.
Like The Kingston Trio, there were no original members of the Ink Spots, as the record label owned the name. One of the singers said that his uncle was one of the original members of The Ink Spots, and that seemed to justify it to him.
When I was gigging for Motown, there were multiple Temptations, Four Tops, Miracles, Marvalettes, and other groups touring the country. The fans didn't know the difference, but that was way before MTV, so we didn't recognize the singers faces.
When I gigged on the cruise ships in the late 1980s, one of the headliners came on with a billing 'formerly with The Patters'. No, he wasn't Tony Williams, the lead singer on the records, but the lead singer in the “Herb Reed Platters”, one of four groups known as “The Platters” touring the country in the 60s and 70s.
Now have the official Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eagles, Kingston Trio, and other ghost bands.
When I was gigging for Motown, there were multiple Temptations, Four Tops, Miracles, Marvalettes, and other groups touring the country. The fans didn't know the difference, but that was way before MTV, so we didn't recognize the singers faces.
When I gigged on the cruise ships in the late 1980s, one of the headliners came on with a billing 'formerly with The Patters'. No, he wasn't Tony Williams, the lead singer on the records, but the lead singer in the “Herb Reed Platters”, one of four groups known as “The Platters” touring the country in the 60s and 70s.
Now have the official Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eagles, Kingston Trio, and other ghost bands.
So what's new?
I was going to mention the Platters and the Zombies. Motown.... absolutely. If there's a dollar to be made, someone's going to use the band name and hit the road. And..... practically every beach music band also fits this category. Very few have any of the original members. Some have one degree of separation but others? Who knows? One of my customers was the bass player for one of the big NC based beach music bands, the Embers. I never asked him much about the band but I don't think he was the original bass player.
When you look at the wikipedia member line up on many bands it's like a game of musical chairs switching out and replacing members.
Even ZZ Top is now touring with replacement members. What kind of travesty is THAT?
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
I recently saw Facebook posts for The Guess Who and...no Burton...no Randy! In fact only the drummer was original and when I looked them up he rarely plays but owns the band name
I guess a band name becomes a product. Just when do they become a tribute band? I guess that's hard to say.
Jay and the Americans lost the original Jay after some chart success.
Dave Black (Blatt) changed his name to Jay, and replaced him. They had quite a few hits with the faux Jay. Eventually, Jay (David) Black (Blatt) was the only one left touring as Jay And The Americans, and he was not an original member.
Dave went bankrupt, sold the name to an original member, recruited a coupe of other originals, hired a new Jay (John "Jay" Reincke) and started touring again.
. So which was the real Jay And The Americans?
Is Earth, Wind & Fire the same band without Maurice White? They sold out our local theater a few years ago.
Historically, look at The Clovers, The Coasters, The Drifters, and so many others, and they changed members continuously. The Clovers had 30 or so, The Coasters, over 20, The Temptations, close to 30, The Buckinghams about 20, and so on. And that doesn't count any touring groups traveling under the same name.
So is it fraud? Deceptive? Or just business as usual?
Is a never-changing unit, or a brand name? Is it any different from a symphony orchestra, most of which haven't had original members for a century or more?
So is it fraud? Deceptive? Or just business as usual?
Is a never-changing unit, or a brand name? Is it any different from a symphony orchestra, most of which haven't had original members for a century or more?
I can't say. Can you?
Yes, it is very different from a symphony orchestra which is more like session musicians playing someone else's music. When a band like the Guess Who does not have Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman they are obviously NOT the Guess Who.
] Yes, it is very different from a symphony orchestra which is more like session musicians playing someone else's music. ..........................
A symphony orchestra is a cover band with a very limited repertoire.
And sadly, anything new or not one of the old war horses isn't played.
It's different in Europe. I heard a few symphonies that never get played in the USA. When we planned a vacation in Prague, we checked the Czech Philharmonic's schedule and chose the dates so we could hear Josef Suk's "Asrael" symphony. I've never seen this one played in the USA. This is it and we were there -
♫♫♫
And I agree, the Guess Who without Burton Cummings and Randy Bach man are obviously NOT the Guess Who.
To me Earth Wind and Fire without Maurice White, Van Halen without David Lee Roth, Yes without Jon Anderson, and so many more are cover bands. I wouldn't pay to see them.
But I can't blame them, either. I was in a touring band, and we had some success, opening for major acts. We had a problem with our lead guitarist. He had grown too fond of alcohol, and became undependable. When it became clear the bottle was more important than the gig, we replaced him.
He was one of the lead singers, and the new guy played and sang well, but it was different. But we were still the same band with the same name.
I've played in some very good cover bands, and I'll go to a local bar to hear one, but I won't pay concert priced tickets to hear an 'official' cover band. But the world doesn't revolve about me. As long as they can still make money, they are going to do it.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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