Band Names and Internet Searches

[Botch.]

I wanted to see if there were any concert DVDs out for the band Chicago. Even using Amazon's limited search feature, "Chicago" brought up way too many results to wade through, all having to do with the CITY of Chicago.

 

It got me to thinking, if you're a band intent on making it big nowadays the simple, one-word name may not be in your best interest. Chicago, Heart, Seal, anything like that will hinder any potential fans from finding you on the 'net. You'd be best to combine disparate words (Matchbox 20, Blue Oyster Cult, Frankie Goes to Provo) or intentionally mispell things (Ludacris, Fingaz on the Spelling B, Skynyrd). Or would you?

[Lee Flier]

Yeah, my band agonized over this for quite awhile. We all really wanted to use the name "What The...?", but geez, how search-engine proof can you get? A lot of search engines won't even return ANY results on the words "What" or "The" because they're too comon so the search engine just throws them out.

 

Though funnily enough, if you type "The Who" into Google it DOES return mostly URL's about the band. There's probably a special database entry for them.

 

In the end we just decided fuck it, we'll use the name we want to use. I suppose it's better to have a name that's easily searchable, but whatever. I suggest searching on the names of band members, album titles or something else more likely to be found by search engines.

[ITGITC]

Botch, you have to specify "Chicago - The Band" when you do that Google search.

 

BTW, Chicago came to Raleigh last Friday night. My wife and I were given tickets to go see/hear them. It was raining, but we had seats - but they were NOT under the shelter. So right before the concert this big butch woman who worked for the venue DEMANDED that I put down the umbrella (so those folks sitting on the lawn - in the rain- could see). Well, I didn't like her smart ass attitude, so I DEMANDED that she help me find some seats that were closer to the band and out of the rain. (I'm really a pretty even-tempered guy most of the time. This woman could have been a LOT nicer about 1.offering me an alternative seat before she 2. demanded that I close the umbrella!)

 

Anyway, we found better seats under the shelter.

 

Needless to say, the audience was full of over forty, drunk, fat, white people. I wish it wasn't true, but that's pretty much the gist of it. Pretty sad that these are my contemporaries. I think we ALL should sue McDonald's, Budweiser, and Jim Beam for making us this way!

 

Anyway, they've got maybe 2 or 3 of the original guys left, including Robert Lamm. The rest of the band is made up of younger guys (mostly) who did a credible job of covering the material - almost.

 

The guy who played sax also doubled on flute for Color My World. As you recall, there's a definite flute solo that EVERYBODY remembers note for note. NOT THIS GUY!! He got through it until the very end and then had a brain fart! Poor guy couldn't remember how the rest of the solo went. I really felt sorry for him, to tell you the truth! I WILL say that he came back and did some sax work that was incredible! He was nobody's pretty thing, and he messed up the most important solo of the night (IMO), but he redeemed himself with his sax parts throughout the rest of the concert.

 

All in all, it was really a good event. When I was in high school I collected most of their albums and thought they were great. They duplicated many of the more popular tunes on those albums. And this concert, as opposed to the one I attended in 1974 in Charlotte was soulfull. When they were in Charlotte, they were at the top of the charts and their snotty attitude just ruined the show for me.

 

Yeah, they've been around, and they are old - but so am I. It was a good show. It brought back a lot of memories & I'm glad we were there.

 

Gas

[Botch.]

Cool review, Gas! They'll be here in September and I haven't decided to go yet or not (I've seen them three times already) but I probably will. Although its too bad about the flute solo, its nice to know the "pros" goof up every once in awhile!

[boosh]

whenever I run a search on frantic nutbush

my band, it allways turns up right on top.

[nursers]

Valid issue still, nearly 16 years later!!

[Dave Bryce]

Indeed.

 

I just went through the dreaded band naming ordeal. Semi-acoustic kind of thing - several multi-instrumentalists, everybody sings, no drummer. Wanted to duplicate the vibe of some of your friends picking up instruments at a party and jamming...

 

We live in the Conejo Valley, and I ended up circling around that. Nothing. Then, went to the english translation: Rabbit Valley. I play at a disc golf course called Rabbit Flats...too much like Rascal Flatts. Tried Rabbit Valley Rebels - too long. Was walking around the house going, "Rabbit Valley something....Rabbit Valley what? Rabbit Valley...hmmm..." Then I realized I was saying somethiung I kind of liked...

 

Ended up with Rabbit Valet. First time in my life everyone in the band liked as name when I pitched it to them!

 

If you click the link, you can see that I even found cool art to go with it (used with the artist's permission, of course).

 

dB

 

 

 

 

[Doerfler]

I even found cool art to go with it (used with the artist's permission, of course).

 

Dig the art.

Will listen to the music later when I have some extra free time.

 

[nursers]

Love the art as well dB - that's always half the challenge

[Dave Bryce]

I was so lucky to find that pic, and even luckier that the artist was willing to let us use it.

 

dB

[MoodyBluesKeys]

Someone in this thread who probably has an image stored on www.conceptimages.com - Every time I open the thread MalwareBytes reports blocking a Trojan exploit from that site. As a site user, you may be completely unaware of this, but it may be a problem with malware being sent to you and to others that open the thread.