California Honeydrops
The Honeydrops have come a long way since guitarist and trumpeter Lech Wierzynkski and drummer Ben Malament started busking in an Oakland subway station, but the band has stayed true to that organic, street-level feel. Listening to Lech sing, it can be a surprise that he was born in Warsaw, Poland, and raised by Polish political refugees. He learned his vocal stylings from contraband American recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong, and later at Oberlin College and on the club circuit in Oakland, California. With the additions of Johnny Bones on tenor sax and clarinet, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards, and Beau Bradbury on bass, they’ve built a powerful full-band sound to support Wierzynski’s vocals. More like parties than traditional concerts, their shows feature extensive off-stage jamming and crowd interaction. “The whole point is to erase the boundaries between the crowd and us,” Wierzynski says. “We don’t make setlists. We want requests. We want crowd involvement, to make people become a part of the whole thing by dancing along, singing, picking the songs and generally coming out of their shells.”
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Why Classic Rock Bands Will Never Go Away
In the early years of classic rock, the fears rotated around whether it will last into mortality. Would people get tired of listening to Zeppelin, the Stones, Skynyrd, and Aerosmith? But over the years, it hasn’t happened. In fact, the music continues to be very strong. As any researcher on the radio about how classic rock will continue to score in perceptual studies. To this day, it’s still popular. Roaming the Arts helps you find classic rock bands all across the US.
Classic Rock Bands
Classic rock still goes on through being in movies, TV, and soundtracks. The overexposure caused worry in the media, if it would detract from the music appeal. In fact, the iconic songs are now all over popular films and television shows for new generations to enjoy. The selection of anthems in TV has helped make brands what they are today. For example, Cadillac resuscitated themselves with Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” as their background music.
The legendary bands have continued to tour among the new music leaders every year for box revenue. Markets big and small throughout the US, classic rock continues to tour, and delighting millions of fans, original and many news ones.
What happens then when classic rock fans mourn the passing of icons like David Bowie, Prince, and Glenn Frey? And down the road, when key members of great bands pass on?
Surprisingly, nothing.
Through the passing and mourning of band members, the music continues to go on a successful tour with different members of drums or bassists.
Journey has survived the loss of it’s singer, Steve Perry, and with several other replacements. Music doesn’t just die with the musician, it keeps going. In this case, Journey has kept going and done fine without him.
So when Glenn Frey passed away, dark thoughts about the end of the Eagles came to fruition about who would replace him during the summer festival? The revival would be saved by Vince Gill, the country legend who performed for an Eagles tribute album.
It’s also safe to assume that the long-time Eagles manager Irving Azoff will find ways to keep the band in the forefront, having negotiated and navigated crises over the decades. This also keeps the classic rock alive in one of the classic bands.
Classic Rock Will Won’t Die
Roaming the Art is a comprehensive index of books and authors, bands and musicians, and a selection of visual art. We help you find your favorite classic rock bands in the US. We also have rock to folk, americana to blues, and artists both new and storied careers.
Each new post is a gateway to follow your favorite artists, some you have heard of, some you have not, or some known but forgotten. We have constant videos, links, and websites to create a true Arts browser.
We are constantly evolving with features of new music and connections and discoveries focused on Indie, Roots, Americana, Blues, and Alternative music. Check out our website to find artists and classic rock bands.
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Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw
Born in 1953 in Detroit, Michigan, Marshall Crenshaw learned to tune a guitar correctly at age ten and has been trying ever since. His first big break came in 1978 playing John Lennon in “Beatlemania”, first as an understudy in New York, then in the West Coast company followed by a national touring company. Removing himself from that situation in Feb. 1980, Marshall settled in New York City. After crossing paths with the great and legendary Alan Betrock, Marshall recorded his debut single “Something’s Gonna Happen” (for Betrock’s Shake Records label), which led to a deal with Warner Bros. His debut album, Marshall Crenshaw, was acclaimed as a masterpiece upon its release in 1982 and established him as a singular songwriter, record maker, and guitarist. The album spawned the hit single “Someday, Someway,” and other classics such as “(You’re My) Favorite Waste of Time,” “Whenever You’re On My Mind” and “Cynical Girl.”
Over the course of a career that’s spanned three decades, 13 albums, Grammy and Golden Globe nominations, film and TV appearances (Buddy Holly in “La Bamba”) and thousands of performances, Marshall Crenshaw’s musical output has maintained a consistent fidelity to the qualities of artfulness, craftsmanship and passion, and his efforts have been rewarded with the devotion of a broad and remarkably loyal fan base.
Along with touring around the country and the occasional recording project, Marshall currently hosts his own radio show, “The Bottomless Pit”, every Saturday at 10 PM on New York’s WFUV. Other current projects include a documentary film-in progress about legendary record producer Tom Wilson. Says Crenshaw, “This is a road that I never imagined taking before, but it’s been amazing and is going great..”
“Although he was seen as a latter-day Buddy Holly at the outset, he soon proved too talented and original to be anyone but himself.” – Trouser Press -
Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell stands as one of the most vital voices in modern American music, a songwriter’s songwriter who has transcended the boundaries of country and Americana to become a premier chronicler of the human condition. Born in Green Hill, Alabama, Isbell’s musical education was steeped in the rich traditions of the Muscle Shoals sound. He first rose to national prominence in 2001 as a member of the Drive-By Truckers, where his soulful voice and sharp-edged compositions provided a powerful counterpoint to the band’s southern rock grit. However, his tenure with the group was cut short by personal struggles, leading to a solo career that would eventually redefine his life and the landscape of roots music.The turning point for Isbell came with his sobriety and the release of the 2013 album Southeastern. Widely regarded as a masterpiece, the record stripped away the loud guitars to reveal a vulnerable, surgically precise lyricism. Songs like “Elephant” and “Cover Me Up” showcased an unflinching honesty, tackling subjects like terminal illness and the grueling road to redemption with a grace that few of his peers could match. Since then, alongside his powerhouse band, The 400 Unit, Isbell has released a string of critically acclaimed albums, including Something More Than Free, The Nashville Sound, and Weathervanes. These works have earned him multiple Grammy Awards and established him as a master of the southern gothic narrative, capable of writing about working-class struggles, racial tension, and the quiet complexities of fatherhood and marriage.Isbell’s impact extends beyond his discography; he is a vocal advocate for sobriety and social justice, often using his platform to challenge the gatekeepers of the Nashville establishment. His guitar playing, deeply rooted in the blues and soul of his Alabama upbringing, is as expressive as his singing, often punctuated by blistering slide work that serves the emotion of the song. Whether he is performing a delicate acoustic ballad or leading a feedback-drenched rock anthem, his work is consistently anchored by an obsession with craft. He avoids easy cliches, opting instead for specific, lived-in details that make his songs feel like short stories. Today, Jason Isbell is more than just a musician; he is a literary figure in the world of rock and roll, proving that the most specific stories are often the most universal.Jason Isbell was married to Amanda Shires. (Click to visit her site) They were part of each other’s bands and often appeared on record together.
