Concerts in Review: Rock Star SuperNova Did Reality TV kill the Rock and Roll Star?

    icon Feb 22, 2007
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Rock Star SuperNova, created by Tommy Lee of Motley Crue, Gilby Clarke formerly of Guns 'n Roses and Jason Newsted formerly of Metalica played to a nearly sold out crowd at Detroit's Fox Theatre Monday night February 5th.

The bands singer, Lukas Rossi, won the honor on the CBS reality show Rock Star Supernova.  Along with the group on tour are the top three contestants that competed for the lead signer position Dilana, Toby Rand, and Magni Asgeirsson.

Many speculated early on that Supernova would not choose a woman to lead their new band, but Dilana originally from Johannesburg, South Africa gave the boys a run for their money with her impeccable vocals and flamboyant style.

Dilana showcased her vocals by performing "Foolish Game" by Chris Issak and "Zombie," by the Cranberries. She also featured some original songs without the assistance of her band.

Her song "Holiday" is set to be released on my space February 20th. She is currently collaborating with the shows host Dave Navaro on her first album.

I had only watched a couple of the episodes from this season but it was apparent that everyone in the audience had their favorites. Members of the audience showed their loyalty by adorning their favorites' face on their shirt or holding a sign. The contestants for this show were just as diverse as the fans attending the show. In a way television has helped to span the generation gap. Older parents who rocked out with Tommy, Gilby, and Jason in their younger days sat right along side their children, fueled by a love for the rock and roll spirit.

After a brief intermission the Headliners took to the stage playing a mixture of original songs from their self titled CD and covers of today's hits. The fact that this band was a collaboration of such rock and roll greats really is no surprise, but one did expect a little more presence from them. True to the statement that they were looking for a front man to lead this group, Rossi is just that. This concert served as an excellent platform to showcase the talents of the contestants involved.

Lukas, the second Canadian to win the Rock Star competition, said that he was ready to give up on his rock and roll dream when this opportunity presented itself. He took an angry tone when he talked about all of those that didn't believe that he would amount to anything. He dedicated the song "You Make My Head Spin" to the audience because he said that we all have dreams that we should never give up on.

Supernova played Bryan Adam's "Boys of Summer" to heat up the crowd along with "Bitter Sweet Symphony," by The Verve, with accompaniment of a string quartet and a skeleton on Keyboard.

Toby, a native of Australia, jump started the show with high energy performances of his renditions of Bringing down the House by the Talking Heads, Billy Idol's Rebel Yell and Highway to Hell. He was an apparent hit especially with the ladies that adored his Aussie good looks. Toby was the third runner up in the competition.

Magni a native from Iceland, who accompanied Dilana on the acoustic guitar, performed "Creep," by Radiohead.

Many people have varied opinions on how the band was created. But what the heck is rock and roll without controversy? Anybody remember Tommy Lee's VHS escapades with ex-wife Pam?

Some people view it as cheating to not work your ass off from the bottom. To walk on to a television show and achieve instant success is crazy in their eyes. I do sometimes smirk a little when I think of shows like "The Osborne's" and Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie in "The Simple Life". Is reality TV a way for celebrities to keep their celebrity in a world full of the unknown becoming famous overnight? Maybe.

In the realm of music I don't think so. I believe that talent is talent. You still have to work your ass off to make it work either way, right?

Rock Star seems to be aware of that fact too. The proof is in the puddin' man. The fan bases for these shows are phenomenal. I believe that is enough to keep the ball rolling for a while. if you combine that with the staying power of Tommy, Gilby, and Jason I believe that this band may have a real shot at being a success. To all of you, however, who think it is cheesy, Lukas has a finger or two to fly in the face of adversity. Rock on, man

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