Events

[ROCK] Time has a way of building people up and tearing them down, public personalities and performers central among them. Bob Seger was truly a larger-than-life entity on the FM dial at a time when other singer-songwriters that emerged in the 1970s couldn’t catch a break. His Detroit-soul infused, no-BS rock’n’roll won over a massive audience that didn’t respond to the 1980’s synth-inspired production trends, and it was during this run—from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s—that he sold the bulk of the 75 million records with which he’s accredited. And then, suddenly, it ended. The critics had never been particularly kind despite Seger’s earnest stance, and for a time, he seemed to become a scapegoat for everything that had grown stale about mainstream rock. Now, nearly 30 years on the other side of that, appreciation for Seger is at an all-time high again—just in time for the 73-year-old to stage a farewell tour. And while fans of band like Joy Division and Bauhaus aren’t ever likely to develop an affinity for his work, Seger’s catalog is a trove of songs that are stamped on our collective consciousness: “Beautiful Loser,” “Night Moves,” “Mainstreet,” “Against the Wind,” “Like a Rock,” “Rock and Roll Never Forgets,” “Holly wood Nights,” “Turn the Page,” “Still the Same,” “You’ll Accomp’ny Me,” “Old Time Rock and Roll, “We’ve Got Tonight”  and “Shame on the Moon” top the list, and did you know he co-wrote the Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight”? It’s one of those careers that’s gained prominence in hindsight as the staggering contribution it amounts to. Catch Roll Me Away: The Final Tour at the Key Bank Center on Thursday, January 17, with legendary special guests Grand Funk Railroad opening up.