I Heart TV

I love TV. You love TV. I love to read about TV. Hopefully, so do you.

5.25.2005

bands on the run, and things that conspire to remind me of it

Tonight's the finale of American Idol. I hope Bo wins, but if Carrie wins I won't mind that either. We all know that after each season of AI, it's not only the winner who will end up making an album but also whoever comes in second, and sometimes whoever comes in third and fourth, sometimes with equal or greater success (see: Clay Aiken. do not see: Justin Guarini.)

The second season of AI was the only one I was passionately involved in from start to finish, but I've checked in a few times this season and read the recaps on TWOP. However, as I was thinking about it today, I realized that whatever I may feel for AI, it's nothing like what I felt for Bands on the Run during the summer of 2001.

For anyone unfamiliar with the show, Bands on the Run was a reality show on VH1 that aired for just one season. It featured four bands touring around the country. In each city they competed to see who could get more people at gigs, who could sell more merchandise, and occasionally, who could drink more beer.

It was (and this may sound pretentious, but we've all thought it at one point or another) the only time I've ever felt like the people on a reality show were just as smart as me, and where they were honest-to-goodness nice people who wanted to be famous for their music rather than just famous for being on a reality show.

So, for those of you who watched, here is what I discovered when I googled all four bands today, in the order in which they were kicked off and also (more or less) the other in which I liked them:

The Josh Dodes Band: It appears that the band itself is no more, but Josh Dodes is still a) playing music and b) bald (though by choice, he says.) one of the girl singers is playing with fischerspooner now. This interview talks a little about the show and about what Josh Dodes is up to now. They were my least favorite just because I didn't like their music as much--they were kind of jammy.

Harlow: I always got the feeling that I would be really afraid of Harlow if I ever met them in person. Their lineup has changed since BOTR: Rayshele and Rebecca are gone. They all have livejournals but don't really seem to be an active band right now.

Soulcracker:These guys also seem to be semi-defunct, and they also seem to have gotten rid of a member (Beastie, my least favorite.) None of the photos on their site do Bob justice--he was my favorite of every person on that show.

Flickerstick: As Josh Dodes says in the interview I linked, they seem to be the only BOTR band still active, though they've also had lineup changes (losing cory and dominick.) Although they were my favorites, I never bought their album (though I did try to go see them once, at Wetlands right before it closed for good); still, I'm happy to see they're still a band.

Two other things inspired me to look all this stuff up: Suzun asking me the other day if I knew of any sites that keep tabs on the current whereabouts of former reality stars (I don't, but I wish I did), and my trip this weekend to Suzun's hometown of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where on my last visit in 2001 I watched much BOTR, as you can see:

here

and here.

6 Comments:

  • At 3:27 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    i was really afraid for a second that you linked to a photo of me being positively demonic and i am relived that you did not.

    also, i can't do anything but mock bo bice, especially since his name sounds like a salad topping.

     
  • At 4:39 PM, Blogger Erica said…

    i would love to have linked to that photo but i figured you would not like it.

     
  • At 5:44 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I had a friend who loved Flickerstick. All I know about Harlow is that Pat Smear produced their album (!?!) and that they are name-dropped on a David Cross comedy album.

    the_automatik

     
  • At 12:48 AM, Blogger Marc said…

    i heart the idea of a "where are they now?" rundown of former reality tv contestants/stars. if anyone would know if there's a website that keeps track of this it would be andy dehnart at www.realityblurred.com

     
  • At 8:40 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    i feel like bands on the run is the one pop culture thing i missed out on by being in europe that summer.

    i was SHOCKED carrie won, especially after bo got the premium end of medly rocking to a song all of america can sing aloud to, all the other finalists come out and dance along spot.

     
  • At 10:16 AM, Blogger Erica said…

    yup, pat smear did produce their album. amanda, the lead singer, was in a band called fluffy that toured with the foo fighters; that's how they met pat.

    i ended up not watching AI last night because i got home after it started and i was stressed about packing.

     

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