Wedding Banned-Gender

And finally... I will discuss my favorite topic... Wedding Banned and Gender.  The reason I love the cover band Wedding Banned so much is because they have a kick-ass female singer in their group.  This is rare.  Especially in comparison to the other bands that are discussed in this blog.  Ballz, as she is known, is one badass girl.  She's a young woman with crazy hair, a spunky attitude, and a bottle of whiskey.  

Having a female in the group brings a dynamic to this band that many others lack.  This definitely appeals to a lot of young girls and in my opinion gives them a lot of confidence or sense of strength.  Having a female singer also allows this band to cover a lot of songs from the past that audiences love to hear, but can't from most all male cover bands.  The audience really got into a lot of the songs Wedding Banned played, many of which would not have the same effect if a male attempted to sing them.  I think many of the people in the audience also found this edgy female rocker quite a hit, and she found a way to really get people into the music.  Also, what's a wedding without a woman?  I think she puts the finishing touch to an exciting cover band that likes to give their audience a great performance and a good time.  I think the gender ratio of the audience depends on the gender ratio of the location the band is performing in, rather than the influences of the genders in the band.  In Carbondale, the audience ratio of males to females consists of a majority of males.  When it comes to gender, I feel like the ratios in the audience don't really vary upon the genders of the members in the band.  

Mike and Joe Gender Time

The gender of Mike and Joes (as many other categories) falls into three categories; the band members themselves, the audience, and the type of music that they play.  The band members are obviously all male but the audience that they play to is almost an even balance.  Most of the crowds that they play to are comprised of both male and female viewers because of the almost universal likability of the covers that they play.  Many couples come to their shows because they wanna drink and have a good time to the songs that they have always loved on the radio.  The band keeps up on learning some of the latest hits and the set list is never the exact same so its always a good show for the girls and the guys.  The songs that they actually play are mostly from a male viewpoint, bands that are comprised of male singers and musicians.  However, many of these songs that are written by male singers are love songs that are about women.  So as far as gender goes there is really just a little bit for everyone!

Mike and Joe in Class

The subject of class in relation to Mike and Joes, along with race, is also a very complex subject.  They definitely do not seem to be any sort of bias towards any social class and vice versa with the audience.  Its a little difficult to tell exactly what class the audience represents because of a wide variety but the band members mostly came from a middle/upper class situation.  They came from areas of the united states all the way from Washington to Pittsburg.  The audience that they play to is made up of a good portion of college students, so in that regard, the audience could come from anything from working class to upper class backgrounds.  And the class of the actual student will most likely follow suit, at least in the college years.  However, the band does also play many other types of shows in different clubs around the state including venues in Chicago, Peoria, and Bloomington.  Most of their shows are around college areas so they are not to expensive to get in and are a great time for anyone who is at least over 19 and in some places 21. 

The Race to Mike and Joes

As far as race goes, Mike and Joe have a fairly diverse audience when they play.  Because of the mostly pop/rock material that they play, there tends to be a wide range of different people coming to the shows to share their love for the songs on the radio.  The actual band members themselves come from a mostly caucasian background.  The songs that they cover come from many artists of different ethnicities so basically their shows are a good integration of culture through pop/rock music.

HAIRBANGERS BALL-GENDER

The gender of the band Hairbangers Ball is very noticeable as to who wins the majority.  The guys definitely out weigh the girls in the band.  There is only one girl in this performance group, but don't count her out, she really knows how to hold her own with the guys.  Polly Pants has quickly become one of the most popular if not the most popular.  She is known for her revealing outfits and that is what attracts the guys to her at her shows.  I think that this is very reflective of the time that they are singing.  In the 80's it was still a man's world in the band world.  Most of the more popular bands from that era like Bon Jovi, Journey, Poison, the Styx were all made up of men.  There were artist like Madonna, Pat, and Cyndi Lauper who were really popular as well but they were single.  Fleetwood Mac did however have Stevie Nicks.  I don't think that the gender of the band effects the gender o Benatard f the crowds that come to see their shows.  They are not a gender driven group that are considered to be sex symbols.  They are more about the music and capturing the true essence of the time.  If you were to go to see one of their shows, I think that you would be able to find a good mix of approximately half and half, both male and female.  It really isn't about the gender of the crowd that they are attracting it is about the amount of the crowd that they are attracting.  They are very popular in Carbondale and many many people have become groupies of them.  I think that it is safe to say that Hairbangers Ball will always have a home and a fan crazed crowd in the university town of Carbondale.  Hairbangers, keep doing what you do.  In the words of Journey "Don't Stop Believing."...in your Carbondale audience!

HAIRBANGERS BALL-CLASS

Like the others in my blog group have already stated, it is hard to know the class of someone simply based on their website and club appearances.  There is a lot more that goes into it than just that.  I think that too, you can be fooled, most of these things are an act, that people like Hairbangers are performing.  You don't know what is inside someone outside of all that make-up,  big hair, and the costumes.  Take for instance people like Dolly Parton and Eminem.  I know they are on opposite sides of the spectrum but their stories in a way are similar.  They both came from lower class families and made it big.  Dolly Parton has been known for saying that the way that she looks is what was her idea of glam as a kid, giving herself the title of "Backwoods Barbie."  She is quoted as saying, it takes a lot of money to look this cheap.  Eminem on the other hand also came from a poorer class and now has millions.  Do you think that now because he would be considered in the upper class due to wealth that he would give up the image that he has put out there as being someone from the lower class?  The same with Dolly Parton, it is an image that they have created and in a way that has attributed to the success of their acts, and made them millions.  I think that the members of Hairbangers are doing what they love and it doesn't matter what class they are from originally.  Most people trying to make it in the music industry will try just about anything to get what they want, even if it means coming up with a fake name, putting on some parachute pants and a wig just to do what you love.  I also think that they do it simply because it is fun.  

The way in which they dress however would give the impression that they are from the lower class.  Like I said in a previous post, they give off the impression today that they stepped out of a white-trash filled closet.  I was recently hearing about a new Broadway show that just opened call Rock of Ages.  They made a musical out of the music that bands like Hairbangers Ball is performing.  They also dress the same way, and the story is the same.  It is about a girl who moves to L.A. from the Midwest and is trying to make it as a singer.  In order to achieve that she performs at these less than normal clubs where people are dressed like the members of Hairbangers.  She is then given the "slutty/trashy" transformation and she is good to go.  I think that it geared toward a lower class of people.  You aren't going to see people that are considered high culture in the middle of a crowd at a Hairbangers concert, you just aren't.  People who go to the opera and eat out at five star restaurants aren't going to be groupies of a band like this.  I think that is why they are really popular in college towns and festivals, they are geared towards a class of people who are looking to get drunk and have a good time.  This is not saying that the band isn't good, I just feel that this is the class of people who the band is geared towards.

Wedding Banned-Class

I completely agree with Amber when she said that it is hard to determine the class of the individual people that make up the band when you don't know them personally.  However, I will do my best to analyze and determine the class of Wedding Banned as a whole based on the information I know about them.  

By simply observing them in person and viewing their webpages, I would immediately rule out the idea that they are upper class.  They are an extremely laid back and care free band that just likes to make people laugh and have a good time.  Basically the complete opposite definition of upper class society.  Their audience very much reflects the band.  While Wedding Banned is enjoyed by people of a variety of ages, the predominant age group is definitely the college crowd.  We all know that most college students are not upper class.  Also, the band performs at a very relaxed venue.  The Copper Dragon, if you have ever been, is definitely not a higher class type of bar.  It is an extremely laid back place where young college students come to have a good time and maybe get a little crazy.  Which reminds me... the so called "weddings" they perform during their shows are definitely not upper class.  If you are watching the show, the concept of a "white trash" wedding probably comes to mind.  They pull up random people from the audience and embarrass them to death by making them do wacky things... often with inflatable dolls.  Another concept that many people would view as white trash.  

Overall, one can assume that the band is probably lower to middle class.  

Wedding Banned-Race

Of the six band members, five of them are Caucasian.  The sixth member of the band is Asian American.  By observing Wedding Banned's facebook, myspace, webpage, and by observing them in person-I have determined what I believe to be the race of the band and the audience that the band attracts.  Although, it is difficult to determine race when you don't know the group personally.  Therefore, many of my statements are simply my own observations and/or assumptions.  

I first saw them live in Carbondale at the Copper Dragon.  The Copper Dragon, from what I have observed with my own eyes, is predominantly frequented by Caucasians.  This is likely because of the types of bands that they bring to the area.  By observing pictures, comments, messages, etc on the band's websites and pages, I've come to the conclusion that Wedding Banned's audience is also predominantly made up of Caucasians.  In my Alternative Media in a Diverse Society class, we've learned that different genres of music attract different races of people.  Wedding Banned plays a wide variety of music, but most of the time you will hear some form of Rock and Roll.  This represents the classic wedding cover band.  The band is also extremely entertaining throughout the show as the members do their best to get a good laugh out of the audience.  Comedy often attracts a wide variety of people from different races.  But I'd say "Wedding" comedy is found to be most entertaining by Caucasians.  They also dress in classic wedding attire.  Something I noticed that I thought was odd... when you see weddings on television or in movies, etc., you often see Caucasians.  Which I don't necessarily understand because marriage is obviously for people of all races.

Overall, I wouldn't say that Wedding Banned "targets" a certain race, I simply believe that because of the type of music they play and the show they perform, they predominantly attract Caucasians.

Mike and Joe

Mike and Joe is a rockin' cover band that plays the latest hits, along with a healthy portion of 90's rock, and even some classic rock thrown into the mix. The covers are extremely accurate and the setlist is new every night, making for a great time. They cover all kinds of artists from modern songs like "Human" by The Killers to "Summer of 69" from none other than Bryan Adams from back in 80's. The band is composed of four talented musicians that come from an array of different musical upbringings all the way from jazz to metal. All of them sing at some point throughout the set, but as far as instruments go its Aaron Streich on drums, Mike Notaro on acoustic and electric guitar, Joe Valentino also on acoustic and electric, and Cory Flynn on bass. They tour mostly around the illinois/indiana area and play in both private events and larger venues. The shows are a great time and I would definitely recommend checking them out.

HAIRBANGERS BALL-RACE

The dictionary defines race as a competition among runners, horses, etc., to see which is the fastest in a set of courses, or another definition of race is a group or population so related.  While we aren't talking about runners or horses, we are in fact talking about race.  In analyzing the band Hairbangers Ball, I am going to start my three part analysis with defining and a more in depth review of the race of people that this Band relates to and attracts to their show.  The first step in talking about their "race" is to take a look at the band them-self.  No, I am not going to go into all the details that I did in my first post but look at the band members in terms of race.  All of the members of the band are all of the caucasian descent, as far as I can tell.  They are singing songs from 80's rock bands like Bon Jovi and Poison who are made up of white members.  I think that this in a way reflects in the types of audiences that they attract.  They also have a very specific way of dress, which is in my opinion is a mix of the 80's attire and "whitetrashiness."  That also gives you the feel that the crowd that they attract is like a "drunken white trailer park party."  That is nothing against the band, I am not saying that no other race of people are allowed or wouldn't like the show.  I am not saying that at all because I think that they would, and that is not to say that I haven't seen anyone at one of their show who is from another race.  I feel like that with the type of music that they are performing it just attracts a certain type of crowd, the same as the original bands that they are covering would.  The music and that style of performance is more specific to that type of crowd.  They know who in fact it is that they are attracting that is what makes them popular with their crowd.  The same with a group like 17th floor, their crowd is geared to a specific crowd and that is what makes them successful in what they do.  With bands like 17th Floor for example you go to have a good time and to dance.  With bands like Hairbangers Ball, you go to have a drink and to have a good time while girls are throwing their bras on the stage.  You go to party like they did in the 80's, with the big hair and the crazy nights!  Like I have previously stated,  I don't think that they are only trying to attract those types of crowds but it who that style of music and performance style is more popular with specific groups.  

I would love to hear what you think on this topic.  That is the great thing about doing this as a blog style, because I can hear your comments, and we can in a way discuss it.  Have you ever been to see Hairbangers Ball, and what did you feel the "race" of the audience was?  Do you agree with my comments or not?

17th Floor Wrap Up!

To sum up my findings during this project, I wanted to touch on the important issues that were brought to my attention. In terms of racial diversity, 17th Floor does nothing to segregate, and if anything attempts to unite audiences of all different races. All of the group members are African American but like to perform hit music that appeals to everyone. If anything, they are more age orientated because they target a younger crowd from ages 13-30, only because that age group defines the popular, "pop", music generation.

Similarly, when discussing issues concerning class, 17th Floor is strictly about performing music to anyone who likes what they do! They're music in no way segregates one class over another and is more based on unity of all people to come together and enjoy their show.

Lastly, when researching a bit about gender roles, I came to similar conclusions as when discussing race and class. 17th floor is mostly a cover band that performs songs originated by other artists. What I have noticed from seeing them perform, they never sing songs that are "risky" in terms of offense. There are some popular rap and hip hop songs out there that objectify women and some that make fun of gay men, but from what I have seen, they never choose to perform a song that would offend their audience members.

I think that 17th Floor will continue to be popular because of these three distinct reasons. They sing and dance to songs that most college kids love around the globe. I think they're smart to not make public judgments or criticisms if they do have something to say, and I believe their intent is to entertain despite any racial, cultural, class, or gender differences.

HAIRBANGERS BALL-INTRO

What do you get when you combine the music of 80's rock bands like Guns N' Roses and Motlely Crue, with huge hair and leather spandex?  I think the answer to this question is Hairbangers Ball. Hairbangers Ball is an 80's cover band complete with the 80's style costumes, who will give you a blast from the past show that you will never forget.  They are known for their incredible sense of energy and familiarity that they bring to every show. The band is made up of 7 members: 6 guys and 1 girl.  Tyler Steven, Scotty Van Blazin, Zeek Ziljian, Jeff Jackson, Bobby Bones, Sean Jovi, and last but certainly not least, Polly Pantz!  Most of their names are parities of real artist from the 80's as you can see.  One thing that they do at every show, is take pictures from the stage and post them on their website.  They are a band for all ages if you like this style of music, they will rock your world!  You might just find yourself in one of those photos.  This is a quote from their website:"Break out your acid washed jeans or parachute pants ... Oh, don't lie. We know you had a pair." This is not just some knock-off 80s cover band or some haggard old tribute band struggling to keep the flame of one band's legacy flickering." Hairbangers Ball has for a long time now been a regular band to frequent Carbondale.  They have quickly become not only a favorite of Carbondale but the southern Illinois area in general.  They have also been regulars at Herrin, Illinois' Herrinfesta Italiana.  Your next chance to see them in our area is Friday May 8th at Pinch Penny Pub and later in the month they will be in Herrin at the Herrinfesta Italiana on Thursday the 26th. 

WEDDING BANNED Intro

One of the Carbondale Regulars, or bands that frequent Carbondale bars is a band known as Wedding Banned.  Wedding Banned is a high energy cover band that plays all of your favorite hits from the 80's and 90's.  The show maximizes audience participation by picking two members of the audience to be the "bride" and "groom", and turns every show into the ultimate wedding reception.  

The band includes: Captain Mantastic-vocals, Barry Mitchell Timmons-guitar, Ted "the Gooch" Spumante-drums, Linda Ballzenstein-vocals, and Bruce Winche'll-bass.  

You can find this band at the Copper Dragon in Carbondale.  This band is targeted towards young, energetic people who like to laugh and have a good time.

"Skip the ceremony and start the party!" -WB

17th Floor Issues with Gender

As we have discussed in class, mainstream media usually tends to portray gender in a traditional form. Men are often displayed as "manly men", and women are often portrayed as typical soccer mom-like women. However, since the 90's, it has become increasingly more acceptable to portray feminine men, masculine women, gays, lesbians, transgenders, etc. Luckily, our society is becoming more open to liberal representations in gender roles.
The members of 17th Floor all portray themselves as typical "masculine men". The ways they achieve this image is by their stage presence. These men dress "manly", have deep voices, and sing about interest in women. However, since they are a band and what we see of them is just their stage image, it is possible that the men behind their stage masks may have different views and opinions concerning gender and sexuality.
17th Floor may sing and perform songs that some might argue, "objectify women", but as we know, they are a cover band and are simply singing someone else's lyrics. I believe that they perform and act in a way that pleases the crowd. For example, I bar tend at Copper Dragon when they perform, and I have seen them ask for women to come dance on stage during songs like, Juvenile's "Back that thang up". I think that despite their initiation to do such things like that, I believe it's all just for performnace reasons. The members of the band never stereotype or single out anyone of themselves or members of their audiences based on gender or sexuality. I think they are professional enought o know that involving a serious issue like gender stereotyping in their performances is a ruiner. One example of how this can negitiviely impact a peron is an issue that rapper Eminem faced. He has continuously vocalized through his music how he feels about gay men. He caused many issues among gays and lesbians, and it hurt his career. He even went as far as to performing with the flambouyantly gay, Elton John, at an awards ceremony to help restore his image. I thik situations like this would prevent 17th Floor from doing anything similar. I believe they are much smarter than that, whether or not they even have a strong opinon about it.