Ask any 40 or 50 something what they’re listening to these days and usually the answer will be, the same
music as when they were 20 something: Van Halen, Scorpions, Jimi Hendrix and Aerosmith. Hard rock bands,
all with heavy emphasis on scorching guitars, thumping bass, powerful drums and a long-haired front man.
Guys (and ladies) my age are still into the same power rock that we lived by in the 80’s. Ask any of us, and we’ll
say it’s simply because this music stands the test of time. The music industry has made millions off of my
generation, simply because of our dedication and loyalty to OUR genre – Hard Rock. We started with vinyl
copies of Van Halen’s first album, eventually moving on to cassette tapes, then “11 for a penny CD’s” from
Columbia House… before joining the instant gratification generation and downloading from iTunes. I myself
have owned at least 4 different versions of each of my hard rock records from the 80’s.
The big problem isn’t that there isn’t great music being made today. We’ve got so many sub genres of Rock,
and even more genres of Metal to choose from. We’ve got Stoner Metal, Grindcore, Goth Metal and we’ve even
got Pirate Metal. The list of Rock genres I found was equally as impressive with Geek Rock, Pub Rock and
even Pagan Rock. I just want Rock n Roll the way it used to be. I want a four-piece band with thumping, heavy
bass, a drummer behind a massive kit with a lead singer that all the guys want to be and all the girls want to be
with. Let’s not forget the gunslinger with lightning-fast scorching riffs. Dammit, I want my MTV the way it used
to be!
The big problem here is that we’re all getting old and we’re losing the greats, one by one…Jimmy Bain, Glenn
Frey, Sib Hashian and Chris Cornell – all gone way too soon. The great rockers of the 70’s and 80’s are being
replaced by the millennial generation with EDM, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and Justin Bieber. When my
people, (the gray hairs and those oh-so-close to retirement) need a hard rock fix. We need to go back in time.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of newer rockers…Volbeat, Avenged Sevenfold, and yes, even Nickelback.
The stark realization of getting old, set in when I found that most of my favorites are now listed as “classic”.
Of course, we can still catch most of our favorite hard rock bands touring. The problem is that they’re now
considered “nostalgia” acts. Foreigner, one of my all-time favorites, is now touring with zero original
members. Some of the lineups have changed to the point where the band is now technically a tribute band. Of
course there are a few exceptions, such as Iron Maiden, going strong with most original members still on
board.
After all this ranting – here’s my point: I get genuinely excited when a band of 20-something musicians join
forces and bring us new guitar-driven hard rock. They chose to opt out of auto tune and sampling. Guitar,
drums, bass and voice – just the way my generation likes it.
Ben Cote and The Ben Cote Band are keeping the genre alive. These four Berklee trained musicians, Ben
Cote, Dan Whitelock, Max Dziewit and Taka Nakamura, are constantly recording, gigging and promoting --
doing all this while getting a first class music education at the premier music school in America. BCB is led by
Massachusetts born and raised Ben Cote. Ben learned rock n roll early on. At 14 years old, he discovered his
dad’s Van Halen records and was hooked from the opening of “Eruption”. Today, Ben is currently a student at
Berklee College of Music, where he’s been on the Dean’s List for 5 consecutive semesters. Add to that, the
rigors of Berklee with constant playing, recording and a job. In my opinion, Ben Cote has the talent and work
ethic to be one of the next great musicians to come out of Boston.
I recently had an opportunity to chat with the leader and guitarist of the Ben Cote Band – Ben Cote.