- Alicia Olink and Russ Rogers of Kill Miss Pretty re-create the 2004 wardrobe malfunction. (Photo by Beth Black.)
↓
by Colleen Dougher
When the organizers of Super Bowl LXIV announced that the Who would play the halftime show, some people may have asked, “Why?” After all, two members of the classic-rock quartet are dead, the band hasn’t released any new music in three years or charted a single since 1982 and, well, it’s 2010 — couldn’t the NFL have found a more-contemporary band to perform at halftime?
With that in mind, we granted 18 South Florida musicians and artists the power, at least on paper, to choose the perfect Super Bowl halftime act. Our only rules were that it not be an act that has played the halftime show before and that it not be their own band. All but one musician cooperated. We don’t like to name names, but thanks for participating, Boise Bob.
Mary Magdalen, singer-keyboardist of Zombies! Organize!!
“We’d pick the Shaggs, because they abandoned the basic foundations of music by nearly completely ignoring concepts such as melody, rhythm, pitch, etc. They were 10 years ahead of their time or more and are still light years ahead of what most people are doing in music today. When we make music, if sometimes we’re afraid we’re experimenting too much, we just listen to the Shaggs and realize we’re not experimenting enough. And, um, to be completely honest, it would be pretty awesome to hear a mainstream crowd’s reaction to their music.”
Fernando Perdomo, singer-guitarist of Dreaming in Stereo
“I think the Who are the perfect halftime show but another amazing choice would be Foo Fighters. I’m not a huge fan, but they are the biggest rock band in the world right now and they would freshen up the image of the Super Bowl, which has turned into kind of a bore. My favorite was Aerosmith with special guests ’N Sync and Britney Spears.”
Russ Rogers, guitarist of Kill Miss Pretty
“Since Prince has already played with phallic supremacy, and in the rain no less, I’d probably like to see someone more contemporary. My vote would be to see Peaches blow the minds of the halftimers. Her show is incredible, her message spot on and her songs hooky as hell. Definitely Peaches.”
AdrienneRose Gionta, artist
“Pearl Jam and Nirvana (dream). Foo Fighters (reality). Temple of the Dog? Stone Temple Pilots? It’s a new decade. A grunge fest is in order. If it’s only one, I say, Pearl Jam, Pearl Jam, Pearl Jam, because I have been in love with them since Ten. Oh, Eddie Vedder … “I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life/I know you’ll be a sun/In somebody else’s sky/But why, why/Why can’t it be/Why can’t it be mine?”
George Van Orsdel, frontman of the Van Orsdels
“I could easily pick some obscure band, some personal favorite no one has ever heard of, but that would be pointless for such a high-profile performance. So I would have to pick another all-time favorite, AC/DC. There has never been a sporting event I’ve attended where they didn’t play an AC/DC song and the crowd didn’t get pumped. AC/DC has always had a knack for getting the crowds going, and I personally think a halftime performance by them would be a lot of fun. I mean, come on: ‘Back in Black’ always gets my blood pumping.”
Marc Solomon, singer-songwriter
“I’d like to see an original composition featuring many of today’s respected artists. Dave Brubeck on the piano. Victor Wooten on the bass. Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews, Pink, Fergie, Rihanna on vocals. Lupe Fiasco rapping. Travis Barker on drums. New World Symphony. A world-famous gospel choir … Santana and Clapton battling some electric guitar leads and Will Ferrell on the cowbell. Also, I’d like to see some break dancers while DJ Qbert is scratching. The whole time there will be a huge display of pyrotechnics. That would be an explosive show.”
Jeremiah Jenner, photographer
“My choice would be Cheap Trick. They’re still rockin’ after all these years.”
Rosemarie Romero, artist
“I’ve been bored to death with the mainstream bands and pop stars that have performed during halftime. If I had the power to decide who’d play this year, I’d want a funky girl like M.I.A. ripping the stage. She throws performances that mix dada-esque video art, hip-hop, booty, reggae and Atari-like electronic music in which a troupe of Fly Boys dance around the stage like it’s In Living Color back in the early ’90s. She’d be a perfect match for the culturally diverse Miami audience who loves to get down. The signs are all there. Coincidentally, she’s named after the airport. Just kidding!”
Keith Michaud, singer-guitarist of Summer Blanket
“Are the Who really crossing any demographic lines these days? The Super Bowl has just been the tip of the iceberg for me (e.g., Jonas Bros. playing with Stevie Wonder and just ruining it on the Grammy Awards) because something is severely wrong. Think about it: Since the Super Bowl is the biggest stage in the world and the NFL is an American league, why aren’t we rewarding the teams that get into the Super Bowl with having their [city’s] most-famous bands, musicians, etc., curate the music as part of the celebration? Imagine if New Orleans makes the Super Bowl this year? Think of the idea of [the] Marsalis, Connick and Neville [families] bringing forth musicians that could be paid a life-altering amount of money to play on that stage. The best part is that it’s still a marketable idea. … The NFL needs to realize that people don’t care who the halftime show is and they could be leading the way in showing how rich and diverse the American music scene really is. I personally don’t care about the Who, and honestly think that the NFL should take more pride in American music heritage, not just who is going to be the biggest name they can get. Also, can you imagine if Chicago ever makes the Super Bowl again, and Wilco gets to curate the entertainment? Ha!”
Amanda Linton, organizer of Rock the Stitch and co-owner of House of Sweets Bakery in Delray Beach
“I’d have to go with Poison, but the 1980s version. Not having cable TV and being too young to see them live, I didn’t get the full experience of seeing them prance around in metallic spandex, lipstick, eyeliner and superteased hair. Throw in some fireworks and thousands of screaming fans and I think they would make a fine halftime show.”
Jeff Rose, drummer of Stonefox
“I’d have to go with Wilco. In my opinion, they’re one of the greatest American rock bands around right now, and what better pairing than to have them play at quite possibly the most American sporting event all year?”
Boise Bob, singer-guitarist of Boise Bob and His Backyard Band
“I think a local band would be great because it would show the world what’s really going on in music in South Florida. Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers are perfect for the Super Bowl. The band is big fun, and it’s like going to a party every time you see them. And they may get naked, too. And I know the people would have a great time even if the game sucks. But don’t count on it. They are way too cool to do something like that. So I guess my band would be next in line because we’ll play anywhere. I hate football, anyway. We can only dream.”
Mitch Myers, singer-guitarist of Hear Hums
“If we were granted the power to choose the band that plays halftime at this year’s Super Bowl, we would bestow the honor upon New York-based experimental electronica group Black Dice. Actually, when we caught them live we were oddly enough discussing how we really felt sportsmanship. Experiencing their music parallels getting riled up for the big game, you know? Black Dice is the toughest band we’ve ever heard. Their noises engulf your consciousness. There’s no way to ignore their presence. I think that’s how we’d like to feel at halftime.”
Eric Alexandrakis, singer-songwriter
“I’m loyal to my roots and friends, so I would have to pick Duran Duran … with Warren Cuccurullo on guitar. Perfect choice because everybody knows at least one song of theirs, everyone likes them, new album coming, they’ve never done it … and since my production company represents them, I get paid. Ha! Too much plastic music on the airwaves. Duran Duran have endured. Want a set list? “A View to a Kill,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Big Bang Generation,” “Ordinary World,” “Last Day on Earth,” “The Reflex.” Is it too late to call the organizers?”
Vanessa Garcia, artist
“I think the Super Bowl should think about inviting a few people to play, instead of just one band. For example, there is a trend toward musicians like Alicia Keys playing with Spanish musicians like Alejandro Sanz. They are mixing it up and showing that America is growing more diverse daily. It’s important to represent that. Beyoncé is also doing some of the same kind of thing. It’s important for the Latin community, I think, to be shown — and in this case, heard — because our census numbers are skyrocketing in terms of the Latinos. They have been a highly contributing sector of our society for a while. Plus, let’s face it, Spanish music is the most fun to dance to. Even I, the only Cuban without rhythm, can find the beat when I’m listening to music in Spanish — and Spanglish.”
Steve Rullman, operator of the local-music site Thehoneycomb.com (photo by Ian Witlen)
“Surfer Blood. 1. Local. 2. Surf/beach/Miami. 3. Football players bleed. 4. Super Bowl equals Surfer Blood. 5. Debut disc dropped Jan. 19.”
Alex Nelson, singer-songwriter
“Well, I would have to say if I could have any band, I would have Nine Inch Nails, by far, the best band I have ever seen perform live. I would probably try to postpone the game entirely to give them time to have a full concert. They are the only arena-style band I would go see, except maybe U2. If I had to pick someone more popular, I would go country. I would say Brad Paisley, because I think he’s great. Fun and witty songs. … You can’t dismiss the power of awesome songwriting.”
Aholsniffsglue, artist
“I would have to say a hologram of Michael Jackson, so they can squeeze one more performance out of his tired soul. R.I.P., MJ. I don’t really watch sports so I’d probably miss it, but with today’s technology, I’m sure they could make it happen.”
Contact Colleen Dougher at cdougher@citylinkmagazine.com.
