Rock Band show coming to Cedar Fair parks this summer

If that's true, then they made pretty stupid licensing deals. Different company, but Aerosmith reportedly made more from their Guitar Hero title than any of their albums, and Activision has done exceptionally well.

A lot of the Rock Band/Guitar Hero stuff has gone down in price. As soon as I can get a new system and a bigger, much better TV (I am not sure what I want yet) I am going to buy up as much as that stuff as I can afford. ;) Those games are still VERY addictive, at least for me. I can't sing worth a s*** but it's still fun belting out some of your favorite rock tunes. :) I usually just stick to guitar or bass. For some reason I suck terribly on the drums. My brain just can't process it. Real drums are much easier to play. :)

I noticed King's Island has two Guitar Hero games in their main arcade on the midway. It only costs $1 to play. The only thing that bugs me is they keep the volume turned down. At least that's how it was the last time I was there.

-Tina

When I originally read the press release, I thought it said there would be a real band on stage along with the plastic band. Now that I read it again, I see it will only be real singers, and the band will entirely be made up of Rock Band people. Wasn't there a South Park episode about this?

OMG! You're right. Ther was a South Park episode kind of like this. Too funny!

If the parks had a Rock Band game in which you won prizes (vs. a Guitar hero game), it would be pretty easy for me to win %100 on vocals. You don't even have to say the right lyrics, or sing in the same octave or style as the recorded singers do. There are probably a lot of people who could easily get %100, even on expert.

Call me when they give prizes for Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Hey I've played a little Rock Band here and there. I'm not bashing the game at all. I think it's fun to play at a party with friends or whatever. If you want to stay at home and be a fantasy musician, that's cool with me. I'll continue doing the real thing and putting money in my pocket. Trust me though, if someone can get to expert or even medium on rock band, they have the dexterity, rhythm, and mind to be able to learn guitar. It's different but it's not so different, but it takes a lot more time and work to get good. Maybe that's why people stick with the game.

I do think though that it's a poor replacement for a live band that can actually carry a tune, and I think you would find that the majority of people would agree given the choice between the two. If they want to integrate Rock Band in the parks, then put it in the arcade where it belongs and have a contest everyday. Incorporating it into a live show is no better than having singers sing to canned tracks, and having a few people up there with plastic instruments doesn't change it. It might be a better show for the few people who actually get to play on stage. What it does do (particularly for the parks who host all year), is save them thousands of dollars in payroll for the musicians that they used to hire. What it also does is lower the production value. I'm thinking it's just as much or more of an economic decision as it is an entertainment one.

D the Great said:
I do think though that it's a poor replacement for a live band that can actually carry a tune, and I think you would find that the majority of people would agree given the choice between the two.

Teenagers making asses out of themselves on stage is more interesting to me personally than watching 40 something session musicians slog through cover songs.

D the Great said:
I'm thinking it's just as much or more of an economic decision as it is an entertainment one.

Of course it's economic. It's a traveling advertisement most likely paid for in full by MTV.

Even tired 40 something musicians who slog through cover songs tend to fill places up. Even so, as a 20 something myself, I agree with you, so that's why they don't hire them. There are plenty of good young musicians out there that go to those universities that Cedar Point likes to hire from, and plenty of young out of work road musicians who would spend the summer there. What I don't like about the live shows is the cheese factor..aka the 15 singers in cheesy costumes turning rock songs into show tunes.

My point is that I don't think they want to pay musicians anymore. They want lower production costs, therefore they will lower production values by not having good musicians. A traveling advertisement paid for by MTV fits that description perfectly. Teenagers making asses out of themselves is overrated, and I can see that whenever I want. All I have to do is watch MTV.

D the Great said:
I do think though that it's a poor replacement for a live band that can actually carry a tune...

Again, who suggested it was a replacement?

In the comments of an audition video on Cedar Point's Facebook page they say it will only be singers, so apparently there will not be any sort of band outside of the guest Rock Band player.

D the Great said:
If you want to stay at home and be a fantasy musician, that's cool with me. I'll continue doing the real thing and putting money in my pocket...

If your post was in reply to my post, then I respond with a "me too". I kind of said something along those lines a few posts above yours.

...it takes a lot more time and work to get good. Maybe that's why people stick with the game

Yes, it does take a lot of work, as I mentioned a few posts above yours.

Incorporating it into a live show is no better than having singers sing to canned tracks, and having a few people up there with plastic instruments doesn't change it. It might be a better show for the few people who actually get to play on stage.

I would think that there is entertainment value watching people screw up the songs that they are playing with the plastic controllers. It also would be fun to watch some of the players goofing off, due to nervousness of being in front of an audience. Some audience members may feel a stronger emotional attachment to the show because of the players, who are regular folk just like them. Some people, especially kids, may look up to the winners who get to perform, and will pay attention because they want to be on stage too, and get the attention drawn to themselves.

I get it, but it's definitely not for me. I don't know about you, but as musician, I don't even like to watch shows as much as the other guy. A lot of musicians can't stand to watch other people perform, unless the performers are fantastic. I wont get into the reasons.

So, of course a lot of musicians are going to be critical of someone else's performances. I'm with you there, but step outside yourself and think like a non-musician for a second.

Seriously, we're still going on with this real versus fake guitar nonsense?

I somewhat consider myself a guitar player, but I am a lot better at Guitar Hero (and Rock Band) than I am at real guitar, so I guess that, real or fake, it really doesn't matter.

I'm more of a singer / songwriter than I am a guitar player. I just have the guitar to record with. I haven't played guitar in front of people since I was 20 years old.

...You know, just to set the record straight.

I love to get all dressed up before playing Rock Band with my family. Sometimes we get out the strobe lights and fog machine. Goofing off while playing Rock Band is a hoot.

I have nothing against either Rock Band or Guitar Hero as a participation event. It's fun to play with family and friends. I just have a hard time with it being a spectator sport. I guess it is a step above air guitar hero.

It also sounds like people will be spending the better part of their day taking part in auditions and elimination rounds until they're declared the ones to make it to the stage. Even if only a few dozen people try out per day, the park made several grand just for people to play Rock Band.

Is this better or worse then CornHole?

;)

That depends on what kind of CornHole you are implying.

(And yes, I saw the winkie face.)