DJ Kitty dared me to do a "Progtober" show. I accepted that challenge with a nod and smile. Nutmeg said Tom F. told her he'd "fire" her if she played Genesis, and Tom F. just groaned. Then I realized there weren't four Sundays in October 2017, but five. My polite smile became a madman's grin as the sounds of Emersonian and Wakemanian keyboard extravaganzas went off in my head.
I decided to start with the big guns of prog for the first show, the bands most people at least are aware of, even if they don't know their music. ELP, Yes, and Jethro Tull were huge in America and got loads of radio play. King Crimson and Genesis weren't huge, but they were popular enough here to tour.
Think about that for a minute. Bands who wrote almost unreasonably complex music with lyrics from the erudite to the obtuse, but rarely like the standard sex, drugs, and rock n roll ones of most popular music, were selling out the Garden and getting ten minute long tracks rooted in classical and jazz way more than the blues, were getting serious airplay.
It was easy picking these bands. Not only were they the most successful in terms of charting and airplay, they are probably the most influential, especially Yes and Genesis. There are lots of contemporary prog bands, and it's very easy to hear it.
It got a little harder in later shows when I had to reach out past my own knowledge and get stuff from the bands I only knew of but knew nothing about or ones I didn't even know existed.
Watch/listen to the show HERE.
