Did you go through a prog "evangelism" phase?

Vibrationbaby wrote: I still like Elvis. Elvis was cool.

In 1981 I was playing guitar for a Elvis impersonator in front of 50 thousand people. I would sit in the Holiday Inn with headphones listening to Univers Zero and on the bed next to me the trumpet player was doing the same but with Brian Eno's Music For Films. Steve Hackett and Renaissance were on the same circuit , playing the same theatres and we would often ask each other..."What the F are we doing  playing Elvis music?

When I traveled the road everyone seemed to know Jethro Tull like the back of their hand, but bands like Conventum and Art Zoyd were too obscure for a bulk of American tastes. Like Christian Decamps once said..."In the 70's we were playing to 50 or 60 thousand....now we play to 10 thousand. Oh well, same old B.S. in this business! I understood the humour/sadness in that because I had hands on situations traveling around with some of the well known prog bands in the 70's like Nektar and Happy the Man and so judging from that experience I would have to say unfortunately that one of the main reasons for everyone on this thread being outcast from a majority of people in society because they like Prog revolves around the fact that American audiences differ from European audiences. Just to spill guts and become a little daring I must say that I have conversed with Tirill (White Willow) many times about this subject and she has made claim that it is still quite the same. She has been supportive about my music expressing interest in working with me and further making it clear that I am in the wrong country for prog. I believe in her and trust that she is only being honest. I think we are outnumbered in America and that defines the trials from our youth and today.

I went through a "you gotta hear this, now!" phase with prog when i first developed an interest in it. I found a lot of people not into it and not as appreciative of it as me, so long term i ended up expanding in prog for my own interest in it, and now don't care if others (family, friends) don't like it the way i do.
               Also, i was a latecomer to prog, and did not discover it, really until the late 1980s. I remember my friend telling me i was "The Beating Heart of Ottawa's Used Record Stores" and i guess he was right.
                   I find family members especially into the mainstream, which used to be annoying, but i guess i got over that feeling. 
                         

TODDLER wrote:   Always great to read your posts. I feel like we are too ancient and the world cannot relate to our experiences. It's interesting to hear about prog in Chicago. Space Rock Capital of the World...that would have been perfect for me. It's very sad to me personally how there were once actual isolated Prog scenes in the 70's and now they are gone. Actually ..there are still local prog scenes but not with the impact we experienced. Strawbs or King Crimson opening for a band like Humble Pie and tickets advertised on the radio ...I still can't believe it. In 2001 or 2002...I saw Nektar at the War Memorial in Trenton, N,J,  Bruce Springsteen was playing across the street that night. I stood outside the theatre remembering when bands like PFM used to open for mainstream Rock acts in the 70's. Wishbone Ash and Camel touring together across the Southern U.S.  Man and Hawkwind touring the U.S. together in 74' and Triumvirat on Don Kirshner's In Concert.  It's been too long since I experienced this and it feels like it all has been replaced with something else.....like phone booths were replace with cell phones. You can drive through South Jersey and not see a phone booth anywhere and that is the feeling I get from it.....as if it is dead. It's good because it's dead...

Edited by cstack3 - September 07 2012 at 23:59

I have to say that I have influenced TOO many people when I was young.
From the age of 19 I started working as a DJ, (at a small local bar at first), and slowly slowly I was working in bigger and most known places. So, after the normal Rock-Hard-Heavy etc programm, and when it was late, I started playing  a few Prog songs at first, to see the people's reactions. After sometime I started after a certain hour to play only Prog, and noticed that after a few months there was a new wave of customers that were coming only late, and were really interested about this music. Once I met a guy who was coming every week late at nights only, and he was coming from the other side of Athens only to hear me play music... (Over 30 minutes away with a motorcycle)...
Later when I moved to a smaller bar again, (because I was really tired of slepping at 5-6 in the mornings), I started 1-2 days of the week to play only Progressive. And people were gathering from all around Athens for this...
Ah, great years back then!
*When I used the word 'play' I mean the program I was doing from records and cd's...*

I just kept the prog fetish to myself for a long time until I found some people who also liked the same music then you could not shut us up! We hung together to swap music but it didnt last long and we were on our separate ways. Its a lonely life this prog business. Pockets of people like some of it and many dont know its prog. Thanks to sites like this and the new Prog magazine its becoming widely known as a genre

Very similar phase here, i tend to just keep the more progressive or "weird" (as i describe the music to anyone that asks and i know won't enjoy it) to myself and just play the more alt-rock or mainstream music i own in more shared environments.

Gerinski wrote: cstack3 wrote: Here's a photo from the past by my buddy Curt (best concert photographer I ever saw), Yes "Relayer" tour, 1975!!   This would be "Ritual" (notice the Les Paul Junior guitar).     Great pic, indeed reminds of Lifeson

When I was younger I tried to convince people that prog was higher art, but now I just try and help people get the most out of whatever style of music they like. In my mind, doing that will open doors for people. Whether or not it leads to them appreciating prog.

haha good thread!

Yup. Some music can really tap into your spiritual side. I
Not a religious person, but I certainly feel a sonic charge when I listen to the wonderful works of SAVIOUR MACHINE (Christian goth prog) and of course Art Rocks best DEAD CAN DANCE. Think that's about as far as I go.