Putting the band back together

'80s baby that I am, I couldn't help but be kinda jazzed when I read not too long ago that the organizers of the Coachella Valley Arts Festival, out in the California desert, had convinced Rage Against the Machine to reunite for a one-off gig a la Pink Floyd at last year's Live 8 benefit.

I even thought about going, but then my slackerdom got the best of me. I mean, it's hard enough for me to roll off of the couch at noon to type this bullshit, let alone travel halfway across the country to stand on a parking lot in the desert with a buncha wasted cracka-ass crackas.

With the way I drink, I could fuck around and have a heat stroke at the ripe old age of 26.

You'll recall that I missed my one good chance to see Rage back at their peak. I had tickets to see them when they went on tour with the Wu-Tang Clan back in 1997 (10 years ago this summer - yikes!), but I got a refund once I heard the Wu wasn't going to be there.

Later on, I heard from some people I knew who went that it was pretty much the best concert evar. Crap! But how was I supposed to know they were going to break up three years later and that that was pretty much my only shot at seeing one of the best live acts of that era?

Coachella doesn't actually take place until the end of April, but I read the other day it that it's more or less sold out. I couldn't go now if I wanted to. But I was heartened to read just yesterday that the post-Rage Against the Machine abortion that is Audioslave is no more.

Sweet!

It's a good thing any time a shitty band breaks up, but I wonder: with that BS out of the way, could the coast be clear for a full-on Rage reunion? In fact, I wonder if it's not just a coincidence that we're only learning about this now that all of the Coachella passes have sold out.

Granted, they haven't officially gotten back together yet, let alone announced they were going on tour or anything, but it does seem a lot more likely now. I mean, they're all still alive, and do you know how much money these groups can make going on tour ten years after the fact?

A few years ago, the Pixies, who had a similarly nasty breakup back in the early 90's, got back together to play whatever the big festival is in Chicago, maybe Lollapalooza. From what I understand, they made more money on that day alone than they made in some years.

And that's just the Pixies. I mean, they were noted as a big influence on Nirvana, and I think they did once open for U2, but they never were very popular back when they were actually a going concern. Rage, meanwhile, was genuinely one of the biggest rock bands of their era.

If they actually get back together, it could be huge. I know I'd be game.