While legendary rock bands such as the Eagles and Rolling Stones pack the most prestigious venues with their elaborate sets and electrifying concerts, a forgotten legend sidesteps them all with his grueling schedule and persistent love for music. His name is Edward Mahoney, and he is here to rock you.
You may know him by a more familiar name, Eddie Money. Edward or Eddie, Mahoney or Money, his music is money and can be heard across the country more than 200 times a year.
One of the great things about Money is that it barely costs any money if you want to see him. I can recall two summers ago when the rates for “Hotel California” and the Eagles approached $100 at Summerfest. You won’t find steep cover charges at the Tulalip Casino in Washington or Gilley’s in Dallas. Instead, you might find “Two Tickets to Paradise” at a very accommodating price.
When Money goes head to head with some of rock’s greatest legends, Money wins out. Fellow mullet man Don Henley is nothing when stacked up against Money. If you don’t believe this, then you need to look up the law of covers.
In order for a song to be covered and made into a popular remake, the song must be long out of the consciousness of the general public. That is why we don’t hear covers of such songs as “Waterfalls” by TLC. The song is still jiving in everybody’s heads.
If anyone has watched two minutes of MTV in the past three months, you have likely heard Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer” remix by the Ataris. According to the law of covers, Henley’s song must no longer be a popular fixture on radios and music videos. In other words, it is out of the public’s general consciousness.
This is not to say that Henley’s song no longer receives significant airtime. It is one of the great baseball songs, but is no longer a current megahit like “Jenny from the Block.”
The Ataris capitalized on the popularity of this old song, and it continues to receive airtime on radios across the country. Now, have you heard any remakes of “Two Tickets to paradise” or “Take Me Home Tonight?” I haven’t and neither have you. Edward Mahoney is still too popular to remix. Has anyone remixed “Clocks” by Coldplay? No. My point, exactly.
I mentioned earlier that it cost a lot of money to see the Eagles, but hardly any to see Money. Earlier this year, Money and his collection of masterpiece rock ballads ventured to Fort McCoy as part of the Army Concert Tour.
Appearing with Money were Foghat, Blue Oyster Cult, and BTO. Thanks to the generosity of Money and his partners in rock, it was possible to experience a night of mullet madness for less than $20.
It is widely known that members of the Eagles have been at odds with each other for a long time, leading many to suspect that their recent tours have been profit-driven. Judging by the ticket prices, this is the case.
Eddie Money often charges less than $10 for his shows. Money is not an issue to Money. He plays for his fans. He plays because he loves rock.
“Touring and writing is my life. It’s who I am and what I do. And I don’t see it changing any time in the near future,” Eddie says on his website. “Hey, I get to get up every day and do what I love. Why change that?”
There is no reason to change it, Eddie. Keep rock in loving hands. Play on.
Derek Montgomery ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in journalism and political science.
