After years of going to concerts and buying t-shirts, I can probably fill 16 dressers with garb from just about any band of the past 40 years. But, I have recently come to find that many bands are merchandising themselves in the form of restaurants and food products.
KISS is the merchandising king of all rock bands, selling everything from action figures to coffins (yes, coffins). They recently opened their first restaurant, Rock & Brews, in nine locations around the U.S.
Sammy Hagar has his own bar, Cabo Wabo, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. And Alice Cooper has his Cooper’stown place in Phoenix, Arizona. You don’t have to travel hundreds of miles to partake in some of the food fun that many bands are now offering, though.
English heavy metal band Iron Maiden has an excellent beer that they call Trooper, after their hit song of the same name. I found a pint at Binny’s Beverage Depot right here in Naperville.
Up-and-coming hard rockers Crobot have their very own hot sauce, and the classic rock band Styx markets their own brand of coffee through their respective websites.
It seems that since big record companies have fallen and music isn’t selling like it used to, bands have taken to other means of communicating with their fans. Being a guy that tends to like food and drink almost as much as I like my music, this works well for me.
So, as I shop for my Peeps this month, I will keep an eye out for more musician merchandise. Katy Perry Peeps, perhaps?
