Pop Evil endorsed by Michigan Players?

Submitted by StephenRKass on

So there is a new piece at the Detroit News about Pop Evil's "In the Big House," a song regularly reviled in these here parts. http://detnews.com/article/20110930/SPORTS0201/109300356/‘In-the-Big-House’-finds-audience#ixzz1ZRqz4H1s

Brian's antipathy toward the song is well known, and some have blamed DB for giving it any positive credibility. However, the article focuses on one key demographic:  Michigan Football players, who (supposedly) want the song. Here's a few money quotes:

Hunter Lochmann, Michigan's chief marketing officer, said there has been considerable interest — good and bad.

"It's gaining traction," Lochmann said. "We know there are people who love it and some people who hate it, but our core customers — the players — they want to hear it."

That's an interesting quote, and one which has to be considered. What do the players want? And beyond them, the student body? I am clearly over the hill, and my opinion doesn't really matter that much. But it strikes me, if the team, and football alums, and the student body, are behind something, well, you might hate it and think it has terrible taste, but it isn't for you to decide. In fact, apparently, other Michigan athletes like it:

Lochmann said other Michigan teams have responded positively to the song, available for download at iTunes and Amazon.

"The other teams like it even though it's about the Big House, because it's also about being Wolverines," Lochmann said. "It's going to have (some) shelf life."

The article ends with what some what consider the ultimate nightmare scenario:

For Kakaty, (Note:  author, lead musician) who hasn't attended a Michigan game since he was a kid, he has one goal for the song, and Lochmann said Michigan would be all ears.

"We'd love to get into the Big House and play it," Kakaty said. "It would be our dream to play with the Michigan marching band. It's a song for fans, and we're fans, too."

EDIT:  I realized that I should put my personal opinion down. I am neither for nor against the song, but I don't particularly view it as a terrible abomination. Musical tastes are just that:  tastes, and they change. I am sure that "In the Big House" will be dated soon enough, and won't have the staying power of the Michigan Fight Song, etc., but if it pumps people up now, well, that's ok. And also, I don't find it nearly as ridiculous as "We Are Notre Dame."

Wolverine Devotee

September 30th, 2011 at 11:33 AM ^

That damn song is starting to catch on to me....

When I was driving back to my house from the game against eastern a couple weeks ago, I was flipping through stations and sure enough, 101.1 WRIF (RAWK station) was playing it. I was like...oh no....

Yostal

September 30th, 2011 at 11:34 AM ^

Easier to say...harder to prove.

It's easy to say the players like it, in part because a). maybe some of the players do and b). the ones who do not are smart enough or have enough media training to hold their tongues.  So sure, say it's "for the players" because it's pretty clear that the fans have not embraced it like they would likely have hoped.

Everything about that article screams making lemonade out of lemons.  

 

The band was so pleased with "In the Big House," they funded the project themselves, and Grammy-nominated producer Johnny K, who produced the band's latest album, gave an assist in its production.



"That's how good we knew the song was," Kakaty said. "We're taking the traditional values of Michigan and not being afraid to have the new, young fans embrace them in a different way.



"Being new and creative is what makes this world great. It's what makes Michigan great."


Hmm, I'm a regional band looking for a way to reach a wider audience.  How could I reach a specific audience to start with, knowing I might be able to expand from there.  I know, I know, write a song about Michigan football, get ESPN to throw up a link on their "The Life" page, get some synergy going with the athletic department and guess what, tons of people know the name Pop Evil.  Like them or not, you know the name, and that was the goal.

EJG

September 30th, 2011 at 4:18 PM ^

Love em or hate em, you have to give the band credit for having a plan and executing it.  I shake my head at those who criticize and then suggest someone else solve "their" problem.  It is still a free country (barely).  If you can come up with something better, have at it. 

heyhamburgerpimp

September 30th, 2011 at 11:35 AM ^

I want to see the names of the players that like it, followed by quotes of them saying that they like it, or else I am not going to believe that any of them like it. They're the shining light and hope for our return to greatness. Their soundtrack should be provided by Foghat and Foghat alone. That said, I almost want this horrific Pop Evil + MMB thing to happen. Let Marketing get it out of their system, everybody can see what kind of mistake it is, and then it all fades away into the dustbin of horrendous, horrendous ideas and we return to a soundtrack provided solely by brass, woodwinds, percussion, and the throats of a hundred thousand screaming fans.

CRex

September 30th, 2011 at 11:39 AM ^

You'd think we could get a good band to do a glory song if we wanted it.  RHCP for example loves Michigan.  The whole Pop Evil song sounds like a cheap knockoff a Nickelback song, you know:  

Power Cord, Power Cord, a few lyrics, Power Cord, Chorus, repeat Chorus and Power Cord for 2 minutes.

I just cringe and think of the Wal-Mart Wolverine slur when I hear it.

 

Edit:  Lochman's email address is listed on the community directory.  So I guess that gives us the option to contact him directly.

StephenRKass

September 30th, 2011 at 11:54 AM ^

The Haterz need to come up with an alternative song. It is always easy to hate on something, but it is hard to find something else. This is kind of a "put up or shut up" thing. You'd think that with all of Brian's contacts he could find someone to right a decent song.

So, I'm 52 years old, and I don't even know what the song sounds like. I've never heard it all the way through. I'm not planning to listen to it. But come on, aren't there any creative music types who can do something? Are there no decent rock bands that have come out of Michigan?

Part of the problem at mgoblog is that Emo is not a genre that lends itself particularly well to pumping you up. Maybe pumping the blood out of your wrists, but that's about it. So melancholy angry depressed sarcastic bitter music genre may describe a lot of the student body, but I don't see it working for a Michigan song.

Maybe this is an unsolvable problem. A happy, upbeat, call to war, fight song might be diametrically opposite to anything that teens and twenty somethings would ever be caught dead listening to.

(Aside:  Josh Groban and you lift me up and any smarmy stuff like that is irrelevant to this discussion. so is Sweet Caroline.)

Even Ohio has "the Dead Schembechlers" punk band to do stuff. Like I said, I don't listen to this music myself, but I'm tired of the pussified emo whining about rawk music in Michigan Stadium. If people really can't stand the play lists, get involved and come up with something better.

Don

September 30th, 2011 at 11:42 AM ^

Really? Which players? Does Denard really want to hear it as much as say, Taylor Lewan? I can't imagine there's much real enthusiasm among the black players on the team to hear warmed-over lite metal/hair band crap with juvenile lyrics a not-very-precocious ESPN-watching 12-year-old might have written, but then I'm an old white guy who hates any sort of metal so what do I know. Get off my goddamn lawn.

BlueTimesTwo

September 30th, 2011 at 4:01 PM ^

While Pop Evil may not be your cup of tea, it is ridiculous to imply that somebody couldn't possibly like a band because they are white or black or whatever.  Would it be more acceptable if the song was by Sevendust or Living Colour, since they are metal bands fronted by (Sevendust) and composed of (Living Colour) black musicians?  As this thread shows, people can vary widely on their musical tastes, and sometimes people are surprised to find that some songs or bands really strike a chord with them (no pun intended).  Whether or not certain players only like the song because it is about Michigan, some probably do like it.  We can argue about whether or not we like it, but it is not our place to engage in racially-based speculation about the players' preferences.

As for me, if I was looking for someone to create a Michigan metal song I would probably prefer to have someone like Five Finger Death Punch come up with something.  I find them to be great pump-up music for playing hockey.

Wolverine Devotee

September 30th, 2011 at 11:45 AM ^

I sit in Section 6, I have down in front-ers around me, and one of them remarked "Oh no, not this again" when Pop Evil started playing before the team took the field.

I already hear enough complaining in that section about standing, please for the love of God DB, put an end to the Pop Evil experiment PLEASE.

mgoSk

September 30th, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^

I really can't imagine the players liking the song for anything more than the fact it is referencing the team, the school, etc. However, I have wondered about what the players want to hear, and if it ever gets annoying to hear certain songs before a play starts, etc. They probably just block it out, but who knows.

k1400

September 30th, 2011 at 12:00 PM ^

Anybody else have a problem with the statement  "our core customers- the players"?  I guess I always thought the fans were the core customers.  Obviously the players are fans too, but they are part of what is being marketed, not part of what the marketing is directed at.

profitgoblue

September 30th, 2011 at 2:42 PM ^

I have a hard time believing that the players even know what music is playing 1/2 the time during a game.  If they're not on the field, they're huddling with their position coaches, or on the phone with upstairs.  Stadium "ambiance" is all about the fans and that's who should be kept in mind when decisions are being made.  Otherwise, let the players choose the music directly.

 

Route66

September 30th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^

For me, football and RAWK go hand in hand.  It doesn't work with hip-hop, indie or country.*(some work but not as well as Rrock)  I grew up in the mid 90's with AC/DC playing in our lockerroom along with a good dose of GnR mixed with some Scorpions.  I would much rather hear a newer version of some rock that is taylored to our Wolverines versus TNT...oy..oy..oy. 

The song is not that bad.  For how that band looks, it could be a lot worse.

*Funny enough 09 and 10's hype videos were Indie and Hip-Hop.  Hip-hop is probably my favorite genra and the Hype Video for 2010 is by FAR my favorite. However, during a game for adernaline reasons, I think rock works the best....seems to bring out the mean.  Hip-Hop brings out the swaggar.

Just cause I like it and I am too lazy to imbed:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CG5XGeB-84

StephenRKass

October 3rd, 2011 at 9:41 AM ^

But yeah, that would never go over on game day in the Stadium. Whoever played that would have played the last song they'd ever be allowed to play . . . their head would roll. Whether you like rawk & heavy metal, a pump up stadium song has to be something without  clearly offensive lyrics (No "N" words, "F***" this, "mf" that, GD this, "B" that, etc., etc.) and a steady 4/4 driving rock beat.

Re: the Victor's and the MMB, I love them. They should always get lots of time. They should always predominate. But there is other stuff out there. Just 'cause I like steak doesn't mean I eat it breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week. Variety is the spice of life. Saying, "We should always have 12noon games because that's what Bo did" is crazy. Some traditions do change, and that's ok.

lhglrkwg

September 30th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^

I'm ok with the song as long as these two things stop happening and/or never happen:

1) We stop playing it so that it's conveniently overlapping when the players are running onto the field i.e. drowning out the victors

2) I never want to see Pop Evil in the big house playing the song and/or straightening their hair and/or putting on eye-liner. If they want to come in maize that's ok

Bangkok Soiree

September 30th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^

If you in any way like "In the Big House" by Pop Evil (other than on some ironic, perverse, or maybe even a sadomasochistic level), then you are a "Walmart Wolverine."  So let it be written.