The Super Bowl Halftime Show has become a big American event. The problem with this is because so many people are watching; the committee that selects who performs needs to be able to find mutually appreciated musical acts spanning different tastes and generations. This task is difficult because very few musical acts have a mass appeal. For the 2014 Super Bowl they should realistically have all bands from New Jersey and New York as this is where the event will be taking place. Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and Blues Traveler are bands from the Garden State that would be perfect. Spanning outside of this year’s upcoming Super Bowl, there are still enough musical acts that would be perfect to perform.
Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters represent modern hard rock. Because of Dave Grohl’s connection to the early 90s grunge era with Nirvana, they have nearly reached novelty status as a band going back longer than they actually do. It may make Kurt Cobain turn over in his grave for his drummer to perform at the most commercialized event in the world, but Dave Grohl already figured out long ago that just because you do a few advertisements it does not make you a bad person.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. has it all. Recognizable songs, a mass appeal, and the recognizable bald head of Michael Stipe make them a perfect band to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. The only problem is they may not be strong enough to carry the whole show. Certainly they are good enough to perform alongside another band of equal value; something like a female pop artist or country star.
Eminem/Linkin Park/Stone Temple Pilots
This combination may need a little explanation. Eminem without a doubt could carry a halftime show. I am almost certain he would never want to though. Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington is now the front man for the Stone Temple Pilots, setting up for something I think could work well. A combination of Eminem’s rapping with Linkin Park’s rock/rap style could be amazing. Get Eminem to perform a few songs then do the backup vocals for a few Linkin Park songs that require backing vocals. The rest of Stone Temple Pilots will be there too and it would be nice to see the DeLeo Brothers perform on the biggest stage while Scott Weiland is at home having burnt every bridge imaginable.
Pearl Jam
How has Pearl Jam never performed at the halftime show? Perhaps they were asked at one point and turned it down. Pearl Jam has gotten to the point where they are as much adored by females as they are males. Eddie Vedder’s solo career created a new fan base and his catalogue itself could hold its own during the halftime show. It’s not like I am asking for Chris Cornell to show up and do a duet of Temple of the Dog’s ‘Hunger Strike’ with Vedder or anything; not that I would complain one bit if he did.
The White Stripes
Brother and sister/husband and wife/whatever they are Jack White and Meg White may be a mystery to some older football fans, but that should not stop them from performing. After all, last year we watched Beyoncé open with a poorly written song about how girls rule the world, which came off very inappropriate for a football game. The White Stripes probably do not have enough recognizable songs to ever be the sole leading band to perform. I still think this could make for a memorable performance if put together with other talented performers.
GWAR
Speaking of memorable performances, GWAR is known for putting on some of the best. I do not know a single song by them and I still signed a petition to get them to perform at this year’s upcoming halftime show. If Bruno Mars, a band nobody really likes outside of their exclusive fan base can be the first band selected, certainly GWAR can be too. Best known for their tame to only GG Allin show antics, GWAR’s halftime show performance could be the best of all-time even if nobody listens to the music.
