After hearing the Dave Matthews Band, 'NSync, Creed and Barenaked Ladies were going to play the Medals Plaza during the Olympics, I thought SLOC was waiting to announce some really huge acts that would fill the unannounced dates.
But Goo Goo Dolls? Alanis Morissette? Nelly Furtado?
Was this the best SLOC could do?
If so, they should have held back the announcements of Creed and 'NSync instead.
When the schedules revealed four to-be-announced spots in the Medals Plaza concert series, alongside Smash Mouth, Sheryl Crow, Marc Anthony and Brooks & Dunn, the rumor mills began a-grinding:
U2 would be in town performing a "private party" and would be asked to play a plaza show.
Since Sting is playing the opening ceremonies, he would just stick around and fill one of those empty dates.
Bon Jovi is playing the closing ceremonies, so it would be logical for the New Jersey rock band to play one of the shows.
Britney Spears would return to Utah to play a plaza show because her fiance Justin Timberlake and his buddies in 'NSync are already scheduled to perform.
Instead we get Goo Goo Dolls.
While it's true the New York-based band has had a number of hits ? "Name," "Slide" and "Iris" ? it hasn't released a bona-fide album since 1998's "Dizzy Up the Girl." (Its last release, "Ego, Opinion, Art and Commerce," was a low-selling compilation album with remixes of its earlier works.)
And to make matters worse, in 2000 the Goo Goo Dolls were already the subject of an episode of VH1's "Behind the Music," which focuses on bands and artists who are struggling to make a comeback because of disbanding, suffering a painful loss or are just plain dead. (Other "Behind the Music" subjects have included Def Leppard, Rick Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Andy Gibb.)
Then there's Morissette, who should have her own "Behind the Music" since she hasn't been able to deliver the goods after her 1995 debut album "Jagged Little Pill."
That Grammy Award-winning album was an edgy piece of production and each one of the songs gained radio play and charted high. But the former Nickelodeon cast member's follow-up album, "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie," was a disappointment. In fact, other than the shrill singles "Thank U" and "So Pure," were there any other songs that played on the radio more than a couple of weeks?
Her last album, "Alanis Unplugged," was released in 1999. And we didn't hear anything from that one, either.
While it's true Morissette is releasing a new album this year, it seems her star has faded.
Which brings us to Furtado. "Whoa! Nelly," her debut album, only peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard charts. That's a far cry from U2's No. 3 and Dave Matthews Band's No. 1 peak positions.
Furthermore, Furtado's album has sold only 2 million copies in a little over a year. Compare that to Creed's new album "Weathered," which sold more than 5 million copies in just eight weeks.
Worse, the only song by Furtado that's on the radio is the gravelly single "I'm Like a Bird." What's she going to do ? sing that song 10 times in a row for her plaza concert set?
Feb. 10 is the only Medals Plaza concert that has yet to be announced.
Let's hope it's someone like Garth Brooks. He's on a comeback. His new album "Scarecrow" debuted at No. 1 on the charts and has already sold 3 million copies in a little under three months.
He's an all-American icon and has sold out every one of his Delta Center gigs in the last decade.
Lenny Kravitz would be good.
But we'll probably get someone like Vanilla Ice.
E-MAIL: scott@desnews.com