Source: Times and Transcript

From the Allman Brothers to Boston, the Eagles and ZZ Top, this year's North American concert schedule reads like a who's who of the "where are they now" book of classic rock.

Whether they were inspired by last year's colossal Led Zeppelin reunion show in London or perhaps driven by the need to keep paying the mortgage on the mansion, rock bands whose biggest hits were generated in the days of peace, love and grooviness, bell-bottom jeans or big '80s hair can still draw crowds.

The trick for concert promoters is to blend the old with some new to draw crowds spanning two or more generations. Often, aging baby boomers are showing up at concerts with their children and even grandchildren.

This year's Magnetic Hill Music Festival in Moncton will feature the Eagles, a band whose biggest hits came in the early to mid-1970s that is now touring on a brand new album, Long Road Out of Eden. Their show is expected to be a combination of old and new songs along with hits made by individual band members during their solo careers. The Eagles will be backed up by John Fogerty, who was the voice and guitar behind Creedence Clearwater Revival, a major musical force 40 years ago.

The fresher sound at the Magnetic Hill will be young Scottish singer K.T. Tunstall and the Sam Roberts Band. Tickets for the Magnetic Hill Festival concert are $124.50 for General Admission, and $249 for VIP tickets. Corporate tables in the VIP tent are $4,000.

The Eagles are just one of many classic rock bands on the concert trail this year. Many bands thought to be extinct, dried up or disbanded due to deceased members keep coming back to keep their fans happy.

New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi are so far the biggest concert draw of 2008. According to Billboard.com, Bon Jovi is at the top of this year's concert draw list. According to the chart, Bon Jovi's May 24 show at the Olympic stadium in Munich, Germany, drew a crowd of 70,473 and had gross sales of over $6 million. Bon Jovi shows in Spain and Portugal also drew just under 50,000 people to fill out the number two and three spots on the list. The number four show on the Billboard concert list is the Sasquatch Music Festival in George, Washington, which drew 62,493 people over two days at the end of May. It was headlined by R.E.M., The Cure and the Flaming Lips.

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