Don't Fall For It

This face belongs to Andy Rourke, the one-time bass player for legendary band The Smiths. His wrinkled mug has been plastered all over Buenos Aires this week because he's doing a special "Rockstar DJ Session" on Sunday night at the Roxy Club.

Who wants to see this? Andy Rourke is a withered rocker promising to play hits from the 70's and 80's, including songs by The Smiths, a band in which he was at best the third most talented person. Doesn't he think playing hits from his own band is just a wee bit...lame? Sad? Pathetic? To be fair, he also promises to mix in some newer stuff, because watching Andy Rourke spin a Klaxons or Arctic Monkeys song is sure to be a revelatory experience.

This is nothing but a blatant cash-in on nostalgia. Of course, Andy Rourke is doing a lot of that these days, both touring the world as a DJ and starting bands with other over-the-hill rockers.

Even worse, Andy Rourke is just the first in a whole series of "Rockstar DJ Sessions" at the Roxy Club. Glen Matlock from the Sex Pistols is coming in June, followed by Daniel Ash from Bauhaus and Love and Rockets in July. Barf. These kinds of rockstar DJ tours (which seem to be increasingly common) are already gross in places like the U.S. and Europe. In South America, they're a little sad. Cities like Buenos Aires are particularly susceptible to these kind of events, as the number of relevant international acts that come to town (especially outside of the mega-festival circuit) is rather low.

In a town hungry for rock n' roll star power, even an Andy Rourke DJ Set can cook up some buzz. It's a safe bet that plenty of Porteños will make their way to the Roxy Club on Sunday night. But it's an even safer bet that I won't be among them.