‘On Tour’ Shares the Road With Bands for 26 Weeks

The opening episode of the series “On Tour,” airing tonight on KCET-TV Channel 28, sets you up for a study of a lifestyle. Early in the show, a tour bus driver who’s a sort of real-life version of Meat Loaf’s “Roadie” character, philosophizes as he clocks a cliche every mile.

“There’s not a lot of rules we have to live by,” he says. “It kind of makes us modern-day outlaws.”

The show then segues to a performance by Sting, that most proper and controlled and law-abiding of pop artists. This transition comes without any suggestion of irony, telegraphing the uncertain and disjointed nature of “On Tour.”

Granted, it’s a 26-part series, so maybe it’s in no hurry to play all its cards. Based on the opener, the show’s creators (Sunshine T.V. in association with KCET) are torn between straightforward concert coverage, behind-the-scenes looks at life on the road and a sort of postmodern subplot following the production team as it prepares the programs.

So we sit in on meetings where this Gen-X team scours bios for information on artists they’ll be shooting. Their cluelessness is supposed to be endearing, and maybe their seat-of-the-pants approach will develop some charm as the shows unfold.

The life-on-the-road interviews with musicians aren’t particularly fresh or enlightening, but they almost seem like afterthoughts anyway because the vast bulk of the show is given over to live performances.

The usual problem with TV rockumentaries is that the music itself gets shortchanged for purposes of pace and narrative, but “On Tour” sticks doggedly to the stage, start to finish, every chorus and every solo.

This respect for the music is rare and welcome, but it means that the shows rise and fall on the quality of the performers. The debut’s retro and roots-oriented lineup--Sting, Steve Earle, Nil Lara and Amanda Marshall--isn’t exactly scintillating, and the range of acts scheduled for coming weeks is diverse but uneven.

The performances, shot at various halls and clubs last spring and summer, are nicely captured, and you look forward to this crew’s footage of someone like Beck, who’s due in show No. 4.

* “On Tour” premieres at midnight tonight on KCET-TV Channel 28.