There is something about the politics of rock and roll I can never seem to reconcile. I understand why we love the music. I understand the raw power and the angst against the backdrop of eternal youth. I get all that. What I never can get past is the rejection of any band that is not staffed with 'teens or twenty somethings.
Oh, here it comes now. I can hear you already. "Nobody want to jam to some old dudes!". Well, I want to challenge that. Why not? Are you there to listen to the music or are you there to sleep with the band?
What does it matter how old the band is?
Now I am only asking this to fans of rock and roll. Other genres seem to be more tolerant of older players. I see new artist in the blues arena that are into their 50s before they break the scene. Even country music seem to be OK with new artists with a little grey in the beard. I wonder if fans of those musical styles are a little more appreciative of the music and less focused on image. Is it possible that in rock music we are too connected to the celebrity and the rock star status?
Music is an art form. It is not unlike painting, sculpting, dance, etc. Now I wonder how many of us look at a painting and say to ourselves, "I wonder what this guy looks like?" Not many I would guess. In other art forms we are very focused on the art and not the artist. Music is a weird variant from that. I am not suggesting that I understand it, I am asking if anybody can explain it. On second thought, I really could care less. I simply think that it is a simple minded stance. Shallow and rooted in idol worship and not in a love of the music.
Speaking of idol, check out the picture below. Billy Idol himself. One of my idols from my teen years. I used to burn the needle through the vinyl listening to his stuff. I even started to try to dress like him. I recall a Halloween party that I attended in full Idol wear. The girls were all over me (sort of). In retrospect it seem silly. Why would anybody get adoration for dressing like a rock and roll artist?
Again, it is the power of celebrity. It can separate the art from the artist and really cheapen the experience of the appreciation. I challenge you this. Go to iTunes and subscribe to the podcast called Roots Rock Radio. This dude collects indie artists and promotes their tracks for free. You never see the bands but you hear some really killer music. Learn to separate the music from the musician and it opens up a whole new experience of listening.
So, in the midnight hour, does Idol still rock? Of course he does. At age 56, at the time of this writing, he still brings a great rock show. Better than some of the new shoe gazer acts full of late teenagers, playing a whole show with their feet stuck in one place. I'm not hating on new acts, I'm simply saying that ageism has no place in art. Rock and roll included. So again, in the midnight hour for any of us, do not count us out. Rock with us.
Oh, here it comes now. I can hear you already. "Nobody want to jam to some old dudes!". Well, I want to challenge that. Why not? Are you there to listen to the music or are you there to sleep with the band?
What does it matter how old the band is?
Now I am only asking this to fans of rock and roll. Other genres seem to be more tolerant of older players. I see new artist in the blues arena that are into their 50s before they break the scene. Even country music seem to be OK with new artists with a little grey in the beard. I wonder if fans of those musical styles are a little more appreciative of the music and less focused on image. Is it possible that in rock music we are too connected to the celebrity and the rock star status?
Music is an art form. It is not unlike painting, sculpting, dance, etc. Now I wonder how many of us look at a painting and say to ourselves, "I wonder what this guy looks like?" Not many I would guess. In other art forms we are very focused on the art and not the artist. Music is a weird variant from that. I am not suggesting that I understand it, I am asking if anybody can explain it. On second thought, I really could care less. I simply think that it is a simple minded stance. Shallow and rooted in idol worship and not in a love of the music.
Speaking of idol, check out the picture below. Billy Idol himself. One of my idols from my teen years. I used to burn the needle through the vinyl listening to his stuff. I even started to try to dress like him. I recall a Halloween party that I attended in full Idol wear. The girls were all over me (sort of). In retrospect it seem silly. Why would anybody get adoration for dressing like a rock and roll artist?
Again, it is the power of celebrity. It can separate the art from the artist and really cheapen the experience of the appreciation. I challenge you this. Go to iTunes and subscribe to the podcast called Roots Rock Radio. This dude collects indie artists and promotes their tracks for free. You never see the bands but you hear some really killer music. Learn to separate the music from the musician and it opens up a whole new experience of listening.
So, in the midnight hour, does Idol still rock? Of course he does. At age 56, at the time of this writing, he still brings a great rock show. Better than some of the new shoe gazer acts full of late teenagers, playing a whole show with their feet stuck in one place. I'm not hating on new acts, I'm simply saying that ageism has no place in art. Rock and roll included. So again, in the midnight hour for any of us, do not count us out. Rock with us.
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