Okee dokee folks… I have referenced the Jethro Tull song, “Too Old to Rock & Roll, Too Young to Die,” A few times in my 22 years of writing for Motif, and I am going to do it again. This time, it is probably more pertinent than ever. I turned 65. Shit, I am old! Sorry, not sorry. My brain still thinks I am 30, but my body feels like 90! I feel it most when I perform. I look back at things in my life, and it all solidifies the feeling of the passage of time. I have been playing the guitar for 50+ years; I have been performing for over 40 years; I have been producing events for 35+ years,; I have seen hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of concerts, I have basically flown around the circumference of the planet, and I have many friends that I have known for decades — some for over 50 years! When I was young, there really weren’t any old rock musicians. At 30, you were over the hill. Now folks like Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Neil Young, Graham Nash, and many others are still out there making music well into their 80s. These folks fought to remain relevant and survived the lulls in their music lives. Some are even more popular than ever. Classic Rock saved them all. Nowadays it is very common for musicians of all ages to be out there making music, though the corporate industry still prefers youth. I will still play and perform as long as my cranky body cooperates. I have to, it’s who I am — I am a musician.
Beside the aforementioned Tull song, I thought of many songs and lines from songs that speak about aging. It is really what is on my mind this month. Though I should remember that the final lines of that song are, “You’re never too old to rock and roll if you’re too young to die.” The refrain from “My Back Pages:” “I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now,” has always reverberated with me, since the first time I heard it. I FELT more mature when I was younger, not that I was.
This one is a no-brainer. We are all going to feel like this someday! “Those were the days, my friend, We thought they’d never end, We’d sing and dance forever and a day, We’d live the life we choose. We’d fight and never lose, Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days” (Mary Hopkins).
George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” is more relevant, especially after the death of my father a couple of months ago: “All things must pass, None of life’s strings can last, So, I must be on my way and face another day.” Basically all the lyrics of “100 Years” by Five for Fighting sum up life. BTW they will be at The Narrows with an orchestra in September! This one by The Carpenters shows how music really is a time machine for emotions: “Yesterday Once More.”
Here are a few other songs that make you (me) think about aging. “Check It Out” – John Mellencamp, “These Days” – Jackson Browne, “Touch of Grey” – The Grateful Dead, ”My Generation” – The Who, “Photographs and Memories” – Jim Croce, “Myself At Last” – Graham Nash, “Keep Me in Your Heart” – Warren Zevon, “Time Heals” – Todd Rundgren, “Slow Turning” – John Hiatt, “Feeling Mortal” – Kris Kristofferson, “It Was A Very Good Year”-Frank Sinatra, “Still Crazy After All These Years”- Paul Simon, and “Time Waits for No One” – The Rolling Stones. I could go on and on with this list. I will wrap this section with this song, because unless immortality is discovered, we are all headed here: “When I Die” by Blood, Sweat & Tears. It’s not morbid, it’s just reality, unfortunately. Enjoy your life – we do only get the one. Read on…
Though Rhythm and Roots festival founder Chuck Wentworth passed away and the festival was sold to Good Works, the legacy of his production company, Lagniappe Productions, will live on through his grandson, Jack. “Carrying that name forward is extremely important to me, and I want to be thoughtful and intentional about how I do it. I’m incredibly passionate about the music industry and live events, and my goal is to begin producing my own festivals along with smaller live events, and grow this into something special over time.” Jack has held true to his words and his first major event will be The Big Easy Bash honoring his late grandfather. The show will be May 23 at The Event Factory in Warwick from 6 – 11pm. Performing will be Curly Taylor with Zydeco Trouble and The Jambalaya Horns. Cajun food will be sold. This should be similar to the old Mardi Gras Ball Chuck used to host. Jack grew up with these events and it’s in his blood! For more, get the Chuck over to: lagniapperi.com
Shows coming up that you should check out! They all seem to be on May 2! The annual Ladies of Folk Rhode Island Folk Festival fundraiser will be at Myrtle on May 2 from 2 – 5pm. (facebook.com/events/1668297497924745) Chris Trapper will be at The Parlour on May 2. Listen to my Roots Report Podcast with Chris! The Stefan Couture Duo featuring Chris Montecalvo on drums and percussion accompany the egg rolls on May 2 at Chan’s in Woonsocket. Stefan Couture has a new single, “Follow The River,” that can be heard on streaming services. Make plans, on June 17 my favorite Scottish band, Del Amitri, will be at The Strand in PVD. I should have a podcast with frontman, Justin Currie, up at some point before the show!
As I have mentioned I will keep promoting Protest Music here. I am taking a break this month but I truly feel that this music is crucial. Please keep sending them. If you have a song, send a public link of the music, and a copy of the lyrics to: RISongwriters@yahoo.com
That’s it for now. You can listen to my podcasts at motifri.com/rootsreportpodcast and find my concert photographs at motifri.com/fuzeksfotos. Thanks for reading and listening.