Asking Geezers awareness and tolerance of younger players under 45

[teleman1]

There are tons of discussions about todays music not having what the 60's, 70's and some early 80's brought. I am 54. I started to go to concerts when I was 14 in 1969. I saw a lot of greats, missed a few, but I have been to a lot of concerts through the 80's. For me, WHATEVER IT IS, I started noticing a difference in the vibe of concerts. I wasn't as amused and moved by performances anymore. Things slowly moved to a sterile atmosphoshere. And fewer and fewer bands yanked my chain.

So what is it? The quality of music? The constant rehash? IS rock dead now and did its death start in the 80's? And can a young guy walk into a venue, see his favorite artist and get the same rush I got seeing Hendrix? I tend to say its all been done. The cat has been skinned and stop squeezing the rock, there's no more water.

 

[KRosser]

And can a young guy walk into a venue, see his favorite artist and get the same rush I got seeing Hendrix?

I work with enough young people to know that this in fact happens on a regular basis.

 

[therhodeo]

I work with enough young people to know that this in fact happens on a regular basis.

I'm young and it does happen. There is a ton of great music out there right now, its just not on the radio. You have to search it out.

 

[SpaceFlunky]

maybe it's you and not the "young" people. And yes radio sucks now a days.

I get excited about current bands all the time. Last one was when i drove 6 hours to Austin to catch Them Crooked Vultures at Stubbs.

 

[ABKB]

I'm 48, we had it easy back in the day. There was a LOT of great music easily heard on the radio, and even more if you searched it out. Well, now things have changed radically. Now music is at the touch of a button, whatever you want! But it's developed some irony too. Now because it is all out there with a button push, there's a GLUT of music. Of that music, probably 25% is listenable. Of that 25%, a smaller % is great, the rest just ok. As a result (here's the irony), you actually have to work HARDER to find the great stuff! The great stuff is still out there, it's not on the radio (that's turned into a pop $$$ factory), and it's not easily found, but it's still very much out there.

 

[Lance]

I think you're going to see the wrong bands. I dare you to walk out of a Kimock show, and not feel intrigued, delighted, excited, inspired with a big old sh*t eatin' grin on your face. If anything technology in modern p.a. systems, when properly operated, give you far less ear fatigue, and can really excite the molecules. I'm 41 and have been to a lot of concerts. I think you need to get away from the entire commercial music scene. I went towards jambands because they are a lot of fun. Go see Umphrey's McGee. They will blow your doors right off, and leaving you wondering what happened to your socks!

 

[planetal]

I am an older guy (almost 60), but I'm sure many younger people and perhaps some older people such as myself, find these type of age threads puzzling. Why does music that appeals to others have to appeal to you? So new music doesn't work for you, so what? I'm sure the music of the 60,70 and 80 doesn't appeal to many people as well. So? Listen to whatever you want to. Play whatever you feel. Why do younger people have to recreate what was already done? Times and people change, it's normal and it's part of aging. I jam with 20 year olds often, there is indeed a different approach to making music in many ways, but I don't consider that bad, just different than my own musical past.

Keep in mind that your tastes and processing of what you hear changes as you age. What appealed to you when you were 20 would possibly not appeal to you now (if you were to hear it for the first time now). The world around us and things that influence us all have changed much in the last 30/40 years. some of that is good, some of that probably isn't.

I KNOW that many younger people, when seeing live music of their generation, get the same thrill you got when you were younger. The music isn't aimed at us older folks anymore, as we're a passing generation, but there are many interesting and creative new musicians out there.

 

[greggorypeccary]

There is a ton of great music out there right now, its just not on the radio. You have to search it out.

Can we just sticky this as the most repeated phrase on TGP? That way we won't have to keep seeing it in every geezer "what's with music today?" thread....





As to the topic at hand...
I've had my world rocked in recent years by Govt. Mule, Derek Trucks, Wilco, The Waybacks, Jimmy Herring and others. As well as by some older guys like U2, The Boss, Bruce Hornsby, Los Lobos, Al DiMeola, Phish (in the 90's) etc.

 

[bigdaddy]

I dare you to walk out of a Kimock show, and not feel intrigued, delighted, excited, inspired with a big old sh*t eatin' grin on your face.

I agree wholeheartedly, however Kimock isn't under 45.

I have two thoughts on the original post. It's either pot stirring or the OP is lamenting the loss of spandex, hair and eyeliner.

 

[therhodeo]

As to the topic at hand...
I've had my world rocked in recent years by Govt. Mule, Derek Trucks, Wilco, The Waybacks, Jimmy Herring and others. As well as by some older guys like U2, The Boss, Bruce Hornsby, Los Lobos, Al DiMeola, Phish (in the 90's) etc.

All of which sound like they wished they been alive 40 years ago. I like them all but not good arguments if you're wanting people to search out true "new" music.

 

[Lance]

I agree wholeheartedly, however Kimock isn't under 45.

I have two thoughts on the original post. It's either pot stirring or the OP is lamenting the loss of spandex, hair and eyeliner.

True. I only discovered him 11 years ago, so it's still kinda new to me. Well, just insert Umphrey's in there, even though they've been around since 1997. I guess my qualifier is that it isn't music I listened to when I was a kid.

 

[74vibrolux]

I am an older guy (almost 60), but I'm sure many younger people and perhaps some older people such as myself, find these type of age threads puzzling. Why does music that appeals to others have to appeal to you? So new music doesn't work for you, so what? I'm sure the music of the 60,70 and 80 doesn't appeal to many people as well. So? Listen to whatever you want to. Play whatever you feel. Why do younger people have to recreate what was already done? Times and people change, it's normal and it's part of aging. I jam with 20 year olds often, there is indeed a different approach to making music in many ways, but I don't consider that bad, just different than my own musical past.

Keep in mind that your tastes and processing of what you hear changes as you age. What appealed to you when you were 20 would possibly not appeal to you now (if you were to hear it for the first time now). The world around us and things that influence us all have changed much in the last 30/40 years. some of that is good, some of that probably isn't.

I KNOW that many younger people, when seeing live music of their generation, get the same thrill you got when you were younger. The music isn't aimed at us older folks anymore, as we're a passing generation, but there are many interesting and creative new musicians out there.

Well said.

 

[PatrickE_FenderADV]

yes radio sucks now a days.

I don't remember the last time I listened to a radio station here in the Tampa Bay area. My wife and I listen to our iPods, CDs and one radio station from Boulder, CO... KBCO. They really seem to be the only thing I can listen to today with a nice mix of new and old music. Bands are there, but you gotta look off the beaten path. I would've never been bitten by the Big Head Todd bug if it weren't for KBCO.

EDIT... Oh, I'm 42.

 

[Axemeister]

There are tons of discussions about todays music not having what the 60's, 70's and some early 80's brought. I am 54. I started to go to concerts when I was 14 in 1969. I saw a lot of greats, missed a few, but I have been to a lot of concerts through the 80's. For me, WHATEVER IT IS, I started noticing a difference in the vibe of concerts. I wasn't as amused and moved by performances anymore. Things slowly moved to a sterile atmosphoshere. And fewer and fewer bands yanked my chain.

So what is it? The quality of music? The constant rehash? IS rock dead now and did its death start in the 80's? And can a young guy walk into a venue, see his favorite artist and get the same rush I got seeing Hendrix? I tend to say its all been done. The cat has been skinned and stop squeezing the rock, there's no more water.

I am in your same age bracket, and I have a ton of great memories, but I try to keep my ears open to new music too..

The scene is not as wild and groundbreaking as Jimi and others might have been to us as teens, but there are still many great creative artists and musicians putting on great shows.

The music and concert business sucks these days, but there are tons of great players and creative musicians. You just have to look harder to find them, since the paradigm has changed to independent distribution and internet based music, over FM radio and record labels...

However, I do agree that the concert scene at major venues is much more controlled and sterile than it was in the old days..... Now things are more commercial and corporate. It is harder to sneak your bong , into a concert these days, huh?

 

[rob2001]

Can we just sticky this as the most repeated phrase on TGP? That way we won't have to keep seeing it in every geezer "what's with music today?" thread....

Agree but in this case it's true. Hot guitarists just aren't in the current lineup on popular radio. There ARE exceptions of course.

But it would be kinda handy to just say "refer to sticky #18"!

 

[Bankston]

I am 39. At 28, I had a startling revelation while watching the MTV Music Awards. I didn't know who any of the artists were and I felt old.

That is when I realized that when you stop discovering new music, you get old.

The key is to open your mind to great new music. These days you may have to seek it out and it won't necessarily be the stuff that is spoonfed to the public. But it's out there.

 

[therhodeo]

while watching the MTV Music Awards.

I stopped reading right there.

 

[SarasotaSlim]

I don't remember the last time I listened to a radio station here in the Tampa Bay area. My wife and I listen to our iPods, CDs and one radio station from Boulder, CO... KBCO. They really seem to be the only thing I can listen to today with a nice mix of new and old music. Bands are there, but you gotta look off the beaten path. I would've never been bitten by the Big Head Todd bug if it weren't for KBCO.

I burned out on Tampa radio two years ago. My usual country or WMNF car presets just didn't do it for me anymore. (WMNF is still great when you pick a good time-day-etc.) In a fit of channel flipping I went to what had been an oldies station and stumbled into what is now the area's big commercial latin station...

http://www.925maxima.com/

...now this is the only station I play in the car. When they play something I don't like - I just turn it down 'till the next one comes on and eventually some kind of horn driven salsa will happen. I've even started to like the sappy commercial stuff but still can't understand any of the words - I think that's part of the appeal for me.

 

[MikeNiteRail]

I am 29...saw the Allman Bros and literally teared up during Derek's first solo two summers ago. In college, I went and saw Blues Traveler (I play harp and am a huge fan) for the first time and stood front and center against the stage. I didn't blink for three hours. Eight years later and I can probably tell you most the setlist and what they were wearing.

I went and saw the Derek Trucks Band last April with my guitar player. It was a two and a half hour joy-gasim that literally changed our band overnight.

Hmmm...my first concert was Billy Joel in 8th grade. I remember it vividly. He brought up a bunch of vets during Good Night Saigon and even as a kid I got choked up.

I think some of the disullusion has to do with actually becoming musicians (as well as how American culture has taken the spiritual experience of music and tried to kill it for the last few thousand years) and how our listening can become jaded. It is a lot harder to enjoy the moment when one is dissecting everything going on and judging it.

There is more "great" music out there than every before. HOWEVER, there is more commercial and non-commercial CRAP out there than every before.

 

[BugSlayer]

So what is it? The quality of music? The constant rehash? IS rock dead now and did its death start in the 80's? And can a young guy walk into a venue, see his favorite artist and get the same rush I got seeing Hendrix? I tend to say its all been done. The cat has been skinned and stop squeezing the rock, there's no more water.

I'm in your age group although I have been in it a little longer than you. I also have seen a number of great shows and bands and have been to shows in the last ten years where I was turned off by some aspect of the show, performance or crowd. Several years ago I was talking to a friend at work and we were commenting that current times were nothing like the 'old days' when everyone worked till all hours (IT job in a large enterprise) and then got together and went out to party it up, get something to eat and get home so they could do it all over again. To cut to the chase, this conversation took me to the place where I realized that those were our 'old days' and they were gone because we had changed. I started paying attention to the newer people (meaning younger) at work and I realized they were making their own 'old days' every day. Some of them were musicians and they were doing exactly what I had done at the same age, they were playing at night when ever they could and many of the rest were showing up to support them.

Back to your statement about it all being done? You have been there and done that so that part is over for you. That young guy has never seen it before and he can be, and is, just as excited as we were. Your just to the point where your frame of reference is not quite as current as it once was and it is beginning to get your attention. I think this is a natural thing and not a bad thing. Roll with it. There is a lot of music out there that the newer younger guys are really into and in time it will be the soundtrack for their 'old days'. I do not particularly like a lot of it but that's OK, I already have my soundtrack and it rocks!

One more thing, your old enough to remember, as I do, being told that the bands we listened to 'was not music' and 'real music was blah, blah, blah' played by some big band of twenty or thirty years ago. I know you must have heard this sometime, I sure did. It usually came with 'Turn that stuff down' and 'Get a haircut'! Visualize that as clearly as possible and then ask your self if you are ready to become that person who said those things to you?

I'm not lecturing, I am just a little older and I have worked through a lot of these issues and am just trying to provide you with the benefit of my mistakes!