Driving home from dinner with my wife and oldest son the other night our local Oldies station played a fantastic run of (albeitly cheesy) mid-’70s songs that my wife and I probably too enthusiastically pointed out to our son captured the time when we were the age of his younger brother, who was not with us on this drive. I can’t remember the killer run of hits, but it kicked off with “Young Americans” and included “We’re an American Band” and “Whatever Gets You Through the Night.”
“What a titan John Lennon was,” I marveled in my head, privately, “to be able to inject such a suspect disco-boogie romp with so much energy and cool!” I felt a tear building in my left eye as that song faded while memories of that era continued to blare, as I anticipated what the DJ computer would spin next…
The Townsperson who can track down an explanation from Budweiser or the ad agency behind this website will be rewarded with a case of beer, even Bud, if that’s what you like.
As I feel about Paul Rudd, I can’t get enough of the rock talk that’s on your mind. Don’t hold back. The All-Star Jam is the place to do your think. First-timers are welcome to make an initial splash.
Sometimes, when people learn I gave up drinking a lifetime ago, they ask if I ever drink non-alcoholic or “near” beer. I do not and never have. Why bother?
I drink a lot of caffeinated coffee, on the other hand. Personally, I feel the same way about decaf coffee, although we keep it around the house for friends who can’t handle the real stuff following dinner. Privately I grumble that some of my friends are wimps for not drinking coffee with me at night, but as a father, there have been times when I’ve made our boys and their friends decaf coffee so they can feel part of the fun after having participated nicely in a long, adult dinner. Maybe beer-drinking dads keep near beer in the fridge to let their underage kids feel grown up.
I’ve been thinking about compiling my personal Why Bother list, and it will likely include a subcategory for musical instances of Why Bother. Maybe you can help me with that part of the list, and feel free to add some general life Why Bothers while you’re at it.
The first musical Why Bother that comes to mind for me is bands with 2 drummers. Other than the fact that it initially seems like a cool idea and looks good, why bother?
The current RTH poll, which I’ve included here for posterity, raises a point that Townsman Oats is “very curious” about.
Very curious about today’s poll. I’ve been thinking about how members of bands like Superchunk and Quasi are in their mid-40s now, and they still play their music with conviction and in some cases have only gotten better as musicians without losing much of the fire. When The Who were around that age, they were subjecting us to the 1989 tour. Sometimes, it’s not the “indie” bands that need slack-cutting.
I meant to follow up on that poll question sooner. It came to mind over the dinner table last week.
“Dad,” said my 16-year-old son as I took my seat, “do you think indie game developers should be cut some slack?”
Not being a video gamer, this needed a little explanation. My son is a longtime gamer and tech-head. He writes video game reviews for blogs and has a sponsored YouTube channel. He really knows his stuff, he writes well, and he makes more money with his extracurricular pursuits and has a wider audience than his father does. I’m proud of him.
“There are independent video game companies that I review alongside the major companies, like EA,” he explained. “No one has a problem if I criticize a big game, but whenever I post a negative review of an indie game, I get all kinds of comments, like ‘Aw, come on, man, you shouldn’t criticize the indies!’ What do you think, Dad? Do you run across this with indie rock?”
Before I get into my answer, let me say that for anyone who’s ever wondered if it’s worth all the trouble that goes into raising kids, moments like these answer a resounding YES! I had to look away for a second and pretend to yawn and rub my eyes to clear out a tear that was building. As much as my work here is geared to influence future generations of music lovers, these achievements are a hill of beans compared with the influence I occasionally hold over my own children.
“I know what you mean,” I told my son. “This comes up a lot among my music friends. I make allowances for things that can be influenced by a budget, such as production quality, but ultimately the music has to deliver. If the songs and the performances are subpar and show a lack of creativity, if there’s no spark, it doesn’t matter if the record was made independently or not.”
“That’s how I look at it, Dad. I don’t care if the graphics aren’t top flight if the game’s design and story are creative.”
What’s the closest you got to Elvis? My Mom saw him in concert a couple of years before he died and caught a sweaty Elvis scarf. I’m sure she still has that packed away somewhere.
What do you think Elvis’ high and low points (post-1977) might have been had he lived into the 21st century, or even still been alive?
Our culture is always on the lookout for the “Next” whomever or whatever: The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jordan… Have we given up on identifying the Next Elvis Presley?
I look forward to your answers, including your answer to the question, “What’s your favorite Elvis Presley song?” I think mine is “Suspicious Minds.” Or maybe “Don’t Be Cruel.”
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