The Who - Quadrophenia

Some time ago I wrote a piece on my thoughts on aging rockers still touring and trying to maintain relevance while they're eligible to be a part of AARP.  So many great bands have ceased being cool due to the fact that they just can't give it up.  They don't know when to say when, or they've put themselves in a financial position to make it necessary to continue to tour.  And now some bands are coming out of hibernation to put on show's that should be cool and just fall short.  The Stones continual touring and recording irritates me, and don't get me started on Steven Tyler and his very public fall from coolness.  I went to see The Who at Mohegan Sun for the Quadrophenia tour recently, and had mixed feelings about it.  I thought Townshend was amazing, and I will always hold him up on a pedestal as one of the greatest rock and roll icons of all time, but I think he also is what i find redeeming in an aging rock legend.  He knows that he's aged and has conducted himself in the appropriate manner.  Not just that, but he has expanded, and evolved to remain relevant and avoided the pitfalls of his moment in time.  It was good to see the Who live at least once in my lifetime, although it would have been nice to see them in the 70's with Keith and John, but it was fun to see them.  I thought that Roger, at close to 70 years old, should have kept his shirt on, but it was fun.  Another disappointing aspect of the show was the crowd, who seemed to know little about the record that was being performed, and only got excited when they broke out Teenage Wasteland and Pinball Wizard at the encore.  One of the major problems with aging rock stars shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.  There is an inherent flaw in what they do, especially bands like The Who, The Rolling Stones and to a lesser extent Aerosmith, whose best work was done being the voice of a generation that was changing the world.  They were teenagers writing songs about teenage angst, and that came through in the music and the vibe, but when you're middle aged and older, singing about teenage problems and ideas just seems sad.



I've never been much of a gambler.  Casino's to me have always been very large and very loud bars that serve free drinks.

Dinosaur Jr - You're Living All Over Me

I wasn't the first person through the doors, but dammit, it was close.  I was walking slowly full of a copious amount of mexican food and several heavy beers, not to mention that I'm older now.  I don't move with the cock-sure swagger that I once did.  At the front door were security persons at four or five different stations patting down the lines of people waiting to get in.  It was a beastly and chaotic scene, and while I'm not one to complain about being touched inappropriately, I'm not exactly sure what this particular fellow was looking for when he grabbed me firmly by the balls...  glad to be done with that ghastly scene, and now past the velvet rope I was surprised to see that there were very few people actually inside yet.  Which was a good thing, no lines at the bars.  An empty bar is always a good thing, not just for the obvious reason of being refreshed in a timely fashion, but it also provides one with the opportunity to talk to the bartender and try and make some sort of impression on them so that when the bar is loaded with swine and filth, they will remember you.  A good suggestion would be to make jokes and tip very well.  There's nothing worse for your mental well-being than being in need of a drink, and unable to catch the attention of a busy tender of the bar.
The venue began to fill up while I hurried to drink as much as possible while the bar was still quiet.  The scene was mixed.  I was by no means the oldest one in the crowd (which I sort of expected), but there was an overwhelming 20-something contingent which gave the place a nice low volt buzz.  With Kurt Vile to open and guest appearances by Johnny Marr and Kim Gordon, I was ready for the show to start!  Not to mention that YLAOM is perhaps my favorite Dinosaur Jr record.  There was no disappointment at this show, J was in his element playing with the sonic force that he is known for!  Murph and Lou were spot on as well.  The band was tight and it was clear that this was how DJr was supposed to play.  Years of personal conflict be damned, this was one of the best shows I've EVER been to.