I guess everybody likes rock bands to a point that we become rock bands ourselves. Case in point, there are video games like "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" and every step in the video game is a concert, a club gig, or any type of venue. In a way, we are all rock stars or a member in a circle of friends that are like rock bands. I know there are several people and clusters of groups that I have hung with, that feels like I've done a 20-song set with them. The places I've been at almost seems like I did a show. My times hanging at the Terrace Diner in North Babylon, NY seems like a series of gigs at a club. I can say the same thing about hanging at the student lounge when I was an undergrad, it was like a recording studio to me. The same goes for all the places in Buffalo where me and my friends stopped by and crashed. I can go back even further when I was in 9th grade and me and my friends (Brian F., Chris M., Mike S, et. al.) trashed a hotel room in a Sheraton outside Washington, DC (nothing that bad, just soda cans and potato chip bags; we were in our early teens, then again this was 1982 standards!). And that was the thing: we were all rock stars back in the day. All of my funny or private moments with my friends were like songs. A new school semester, a new job, or even a new idea is like cutting an album at the studio. Nowadays, we all got settled down and we do our regular routines. Some got married, some got good jobs. Yet, after awhile, routine life grows monotonous.
Now I'm not badmouthing having a family or having a career. I'm not even badmouthing my own life, I have accomplished a lot in my life and I truly believe I haven't reached my peak yet. But after a while, things get stagnated. That's the usual case for most of us 40-Pluses; we get into the mother of all crises-- (cue dramatic music) THE MID LIFE CRISIS! This is when we guys buy the red sports cars and get the trophy girlfriend/wife. And for the ladies, this is when you guys wear the cougar-riffic black dress so they can get the 22 year old guy that they see at the gym (sorry, I watched too much Ab Fab and I'm STRAIGHT!!!!). Now some guys either go and get hair plugs, or cruise college campuses and get their groove on in their frivolous glory. Me? I JUST WANT TO GET THE BAND TOGETHER, MAN!
Now I don't play any instruments, I know a few chords on a guitar, I mainly air guitar (and air drums), and my voice is often compared to a wild animal getting caught in a bear trap- but I still WANT TO PUT THE BAND TOGETHER! Now I've never been part of a band, except that time in Buffalo, and if anyone has the video of me singing Black Sabbath, I would love to see it!!!!! But I never been in a band, but I have been in groups of several people that were like rock bands. I've done some things and said some things that give me "rock star" status. You can even say that all my smart-ass comments are like songs! And all the people I've been with, they were and still are to me like rock stars! Sometimes, I feel like a band plowing through a set at CBGB's even though I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO CB'S! But the times I've been to the Terrace Diner at Long Island or the Denny's in Buffalo or my friend Wayne's basement or in room 102 at the Humanities Bldg in SUNY Stony Brook, I either felt like I was the band or a member of the audience. North Carolina is not bad, but maybe I'm getting homesick and maybe I'm starting to reminisce about my buds in New York. If my chums and other pals from the past can come down here (and you know who you are), that can be good too- I can do a private gig for y'all!
During these times, it's hard to be satisfied, and no one can afford that red sports car or fit into that black dress. And "getting the band back together" might be a longshot for me. I'm just making ends meet playing catch up. I might come back up to my old grounds in New York and have those "reunions" with my "bandmates", then again "next year" is softly whispered in my ear by my conscience, or my guardian angel, or the invisible tour manager. I guess when when times get better for all of us, maybe I'll "go out on tour". This could be the same for all of us, maybe all of us were "rock stars" or a solo act. I guess we are all waiting for that big-ass gig of Ozzfest, Lollapalooza, and/or Woodstock-like proportions! Hell, some of our kids actually think we were cool once, then again-- WE ALWAYS WERE AND STILL ARE COOL! ROCK ON!!!!!!!
Now I'm not badmouthing having a family or having a career. I'm not even badmouthing my own life, I have accomplished a lot in my life and I truly believe I haven't reached my peak yet. But after a while, things get stagnated. That's the usual case for most of us 40-Pluses; we get into the mother of all crises-- (cue dramatic music) THE MID LIFE CRISIS! This is when we guys buy the red sports cars and get the trophy girlfriend/wife. And for the ladies, this is when you guys wear the cougar-riffic black dress so they can get the 22 year old guy that they see at the gym (sorry, I watched too much Ab Fab and I'm STRAIGHT!!!!). Now some guys either go and get hair plugs, or cruise college campuses and get their groove on in their frivolous glory. Me? I JUST WANT TO GET THE BAND TOGETHER, MAN!
Now I don't play any instruments, I know a few chords on a guitar, I mainly air guitar (and air drums), and my voice is often compared to a wild animal getting caught in a bear trap- but I still WANT TO PUT THE BAND TOGETHER! Now I've never been part of a band, except that time in Buffalo, and if anyone has the video of me singing Black Sabbath, I would love to see it!!!!! But I never been in a band, but I have been in groups of several people that were like rock bands. I've done some things and said some things that give me "rock star" status. You can even say that all my smart-ass comments are like songs! And all the people I've been with, they were and still are to me like rock stars! Sometimes, I feel like a band plowing through a set at CBGB's even though I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO CB'S! But the times I've been to the Terrace Diner at Long Island or the Denny's in Buffalo or my friend Wayne's basement or in room 102 at the Humanities Bldg in SUNY Stony Brook, I either felt like I was the band or a member of the audience. North Carolina is not bad, but maybe I'm getting homesick and maybe I'm starting to reminisce about my buds in New York. If my chums and other pals from the past can come down here (and you know who you are), that can be good too- I can do a private gig for y'all!
During these times, it's hard to be satisfied, and no one can afford that red sports car or fit into that black dress. And "getting the band back together" might be a longshot for me. I'm just making ends meet playing catch up. I might come back up to my old grounds in New York and have those "reunions" with my "bandmates", then again "next year" is softly whispered in my ear by my conscience, or my guardian angel, or the invisible tour manager. I guess when when times get better for all of us, maybe I'll "go out on tour". This could be the same for all of us, maybe all of us were "rock stars" or a solo act. I guess we are all waiting for that big-ass gig of Ozzfest, Lollapalooza, and/or Woodstock-like proportions! Hell, some of our kids actually think we were cool once, then again-- WE ALWAYS WERE AND STILL ARE COOL! ROCK ON!!!!!!!
