The Old Man and the C Chord

The morning after a well-lit, early-ending, New Year’s eve party, a longtime friend told my wife she thought I was loosening up a bit because she noticed that—as everyone else furiously danced—I was subtly nodding my head to the beat of a song being played by the band. I don’t dance. I’m not what you’d call a participator. However, I do rock and I plan to continue rocking until the end. Which brings us to a summer-series in Ann Arbor, where there have been frequent reports of a silver tsunami. “Every Friday night from September to May, at an off-campus nightclub in this thriving college town, a group of die-hard music fans gathers to dance to some of the most devoted live bands in southeast Michigan. There are women in skintight red dresses, long-haired men sucking down bottles of beer and couples flirting in the alcove outside the bathrooms. In fact, just one thing distinguishes the crowd from nearly any other rock-and-roll show in a small city in America: Almost everyone is over 65. OK, two things: The show always starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m., in time to get to bed at a reasonable hour.” I’m torn by the headline of this NYT (Gift Article) from Joseph Bernstein. In 2023, how could any decent rock show not include older people? My kids listen to Taylor Swift and mumble rap. They have no idea how to rock. It’s the Coolest Rock Show in Ann Arbor. And Almost Everyone There Is Over 65. Luckily, there are other activities for those who don’t dance. “We’ve been doing this for 50 years,” said Ruby Butler, 73, between pulls off a small glass pipe. “Only now, it’s legal!” (I just nodded my head so hard I pulled a muscle in my neck.)