Sometimes I think I may have been born in the wrong decade. My iPod is full of music from both ends of the musical spectrum and everything in between.
When I was growing up my mother had an extensive CD collection featuring the musical stylings of '60s/'70s/'80s bands and artists across the board. There was everything from the Beatles, to ABBA, to Supertramp to The Carpenters. I have many a fond memory of bebopping to Breakfast In America and Billie Jean while my mom was making dinner or tidying up the house.
My father, on the other hand, was a proud rocker right from the day we met. In 2006 he took me to see rock 'n' roll legends The Who. As he would say, my life was changed forever.
Before that show my exposure to live music had been very minimal, so I was in for a real treat. I was not prepared for the showmanship and mastery displayed by the band that can only come from a lifetime of living in the spotlight.
Last Tuesday (May 10) my life changed again.
The Who were back, and better than ever.
In the months leading up to the concert, as excitement mounted, I mentioned the upcoming show to many of my colleagues and was stunned by their responses. Not one had even heard of these classic rock idols. Most of them were much closer to my dad's age than mine.
At the concert the average age of the attendees was around 50 (not surprising at “The Who Hits 50” tour). But there truly were people of all ages proudly displaying their Who T-shirts and buzzing excitedly right up until the first note of Who Are You, their opening song.
People my age are missing out on seeing these music legends before it's too late. Most of them seem not to mind, but they don't know what they're missing. There is nothing quite like a great rock show, and bands like The Who have had decades of practice honing their craft.
Some of the disconnect between my generation (no pun intended) and classic rock could be location. Living in Calgary is a different world than living in a smaller town. Almost every radio frequency has a different radio station for every conceivable musical preference. But with such variety in stations often comes a narrow focus of subject matter. For instance, Mountain FM in Canmore plays a wide variety of music -- old and new -- ranging from Johnny Cash to top Billboard artists like Taylor Swift. In Calgary, many of the stations will cater to a niche market such as X92.9, the alternative station, or Virgin Radio, which plays mainly Top 40 hits.
Maybe I was indeed born in the wrong decade. Or maybe I really am an “old soul,” as one of my co-workers claims. Maybe I'm merely a product of my upbringing.
When I consider that I have been privileged enough to see The Who twice now, I can't help but remember Roger Daltrey's final words for the attendees of Tuesday's show -- “be lucky.” I am.
Darlana Robertson is a twentysomething writer from Calgary, and a former Central Alberta resident.
