Tuesday, January 19, 2016

RIP Glenn Frey

“stars beginning to fade……”



The passing of David Bowie hit me hard, it did. The passing of Glenn Frey hit me even harder. Is it because we are losing so many of the icons I grew up with and unconsciously my own mortality is now not only slapping me but slugging me in the face? Is it because I have been a fan of the Eagles since high school and the death of Glenn Frey really means the end of the Eagles forever? Maybe it is little bit of both. Whatever way you look at it, I am sad. Sad, as if I knew him personally.
Steve, one of my best friends in high school gave me my first Eagles album for my 16th birthday. I still remember finding “The Eagles Greatest Hits” album  on my chair in biology class. Since then, I have always owned a version of that album (Vinyl, 8-Track, Cassette, CD and now downloaded on my iPhone) – of course I have added to that collection with many of their other albums since, but I will always remember receiving my first.
I had the opportunity to bring DC and his friend BB to see the Eagles in July. I had not been to a large venue concert in quite some time and we were in the “oxygen necessary” section, but it really did not matter. They were great. I am so glad that we opted to go!
Did/does DC know he was in the presence of legends? No. Did he/does he understand that I grew up with their music? Not really. Still I am happy that I had the chance to share that with him and BB.
Below is the post that I wrote after attending the concert but first, please give a listen to the two songs that coincidently I have been listening to obsessively over the past two weeks:
“Well, my time went so quickly, I went lickety-splitly
Out to my ol’ fifty-five.
As I pulled away slowly feelin’ so holy
God knows I was feelin’ alive.”
“And the storybook comes to a close…… Gone are the ribbons and bows. Things to remember, places to go”
From July 2015 – Take it Easy

Take it easy
birdwatching DC’s best friend, BB is a big oldies fan and has been from the time he was very young – Elvis being THE ultimate favorite. I once asked his mother where this came from, he was definitely too young at the time to really know who Elvis was. She had no idea. His love for Elvis led him to the Beatles and oldies in general. He listens to the oldies station and the DJ’s, before the station changed format, would always take a phone call from BB.
DC is always open to do anything BB likes – they do have quite a lot in common to begin with, namely their love of musicals, but DC never really had much of an interest in concerts, other than the Wiggles (kill me now).
He has been to plenty though. Most were outdoors where we were free to move about.
6 years old -blondie-better-than-ezra-our-lady-peaceecho-and-the-bunnymen-mighty-mighty-bosstonesks-choice-local-h-moist-moby-rane
6 years old -blondie-better than ezra-our lady peace-echo and the bunnymen-mighty mighty bosstones k’s choice-local h-moby
BB’s love of the oldies opens up another door for DC, away from the realm of Disney. If BB wants to go, DC is open to it and will almost always end up having a good time. I am always on the lookout for oldies concerts. DC and BB have been to quite a few Beatles cover band concerts, one with an Elvis impersonator as the opening act. I never have to try to “relate” these concerts to anything for DC – BB likes it so that is good enough for him. Of course Elvis was easily relatable to Lilo and Stitch, but that was just a bonus. We’ve been to a “Happy Together” concert and even Chicago. BB of course loved all of them and DC really did enjoy himself too, even though he really did not know any of the music.
When my brother offered me Eagles tickets back in March for my birthday, BB was my first thought. Keeping it a secret from him for 3 months was not an easy task for BB’s mother. Much like DC, we can not tell BB about these events too far ahead of time. One of the last times we were planning on taking BB with us somewhere – he went snooping found it written in his mom’s calendar. He always seems to find out ahead of time – a true detective indeed. This time I told her to write it in as “Bird Watching”  (yes, I crack myself). That is exactly what she did……   bird   We did actually manage to keep it a secret for possibly the first time ever!!!!!  When we came to pick him up, he still had no idea where he was going. Impressive!
And how did the boys do……………?
BB was certainly surprised and excited when he found out where he was going. He was a little bit overwhelmed by the crowds. I don’t think he was expecting quite that many people – The ‘Beatles’, Chicago and Happy Together shows were all at much smaller venues. At intermission while standing in the massive crowd, he asked me if this was what ‘the’ concert was like in 1971………. (sigh)…………..
I explained to him that I while I did not go to many concerts in 1971 because I was ELEVEN….. this is what a concert was like and is still like now. He had just never been to a large concert venue before. Because the Eagles were talking a lot about 1971 while going though their history, he had it in his head that all of these people attending were there as a reenactment of a 1971 concert. I don’t think he realized the amount of people who attend concerts in large venues.
DC found it necessary to nap during the “mellow” first part of the show. He caught his second wind for the second half and I do believe they both had a very good time – crowds, naps,
bird-watching and all. IMG_0746

No comments:

Post a Comment