America, the band
I got to do something really cool last night. I got to see America playing live for 90 minutes in a really small theater with only about 100 other people.
One of the greatest gifts that my father gave me growing up was a love of music. I was brought up surrounded by lots of music, some of which I’ve taken to be my own. There was a lot of what is now termed “classic rock.” Last night they told us that they are not oldies, they are classic, and I agree. I have always loved America and a few years ago I bought their Greatest Hits CD and have times when I listen to it repeatedly for weeks at a time. I love how their voices harmonize, their guitar style, how the songs make me feel happy. I mean how many people can write a song about “Muskrat Love” that makes you dance around the living room with a teddy bear?
I was really impressed watching and listening to these five guys last night. The two founding members were Air Force brats who met while attending high school in England. Probably another reason why I’ve always identified with them, having been an Air Force brat myself who lived overseas in high school. Only they graduated four years before I was born. So they’ve been playing music together for over 40 years. Two of the other band members have been with them for over 35 years. Talk about way cool that they can still sing so beautifully and rock out so well after all these years. I imagine being in a band together for that long must be like a marriage. Requiring a lot of compromise and change.
Last night I sang along to all but four songs that I didn’t know because they are from newer albums. I smiled, A LOT. I kept the beat with my leg, my hands, by swaying my body in my seat. I clapped a lot. I lost myself in music’s all encompassing embrace that makes the world disappear and the musicians become hypnotists. I think it’s pretty damn cool that their music still means so much to so many people, and I’m so glad that my parents introduced me to America as a kid so that I could experience last night with such pure joy.
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Comments
In response to Michael’s comment: It was funny that the band actually commented on that exact feeling. At one point one of them said “And now we enter the phase of the concert where we play the songs that make you go ‘Hey I didn’t know they sang that one!’”. I thought that was pretty funny :)
So glad that you had a good time - I <3 America but didn’t know it until I heard a late night infomercial… “Oooh, I love that song… OH and that one *too* OOH and THAT ONE, you mean they’re all from the same band?!!?” :^)