Aug

14

TurtlesSo far I sadly have neglected discussing my late grandmother, the one married to my 104 year old grandfather, who died in her 90s. She had an independent streak and made sure that we grandchildren were sufficiently exposed to concerts and music of all types. She was quite a character and had an uncanny resemblance to Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame. She took all of us to the ballet, operas, and symphonies, and rock concerts on a near weekly basis. By the time I was in 5th grade, I had seen the Dave Clark Five, The Stones, Beatles twice, Monkees, Jimi Hendrix, The Turtles, Chad and Jeremy, The Animals, The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, and a host of other bands. To make her happy, we went to see Dorsey, Sinatra, Tony Martin, Count Basie, and all the greats of an earlier generation. She was always 50 years older than anyone at the rock concerts, and had just as much fun as the kids. She also had an uncanny ability to score tickets in the first three rows for everything… she claimed her poor eyesight necessitated  front-row seating. Feeling that being around all of the kids made her young again, she was criticized by the rest of the family for her apparent craziness. She was crazy like a fox, as our generation of cousins has an appreciation of every form of music and we owe it all to her. Those concerts she took us to are among the best memories of my life and can never be taken away. I think that this fall I will invite Vic and Aubrey to a Phish concert when they come to NY. I know Aubrey will like it and it will open some news doors for Vic.

Marion Dreyfus notes the benefits of taking children to concerts and other grown-up activities:

You pick up a great deal of incidental ambient intelligence at those concerts. Different venues rouse new parts of the dormant brain, making more synaptic connections and neuron networks grow. The new intel becomes part of our personal carapace of knowledge and sentience. You can function on more data, have a greater range of facts and input upon which to think and act.

Tom Marks is skeptical:

The 'synaptic connection' angle sounds like what an embarassed neurologist in a Woody Allen film might say to his unamused wife after she had found strip-club charges on his Am_rican Express card statement.


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5 Comments so far

  1. Leon Mayeri on August 14, 2009 3:25 pm

    I was fortunate to see the Beatles play in San Francisco in August, 1965; I was just nine years old and was very close to the stage, but all I really remember was the noise of the crowd. The music was not very well mixed or amplified in those days.

    After subsequently attending hundreds of rock concerts over the years, I’m ready to bring my seven year old to a show. My first choice would be Springsteen, but he is only playing on the east coast for the remainder of his current tour. For those of you who are looking for a great rock concert experience that the kids will enjoy, try Giants Stadium during the first week of October.

  2. Steve Leslie on August 15, 2009 7:45 am

    What a grandmother. This weekend is an amazing one 40 year anniversary of Woodstock. August 16th is the 32 year anniversary of the Death of the King of Rock and Roll. Lots of memories there.

    I remember the Ed Sullivan Show when the King was on as well as such Iconic stars as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and others. Like the Johnny Carson show, if you were anybody you appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Ed Sullivan was a very interesting man who rose to fame first as a entertainment columnist and later hosting his own entertainment show.

    He paved the way for shows that followed. The Midnight Special which is now out on DVD and Don Kirschner's Rock Concert. Ah yes Rock and Roll that phrase was coined by Alan Freed discjockey from the 1950's.

    In thw words of the immortal The Who "Long Live Rock" And AC DC "Let there be Rock". Lest we forget KISS "I want to Rock and Roll all night"

  3. Sue Sweet on August 15, 2009 9:44 am

    I hope to be seeing The Turtles with Flo and Eddy in Akron, Ohio at the end of Aug., and Peter Noone in Youngstown, Ohio on Sunday Oct 4.

  4. Steve Leslie on August 15, 2009 7:02 pm

    Kent is a suburb of Akron, and I was born in Kent and graduated Kent State, the second largest college system in Ohio. Ah, memories!

  5. Bill Welch on August 17, 2009 11:35 am

    I remember seeing Mothers of Invention with Flo & Eddie doing the live version of Live Album at the Fillmore at the New Haven Arena. I think Chuck Berry may have opened for the the Mothers. It’s just a blurrrr!

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