On a recent beautiful day, I was driving to the grocery store with my windows down and the radio blasting. An old favorite song came on and I began singing along and doing the head bop. I looked over at a vehicle stopped beside me at a light and the young driver looked at me like I had surely lost my mind. “Hey, lady – I may be older but I’m not that old.”
What that driver obviously didn’t know is that the song, “I Want You to Want Me “ by Cheap Trick brings a flood of wonderful memories. When I was in my mid-20s, my girlfriends and I would go out on Friday nights to a local club in Prospect Heights, IL called Haymakers. Cheap Trick was one of the bands that occasionally performed there; this was just before they rose to fame. Between sets, the guys in the band would sit at our table where we enjoyed drinks and a lot of laughs. Rick Nielsen, the lead guitarist and primary songwriter was my favorite – he always wore a ball cap, funky clothes and shoes. He was interesting and very funny. I miss those days and every time one of their songs comes on, of course I’m gonna rock out to it!
I like all kinds of music, but my favorites are ‘70s and ‘80s rock and heavy metal. I will pull into my driveway with groceries and if a song like “Baba O’Riley” by The Who or anything by AC/DC, Aerosmith, Jethro Tull and the like comes on the radio, I will let the ice cream melt in the grocery bag. I have my priorities.
After living for nearly 30 years in Michigan, this is totally out of character – some country music is starting to grow on me. But if the first few lines of the lyrics include a pickup truck, an old dog, a front porch and a cold beer, I am done listening.
My favorite new genre to explore is metalcore, which combines both screamed and clean vocals. I particularly like a band called Life Right Now that is really quite popular. The band offers a fun, energetic mix of both smooth and startling riffs. I was introduced to this band’s music through Zachary Scott, my personal trainer for well over a year. Not only is Zach a skilled trainer, he also is an award-winning bodybuilder and a great vocalist/songwriter. He is joined by talented bandmates Justin DiMarco (a truly must-hear singer), guitarist Kyler Miller and drummer Cameron Clore. Due to its growing popularity, Life Right Now’s bookings and cross-country tours are more frequent each year. Anyone interested can find Life Right Now on most music platforms. Enjoy, but be aware – a few lyrics may not be suitable for little ears.
Anyway, if you see me rockin’ out in my car, trust me, I’m not a weird old lady. I’m just getting into the music … my way.
