Still Got the Beat
Every life has its soundtrack. For each of us, there is a body of music which we claim as our very own. These are the songs that have served as a musical backdrop for the memorable moments of our lives. We all have that specific song that we call "our song." When it plays on the radio we announce... "Hey, that's my song!" and most likely, sing along. We all remember the song that was playing the first time we slow danced with that person who sould become the love of a lifetime. And, of course, there is the song that was our anthem when we went through a painful break-up. I still cannot hear "Strong Enough" by Cher without remembering blasting it in my car as I drove away from the condo I shared with my ex. It seems the older we all get, the more extensive our CD collections and the corresponding soundtracks of our lives become.
In 1982, I was thirteen years old, thrilled to be a teenager at last, and entering the world of junior high school. My best friend Rick and I were rather eccentric for the small town in western South Dakota where we lived. We were both gay boys growing up in a very conservative part of the country, and while we never discussed our social orientation with anyone and in many ways never even admitted it to ourselves, we found in one another a certain solidarity. We were inseparable even though Rick was actually a grade ahead of me.
It was during my junior high school years that I became obsessed with pop culture and developed an insatiable appetite for music. Whenever I could, I would purchase records and cassette tapes. Rick shared my passion for music, and we both become enamored with an all-girl rock band with a sound that was fresh and unique, unlike any of the music we were listening to at the time. I remember the first time I heard "Our Lips are Sealed" playing on the radio. I was hooked and so began my love affair with the Go-Go's. Rick and I could sing every word to every song on all three Go-Go's albums and often blasted the tunes on the stereo in Rick's car as we cruised around our small town.
The story of the Go-Go's mirrors those of other successful rock bands. After a string of hits, the band broke up in 1985 amid reports of "cat fights" and drug abuse. Belinda Carlisle and Jane Weidlin had brief solo careers. Charlotte Caffey, the Go-Go responsible for much of the band's songwriting, formed the band The Graces with two other girl rockers. Rick and I both developed new musical tastes. Rick discovered Madonna, and I found The Smiths and The Cure. The Go-Go's became one of those guilty pleasures that are kept secret.
Fast forward twenty years.... I was sitting at my desk at work, listening to my favorite radio station Alice Radio in San Francisco. I lovethe show "Retro in the Metro." DJ Jayn plays hits from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, and I indulge my sense of nostalgia. Several weeks ago, the station was giving away tickets to see the Go-Go's in concert at The Independent in San Francisco, and I actually won two tickets for the show. On October 5th, I finally saw Belinda, Charlotte, Jane, Kathy, and Gina live. And, it was everything I could have imagined and more.
Playing to a sell-out crowd at The Independent, a small concert venue in San Francisco, the Go-Go's proved that they still know how to rock. As the show opened with mega hit, "Vacation," I was swept away in the energy and spirit that hooked me in my teens. This is feet in the sand, driving with the top down, feel good music at its best. From Kathy Valentine's distinctive bass lines and Gina Shock's driving rhythms on the drums to the unmistakable voice of Belinda Carlisle, the ladies entertained the crowd with all their hits. Everyone sang along and danced to the classic "We Got the Beat." Making light of their break-up in 1985 and recalling Carlisle's solo career, Jane Weidlin introduced "Mad About You," the treatment of the song seemed a bit edgier than the original.
The group truly seemed to enjoy playing together, and like the audience, they may have been reliving the eighties, a time that I recall as being carefree and wildly fun. For a moment, it seemed that we had all stepped back in time. Yet, I was struck by how maturity and distance had changed us all. The Go-Go's certainly have been through major changes, and they were certainly approaching the music from a new place. Yet, there was something remarkably timeless about the music. Perhaps that timelessness is wrapped up in the fondness with which we all regard our youth. Unlike the girl rockers who looked fabulous, I am certainly showing my age physically. Still, a part of me is still sixteen years old, filled with wonder at all that the world and life hold.
Seeing the Go-Go's live will long be one of my favorite musical memories. Like many memories, the taste of this memory is bittersweet. My dear friend, Rick, was killed in a car accident a year ago. I would have loved to have shared this experience with him. I can't help but imagine the two of us, dancing, singing, and celebrating... "Kids got the beat!"
Every life has its soundtrack. For each of us, there is a body of music which we claim as our very own. These are the songs that have served as a musical backdrop for the memorable moments of our lives. We all have that specific song that we call "our song." When it plays on the radio we announce... "Hey, that's my song!" and most likely, sing along. We all remember the song that was playing the first time we slow danced with that person who sould become the love of a lifetime. And, of course, there is the song that was our anthem when we went through a painful break-up. I still cannot hear "Strong Enough" by Cher without remembering blasting it in my car as I drove away from the condo I shared with my ex. It seems the older we all get, the more extensive our CD collections and the corresponding soundtracks of our lives become.
In 1982, I was thirteen years old, thrilled to be a teenager at last, and entering the world of junior high school. My best friend Rick and I were rather eccentric for the small town in western South Dakota where we lived. We were both gay boys growing up in a very conservative part of the country, and while we never discussed our social orientation with anyone and in many ways never even admitted it to ourselves, we found in one another a certain solidarity. We were inseparable even though Rick was actually a grade ahead of me.
It was during my junior high school years that I became obsessed with pop culture and developed an insatiable appetite for music. Whenever I could, I would purchase records and cassette tapes. Rick shared my passion for music, and we both become enamored with an all-girl rock band with a sound that was fresh and unique, unlike any of the music we were listening to at the time. I remember the first time I heard "Our Lips are Sealed" playing on the radio. I was hooked and so began my love affair with the Go-Go's. Rick and I could sing every word to every song on all three Go-Go's albums and often blasted the tunes on the stereo in Rick's car as we cruised around our small town.
The story of the Go-Go's mirrors those of other successful rock bands. After a string of hits, the band broke up in 1985 amid reports of "cat fights" and drug abuse. Belinda Carlisle and Jane Weidlin had brief solo careers. Charlotte Caffey, the Go-Go responsible for much of the band's songwriting, formed the band The Graces with two other girl rockers. Rick and I both developed new musical tastes. Rick discovered Madonna, and I found The Smiths and The Cure. The Go-Go's became one of those guilty pleasures that are kept secret.
Fast forward twenty years.... I was sitting at my desk at work, listening to my favorite radio station Alice Radio in San Francisco. I lovethe show "Retro in the Metro." DJ Jayn plays hits from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, and I indulge my sense of nostalgia. Several weeks ago, the station was giving away tickets to see the Go-Go's in concert at The Independent in San Francisco, and I actually won two tickets for the show. On October 5th, I finally saw Belinda, Charlotte, Jane, Kathy, and Gina live. And, it was everything I could have imagined and more.
Playing to a sell-out crowd at The Independent, a small concert venue in San Francisco, the Go-Go's proved that they still know how to rock. As the show opened with mega hit, "Vacation," I was swept away in the energy and spirit that hooked me in my teens. This is feet in the sand, driving with the top down, feel good music at its best. From Kathy Valentine's distinctive bass lines and Gina Shock's driving rhythms on the drums to the unmistakable voice of Belinda Carlisle, the ladies entertained the crowd with all their hits. Everyone sang along and danced to the classic "We Got the Beat." Making light of their break-up in 1985 and recalling Carlisle's solo career, Jane Weidlin introduced "Mad About You," the treatment of the song seemed a bit edgier than the original.
The group truly seemed to enjoy playing together, and like the audience, they may have been reliving the eighties, a time that I recall as being carefree and wildly fun. For a moment, it seemed that we had all stepped back in time. Yet, I was struck by how maturity and distance had changed us all. The Go-Go's certainly have been through major changes, and they were certainly approaching the music from a new place. Yet, there was something remarkably timeless about the music. Perhaps that timelessness is wrapped up in the fondness with which we all regard our youth. Unlike the girl rockers who looked fabulous, I am certainly showing my age physically. Still, a part of me is still sixteen years old, filled with wonder at all that the world and life hold.
Seeing the Go-Go's live will long be one of my favorite musical memories. Like many memories, the taste of this memory is bittersweet. My dear friend, Rick, was killed in a car accident a year ago. I would have loved to have shared this experience with him. I can't help but imagine the two of us, dancing, singing, and celebrating... "Kids got the beat!"
posted by Bohemedude's Page | 9:46 PM
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