From Old School to Ancient School
Last night I took in a Relient K concert down in Worcester with Mike, G, my daughter Amanda and friend Stephanie. Included on the ticket were a couple of bands we'd never heard of, one of which, 'Rufio', had talent (notice I don't mention the others). But, we went to see Relient K, so our lack of appreciation for the other bands was probably to be expected. Relient K hit the stage and we were all appreciative! It takes a great band to reproduce live the sound of their recordings, and this band nailed it.
What caught my attention, however, were the repeated references by my concert-going party, strangers in the audience, and even members of the bands to 'old-school' music. Statements like, "They're sound is old-school" or "Here's a song for those of you who are old-school" were heard everywhere last night. The thing is, they were talking about stuff from the 90's! Am I that old that I am older than old-school? Isn't old-school like the 60's? Dylan - he's old-school. Or at least the 70's? Chicago? They're old-school. Come on! They had a horn line for cryin' out loud! Perhaps even the 80's? Hair bands? Spandex? But the 1990's??? At one point Relient K's lead singer Matthew Thiessen announced, "Here's a little tune for all you old-schoolers out there!" I'm expecting a Petra tune. Maybe Rez Band. Maybe Larry Norman! The band kicked into the theme song of the television show "Full House". I've just googled it. That's a series that ran from 1987-1995. That's the Olsen twins before they became billionaires. Now the Olsen twins are old-school?
So, I loved the concert. I am loving the fact that my ears were ringing this morning (now that's old-school, new-school, any-school cool). But, I'm feeling generationally aged today. Could it be that I'm too old for old-school? What does that mean? Am I ancient-school?
What caught my attention, however, were the repeated references by my concert-going party, strangers in the audience, and even members of the bands to 'old-school' music. Statements like, "They're sound is old-school" or "Here's a song for those of you who are old-school" were heard everywhere last night. The thing is, they were talking about stuff from the 90's! Am I that old that I am older than old-school? Isn't old-school like the 60's? Dylan - he's old-school. Or at least the 70's? Chicago? They're old-school. Come on! They had a horn line for cryin' out loud! Perhaps even the 80's? Hair bands? Spandex? But the 1990's??? At one point Relient K's lead singer Matthew Thiessen announced, "Here's a little tune for all you old-schoolers out there!" I'm expecting a Petra tune. Maybe Rez Band. Maybe Larry Norman! The band kicked into the theme song of the television show "Full House". I've just googled it. That's a series that ran from 1987-1995. That's the Olsen twins before they became billionaires. Now the Olsen twins are old-school?
So, I loved the concert. I am loving the fact that my ears were ringing this morning (now that's old-school, new-school, any-school cool). But, I'm feeling generationally aged today. Could it be that I'm too old for old-school? What does that mean? Am I ancient-school?
15 Comments:
Talk about your old-school....
...all this time I thought Relient K was an automobile that Chrysler produced.
By Anonymous, at 10/27/2005 12:25 PM
Sorry Darin, but it comes to all of us, usually a lot sooner than we would like. If you're older than old school I wonder what that makes me, dinosaur school? One of my sons, who is about your age Darin, sometimes teases me, respectfuly, about being older than dirt.
The music I grew up with could actually be played without any electrical power. Imagine that! That's really old school.
By Ralph, at 10/27/2005 1:28 PM
Thanks for commiserating guys! I'm feeling younger already.
By Darin, at 10/27/2005 2:34 PM
the kids just like to call things old school. to further confuse you, mxpx (the band you didn't mention) were considered "new school punk rock" in the 90's.
kevin
By savinglatin, at 10/27/2005 2:57 PM
I would think that anything on an Ipod, mp3 player, or even a cd would be "new school"! Just my opinion! That would include music all the way back to the 80s, I believe. I would define "old school" as anything on a cassette tape or record album. For you kids out there, a record is a big black cd that you play on a turntable! I understand that most people don't even have a tape player anymore. I guess I would be "old school" too, because I still have and listen to lots of music on tapes and records. Had to get a new turntable recently. When I said what I was looking for, the guy at Best Buy looked at me like I had two heads! Anyway, at least I don't have any 8 tracks anymore! :)
By Shari, at 10/28/2005 6:36 PM
I still have a Bob Seager & The Silver Bullet Band 8-track somewhere... ;-) My first cassette was Flash Dance and I had lots of 45's (those are little records, though larger than CDs, that you put this weird looking yellow thing in the center to play on the turn table...) Most of my 45's were kids music... but I remember buying "We Are the World" down at Ames. I had a 78(that's the big record) of "Alvin & The Chipmunk's Christmas"... man I loved that one...
By germaine, at 10/28/2005 8:33 PM
My first car was a red, Ford Pinto Hatchback that I put extra speakers in.....and I fondly remember blaring Boston's "More than a Feeling" on my 8-track!!
I haven't tried this yet, but I heard that a lot of people bring ear plugs to concerts that they go to with their kids!
By Jackie, at 10/29/2005 12:57 AM
Hey ! G...Did you ever play that Alvin 78 on the other speeds?? That was always lots of fun!
By Jackie, at 10/29/2005 12:59 AM
OOOO, Flashdance! I remember the off-the shoulder sweat shirts and the leg warmers. I used to always try my records on faster speeds! It was a lot of fun! I also had a lot of kid's records. I remember the first 33 record I actually went out to buy was the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight". Wow, that's embarrassing! Then I graduated to buying 45s of Journey singles. I still have some of them! I think Darin's got some Kiss in there too!
By Shari, at 10/29/2005 7:35 AM
NICE!!!
I used to play all my records at different speeds... That way you could make everyone sound like Alvin & The Chipmunks!!
My first car was a Ford Escort hatchback... we could fit 12 of us in there... and the radio didn't always work because my friend Chris would always try to install new radios and he did not quite know what he was doing... (but don't tell him that)
By germaine, at 10/29/2005 1:04 PM
G---the Ford Pinto became the Ford Escort! How weird is that?? What color was yours?? My car was really a gem because they sold it to me with a faulty transmission! The first night I had it, it would only go in reverse! It would not drive forward until it was warmed up!! Yeah! They paid to have it fixed and all was well again!
By Jackie, at 10/29/2005 4:38 PM
My first car was a white Toyota Corolla. It worked pretty well till someone rear-ended me! Corollas were bigger then, and I could fit a lot of people too! I also had a friend who used to have to start his car with a spoon. Every day after school we'd see him lifting the hood to stick that spoon in there somewhere to get his car started!
My car went through phases of having no music, so sometimes I would keep my boom box (that played cassettes) in my car. I never had an 8 track in my car, though. Jackie, I guess that really makes you "old school"! :) heehee
By Shari, at 10/30/2005 7:34 AM
I fear I may not get much credit by commenting on this post so I will preface this all by saying I also listened to records as a child, the kind with the little book that went along with it and made a special noise when it was time to turn the page. I also had an 8-track player on my bedroom stereo but that was just because it also had a cassette player and was only $5 at a yard sale. I never really used it for listening to 8-tracks as much as just so I could say I had an 8-track player. So all that to say, I think the phrase "old school" is quite relative, and will continue to be so. Old school is anything that's not today (reference the saying "that is sooo last year"). Anything that's not the latest or the newest is old school, and that changes as frequently as people's myspace photos. (If you don't know what that means then you're old school) ;) So all that to say, old school isn't as bad as you think and change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
By mike, at 10/30/2005 7:49 PM
I like to consider myself "middle-school"....I'm having way too much fun to admit that I am getting old(er)!
By Jackie, at 10/31/2005 9:37 AM
Well... I actally had a mustang that I would need to start with a butter knife... That was really my first car, but it didn't stay around too long.
The escort was long living though... man that thing kept coming back to life... it finally had enough and caught on fire in my driveway. It was black and silver... & ya... I played the boom box game too... had to hear the tunes & waste a million batteries.
I LOVED THE READ-A-LONG STORIES... ding...
By germaine, at 10/31/2005 12:36 PM
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