The Closing Of Two
Rock Club Institutions In The Boston Area
Click on link to hear
a conversation about state of rock and
roll in the Greater Boston area.
Frank Jackman comment:
Those of us who grew
up with rock and roll seemingly embedded in our DNA, those from the Generation
of ’68 who came of musical age in the mid-1950s, the now “classic age of rock
and roll you know Elvis, Chuck, Bill, Bo, Wanda, Jerry Lee and the crowd, also
grew up with plenty of opportunities to see and hear our favorites live in
concert or in some similar setting. Got to see and hear them and bring them into
the musical mainstream for a time after we ditched our parent’s big band sound
and early be-bop thing. We also got to see up and coming rocks acts (and some that
rightfully did not make it out of the gate) in small lounges, barrooms and rock
clubs as they honed their skills before a tougher audience. And in places like
the Boston area, New York, Chicago, L.A. and Frisco there were lots of such
places. So it was a bit sad this past week when this commentator learned that two
local rock club institutions were closing their doors, T.T the Bear’s in
Central Square, Cambridge and Johnny D’s in Davis Square, Somerville.
Now the reasons for
the closings were mostly personal or economic in a time of rising rents for
such coveted spaces but this development also reflects the fact, the sad fact
to these ears, that rock and roll, in its classic and now later permutations is
not the main beat that drives the popular musical world. Other genre have come in
and asserted their claims to be the plebian music of the times, to be the music
of the masses as at one time rock had done when it exploded on the scene. Today
that fact hit us square in the face after learning of the recent announcements.
We of my generation all grew up under the sign-“rock and roll will never die.” Maybe it ain’t so. Enough said.
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