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in defense of music
I remember my first visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which for some weird reason nobody quite understands is located in Cleveland) and I saw a t-shirt that said, “If it’s too loud, you’re too old.” That t-shirt is what comes to mind whenever somebody complains about music. Like when my parents called my beloved Pearl Jam and the whole grunge thing garbage, but which they said was totally different from when my grandparents said the same thing about the Beatles and Led Zeppelin and Woodstock. But I digress, as these days most of the local complaining I hear comes from folks whining about the use of headphones while running.
I love music, and I listen to it the majority of the time I’m out running. Covering huge distances on limited talent and skill, I often need something to take my mind off the pain and suffering. Sometimes I find myself on very popular trails, and I’ll be so zoned out I’ll forget there are actually other human beings in the world, and I’ll get in their way. This leads to snide little glances and comments from the non-headphone crowd, as if to say I’m a horrible person since someone’s descent from the top of the W’s will now be a whole two seconds slower. I don’t own the trail, so I don’t expect everyone else out there to abide by my personal preferences. Sometimes that might be too much to ask in return, I guess.
Anyhow, the Garden is in the rearviewmirror, and the summer racing season is really heating up now. We have some locals running the Western States 100 this weekend, good luck to Wes Thurman and Chris Rozmarin. Also have a bunch of guys from Team CRUD headed down to the San Juan Mountains for the Lake City 50. Lake City will be my last big training run of the season, soon I’ll have to drop the training excuse and actually put up with some misery during races. Thankfully, I’ll have my music to take some of that suffering away.
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Comment
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Comment by Bill Beagle on June 21, 2012 at 2:39pm
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No offense taken. I've lived in both towns so I can knock 'em both! Although I will ALWAYS root for the Stillers against the Brownies.
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Comment by Jon Teisher on June 21, 2012 at 2:07pm
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I'm not knocking the RnR HOF, it's a very cool place. But as a Pittsburgher, it's my duty to rip on the city of Cleveland whenever possible.
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Having lived in Cleveland, having been a charter member of the R'n'R Hall of Fame and visited it many times I would strongly encourage any music fan to visit because it's well worth it. I'm not sure exactly why it was built in Cleveland J.T. but one reason might be that a Cleveland Disc Jockey, Alan Freed, is widely credited with coining the term Rock and Roll. I won't go into my screed about how the corrupt greedheads that run the recording industry have dissed the HOF and Cleveland in general by only holding one or two induction ceremonies there over the years, most of them held in NY and LA…'nuff said. As to your main point J.T., as the senior member of this here running team, I have to say your point is very well taken. Through the years I have often done what I call "age checks" when it comes to pop culture, as in "Is this any worse than the music I listened to as a kid?" Funny how people get locked into the genre of their generation and nothing else is ever as good. There is a lot of great music today and many of the young musicians pay homage to their predecessors, draw on their influences, put their own spice into the mix and just take it all to another, exciting level, e.g. Jack White. Some people probably thought that Elvis, with his sinful, swivel hips, was sent from the devil. Just check out some of Bessie Smith's lyrics from the 1930's. Oooh MaMa, wha'chu say! You're a far more skilled runner than I so you don't have to worry about me running you down! Wear your headphones. Crank it up! If it's too loud you ARE too old! Rock on!
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