When Old People Rock & Roll

Bob Gannon, D's long time friend and drummer from back in the Swing Set days, and his wife are hosting a series of musical evenings this summer. They are called "Stay Positive" parties, and they are brilliant.

They invite a variety of friends and musicians of various genres to a pot luck at their lovely home in Venice to eat, drink and find something to be happy about on this fair planet.

Old people rock. We roll, too. Bob's band was making some nice sounds when we first arrived.

Bob's bass player was laying down some great sounds...I was digging his phat bass lines.

This woman is folk-ish singer songwritery type, her music was lovely. Nice lyrics and good guitar playing.

There are some differences when the 40+ crowd rocks out, different compared to how this all looked 20 years ago.

There are koi ponds.

A stunning Venice Beach cottage with open walls and an outdoor living space with lounge chairs and long chaises instead of a grimy concrete patio with pigeon shit and cigarette butts.

The hot chick singing a few songs solo is pregnant and she keeps her boobs covered.

There are children present, and lots of them, even if the language is not always PG. There is an open bar, and people indulge in alcoholic beverages with a designated driver. No one is doing blow or shooting heroin in the bathroom.

There is a well developed sense of irony. A purposeful sense of irony, I might add. Watch this. It is worth the 1 minutes 9 seconds.

Grand Master Flash on the hurdy gurdy. Watch it, you know you want to.

The sound system is actually better than the sound system at most Hollywood clubs (including Cinespace) because someone who cares deeply about music has spent the time and money to make it so. And fans are more than appreciative.

Meaningful music about a long hard year can make you cry, tears unrelated to a guy who dumped you and you don't have to shed them in the bathroom with your girlfriends.

Rock and roll is not age specific. It is not the sole domain of the youthful, and one doesn't need to be particularly angry at the world to make amazing music.

But a little anger certainly doesn't squelch creativity either. Fortunately those of us past 40 can still muster up a little world hating.