Aerosmith, Steven Tyler Cope with Challenges of Rocking & Aging
When beloved classic rock band Aerosmith cancelled a pair of shows last month in my neck of the woods because of "artist injury" - as the band's official website so delicately terms it - I didn't really find much notable about the small news item. Other than some colleagues who verbalized their disappointment at the postponement, I haven't thought much about the group's summer 2009 tour since. But when I read today of frontman Steven Tyler's August 6 fall just after midnight from a South Dakota stage and his subsequent hospitalization, I thought twice about the greater implications of this situation.
In short, it's not only hard out there for a pimp (I'm told) - it can be rough going as well for vintage rockers pushing 60 and beyond who continue to practice their craft on stage. Maybe with so many artists born in the '40s still performing for enthusiastic audiences, we've come to ignore or deny the wear and tear of touring, especially as signs of mortality begin to set in. I don't mention this to mock Tyler or Aerosmith - even if I've never kept secret my lukewarm assessment of the band and its output. Rather, it's fascinating to note yet another way that we humans instinctively seek to sidestep the aging process and its requisite attempts to control aspects of our lives. Understandably, Tyler & Co. want to keep doing what they love as long as it's feasible and marketable, and in the same way folks who attend such retro concerts hope to preserve shreds of youth through their patronage. It's just another way to "rage against the dying of the light," a defiance of mortality I can heartily respect even at age 37, not to mention Tyler's 61 rambunctious years on the planet. Get well Steven, and keep fighting to keep the hope alive in honor of the aching joints and declining stamina everywhere rampant these days. Tick tock.
Comments
No comments yet. Leave a Comment