Culturing a classic education

I must be an idiot. Actually, I'm pretty sure that I am. See, I was sitting there in this awesome seat that got picked for me randomly by some computer and staring at a stage on which stood some of the most talented musicians of our generation not to mention at least the last two and all I could think about was how to answer a simple question: Is this a cultural event?

I had made a number of goals at the start of the year, and one of those goals was to go to at least 6 cultural events/places by the end of the year. So I was wondering whether or not I could count the event I attended last night as a cultural event.

Looking back, I can see that my true struggle was with the nature of what is cultural. See, I had envisioned back when I made that New Year's resolution that cultural embodied something old, something passed down from a previous time, something that transmitted something ennobling across time and even space, something that refreshes our humanity by our participation in it. That seemed to imply something that is . . . well, not modern.

What amazes me is that I was struggling with the question for so long. I was at a concert last night. It took me a good fifteen minutes just to get inside the doors to the building because of all the people trying to get in at the same time I was. The show actually started about 20 minutes late, which I think was done to accommodate all the people behind me trying to do what I was doing. And who was it we were all coming to see? Just four guys called Timothy, Glenn, Don, and Joe.

Yeah, that's right. The Eagles.

They actually played Greenville, SC, on their tour. Yeah, I'm a total idiot for not seeing right away how cultural this was. The Eagles have been making and playing music for almost 40 years, and not just any music either. Their music is classic, and it crosses generational boundaries, as evidenced by the ages of those in attendance at the show. The subjects they treat in their music as well as their own particular treatment of those themes could very well be described as ennobling. Their honesty, while abrasive to some, is in my estimation refreshing. In the current political climate, who wouldn't give whatever to have an elected representative tell it to us like it is instead of taking polls and having to spin everything just so?

And speaking of politics, that was the one part of their show that I didn't like. The other was that they didn't play "Get Over It," which I can only imagine would be killer to hear live. Timothy started introducing one of their songs with a reminder of what would be coming today --- the inauguration of the first black US President. He learned very quickly where he was. While there were some cheers from what seemed to be the floor, many more boos could be heard from the rest of the arena. They wised up and moved on. I know what Bono said about politics and music, but sometimes I think it pays larger dividends to leave well enough alone and recognize that there is a time and a place for everything. Put the message in your art and let people get what they will out of it. Use emphasis with discretion.

The only other reference to politics they made was in the video they were showing while playing Don's classic "Dirty Laundry." They had images from all of the cable news companies as well as major websites and periodicals, but it seemed awfully disproportionate. All but a small handful of the images they had from CNN were of Glenn Beck's program, and whatever you may think of Mr. Beck, it seems awfully disproportionate to use him as the model representative for CNN. The other guy I think they picked on was Bill O'Reilly. Fox News had perhaps more image representation than any other news outlet. In contrast, MSNBC was represented by only a single image. I only mention this all because it seems that the message behind the song would have more potency if the whole of media were excoriated together equally. That is at least the message that I get out of the song.

Outside these two trifals, the show was fantastic. It was certainly worth every penny, which I would surrender again for a repeat experience. I know that some performers rely too much on the light show, but these guys didn't. They got the balance right. The lights were an effective accent and never went over the top. The video images were effective as well and made the presentation of the music that much more rich. And what better way to enrich classic music than with classical instruments. I sat there after they started the show with four songs from their new album and thought, "I'll bet they'll play something different now. Some time tonight they must play 'Hotel California.'" And right then a trumpet solo started, which turned out to be their intro to "Hotel California." It was simply masterful.

And old --- classic stuff is almost always old. And these guys are old. You can't be playing for almost 40 years and not be. But they haven't lost any of their artistic talent. If anything it has increased. Don sang a wonderful rendition of "Desperado" and held one of the final notes for at least a good 10 seconds without breaking a sweat. The man who can do that and still write songs on a new album that rocks, after all these many years, is an artist in my book. That kind of talent and dedication mirrors anything one might typically think of as classical. It was ennobling to watch.

Part of that was because Don wasn't the only one like that. They all were like that. They all still have the gift. And they played and played and played. They were professionals, even in their dress. They were all wearing business suits: whites shirts, ties, jackets, the whole deal. They four of them appeared very Beatle-esque together. As the night wore on, they eventually took off their jackets and loosened their ties, but there they were, looking professional and being professional. Sure, Glenn got the track number of one of their new songs mixed up in an intro, but when you got so many songs to keep track of and you get old, you tend to slip a little here and there. And besides, when it came to the essence of their art, they didn't slip at all, not even a little.

Some people complained about how pricey the tickets were. And sure, I usually think twice before dropping that kind of cash for anything. But after what I experienced, all I need to know before dropping the cash for this is that I still have money left in the bank after I buy the ticket. There's no second thoughts there.

And no second thoughts either about The Eagles in concert qualifying as a cultural event. I'm definitely counting them towards my goal.