Down in Kitty's Bassment

A flag-wavin', Earth-lovin', independent Pagan-in-a-giant-red-cornfield point of view. Believe it or not, there are some open minds in Nebraska. Oh, and I love NFL football too.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

My Teenage Son's Music


Teenage boys are supposed to hang out in their rooms with their stereos cranked up, and parents are supposed to hate it. For some reason I got really lucky with my 14-year-old Nate. He does spend a lot of time in his room with his music cranked up. I don't tell him to turn it down. I tell him to turn it up, just like Lynard Skynard in the opening of "Sweet Home Alabama."

When I was young I had a Huey Lewis, Billy Joel and Paul Young phase. I'd play it on long cross-country car trips with my mother. And Mom would sing along (especially to the Huey Lewis). But somehow when I ditched the pop stars for The Doors and Led Zeppelin, she stopped singing along. I found it kind of funny, since they were big when she was younger; she was more of an early Beatles and Carpenters sort of person I guess.

A few years ago a drummer friend of mine invited me to his place to play bass with him and his guitarist friend. And that became my life for a year or so, They didn't play The Doors, though. Too soft. I was introduced to Black Sabbath and AC/DC. I had been listening to the classic rock station for a few years by now, but when that stuff came on I changed the station. Now I had to learn it to help out my frinds. Strange thing is that I liked it. And as I practiced it, my kids were exposed to it.

Now my son worships with me in the Tabernacle of Young, Page, Clapton, Rhodes and Nugent. He is constantly looking for that "new" awesome guitar lick. From what I can tell he's getting his friends into my music. I find it amazing that we can agree on something so contentious as music. (He is listening to "Faeries Wear Boots" right now. I think he admires the amazing bass licks from Geezer Butler.) Next I'll play a little Rush for him. And I'll smile when Lynard Skynard tells him to "turn it up" and he dutifully reaches for the knob.