Two Out Of Three

Can you re-live the glory days? Maybe. Or maybe not if you’re an old rocker.

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On a lark, we bought tickets for three shows in a row – a play and two concerts with old rock bands who decided to tour again. These old rockers sure like to hang on, even though the original band has been hollowed out by age and attrition.

The concerts were in Louisville, so we packed up the camper for a long weekend and stayed just across the Ohio River in Clarksville, Indiana. The campground had a great location but was a bit old and run down. Foreshadowing, perhaps?

The Falls of the Ohio State Park is also in Clarksville. Here, when the river level is low, ancient fossil beds are revealed in a giant slab of petrified mud. You can walk on top of the preserved skeletons of Jurassic sea life embedded in the rock. A bit of a metaphor for the bands we were about to see – old fossil relics of bygone days.

The play was our first scheduled event. It’s been years since I’ve been to Derby Dinner Playhouse. I’m happy to report the theater is doing well and has kept up with the times.

I was pleasantly surprised at the fine quality of the actors. I remember, years back, when this was a third-tier venue. But they have stepped up in talent and production, and it was a lovely, entertaining evening. Chalk up one win.

The next day, gray and chilly, we toured nearby New Albany, Indiana for the afternoon.

Like the old rock bands, New Albany is striving for a comeback. The riverfront has been revamped to a beautiful park, and there’s quite a few restaurants to choose from downtown.

That evening we drove into Louisville to see the first rock show at the venerable Palace Theater. An old beauty of a theater that still has relevance. Here’s the marquee for our two shows – the band Yes one night, followed by The Stray Cats the next night.

VIP tickets got us access to a private salon upstairs with its own bar and some free swag.

I was a huge Yes fan back in the day. Progressive rock, they called it. Only one of the original guys is actually on tour, but this new incarnation of the band stayed true to its roots and turned out some fine licks. A successful return to glory. That’s two wins!

In the middle of the Yes concert, we got a message that The Stray Cats had cancelled their show for the next evening. The lead singer, rockabilly star Brian Setzer, has a debilitating unnamed disease and cannot perform. It looks like their whole tour will be cancelled, after never playing a single concert. Unfortunately, time and poor health have stopped this band in its come-back tracks, probably never to return. Just like those Aerosmith tickets we had last year.

As we drove back to Clarksville late in the evening, the giant Colgate clock was way behind the time. Broken, but still ticking.

Kind of a deep metaphor for the state of old rock bands and us fans who want to remember our salad days.

Oh, well. You pay your money, you take your chances. As the late, great rocker Meatloaf said – two out of three ain’t bad.