Music has a magical way of transporting us back in time: a tribute to good tribute bands

I have discovered the fountain of youth! I did not find it in the ground, in a jar, or plastic surgery, filler, vitamins, or an age-defying cream. On the contrary, it was readily available at a modest cost. Are you ready for this? I found the  fountain of youth at a venue that featured an Eagles tribute band.

I am a woman of a certain age who still loves music, dancing, and concerts—especially rock concerts. Judging from the size of the audience, I am not alone. The venue was jammed with gray-haired or balding men—some with ponytails— sporting leather jackets. Some women looked like they stepped right out of 1970. Some were gray; others, like me, well “only their hairdresser knows for sure.”

As  soon as the lights flickered and dimmed, there was a  buzz of  excitement followed by  silence—for  a moment. When the band stepped onto  the stage, the crowd roared with the first introductory cord of the guitars and drums. The audience was rockin’ on down. The collective exhilaration we felt was  palpable and took on a life of its own.

Familiar songs like “Desperado,” “One of These Nights,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “Hotel California,”  New Kid in Town” and many others brought the house down with cheers, whistles, fist bumps and singing with complete abandonment.  We were back in the zone. At times, I felt a lump grow  in my throat when a memory of the past (loves included ) was triggered.  As I looked around, I spotted other folk who were catapulted back to another time and place—a place we can only return to in memory.

Back then some sorrow had not brought us to our knees, yet. For others, like me, a lost love was recalled — a missed opportunity. The music stood for a carefree period before the weight of life’s challenges became back-breaking. It is no wonder that folks of a certain age complain about their backs!

After three encore songs, the theatre erupted in ear-splitting applause. We were once again on our feet, faces animated with joy. The show ended and the lights went on.  I looked around  and saw folks with tears in their eyes; many with happy smiles and others with pensive expressions.  We poured out of the theatre, returning to our cars returning to our really-real lives.  But for two hours we were back there, somewhere.

For the next two weeks, I found myself singing “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “Hotel California” and  other Eagle songs. I was still in the zone.  I wondered what it was  about that evening and other concerts I have attended that literally gave me “that peaceful easy feeling.”

Was it recapturing my youth?  Was it a dopamine high? Was it the  feeling of being a part of a magical moment with other concert goers?  It can be all of that and much more.

Music is powerful in conveying emotions and triggering  memories.  Research has shown that live music can stimulate our brains and activate the feel-good feelings—and who doesn’t want to feel good nowadays? Live performances may foster a deeper cognitive and affective processing throughout our brain. Some of us can remember lyrics from the 70s and forget where we put our keys.

Through the power of music,  tribute bands from our youth often hold a special place in our hearts.  This music can be incredibly impactful by bringing people together—and not the same friends from our youth! We are seated with strangers, but we connect, briefly. Songs from back then are the soundtracks of our lives. Music reminds us of significant moments and experiences.  The connection is so strong that hearing a particular song years later can transport us to a specific time and place.

Recently, I heard “New Kid  in Town” and was catapulted to a time when in fact there was a new boy in town. A new love, a new relationship — I was, and still am,  a hopeless romantic. The new boy had longish hair and wore a black leather jacket. Yup, Johnny. The lyric  “And after awhile you’re lookin’ the other way” resonated with me. He was aptly named.  Once past the honeymoon stage, he became a Johnny- come-lately.  I began to doubt the longevity of our relationship. I was right. Imagine, decades later, that song  could still conjure him up.

Tribute bands play a large role in keeping alive  the music  of the musicians who have gone before us or who can no longer play it themselves.  Not only do tribute bands play the bands’ music, they replicate the performers as well.

And most importantly, when we  listen to live music from back then, we pay tribute to our own lives.  We live through and remember the good, the bad and the ugly— even Johnny-come-lately.