A trip from disco to bluegrass

Throughout the years, my musical tastes have varied.

The first record I ever bought was "Car Wash" by Rose Royce: "Let me tell you it's always cool / and the boss don't mind sometimes if ya act a fool."

I was about 10 years old, and thought that was great stuff. Disco was all the rage. "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease" were also popular soundtracks to my early life.

A few years later I began listening to the radio, and my choice was what I guess you'd call adult contemporary, with songs like "I Love You" by the Climax Blues Band: "When I was younger man I hadn't a care; Foolin' around, hitting the town, growing my hair."

Yeah, that was good stuff, too.

I then went through a short Billy Joel, REO Speedwagon and Styx phase before I turned to the really hard stuff.

In high school, I was all about heavy metal and hard rock. Bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Van Halen topped my list throughout my teens. I thought it was great then, but now it's just boooor-ingggg!

In my twenties, I started getting into progressive rock, like REM; grunge rock, like Pearl Jam and Nirvana; and jam rock, like The Grateful Dead, Phish and Widespread Panic.

I still like most of the bands from that latter group, but the number one band that has stayed with me as my favorite throughout my life is Pink Floyd. I was lucky enough to see them in 1994, on the 13th row at Clemson's Death Valley football stadium.

What a great show!

That was the topper of all the shows I've ever seen, and I've seen a bunch: Journey, Billy Squire, Foreigner, Loverboy, ZZ Top, .38 Special, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Ozzy Ozbourne (with Randy Rhoads on guitar), Page and Plant, The Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, Axe, The Allman Brothers (caught a drumstick), Metallica, Cheap Trick, Rush, Ratt, Night Ranger, Black Flag, Fugazi, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Lonnie Mack, Little Feat, Van Halen, Heart, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone, Primus, Soundgarden, and on and on ... I can't even remember them all.

Starting in my late 20s and continuing into my 30s and -- gag ­-- my 40s, I've listened to a spattering of bluegrass.

I can tell you that at last year's Wartrace MusicFest, I was pretty impressed with Cherryholmes, and as I wrote this Friday, I was looking forward to seeing them again Saturday night.

Like many other people, I love Alison Krauss and Union Station, and would love to see them live. I also like Nickel Creek and Lucinda Williams, among others.

Besides this spattering of bluegrass, I never much cared for country music, though there are some exceptions. As a rule, I tend to like the female country vocalists more than the men.

Another type of music I have dabbled with is classical, and that brings me back around to what I started writing this column about -- the fact that I got to yell "Bravo!" Thursday night.

I was fortunate to be the beneficiary of a free ticket to the Nashville Symphony, courtesy of Jack and Carrie Carney.

I went with their son and T-G city editor, John I. Carney, and we were treated to some great music by the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

The main piece for the evening was Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 'Choral.'"

It was awesome! I was happy that at the end, everybody stood up for an ovation, because I felt like jumping up myself, but I didn't want to be the only one!

When Slatkin came back out for his third round of applause, I yelled "Bravo!" and I think he heard me. Or at least I imagine he did -- he seemed to give a nod in my general direction, anyway. From what I understand, it was one of his last performances as advisor to the symphony, and he is one of a very few conductors whose name I recognized, so I felt really happy to have had the opportunity to see him.

While the Beethoven was great, I was impressed with the opening piece as well, which was Samuel Barber's "Prayers of Kierkegaard, Op. 20."

That's funny to me, because I didn't even know there would be an opening piece, so I was sitting there telling myself, "This doesn't sound like Beethoven, but I like it."

After that experience, I have made a commitment to myself to listen to more classical music, and to attend the symphony at least once a year. Thanks a lot, Rev. and Mrs. Carney!

Next stop, Bonnaroo, to see The Boss!

-- John Philleo is editor of the Times-Gazette, and can be reached by e-mail at editor@t-g.com.